Taking it on the chin

Earlier this year, when a newspaper in Denmark carried cartoons depicting the prophet Muhammad, Muslims around the world reacted by burning Danish flags, demonstrating, rioting, and threatening other publications with violence should they publish the cartoons. Many editors decided, in the interest of safety and out of respect for Muslims, not to reprint them.

Respect for Muslims was also the reason that the University of Saskatchewan’s campus newspaper, The Sheaf, refused to print the Danish cartoons. A week later, however, The Sheaf printed a cartoon, not one of the Danish cartoons but a two-frame cartoon entitled “Capitalist Piglet,” depicting Jesus in a sexual act with a pig.

The response in Saskatoon was immediate. The Saskatoon Christian Centre issued a news release asking University of Saskatchewan president MacKinnon “to close The Sheaf and withdraw all public funding until the current editorial staff are dismissed.” Other reactions followed, including calls to boycott the university paper. In the end, the editor resigned although the cartoonist remained unapologetic.

Strangely similar

As I observed the outcry over the cartoon, I saw that the response from the Christian community was strangely similar to the response from the Muslim community about the cartoons offending their prophet. The Sheaf had put Christians in the position the Danish papers had put Muslims earlier and we were reacting the same. But should we have been?

I discussed this with David Balzer, host of “God Talk” on CJOB radio, Winnipeg, who was staying with our family the night before he was to speak in our church. He invited me to be a guest on his show the next night. The caller response to our segment was lively as I shared my viewpoint on the issue.

During that week, I e-mailed the president of the University of Saskatchewan and the editor of The Sheaf and urged them not to take action. I also e-mailed a well-known talk show host in Saskatchewan who wanted a complete overhaul of the student paper and told him the same. Why?

During his crucifixion, Jesus was mocked, spit at, crowned with thorns, and ultimately killed for something he did not do. Followers of Jesus can expect this type of behaviour from people who are not followers of Christ; it comes with the territory. The cartoon was in bad taste but was nothing new; Christianity has always been attacked and will continue to be. Christians cannot expect Christian behaviour from those who are not Christian. Rather, we must love them, and forgive them, even if an apology is not forthcoming.

That’s what makes Christianity attractive, I think: we take it on the chin, we turn the other cheek.

Dan Harder attends Parliament Community Church, Regina, Sask.