Equivalence? Er, no
posted at 3:10 pm on March 11, 2008 by Ed Morrissey
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A lone Christian nut has issued a death threat to a Swedish newspaper editor for running an editorial cartoon depicting the devil defecating on Jesus. Middle East Online reports that Ola Sigvardsson has interpreted some angry e-mails as threats, and one suggested that Jesus would ensure that his throat gets slit. It proves that nutcases come in all stripes — but it hardly provides an equivalence to the worldwide paroxysm of violence that accompanied the Mohammed cartoons, as some suggest:
The head of a Swedish newspaper has received death threats after publishing a drawing of the devil defecating on Jesus, he said Tuesday.
“I have been exposed to various threats … and I have interpreted several of them as death threats,” said Ola Sigvardsson, editor in chief for Ostgota Correspondenten daily.
He said one person had left a message saying he wanted to see the editor’s throat slit and that “if no one dealt with it, then Jesus would do it”.
Let’s get the preliminaries out of the way. Of course Christians have their individual lunatics. No one has ever argued otherwise. Threatening death to someone over the publication of a cartoon practically defines the notion of lunacy and mindless zealotry. Anyone sending such threats to Sigvardsson should get themselves fitted for a tight-fitting jacket with extra long sleevers or at least get sent to prison for a while.
However, Cernig at Newshoggers argues that “Malkinites” (including me, I suppose) will refuse to see the equivalence between this and the reaction to the Danish publication of the Mohammed cartoons. Guilty as charged. All due respect to Cernig, whose writing I enjoy even though I often disagree with the arguments, but there is a vast difference of scale. Christians, for instance, have not murdered people in riots over the publication of these cartoons. Embassies have not gone under the torch throughout the Christian world. Government officials have not put a price on Sigvardsson’s head for blasphemy.
And while death threats from isolated nutcases are bad enough, Sigvardsson hasn’t had Christians forming terrorist cells to finish him off.
This is all part of a moral-relativity game that some like to play. Somehow, one lone nutcase in the West equates to millions of people rioting, calling for beheadings, and torching embassies in demonstrations that Middle Eastern nations not given to a love of free expression strangely tolerated for the issue of the Mohammed cartoons. Such thinking reflects a willing ignorance that reflects poorly on its adherents.
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So true.
Jaibones on March 11, 2008 at 3:15 PM
So where is the Suicide bombers and headchoppers in Chrisitianity ?
William Amos on March 11, 2008 at 3:16 PM
I’ll just watch this tumbleweed while I’m waiting for the Christian riots.
Tzetzes on March 11, 2008 at 3:17 PM
I think you’re being excessively generous when you use the word “thinking.”
ErikTheRed on March 11, 2008 at 3:17 PM
Well, all I can say is he better examine that next potato chip covered casserole very carefully at the next pot luck he goes to…those Presbyterian spinsters can be brutal.
Mr. Bingley on March 11, 2008 at 3:18 PM
Some might pint to the IRA and Basque sepratists but they are mostly political and not religeous organizations.
By this level of Logic shouldnt we fear Anarchists and Communists bcause they have formed cells and have had bombings that have killed people. Shouldnt we fear an atheistic totalitarian state as well and all their minions ?
William Amos on March 11, 2008 at 3:19 PM
Glenn Reynolds has always argued, and I agree, that rewarding the behavior of the radical Islamists teaches the undeniable lesson that this is the way to get what you want. When the cartoons were run, violence ensued, and subsequently the cartoons were pulled… what other message is there?
Dont like it? Threaten (or enact) violence.
Dash on March 11, 2008 at 3:19 PM
Muslims could have been the source of these threats, since they
think that theyhonor Jesus as a prophet. However Muslims would have been acting in character, while Christians would have been acting out of character. So we’re back to square one.Akzed on March 11, 2008 at 3:20 PM
Well I hope somebody investigates these threats. Maybe he could publish them in his paper in an act of defiance. Until then, I’m a little skeptical, not because it isn’t possible but because what has been revealed sounds like a really bad cliche.
ninjapirate on March 11, 2008 at 3:21 PM
If Christianity was just like Islam, well then we’d all have to drag Dina McGreevey, Hillary Clinton, and Silda Spitzer to the public square and stone them to death for failing to meet their husbands’ sexual needs.
CyberCipher on March 11, 2008 at 3:21 PM
Wow, we must be just as bad! I guess we can stop getting upset over silly things like Muslim radicals killing 3,000 innocent people now.
NeoconNews.com on March 11, 2008 at 3:22 PM
Exactly, I think it’s safe to say I can count on ONE HAND how many of these types of threats and calls for violence come from the Christian religions, I can also equally and safely say this is not the case with fascist Islam where there are daily calls for death, destruction, and violence toward all other religions other then Islam, one only need to look at Iran after their daily prayers if one needs further proof.
