The Tragedy of Paris: Freedom of Expression and Religion

Freedom of expression and religion

As a Christian believer, and therefore some kind of religious, I find it hard to admit the obvious fact that religion and freedom of expression historically have not gone well together. This is in particular the case with the monotheistic religions, Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Blasphemy, expressed in words, images or actions, has been severely punished. Heretics, those who have deviated from correct and established formulations of faith, have been severely punished. Deviation from what was seen as orthodox teaching according to canon law in the medieval church could be a crystal clear case of capital punishment. It was therefore logic that the early reformer of the 15^th century, Johan Hus, Roman Catholic Priest and professor of theology, at the time also rector of the Karl University of Prague (founded in 1348), after lengthy legal proceedings, had to be burned at the stake.

By and large there has been no or very little tolerance for those who have blasphemed against, or have been seen to blaspheme against God.

My conviction is that we have something vital to learn from the secular movement(s) in Europe, i.e. the Enlightenment and even the French revolution. But slowly, and inevitably  (and interestingly, in arriving at the conviction of freedom of expression the Christian background may have been more of an influenced than many times so perceived) Christians have started to apply insights from their own core beliefs.

Is it not that Jesus died on a cross, the ultimate, most humiliating form of execution at the time? The dreams of his followers were shattered completely. But is it not that this humiliating fact of history carries with it some need of compensation? Is it not that Christians might have felt a need of also saying: “Well, this happened, but in the end almighty God will show his strength”? Have we forgotten that this Jesus, on the cross, is confessed to be, also, at that very moment, God revealed to us?

Dying on a cross, Jesus was made the spectacle of the world. He was mocked, ridiculed, laughed at. Early Christians, before the church became state religion in the 4^th century, had to bear the same kind of ridicule, for example Jesus was on drawings portrayed as a horse, fixed on a cross.

In these days, after the brutal murders of French satirists at Charlie Hebdo, we should bear these things in mind these days, continuously and vigorously supporting the right of freedom of expression, but while doing that, also remember that there is at least one religious who did not want us to retaliate.