Electronic Insurgent
As Tim mentioned earlier there’s been a bit of a brouhaha over the latest issue of the Student Insurgent, the University of Oregon’s student-run Marxist/Anarchist publication.
In their latest issue, the Insurgent Collective decided to print a number of depictions of Jesus in various poses. As a headline on page 11 of the issue makes clear, their purpose in printing the comics was to confront Christians. And as Collective individual “Jessica” says on page 16, “I have to say it is really fun to offend people.”
Regardless of content, people and organizations should not be censored for speech that’s considered “offensive” or “hateful.” Indeed, we support the publication and round denunciation of ideas and opinions which are bigoted or inappropriate. The best way to counter the free expression of bad ideas is with the free expression of good ideas.
Of course, the Insurgent collective does not necessarily agree with us. Last year, Collective individual Pira Kelly was one of the loudest supporters of the effort to defund the Oregon Commentator. She passed out pink armbands symbolizing the fight against free speech before our budget hearing. What a difference a year makes!
Anyway, we’ve put the Insurgent issue in question up in .pdf form since we have no ideological qualms about technology. Please note that it is not our opinion and does not reflect this author’s own views or beliefs. Also, since the format of their magazine was too wide for our scanner we’ve had to splice each page together. If a member of the Collective would like to put a better copy on the web, I know that I for one would appreciate it.
UPDATE: I notice that we’ve been getting a significant bit of traffic thanks to links from Hot Air and a few other blogs. For those of you who are new: thanks for visiting. You may have noticed that the Student Insurgent mentioned our own publication of the Muhammed cartoons as one of their justifications for printing the anti-Christian drawings. I encourage you to read the issue in question and decide for yourself if the Commentator’s presentation and editorial are comparable in tone and substance to the Insurgent’s. As always, I believe that context is everything.
UPDATE: You can find an archive of our blog’s coverage of the Insurgent (including more recent tidbits) here.
” ‘ Vengence is Mine,’ says the Lord, ‘I will repay.’ ” Quite frankly, I feel sorry for those who mock God. I wouldn’t want to be on the receiving end of His justice! I am praying for them, that they will seek the Lord they have so readily mocked. Unless He shows them mercy (as He did from the cross, “Father, forgive them, they know not what they do”), they will surely suffer the consequences for their actions. Galatians 6:7 “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.”
Misty: That’s correct. It doesn’t mean that what they did was right.
The problem comes in that people want to violate US Case Law in order to shut down a publication that is legally protected. US v. Miller (decency laws), Rosenberger v. Rector, Southworth v. Board of Regents, all have essentially ruled on the side of publications like the Insurgent.
That’s why the Commentator is defending the Insurgent, because the case law that is there applied to them 2 years ago when they themselves were in the limelight against the “Cokehead” Quiroz Goon Squad.
Just because we have “free speech” to print whatever we want, doesn’t make it right!
I couldn’t agree more, Richard.
Le Master: Or on the table, depending at which bar one happens to be.
Hebrews 10:31
It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
[…] Aroused Jesus just can’t get no love. We’ve had Bill Donohue, aghast at his improbable bright red erection; we’ve had Bill O’Reilly go so far as to call for Frohnmayer’s head over the matter. Now we have an Action Alert! from – it was only a matter of time, really – the American Family Association. […]
Just remember, the puke goes in the back alley.
I can’t even see straight anymore.
Drink!
It seems rather ironic that the Christophobics are allowed to get away with this trash. Yet, it would NEVER be tolerated if the image were of a black, a Jew, or a Muslim. What inconsistent hypocrisy. What is going on in the name of higher education?!
I’m not sure if it was intended as a compliment, but I think that’s the nicest thing anyone’s said about us in a while. Although we’re closer politically to NR than we are to the Insurgent, that’s for sure.
Speaking of which, I’ve been going back and catching up on some of the initial reaction to Donohue’s letter. As you might expect, there’s some “defiling Jesus” rhetoric from NRO’s Phi Beta Cons. However, I’m happy to report that John J. Miller gets it absolutely right; see also here for an oblique shout-out.
I was directed here by Bill Donohue
Jesus said, “Father forgive them for they do not know what they are doing.” Luke 23:34
You’re right Joe….ALL fundies are the same….. they want the world to be run THEIR WAY ! But you, like most people in the western world today, refuse to mention Jews by name.
My mother grew up in an Orthodox Jewish family. I’ve never met my maternal grandparents because my Mother “ran off” and married a reform Jew. My Mother was dead to them for loving and marrying a fellow Jew.
The Orthodox and Catholics hold almost all the same beliefs…Life is sacred from conception through natural death; no contraception / no abortion; no sex outside of marriage; zero tolerance for homosexuality, etc….but no one dares to utter a word.
WHY ??
In New York City the Gay Temple is not allowed to march in the Israel Day Parade but the newspapers refuse to write about it. The banning of Gay Irish groups from the St.Patricks Day Parade is front page new each year.
FREE SPEECH FOR ALL !!!!
Key emphasis on “Drunk”.
In Eugene we’re “conservative” on the whole we’re more libertarian/drunk.
