Blasphemy and the Last Supper

I think the concept of blasphemy is archaic and obsolete in light of the free speech and expression as mandated by law in our Constitution.

Still the concept for Muslims, if enacted by U.N. international law, would put Danish Newspapers and Danish Cartoonists in the category of criminals. I cite the recent hubbub regarding the image of Mohammed as a terrorist depicted in a Danish cartoon.

Terrorism and blasphemy are in the eyes of the beholders. The Global Town Square should be neutral in the enforcement of blasphemy concepts across national borders which also usually reflect national local feelings or religious local beliefs.

I think it inappropriate that the local minority Muslims in Denmark made an international issue over the cartoon. A minority has no right to impose privileged or entitled status of private religious opinion on the majority.

Perhaps in a more civil world, the occasion to insult will be reduced in the interests of respect of the rights of others both locally and internationally.

Thomas Aquinas says that “it is clear that blasphemy, which is a sin committed directly against God, is more grave than murder, which is a sin against one's neighbor. … it is called the most grievous sin, for as much as it makes every sin more grievous.” Wikipedia

Of course, in the recent Texas School Book deal to replace Aquinas for Jefferson is a poor choice IMHO. Aquinas is really a very abstract medieval theologian and obsolete on many of his opinions. Banning Jefferson in Texas will only excite, entice the curious to find the father of modern revolution and enlightenment.

Regarding the above image of a censored in France and Italy clothing advertisement in 2005, I take exception to it being banned in the name of Blasphemy.

The Last Suppers

BBC News:

France's Catholic Church has won a court injunction to ban a clothing advertisement based on Leonardo da Vinci's Christ's Last Supper.

The display was ruled "a gratuitous and aggressive act of intrusion on people's innermost beliefs", by a judge ......

The authorities in the Italian city of Milan banned the poster last month ......

Italy's advertising watchdog said the ad's use of Christian symbols including a dove and a chalice recalled the foundations of the faith and would offend the sensitivity of part of the population.

The Catholic Church used a similar argument against the advert, which also shows two of the apostles embracing a bare-chested man in jeans.

"When you trivialise the founding acts of a religion, when you touch on sacred things, you create an unbearable moral violence which is a danger to our children," said lawyer Thierry Massis.

"Tomorrow, Christ on the cross will be selling socks."

I find that the DaVinci Code the book, while a pile of myth and speculation, opened a true door not to enlightenment but in opening the mind up to all the possibilities of ancient myth and how it all could have been rewritten differently especially in the New Testament that is.

With the current meltdown in the Vatican over cover-ups and conspiracy over sex abuse crimes worldwide, the concept of private “church” matters (the way these crimes were treated) comes into question with the “infallibility” invoked in this covering up of crimes against children.

Getting back to the DaVinci Code, what would the world look like if women had been the predominate sex throughout history?

Getting back to the Vatican scandal, I think this image above from 2005 is more appropriate now with the image of an aroused and or prostitute male figure in place of the John/Mary figure of the DaVinci Code’s interpretation of DaVinci’s Last Supper mural.

Even more appropriate in the symbolism of that john/mary/prostitute image is that modern image being embraced by the Peter figure of that famous original icon image and with Judas’ legs intertwined in the whole mess.

Any good Christians feeling betrayed these days, as if by Judas, but instead by the Chair of Peter?

Blasphemy is not always a crime especially if it tells or depicts the Truth.

Freedom of Speech is a Universal Human Right!

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Freedom of Speech is a universal human right.

There is a war out there raging to suppress yours and mine - freedom of speech and expression. The leaders of this war are the Roman Catholic Church, Funadamentalist Islam, and Orthodox Judiasm to name just a few.

The Orthodox Jews in Israel just shouted down an orthodox rabbi who dared to say that “Jesus was a good rabbi”. Blasphemy! I suppose that is an improvement. Forty years ago I do not think that you could get one Orthodox Jew to even admit there was a historic figure called Jesus of Nazareth.

And that is where all this is leading. Laws against Blasphemy are popping up all around the planet. One took place on January 1, 2010, in the universal capital of religious buggery - Ireland.

The atheists there are diving in head first to challenge this piece of shite feel-good to the religionists law that could put a damper on any future criticism of the Catholic Church to go back to buggery in private and protected by the law should someone dare challenge the sacredness and sanctity of the behind the closed doors fantasy world of the clergy.

Atheists condemn blasphemy law

Atheists have begun a campaign against the Government’s new blasphemy law, which came into force on January 1st as part of the Defamation Act.

The group Atheist Ireland has published 25 quotes it says are blasphemous, attributed to people from Jesus Christ to Minister for Justice Dermot Ahern.

Under the new blasphemy law, which Atheist Ireland is campaigning to have repealed blasphemy is now punishable by a €25,000 fine.

It defines blasphemy as publishing or uttering matter that is grossly abusive or insulting in relation to matters held sacred by any religion, thereby intentionally causing outrage among a substantial number of adherents of that religion, with some defences permitted.

Another organization, The Center For Inquiry staged a mock Blasphemy Day on September 30 in remembrance of the Danish Cartoonist depiction of Mohammed as a bomb throwing jihadist – the same cartoonist who was almost murdered in his home in Denmark over the weekend by a Mohammedist jihadist.

