This is another example of just how ridiculous some Muslims are becoming and once again, their actions speak very loudly.
Apparently, in Spain, during a class discussion of geography, the teacher noted that areas of Spain have the perfect climate for curing Spanish ham. At that point a Muslim student in the class interrupted the teacher stating that even discussing ham offended his religious beliefs. The teacher informed the student that he was not discussing religion, but simply used the mention of ham in reference to climate.
While this may have shut the Muslim student up in class, it did not keep him from informing his parents, who then turned around a sued the teacher for that they call “abuse with xenophobic motivations.” [1] This means “hatred or fear of foreigners or strangers or of their politics or culture.” [2]
Essentially, the parents are accusing the teacher of a hate-crime, by abusing the young man because of the teacher’s alleged fear of him. I feel badly for the teacher and I’m quite sure that the suit will (hopefully) go nowhere. The reality is that the more these incidences of stupidity occur, perpetrated by radical Muslims, the more the world will grow sick and tired of radical Muslims and their charades.
Imagine moving into ANOTHER culture and then expecting that culture to recognize your culture, even placing your culture ABOVE their culture. Imagine that. This is arrogance to the highest degree. Muslims do not see it that way. They see it as another way to force Shariah Law onto what they believe is an unsuspecting world.
When a radical Muslim blows him/herself up, they are hiding nothing. They are telling the world what they think and they are arrogantly stating that their culture deserves to be supreme. Few fail to understand the egotism involved in such a move.
However, when radical Muslims make ridiculous claims (“discussing ham offends me”), they are also seen for what they are, yet they obviously think they are being wise as serpents. They are not. They are being brutish and stupid.
In both cases, radical Muslims are lying. They are making a statement that says “Islam is superior! We are better than all! We deserve the highest honor and the greatest praise and if you do not give us what we demand, we will force you one way or another to do it!” They just don’t get it, do they? They believe that the world is as stupid as they appear to be, but there are only a few individuals who fall for their arrogance. The rest of us know better and while the world has been (too) patient, that patience seems to be coming to an end.
This is not the A.D. 600s. It is nearly 2011. People are learning that there is no negotiating with terrorists, nor is there any ability to truly converse with people who are as insipid as the young man in Spain who believes that simply hearing the word “ham” is supremely offensive to him and his religious beliefs.
What this young man is saying is that the word “ham” should not be stated in public, certainly not when he is around. The gall. The unmitigated pomposity of someone to even suggest that a word cannot be said because it conjures up images that are offensive. That is what this world is coming to though. Too many people are attempting to define morality and anything that does not fall into their predefined and accepted morality is therefore wrong.
As a Christian, it offends me when I hear someone take my Lord’s Name in vain. It also offends my sensibilities when I hear the F-bomb being used as often as it is used in today’s world. However, I do not take the person to task. I do not threaten to sue them. Instead, I suck it up realizing that they are fallen human beings who would have no interest in not saying those words simply because they offend me.
As a Christian, I must put up with people who believe that to have the colors green or red during Christmas in the work place is against the Constitution. My wife one year had to deal with a person who objected to the fact that she placed a wreath on her office door in view of everyone who walked by. Somehow, this wreath said Christmas, and therefore it also said “Jesus” in spite of the fact that no words were written on the wreath. The person was Jewish. My wife was told she could place the wreath inside her office.
So let me get this straight. Gays can accuse me of hate-mongering if I say “homosexuality is a sin,” radical Muslims can sue if I say the word “ham,” and Jews can object if they see a wreath. Wow, this is absolutely inane, yet this is what the world is coming to! Why don’t we all just shut up, say nothing, do nothing, and then hopefully no one will be offended. I don’t think so.
I will preach Christ until I die. I will talk about ham if I feel like it and I will continue to allow the people who have no propriety to swear up one side and down the other. Why? Because morality cannot be legislated and when we start to chip away at freedom of speech, we begin to imprison people.
Who decides what is morally objectionable and what is not? Obviously, in the situations I have mentioned, each group does that. There are very few TV programs I can watch that at times do not offend me, so I have largely given up watching anything except documentaries. Even then, I am apt to be offended because it is not long before a nature program begins intoning the wonders of “evolution.”
I guess I should not be surprised. The apostle Paul spells it out for us in his letter to Timothy when he states just how bad people will get toward the end. In 2 Timothy 3, Paul provides a very unflattering picture of society and folks, we are living in it. Each person is out for themselves and that’s pretty much it.
Today, the mention of “ham” or the sin of homosexuality is on the endangered free speech list. Tomorrow, it could be “salt” or “pepper” or “Grey Poupon.” You just never know, do you? Every group it seems has their acceptable and unacceptable positions and it seems more of these groups are ready to go to the mat in courts of law.
Can you imagine if Christians did this? Can you imagine if I took my neighbor to court because he used God’s Name in vain? Can you imagine if I tried to get a law passed that forbid the use of the F-bomb in public places? How asinine would that be? People would laugh and wag their tongues. They would decry the legalistic Christian who is only interested in him/herself.
We are constantly being told that Islam is a religion of peace, yet the actions of many Muslims within Islam deny that. Other groups like the Gay, Lesbian, and Transgender people believe that Christians are the problem because we apparently advocate hate-speech against gays. Never mind that homosexuals are executed in Islamic countries.
As a Christian in a country that was founded upon Christian principles, I am feeling less and less like I have any rights at all. I have no right to tell anyone to shut up when they use offensive language around me. I have no right to repeat what the Bible teaches about aspects of sexuality. I have no right to preach the gospel at many places. I have no right to put up a wreath where it might be seen by a Jewish individual. I have no right to conclude that radical Muslims are disingenuous, liars, and murderers. I have no right to believe that Islam is NOT a religion of peace.
In essence, I have no right to say anything that opposes any other group. I have the right to shut up and remain in the shadows. If someone creates artwork that denigrates Jesus, I have the right to shut up, rather than complain about it. If I complain, then I am a hate-mongerer or something else.
That’s the world’s view. Here’s my view. I have the right to say what I think and to preach Jesus, whether world listens or not. I have the right to pray in public. I have the right to carry my Bible and to read it in public. I have the right to place bumper stickers with religious phrases and/or Scripture on them.
I have the right to be a Christian in this United States and in this world. Those who want to silence me are doing exactly what they accuse me of doing to them. This world is tumbling toward the Tribulation. I know that the Lord will save all who will call on Him for salvation. My heart goes out to the rest, but in the end, I am desperately looking forward to God’s rule on this planet. It cannot come soon enough.
[1] http://www.onenewsnow.com/Culture/Default.aspx?id=1261010 [2] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xenophobia
About The Author
Fred DeRuvo has written many articles and a number of books. More than 18 have been self-published and are available through Amazon.com. Simply go to Amazon.com and search for “fred deruvo” and the complete list of books will appear in the search results.
Conversely, more information can also be found at http://www.studygrowknow.com
