I must admit, up front, that I am NOT a fan of South Park. I love the way the writers attack hypocrisy, I think they are talented and generally have a point worth making, but I have a problem with it’s use of children to deliver the message. By using children, the show draws children as a large part of its audience and contributes to the coarsening of our culture. I also believe that if you don’t like a program, turn it off; and I do just that when my grandkids are around. However, as an adult, I sometimes watch and get it. I’ve been known to snicker a time or two and think this would be a great show for viewing after prime time and by reshaping the characters to adults; perhaps, college students where the message may more appropriately strike home with some degree of effectiveness.
At any rate, this episode attacks just about all religion, but the only religion to come out with implied threats to the writers health and lives was the Muslim religion as reported below by Anderson Cooper on his show, “Anderson Cooper 360″:
It is stories like this one that got me interested and concerned sufficiently to join ACT! For America and its sister organization, American Congress for Truth. The following is an excerpt from the former groups, “About” page:
Muted by the scourge of political correctness.
Muted by intimidation, as evidenced by the increasing use of slurs such as “Islamophobe” by Muslim apologists against anyone who dares to speak the truth about Islamic radicalism, terror and jihad.
Muted by fear of lawsuits.
Muted by fear of physical assault. [Ed. Add murder]
When did the United States, the home and mother of free speech and dissent, become a pansy too afraid to stand up to political correctness? Truth, CAIR and a significant number of Muslims are perpetually seeking special dispensation to live under Sharia Law instead of United States Constitutional law. They have been fairly successful in Europe and as a result of success there and the general lack of fortitude and pragmatic interpretation of our Constitution by our law makers. The misguided altruism expressed by our lawmakers to make Islamists feel equal when this group expressly states that they wish to be different – superior to all others – is absolutely absurd and dangerous to Western Civilization.
From CAIR’s website:
I would take issue with the perspective that democracy is being imposed upon Muslim countries. They are certainly free to live under whatever law they choose [or more appropriately, whatever law is chosen for them as seen in Iran, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, et.al.] The fact is that most of the countries that are leaning toward democracy, such as Jordan and Egypt, do so because of the demands of their citizens and as a compromise to keep power.
The difference between Western Civilization and countries ruled under Sharia, is that we in the West have already gone through this phase – it was called Christendom. It happened during the middle or dark ages and citizens were forced to serve two masters; under the power sharing “agreements” of the Regnum and the Sacerdotium, what Ms. Ayn Rand termed “Attila and the Witch Doctor”. During this period, and especially during the reign of King John, people suffered miserable, power was abused the only the King, his court and those members of the Holy Church possessed rights and property. All others paid tribute as serfs and lived the life of a slave – for the purpose of others and not for his own sake.
The United States Constitution was designed to keep this un-holy partnership from ever appearing again. A wall between church and state was built by declaring the sponsoring of religion as unconstitutional. People of faith have the freedom to express their faith and beliefs, as often as they want, wherever they want, whenever they want to, so long as that expression is outside of government law and as representative of government within the public square. Not only do Americans have freedom of religion – the right to practice faith as they choose, but they have a freedom from religion – the right to expect the government to act and arbitrate on law and facts; not on faith or faith-based theories.
The problems with putting religion, in any form, on display in government buildings, property or documents is that all religions can lay claim for equal mention and consideration – even when view are diametrically opposed. By claiming that the United States is a Judeo-Christian nation, we are claiming that any faith not related to the Judeo-Christian philosophy is not American. By definition, this statement is exclusionary; while, by history, the United States has always been inclusionary, albeit with great struggle, strife and at times, great violence of one group against another.
If we don’t want to accept Sharia law being infused as a sub-category of United States Constitutional law; then we need to examine the relationship of religion to governing and get it right. My advice would be to stop screwing around with Constitutional interpretations and to apply the law as it was originally written using and applying the law impartially and based upon facts in evidence and excluding what could very well be the very mythology that led to the Salem witch trials, the Great Inquisition and the many barbaric Crusades of our less than glorious past. If it is not proper to infuse Sharia into the laws of America, and I believe that it is not, then it is also not proper to infuse any religion into our laws or the manner in which they are adjudicated. But, I am only one man and this is a nation of many; so like Ben Franklin stated about the pursuit of happiness; for the best possible outcome, you must get it for yourself. Then, again, we can all live like ostriches and hope for the best.
For a different, yet somewhat similar take on this event in association with some others, check out this article by Gus Van Horn, a very talented writer as indicate by his hard earned and well deserved award visible in his right sidebar. Gus recently relocated from Texas to Massachusetts. Stop by and browse; I have no doubt that you’ll find many topics of interest.