Don’t get me wrong, this person is a nutcase and should be dealt with accordingly, but to somehow make a comparison of this incident as being on par with fanatical and fascist Islam is ridiculous, there is no comparison no matter the spin they (the left, islam, etc.) attempt to place on it!
Liberty or Death on March 11, 2008 at 3:23 PM
Or Eliot could have arranged temporary “marriages” with his whores in order to remain a good Muslim.
Akzed on March 11, 2008 at 3:23 PM
The most this man has to fear is an inbox full of justly deserved complaints. If one or two threatening e-mails are morally equivalent of the Muslim response to merely depicting Mohamed, then our good cartoonist ought to react proportionately: go into hiding, fearing for his life. If it’s morally equivalent, then we should see some proportional reactions. We should be ready for massive burnings of effigies and rioting. Oh wait, we’re not dealing with incensed Muslims. My bad.
darii on March 11, 2008 at 3:24 PM
Not really off topic: today is the fourth anniversary of the Madrid train bombings. Additionally Spain just re-elected PM Zapatero’s party. Z is the one who pulled Spain out of Iraq after he beat the pro-Iraq victory PM Aznar in 2004.
baldilocks on March 11, 2008 at 3:30 PM
How do we know that the nutcase isn’t a Muslim? Islam holds Christ as a prophet, and they can dump on Him, but maybe not a Swede?
How is showing Christ being defecated on by Satan the equivalent of just showing any drawing of Mohammad? The Danish cartoons show Mohammad in the light of being a symbol of violence. I don’t remember him getting the type of treatment the Swedes are dishing out.
Hening on March 11, 2008 at 3:30 PM
I was raised Methodist…
I’m outraged…
Why do I want to attend a bake sale?
I’m so confused….
Romeo13 on March 11, 2008 at 3:34 PM
That’s art these days, huh? Wish I had a subscription so I could cancel it.
joewm315 on March 11, 2008 at 3:38 PM
Great, the left have all the proof they need for decades.
Grafted on March 11, 2008 at 3:38 PM
Sure, lone christian lunatic = millions of enraged muslims in the street burning embassies and killing people.
And they call themselves the “reality based” community.
madne0 on March 11, 2008 at 3:44 PM
First, this is Sweden. Second, there’s no Swedish swim team.
Sweden has a bigger problem.
Kini on March 11, 2008 at 3:44 PM
I went over to Newshoggers to read the original link to this story. It’s hilarious that this Cerig guy thinks he’ll be hoarded by “right wing trolls”. I say leave him a big vacuum of no posts. Only 3 comments appear thus far so it makes me wonder if he’s deleting them if they’ve come in. Regardless, I’m not going to waste time posting when he’s already labeled another point of view as trolling.
Renwaa on March 11, 2008 at 4:02 PM
And do we really know it was a Christian that made the threat, and not someone from CAIR
donsingleton on March 11, 2008 at 4:14 PM
Or allow each man to marry up to three more women each. Hillary, how’d you like to share Bill with Jennifer, Dolly and Monica?
Bigfoot on March 11, 2008 at 4:23 PM
I find it hilarious (in a sad, black humour kind of way) that the Left has this red-hot hatred of Christianity, but seems to have no fear of radical Islam.
Trying to discuss the rise of Sharia law with these people is pointless. “It’s a religion of peace”, they say. “It’s a small percentage”, they repeat. “It’s a neocon plot”, they muse. This politicalization of national defense will be the death of us.
Asher on March 11, 2008 at 4:27 PM
I always thought that Jesus needed to kick a little more ass, myself too. This peaceful crap is b-o-r-i-n-g.
lorien1973 on March 11, 2008 at 4:31 PM
I tried to riot but with my ADD I got bored after a few minutes. I think I’ll go watch Sponge Bob.
sdd on March 11, 2008 at 4:37 PM
Another difference I noticed by the comments is the condemnation of this abhorrent behavior (the guy making the threat is a nut job and does not represent what most of Christians believe) whereas the Muslim world condones violent behavior, encouraging it to the point of burning and looting and murder. The pen may be mightier than the sword but a sword can kill, and does quite frequently.
Blight on March 11, 2008 at 4:43 PM
Another point to make here is that such threats of violence are radically inconsistent with Christianity, which teaches that you can’t love God without also loving your neighbor (who might be a different race, religion, etc.). If you say you do, you’re lying — again, according to Christian teaching for the last 2000 years. I don’t think Islam has a parallel teaching.
JS on March 11, 2008 at 4:46 PM
I am not familiar with Cernig at Newshoggers. However if he is a leftie I can understand why he thinks ‘Malkinites will refuse to see the equivalence between this and the reaction to the Danish publication of the Mohammed.’
How can we expect a leftie to reconize the differance between death threats, world wide demostrations and riots and one lone death threat, no demostration and no riots??? That would be too much to expect.
allrsn on March 11, 2008 at 5:01 PM
She already has. rimshot
Y’all have been great. I’ll be here all week. Please tip your bloghost, and try the veal!
I R A Darth Aggie on March 11, 2008 at 5:09 PM
How do they know it was a Christian?
