Mockery of Christianity blasphemous

People on campus show less respect for Christianity than other
faiths, and it’s not right. Last Thursday on Bruin Walk there
was a speaker who preached the teachings of Jesus. In the middle of
his spiel a person ran through the crowd yelling, “Praise
Jesus!” A few minutes later, another person walked up to the
microphone and told the speaker, “God wants you to shave your
moustache.” If any other religion preached its teachings that
day on Bruin Walk, would the crowd have so readily made fun of the
religion?

Since Christianity is the most dominant religion in the United
States, it seems as though people believe it’s OK to make a
mockery of it. UCLA represents a microcosm of how people treat
Christianity. It may not be the only ridiculed religion on campus,
but I must say that out of all the religious jokes I’ve
encountered, most attack Christianity.

I remember watching the UCLA TV channel accessed through the
Internet and seeing a cartoon. It showcased a circus with the
highlight being a knife-throwing act. The assistant to this act
happened to be none other than Jesus Christ. The knife-thrower was
blindfolded and apparently poorly skilled. He ended up crucifying
the animated deity.

The crucifixion of Jesus Christ is held by Christians to be one
of the most important events in the Bible. Some see it as an
atrocious crime committed against an innocent man. Others regard it
as a promised sacrifice from God. The fact that this cartoon
re-crucifies Jesus in a circus alongside a dancing poodle and a
bear balancing on a tight rope shows a lack of respect toward the
religion. There have been satirical cartoons making fun of Jesus
walking on water or turning water into wine, but mocking the
torture and death of a religious figure is disrespectful. This is
not an intelligent satire, but rather a cheap way to get laughs at
the expense of Christians.

How far will the media go with these jokes? What’s next,
mocking the resurrection of Jesus Christ? I think even this has
been done. There is nothing in Christianity that has not yet been
scorned.

I am not advocating censorship of the media, and I definitely am
not trying to criticize anyone’s right to free speech, but it
seems as if people find it less disturbing to make fun of
Christianity than other religions. I think the problem lies in the
cultural aspect of religion. Because diversity is encouraged,
college campuses try to foster an air of understanding and
tolerance toward other cultures.

Because most religions other than Christianity are associated
with their corresponding cultures, the media tries to steer clear
of making fun of religions. Making jokes about a person’s
culture makes one seem racist, and in a country where society tries
to accommodate for other cultures, we walk on eggshells for these
other religions. Meanwhile the dominant faith is subjected to
derision.

Since Christianity is the dominant religion in the United
States, many associate American culture with Christianity. But what
is American culture? When I think of American culture the first
thing that comes to mind are hot dogs, the Simpsons and Britney
Spears. Where does Christianity fit into the picture? People do not
take Christianity seriously because they put Christianity into a
category under a culture that is dominated by media and commercial
influence. Since we see Christian broadcasted shows on television
and bumper stickers on people’s cars like “Fear
God” or the “icthus” (the Greek letters for fish,
the sign that people associate with Christianity), we automatically
assume that we know what Christianity is all about.

I am not saying that other religions should be satirized more
and Christianity less. On the contrary, I think religion should be
taken more seriously and opened up for discussion and a sharing of
views. It is difficult enough to have an intellectual conversation
about Christianity with people outside of a college atmosphere. But
it should not be difficult to have a public discussion about
Christian teachings at UCLA without being mocked.

Basa is a first-year cognitive science student. E-mail her at
[email protected].