If it were your mother's image that was defaced in public, wouldn't you be furious?
A common but flawed argument (directed by the religious to those who dismiss Mideo Cruz's "blasphemy" in his art):
"If it were your mother's image that was defaced in public, wouldn't you be furious?"
Three things:
(1) My mother, unlike 'God', is human and subject to human emotions and as such I'd be emphatic to her hurt and therefore be furious.
(2) God is supposedly possessing of "infinite forgiveness" and "infinite understanding" and as such, I'd think he'd be most likely to just let this thing slide much the same way that those of us who possess healthy egos are less likely to take offense coming from inconsequential people.
(3) Isn't comparing God to one's mortal mother a bit presumptuous? Blasphemous even?
Two words to people who use this argument:
False analogy.
Yes, like with other dissidents you share the same privilege under the law to create "blasphemous" art of someone else's mother if that's the way you would like to express your opinion.
ReplyDeleteTo quote Voltaire, “I do not agree with a word that you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.”
UN affirms the human right to blaspheme. There's a good reason why the UN came up with this resolution. More on this at http://www.religiondispatches.org/archive/politics/4985/united_nations_affirms_the_human_right_to_blaspheme
Unfortunately, the Catholic Taliban don't see it that way. People who defer their thinking to an ideology or dogma that they consider to be EXEMPT from critical evaluation will always fail to grasp the essence and beauty of free inquiry.
ReplyDeleteSame excuses the nutjobs in the muslim nations claimed when they were burning down the Danish embassies and the attacks on non-muslims.
ReplyDeleteDepicting Mohammed is like attacking their mother. GOOD GODS!!
Doubt I'd be furious. They defaced/vandalized a likeness, an image, a simulacrum. They did nothing to my mother. People who go amok when a piece of paper or rock or wood or what have you that bears their likeness is not treated as if it s/he himself, have to get over their egocentricity.
ReplyDeleteIf i'm not smart enough like most of the RC church, I just might...
ReplyDelete