Muslims also regard Jesus as a sacred prophet.
uptight on March 11, 2008 at 5:35 PM
_
According to John Murtha, they’re in the Marines.
SlimyBill on March 11, 2008 at 5:41 PM
Heh, I give this one a 10, ya nailed it SlimyBill!
Liberty or Death on March 11, 2008 at 5:56 PM
Allow me to demonstrate a difference between Muslims and Christians…
Any “Christian” who thinks Jesus would have anything to do with slitting someone’s throat needs to reread the New Testament a few dozen times and stop skipping over the parts where Jesus talks about love and forgiveness. Threatening to kill someone over a little thing like a cartoon is one of the most un-Christ-like things I can imagine.
Rip Ford on March 11, 2008 at 5:57 PM
what bonafide Christian would think that Jesus would slit anybody’s throat? The very idea is laughable. Here’s what Jesus would do:
You have heard that it was said, “Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.”
But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you (Matthew 5:43-44).
But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you (Luke 6:27-28).
Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse (Romans 12:14).
Keli on March 11, 2008 at 6:09 PM
What I think is exceptionally despicable about the moral equivalence retards is that they don’t even think about the issues enough to make smarter moral equivalence arguments. If I were on a debate team, here’s how I would play their side. I would argue that it took Christians some time to learn not to be offended. We use to enforce blasphemy laws in the West; America had Anthony Comstock–a censor as bad as any Ayotollah. But we learned not to take things so seriously–after a long series of deliberate efforts to offend people. Now, almost no one is alarmed by a piss Christ. The muslims are just starting this learning process.
Now, I don’t believe the above story is true, but it’s certainly vastly more credible than what the moral equivalence retards peddle. They deserve our contempt.
thuja on March 11, 2008 at 6:09 PM
I’m confused.
The person said they wanted someone else to slit the guy’s throat. That’s not really a death threat, so much as a horrible wish. Also, by saying that Jesus will deal with him if no one else will, isn’t the guy saying right there that he’s not going to slit the editor’s throat. I don’t really see the death threat anywhere in there.
BadgerHawk on March 11, 2008 at 6:22 PM
Good point.
BadgerHawk on March 11, 2008 at 6:24 PM
Well, call me highly skeptical. Death threats huh. I think it’s nothing more than a smoke screen to take the heat off. To prove they’re nothing more than equal opportunity antagonists. I would think if there are alot of Christian beheaders out there, they would have come out when someone dropped a cross in urine or painted the Virgin with dung. Until I see an angry Christian mob calling for heads, literally, I’ll remain skeptical.
SoldiersMom on March 11, 2008 at 6:29 PM
I applaud the Danes/Swedes for publishing the mohammad cartoons. Though it was antagonistic, someone needed to hold the mirror. I just wish the, ok, I’m gonna say it, pussies, in the U.S. media would have had their backs and published them on the front page of every paper here.
SoldiersMom on March 11, 2008 at 6:47 PM
Oh sheesh. Stupidity on the loose again.
The difference is this: The muslim who issues death threats is celebrated. The muslim who issues and executes his death threats is a hero to his church and his people.
In the West, if a Christian does this, he is hunted down, arrested, sent to court and likely faces incarceration or death himself.
The moral relativism of the Left disgusts me.
Montana on March 11, 2008 at 7:05 PM
The MSM in the U.S.A. are a bunch of woosies.
Johan Klaus on March 11, 2008 at 7:20 PM
Secular atheists murdered over 100 million people in the 20th century alone.
It’s we religious folks who ought to be sleeping with one eye open. Secular atheism is the most deadly ideology the world has ever seen.
I think secular atheists ought to be grateful at how tolerant we are of them.
jeff_from_mpls on March 11, 2008 at 7:29 PM
Well, du-uh. This is the opinion that any sane person holds. But how many Muslims are publically saying the same thing about Osama bin Ladin, let alone a random Internet crackpot?
Of course there are crazy Christians and sane Muslims. The big difference is that among Muslims, the inmates are running the asylum.
logis on March 11, 2008 at 7:45 PM
The person who created the cartoon counts on the low odds of retaliation from a Christian. It’s amazing, with all the anti-Christian words and actions, that little (or no) violence has been perpetrated on the anti-Christians. But I hear Maya Angelou saying: “Words are things”…urp.
Christine on March 11, 2008 at 8:32 PM
Hey, he’s just jumping on the bandwagon. He saw all the great results the muslims got… fear works. Threats work.
4shoes on March 11, 2008 at 10:02 PM
I’ve said this before, but it bears repeating: anyone who violates Christian teachings, as espoused in Scripture, even in the name of God himself, is by definition not a Christian.
fourstringfuror on March 12, 2008 at 12:06 AM
That’s going way too easy on Newshoggers. Those folks are in bed with the “millions of people rioting, calling for beheadings, and torching embassies.”
Donald Douglas on March 12, 2008 at 9:51 AM
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