Freedom of Expression and Freedom of Speech are Intertwined with Christianity

Freedom of expression has long been a very troubling dilemma for me. As an artist I want the freedom to express my vision, my perception of my images for all to see. As a Christian, I often resent the brutality of some writers, artists, and movies depicting my faith, Catholicism or Christianity in such a destructive manner. My mind says you can’t have it both ways. But my Catholic self says, “Why is there so much distain for my faith and for Christianity?” Pope Francis recently said that freedom of expression was a "fundamental human right," like freedom of religion, but one that must be exercised "without giving offense.”

Ah, so that is the secret: “without giving offense.” In the 30 years that I have attended art exhibits, I do not remember any instance where the fantasies I saw were, “without giving offense.” The work of artists is often meant to give offense, to incite, or to inspire, otherwise why bother to draw, paint or photograph. Just to clarify this statement, artists can also provoke our imagination in an uplifting and moral manner and this is how we change our culture.

Did Charlie Hebdo go too far by mocking Mohammad the Islamic prophet in its cartoons? Did the cartoons drawn by the artists warrant death? Absolutely NOT! Four cartoonists were massacred in Paris by Islamic extremists in January, 2015 along with eight others. According to the Daily Caller, the murderers’ screamed “Allahu akbar” meaning ‘God is greater’ and “The prophet is avenged” during the savage attack.

Now “what if” Christians would rise up and kill in the name of God? There would be plenty of blood spilled but Christians are taught early to “love” and to “forgive.” Love means we do not kill in the name of God. Even if you aren’t a Christian, in America, it is still inconceivable to ‘kill’ in the name of God. Are Americans feeling the sting from all the atrocities happening in Europe and in the Muslim countries? I would say definitely yes.

Christians are being exterminated by the Islamic State by beheadings or burning them alive. The lack of interest the present administration is displaying in the slaughter of Christians in Syria, Libya, and Egypt and elsewhere is a great source of anxiety to many Christian Americans.

Why did I bring up this very unpleasant topic? Because our society has lost all sense of boundaries. Respect is a lost word. This is what I believe Pope Francis was alluding to, respecting each other’s religion and to respect each other.

Sadly we live in a very violent world as depicted in the death of the cartoonists for their drawings and the 21 Coptic Christians beheaded at the coast line of the Mediterranean Sea as the water rolled with their blood because they were Christian. It’s hard to “respect” the despicable and diabolical actions taken by the Islamic extremists and even harder to think that these human creatures exist. I feel at times that the Islamic extremists are a lost cause; I heard on a Christian radio program that only evangelization through prayer or death can bring about the change necessary in subduing the Islamic State. Imagine that!

While we may feel ‘helpless’ to stop the massacres that are taking place abroad, we can have an impact here in America. It seems that our own leaders have let us down because Christians have to fight for Religious Freedom which includes the freedom to assemble, freedom of expression, and freedom to speak about our God.

Our 1st Amendment is under attack and we must take action now to make sure that our freedoms do not continue to erode in our America. Veterans’ memorials are being sued for having crosses and in one instance a figure of a solider kneeling in front of a cross tombstone was challenged.

We all want to be able to articulate our point of view without fear of incarceration. But common sense and being responsible also come into play. A rant by an employee publicly bashing his employer on Facebook or Twitter should not expect to still be an employee. If you chant racist comments on You Tube about your fellow classmates, should you expect to still be part of the school? If you belong to the Knights of Columbus and invite a pro-abortion Governor (Terry McAuliffe) to be the Grand Marshall at the St. Patrick’s Day parade, should you still expect to be part of the Catholic community? Most will answer of course not, but there are some that have not learned that there are consequences to unscrupulous behavior and that there are boundaries not to over step and that the Catholic Church will not relent in its doctrine.

As Christians in our present society, we are basically ‘on our own’. Fortunately, we still live in an America where if you cry out loud enough your voice will be heard and not perish like the men and women who are being martyred for their crime of being Christian. They are the people of the cross. After watching an edited video of the beheadings of the 21 Coptic Christians, I wondered about the Christian Americans. How strong is our faith? The 21 Coptic Christians that shed their blood at the Mediterranean Sea were decapitated by Islamic radicals much in the same way that infidels were punished during the time of the prophet Muhammad and when the Turks conquered Constantinople. It is said that the 21 Coptic Christians never gave up their faith and went to their death with these words, “My Lord Jesus” or “Jesus Help Me.”

It is our duty as Christians to fight for our Christian beliefs and today we are in a battle for those rights. As in everything, it is at the local level that change occurs. It is at the local level that we can take back our culture. Not only should we leave our children and grandchildren the legacy of our Christian faith but the spirit to fight for our beliefs. That is an inheritance worth fighting for.

RED SONJA2015©
Pray, Fight, NEVER GIVE UP!

WATCH THE VIDEO: ISIS Savages Beheading Twenty One Coptic Christians (“AND I SAW THE MARTYRS WHO WERE BEHEADED IN THE NAME OF JESUS” IS BEING FULFILLED)
http://shoebat.com/2015/02/15/watch-video-isis-savages-beheading-twenty-...

This Is Why Jihadis Massacred Writers and Cartoonists At A French Humor Magazine
http://dailycaller.com/2015/01/07/this-is-why-jihadis-massacred-writers-...