When the Homily is about Immunology

Saved by Insult

Someone passed this article along to me. The author is a practicing Orthodox Christian and the story illustrates the hypocrisy of those members of the media who have a sudden and inexplicable (well, maybe it is explicable given the recent bounties placed on the heads of cartoonists) sympathy for not wishing to offend religious (in truth, read: Muslim) people.

The author makes some great points in the last few paragraphs, points that I myself have made nunmerous times both here and in personal dialogues with friends and family. Particularly amongst family members and friends who are either not christians at all or are nominal "deists" of somesort. There is an underlying belief that all forms of "fundamentalism" are equally abhorrent and that in the "grand scheme" of things all religions basically teach and espouse the same that and that any dichotomy we see today is simply because Christianity has been tamed by secularization.

Never a bigger steaming pile has been stepped in than to believe such nonsense. Christians do not refuse to riot and kill people over insults to Christ (of which we have had many many many many opportunities) because we've been tamed by lack of belief...rather it is a stronger belief in the reality of Christ that tames us.

Our salvation is dependent on the greatest insult, the greatest travesty of justice that has ever been and ever could be known. Hard to imagine that our creator should join us and then be rejected by us, despised by us, slapped by us, insulted by us, mocked by us, beaten by us, whipped by us, and then nailed to a cross by us...killed by us. And then He rose from the dead, not to show off His power to us, rather He rose from the dead so that we - despite ourselves - could participate in His Life-giving Resurrection.

Instead of burning with rage, He saves us through this world's greatest act of blasphemy. No, people, try as you might, you cannot insult our God any worse than we already have.