The World Is Upside Down:  Why It’s Okay to Insult, Criticize, Mock, Satirize Christianity but Not Islam - Watch Out Charlie Hebdo

By Anna Clairveaux-Devereaux

There are many things in the world today that have been flipped upside down.  It’s as if a large scale shake-up is occurring where the way the world operates today is opposite of how it has operated in the past.  This departure often makes no logical sense and is not a good trend.

For example, the terrorist attack in France on January 7, 2015, which took the life of several people who worked at the satirical newspaper, Charlie Hebdo, illustrates this. Some have blamed the journalists there stating they should not have printed what they did.  In other words, they brought it on themselves. What?!

This is upside down thinking and defies logic.  Free speech includes freedom of the press or maybe to those who criticized the newspaper this freedom only applies to those who insult, criticize, mock, and satirize Christianity.  

It seems that double standards abound when it comes to Christianity.  Criticize, mock, and do what you will if Christianity is involved but Islam is off limits.  Those espousing this double standard often blame the victim(s) for publishing something “insulting” to Muslims.  Yet, anyone can “insult” Christianity with impunity. 

Take for example, Andres Serrano’s 1989 “master piece”, “Piss Christ” where the “artist” submerged a crucifix in his own urine, took a photograph and then had it displayed at the Stux Art Museum in New York.  He received money from the tax-payer funded, National Endowment for the Arts for his “art”.  While there were some outcries from the public and important figures in the church, this “art” has continued to be shown as if it’s just another day, so let’s move on, ho hum.  Interestingly, Christians didn’t form vigilante mobs to bomb and burn down the art museum for displaying Serrano’s work. Neither was Serrano or anyone else maimed or murdered.  This is in stark contrast to what happened at the newspaper attack in France. 

In 2012, Serrano’s “art” was due to appear in the Edward Tyler Nahem Gallery in Manhattan and many groups as well as Rep. Michael Grimm (R, C-NY) wanted to know why President Obama was silent on this matter but was okay speaking out against the low budget movie “Innocence of Muslims” that sparked violent and deadly clashes across the globe.  In case you don’t remember, this is the film that the White House said caused our Consulate in Libya to be attacked, burned, and gutted while our Ambassador, Chris Stevens and several others were killed by rampaging Muslims who were inflamed by that film. 

What is particularly outrageous about this and unfortunate at the same time is the obvious hypocrisy, double standards, and cowardice exhibited by our elected officials as well as the media.  The AP took down photos of Serrano’s work only after the heinous terrorist attack in France on the Charlie Hebdo paper.  Why not take it down before this attack if your policy is not to publish “deliberately provocative images” as they are quoted as saying? Or even better - don’t publish such sacrilegious works masquerading as art.

The reason given by AP for taking Serrano’s work down now is that they reviewed their policies which have changed since 1989.  How very convenient to have reviewed their policies at that particular point in time.  


Read more here: ( http://www.gospelherald.com/articles/53925/20150109/ap-removes-piss-christ-photo-from-website-following-charlie-hebdo-attacks.htm)

The sudden removal of Serrano’s work after complaints of hypocrisy and the attack in France indicates that the double standard in the Media, in Washington, and among the “elites” is the Modus Operandi when it comes to Christianity. Red carpet treatment and kid gloves is reserved for Islam and other “pet” topics and causes the Media, Washington, and other “elites” hold dear.

Buckle up, not only are we living in an upside down world, we are in for something much worse than a bumpy ride.  Once you capitulate on important freedoms such as free speech, and freedom of the press, you have already agreed to self-censor and it’s only a short ride to more onerous limitations.

Those onerous limitations will not involve self-censoring but will eventually be censoring mandated by the “elites” steering our nation.  But I apologize for using the word “nation” because in “elite circles” the word is considered bigoted, passé, and so old school, especially if you're a "global citizen".