Well my friends, it appears that Free Speech has very few friends in high places these days. No less a leader than the Pope of Rome has decided Charlie Hebdo was asking for it.
Francis spoke about the Paris terror attacks while en route to the Philippines, defending free speech as not only a fundamental human right but a duty to speak one's mind for the sake of the common good.
But he said there were limits.
By way of example, he referred to Alberto Gasparri, who organizes papal trips and was standing by his side aboard the papal plane.
"If my good friend Dr. Gasparri says a curse word against my mother, he can expect a punch," Francis said, throwing a pretend punch his way. "It's normal. You cannot provoke. You cannot insult the faith of others. You cannot make fun of the faith of others."
It goes on.
Francis, who has urged Muslim leaders in particular to speak out against Islamic extremism, went a step further when asked by a French journalist about whether there were limits when freedom of expression meets freedom of religion.
Francis insisted that it was an "aberration" to kill in the name of God and said religion can never be used to justify violence.
But he said there was a limit to free speech when it concerned offending someone's religious beliefs.
"There are so many people who speak badly about religions or other religions, who make fun of them, who make a game out of the religions of others," he said. "They are provocateurs. And what happens to them is what would happen to Dr. Gasparri if he says a curse word against my mother. There is a limit."
There you have it, my friends. No making fun of Islam, because the Pope says you're asking for it. Even though people mock Catholicism every single day and nobody does squat to them.
This is not "tolerance". This is not "consideration". This is the hidden racism of low expectations. Translating for His Holiness from the ecclesiastical double-talk, it goes like this: "Yes, Catholics can control themselves when somebody mocks Jesus, but those Mooselimbs, they're savages you know. Best not to provoke them, they'll kill you."
Darth Vader explains Charlie Hebdo to Princess Leia. |
Or even shorter: "Shut up!" he explained.
The Phantom.
So Pope "Che" supports free speech as long is it doesn't effect his interests - typical pocket commie.
ReplyDeleteBurning question for you pope watchers and grand conspiracy buffs out there - why did the last pope quit (first in 600 years, and the first voluntary abdication) and why pick a latin-American Marxist activist to fill the job vacancy?
- Occam -
Apparently the Holy Father thinks Freedom of Speech is where he tells me to shut up and I do what he says.
ReplyDeleteAll these Big Guys think that. Always have. Canada was founded on that. Only the USA is founded on the concept that nobody else is smart enough to tell me how to live, as Kathy Shaidle says.
Kathy Shaidle is smarter than the Pope of Rome. Scary concept.
And having said that, now I'll just sit back and wait for the mob of radical Catholics to rush in here and cut my head off. Going to be a long fucking wait I think.
"I'll just sit back and wait for the mob of radical Catholics to rush in here and cut my head off. Going to be a long fucking wait I think."
ReplyDeleteMay not have to wait long in East LA ;-)
Has anybody bothered to point out to the Pope that he basically just said - by extension - that you can't mock Christianity?
ReplyDeleteIs he starting a new Inquisition? I wonder if he's already chosen a High Inquisitor. Do you think he'd mind if I sent in an application?
It's always fun to watch Leftists squirm when you use their own words against them.
Hi Alyric.
ReplyDeleteIts worse, actually. What he's saying is that you can't mock Islam because the head choppers will get all violent. But you can insult Catholicism all you want, because everybody knows Catholics won't do anything about it.
I's say he hadn't thought it all the way through when he said it, but since this speech he's doubled down.
Oh, I realize that's what he meant. But since the word he specifically chose was 'religion' and not 'Islam', I thought it would be fun to throw that in the Commupope's face.
ReplyDeleteLike I said, it's fun using a leftist's words against them. :D
I thought about making a 'nobody expects the Inquisition' joke, but it seemed like low-hanging fruit.