Blasphemy

Well Pope Francis is not Pope Benedict but he is still Catholic and still adheres to his religions’ tenets. And as such he doesn’t like anyone ridiculing his flock’s beliefs.

On board his plane he said "If my good friend Dr. Gasparri says a curse word against my mother, he can expect a punch," Francis said half-jokingly, throwing a mock 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."

Sorry Pope Frank, as Bill Maher likes to call him, I have to disagree. If religion and faith are off limits to free speech, what else is off limits? When religion says things like gays should be herded into an area and left to die, as one pastor said not long ago, then free speech requires a response. If the religious folks don’t like it, tough.

Take the Westboro Baptist Church and their protests at military funerals or their protests about gays. As disgusting as they are, they have a right to say this B/S. And we shouldn’t try to stop them. But we also have the right to speak out against them and make our voices heard as well. Even to the point of mocking them. It’s part of free speech.

With the events in Paris last week, free speech needs to be proclaimed everywhere. If a particular group, like some Muslims, don’t like what the magazine Charlie Hebdo says or prints, they can speak out in  opposition. But they have no right to commit violent acts, like shooting people.

And speaking once again of Pope Frank, although he may present a softer, kinder side to the world, he still adheres to the Catholic doctrines like being against birth control and gay marriage. In an era of AIDS and the fact that condoms have been shown to reduce the spread of AIDS, the Catholic church still maintains that wearing a condom while you have sex is unnatural. At the same time they allow a ban on condoms, they sing the praise of the sanctity of life. Have sex, get AIDS and then die is the Catholic doctrine.

Of course the Catholic Church is not alone in this insanity about the sanctity of life while at the same time doing everything possible to ruin lives of others. Recently in Alabama a bill was introduced to provide an attorney to the fetus of a woman who is looking into having an abortion. Despite the fact that Alabama doesn’t have the money to do this, they are seeking to prevent the abortion and force the woman to carry the child to term. But after the baby is born, no care is given to the mother or baby. This is a clear example of the religious right spouting venom about abortions but not giving two cents to help anyone after the baby is born.

Getting back to blasphemy, religion needs to hear from everyone who thinks religion is doing harm to our society and no one should be prevented from speaking out. To be silent is to be powerless.