While this mockery of things held sacred by some is by itself possibly offensive, I believe that people of non-belief or of the new global order want fresh ideas to replace obsolete philosophies from the past. To open up the windows - let some fresh air in to the new global conversation.

There was the first annual Blasphemy Day last September 30 sponsored by the Center for Inquiry – one group representing the growing S.H.A.N.A.S (Secular, Humanist, Atheist, Non-believer, Agnostic, Skeptic) movement.

The Center For Inquiry

The mission of the Center for Inquiry is to foster a secular society based on science, reason, freedom of inquiry, and humanist values...

Fostering a secular society requires attention to many specific goals, but three goals in particular represent the focus of our activities:

- an end to the influence that religion and pseudoscience have on public policy

- an end to the privileged position that religion and pseudoscience continue to enjoy in many societies

- an end to the stigma attached to being a nonbeliever, whether the nonbeliever describes her/himself as an atheist, agnostic, humanist, freethinker or skeptic.

It seems strange that atheists, non-believers, humanists are at the forefront of protecting Freedom of Speech. Of course, this campaign has its cynical side. I guess atheists, non-believers, secularists and doubters want to deprogram themselves of a lot of religionist bullshit shoved down their throats over the years, centuries.

In response to the most recent Blasphemy Day none other that Hisself, Mister Catholic Virtue, of the Catholic League Bill Donahue chimed in at the catholic blogosphere with a few choice words about the idea of mocking other people’s sacred ideas in the present glutted town square of old and immerging ideas.

'Blaspemy Day' Targets Christianity

Catholic League president Bill Donohue spoke to this event today:

"The Center for Inquiry is factually incorrect to say that “Free speech is the foundation on which other liberties rest.”

"Freedom of conscience is the first liberty, and it is inextricably linked to freedom of religion. Moreover, the whole concept of inalienable rights presupposes a belief in the Creator.

"In other words, atheists have the right to mock religion because our Christian Founding Fathers afforded them human rights.

"They are all such phonies. The stated purpose of Blasphemy Day has nothing to do with any religion but Islam, yet there is not one scheduled event insulting Muslims. We can only guess why. So who have they chosen to mock? You guessed it—Christians.

I am glad to be enlightened that our Founding Christian Fathers made a mistake in giving atheists “Human Rights”. Oh well. Consider the source.

Which brings us back to Danish cartoonist Kurt Westergaard and his human right to practice his trade and live in peace and without fear of Muslim jihadists trying to kill free speech and subvert the world to the worship of their Prophet’s words.

Think back to when you first heard this story in 2005 about the cartoon about Mohammed and the riots in the third world, muslim world over defaming the prophet.

Seems that there was a conspiracy of local Danish Imams/clerics who wanted an apology from the newspaper that printed the cartoon. No apology necessary. Covered by free speech.

Well this conspiracy of Danish Muslim clerics, whether native born or not I do not know, they put together an infamous dossier with collected offensive images against Islam and started passing it along to the chief muslim clerics in Egypt and then Syria etc. Then these local clerics started to issue deflamatory statements against the cartoonist, the newspaper and finally Denmark. If you are a bully like Islam is, then pick on a small country without a Nuke - like Denmark.

Akkari-Laban dossier

To make a long story short, some of the images in that so called dossier got added to from country to country to the point where this weird PR campaign that only a Bill Donahue would understand got turned into Danish flag burnings, bombings, murders, fatwas and totally utterly religionist bullshit. Blasphemy is in the eye of the beholder.

Which leads to the attempted murder of Kurt Westergaard and his granddaughter by a Somali jihadist over the weekend. The police got him, shot him and then the dirty yellow rat bastard shows up in Danish Court and pleads “not guilty” to his failed hatred actions and religionist revenge. “Not Guilty” – that’s blasphemy!

Stemming out of all this hatred toward Freedom of Speech and Freedom of Expression is yet another Blasphemy Law before the United Nations to protect the religion of Islam from worldwide modern thought or comment.

AP: Muslim countries seek blasphemy ban

GENEVA — Four years after cartoons of the prophet Muhammad set off violent protests across the Muslim world, Islamic nations are mounting a campaign for an international treaty to protect religious symbols and beliefs from mockery — essentially a ban on blasphemy that would put them on a collision course with free speech laws in the West.

Documents obtained by The Associated Press show that Algeria and Pakistan have taken the lead in lobbying to eventually bring the proposal to a vote in the U.N. General Assembly.

If ratified in countries that enshrine freedom of expression as a fundamental right, such a treaty would require them to limit free speech if it risks seriously offending religious believers. The process, though, will take years and no showdown is imminent.

Let me end by repeating myself.

Freedom of Speech is a Universal Human Right!

Freedom of expression in the form of art, drawing or satire should be protected at all cost.

Whether the Danes acted incorrectly by not apologizing in a local matter, that should have been dealt with locally - official complaints, lawsuits, legislation etc.

The local standard stands - it may change over time - but when in Rome do as the Romans do.

These Muslim Akkari-Laban dossier guys should be tried for incitement to riot and murder in a global court.

Have a safe and free from religious blood thirsty fanatics day.