A lot of ink and unfortunately a decent amount of blood has been spilled these past two weeks in response to an unfortunate film posted on the internet about Mohammed and cartoons published subsequently in a French magazine.
There is a clash of worldviews - Western and Muslim, and very little ground to maneuver as each hold views that are sacrosanct. I have lived the majority of my life between these two worlds and so can see how each side is getting their buttons pushed in a way that is non negotiable. I live in a country where we got an embassy warning message against possible protests last week, and thankfully cooler minds prevailed and nothing happened.
In the Muslim belief system, form is important and honor must be defended if forms are denigrated or shamed. In a western view, forms are symbols and so dissing them is offensive, but does not necessarily touch the thing the symbol represents. For Christians, the Bible is the Word of God, but it is the contents, the WORDS that are important, not the actual book and pages and ink.
The West holds to the value of freedom of speech and people are willing to die to see that right defended. Some are wiling to push the boundaries of speech to make a point (cf. Publishing caricatures in a time when people are already dying).
On reflection, it seems to me that Jesus calls BOTH sides to a better way. Not an easy way, but better.
While it can be argued that the ideas behind the Bill of Rights and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights grow out of the Judeo Christian
Value placed on people created in the image of God, I do not see defense of Human Rights as being something Jesus fought for during his time on earth.Instead he called us to a Kingdom he described in Matthew 5, one of reconciliation and ceding our rights, where not only outward form and rules matter - divorce and murder, but also how you think inwardly - lust and hatred.
In Matthew 5:10-12 Jesus says:
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. "Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.According to Jesus, when someone says bad things about us or what we believe, we are not to count it as a shame or dishonor, even though that is how it feels. Instead, we are to count it as a privilege, an honor even!
As far as human rights go, Jesus seemed to be in favor of ceding them:
Matthew 5:38-41 NIV
"You have heard that it was said, 'Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.' But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well. If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles."
In the face of an oppressive Roman regime, Jesus didn't argue against the practice of carrying the occupying soldier's gear for one mile. Instead he said to do it for two. Turn the other cheek.
Does this go for freedom of speech? Do we push it to the extreme or cede our rights if necessary out of respect for others?
Probably the hardest part of Jesus' teaching in the Sermon on the Mount is this:
Matthew 5:5 NIV Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.
Let's all try on a little meekness and maybe we can get through this thing called life.
No comments:
Post a Comment