The Serbian Church calls reprinting of blasphemous cartoons “spiritual violence”

Belgrade, January 13, 2015

The Serbian Orthodox Church has condemned the position of the country’s electronic and print media that reprinted the Islamic Prophet Mohammad cartoons from the Charlie Hebdo French daily in sympathy with the journalists, killed in the terrorist attack on January 7, reports RIA-Novosti.

“Some of our electronic and print media have reprinted the cartoon images of the Islamic Prophet Mohammad (either unintentionally or due to sheer ignorance; but it still does not exempt them from responsibility) disregarding the fact that it was an unspeakable insult to the religious feelings and beliefs of our fellow citizens who confess Islam, and encouragement of intolerance and an openly hostile attitude towards Muslims, representatives of the Muslim community,” the statement on the Serbian Orthodox Church’s website reads.

According to Bishop Irinej of Backa, ridiculing historic figures who shaped the unique religious identity of hundreds of millions of our contemporaries goes beyond the scope of freedom of speech, guaranteed by law, and is absolutely inadmissible.

“We are calling upon our media workers to stop this spiritual violence immediately and to respect religious sentiments of all citizens. We express our solidarity with brothers Muslims and assure them that the faithful members of the Serbian Orthodox Church, whose religious feelings were insulted in the same or similar way by blasphemous images in some media, by no means approve of such an interpretation of freedom of speech and the secular nature of the society,” the appeal reads.

Pravoslavie.ru

1/13/2015

See also
The European Left’s War On Christianity The European Left’s War On Christianity The European Left’s War On Christianity The European Left’s War On Christianity
It was an attack of unreasoning rage and unrelenting hatred on one of the world’s greatest symbols of love and peace, life and hope. Christianity: a persecuted religion Christianity: a persecuted religion Christianity: a persecuted religion Christianity: a persecuted religion
Overall, we are not a religious society and, truth be told, it is difficult to remain an observant Christian in our present age. Changing times have eroded the faith's once privileged position in our social order. You may not be interested in Culture Wars, but Culture Wars are interested in you You may not be interested in Culture Wars, but Culture Wars are interested in you
Fr. John Whiteford You may not be interested in Culture Wars, but Culture Wars are interested in you You may not be interested in Culture Wars, but Culture Wars are interested in you
Fr. John Whiteford
It is therefore not only permissible, but obligatory for all of the faithful, and even more so for the clergy, to oppose these attempts to infect our Church with the same heresies that have wreaked such havoc in mainline Protestant Churches, and are in the process of doing the same in the Roman Catholic Church.
Comments
J Clivas1/14/2015 5:09 pm
This Irinej guy ought to be an imam, not a Christian bishop
Michael1/14/2015 1:34 am
Disgusting that an Orthodox Patriarchate would make these comments about the False prophet. This is what mainstream Islam seems to tolerate by not speaking up more loudly against ISIS:

http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/isis-terror/isis-video-appears-show-child-soldier-executing-two-men-n285391

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