I was directed here by Bill Donohue’s site, which is better than The Onion. Cartoons are very funny. But ehh wtf is this “Oregon Commentator”? I’m reading this board, and I checked some of the issues in the archive and it doesn’t read like a “Conservative Journal of Opinion.” Compared to The National Review this paper reads like something Marat wrote. And The Insurgent… I mean holy shit I voted for the gay socialist dave macreynolds for president in 2000 yet I don’t even feel qualified to call myself a lefty compared to those guys. Nice job all around.
Whats good for the goose is good for the gander. if you christians can’t take the heat jump into the same bowl with the islamics that can’t either. i have a freind that spent a year on cyprus and have a diverse group of friends she meet there. one of her friends was an islamic woman who was surprised to realize she had more in common with george bush and his buddies then she had with lisa, my friend. at the bottom of the barrel all fundies are the same, even when they call them selves evangelical. that want women to take their place along side their man, they want kids bottoms beat (some of these good christians have been know to beat those bottoms so bad the kids died of broken blood vessels) and defende their religion agaisnt all comers ( sorry jesus no pun intended) real AND imagined. they want religious freedom for themselves only – as we say Hitler loved free speech, he had it. Bush and his buddies are NOT Christians as i know from reading the Bible. Bush and his buddies are EXACTLY what Jesus was protesting. Please Neo-Christian look into the mirror (those islamics you hate so much) and grow up before you accomplish your mission of bringing Armageddon here from fiction to reality…Bush is already trying to burn up the earth with global warming.
My liver won’t be able to take the pain.
I propose a new OC drinking game. Every time someone mentions hypocrites we all drink!
Bottoms Up!
I think all students at the University of Oregon be required to have a homosexual relationship before they can graduate. The Gay/Lesbian/Transgender community can give free lessons on how to do it! Then after the students do whatever it is that they do, they should publish something about the experience. We need to identify more homosexuals among us and have more sympathy for what they have to go through!
Maybe if the insurgent had a functional website you could address those comments to them.
Even though these images and attitude behind them deeply offend me, I try to understand the reasoning behind things like this. In this case, I can find no logical explanation. Further reading tells me that the main reason this was done was to “piss people off”. Is there supposed to be an intellectual statement here? No. If there is, it was completely lost in the publisher’s own stupidity.
Religious beliefs aside, why do people think it is intelligent or wise to take a historical figure who taught nothing but love and good in an attempt to make this crappy world a better place, and mock him in such a degrading and debasing fashion? Why is it fun to piss people off? I don’t get it.
Stir the hornets nest because it’s fun to watch those hornets go nuts. Just be careful about being stung, as you’ll reap what you sow.
Copy that Tim. These coddled children are such hypocrites.
The sigh I am emitting is so long and laborious that it might well destroy the universe.
And you people should thank your sky friend that you don’t live in Iran where real oppression happens. If annoying speech is the worst thing you face in a given day, you’ve got nothing to complain about.
I think it is really sick that this “paper” has to stoop so low to depict Christ in such a way. I now that Christianity is attacked continuously, but to go this far is really disgusting. You can bet if something bad was said or depicted about gays or blacks, heads would be rolling by now, but since it is a stab at Christians and Christ, the only ones who are offended and outraged of course are the Christians. Free speech is one thing – stupidity is another. And this junk is just plain sick and stupid!!
….and WASTE no time either !
Well Master. Being that I’ve have drawn you out, Witness to them. For I already witness and pray for those whom I have been charged. Seek the souls that need to be saved not those whom already have salvation. The only thing for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing. So thank you for your wisdom. And I am already praying with you. Sorry for my tactics. I wanted to know who the REAL followers are. Waist no more time with me for I am finished here.
Wow, the lengths we have fallen..
Passion: So now you think it’s your job to use the comments section of our website to evangelize to a group of semi-literate anarchists? Might want to take up punching walls, might be more productive.
Margo: Those are pretty good, so far as non-PC jokes go.
Okay kids….time for a little multi-cultural…let’s offend everyone.. humor:
1) How do you know for sure that Jesus was a Jew?
ANSWER: He thought his Mother was a virgin and His Mother thought He was God
2) Why were all those women (and 10% of the apostles) hanging around at the crucifixion?
ANSWER: They’d heard that Jesus was “really well-hung”
3) What’s the acronym I.N.R.I. at the top of the crucifix?
ANSWER: It stands for “I’m Nailed Right In”.
Any Good Muslim Jokes??
Gabrielle, if you noticed I didn
They may just burn in hell. I just don’t think that it is the university’s decision to save their souls. As a matter of principle any speech must be protected. Just because I or you or anyone else finds it distasteful, uncomfortable, or even offensive doesn’t give us the right to stop the speech.
And to make another point. Being Catholic and pro-free speech is not contradictory.
And people wonder why I gave up Christianity for lent.
These arguments about freedom of speech are pointless when it comes to standing before the judgment seat of God. These blasphemers and those who support this nonsense will be judged; and their mockery of Jesus will not give them a place in heaven. Mark my words, when their flesh is burning and the devil is laughing they will cry out to the very man they mocked.
If you were a true follower, you would be out evangelizing to people. That’s what we Christians are charged to do, not try to influence politics.
Do you know what we do when evil sets about? We pray and we continue evangelizing. That is what our charge is.
You, my friend, don’t know what hell is. Hell is much worse than the campus or the state. So don’t be condemning people when you yourself don’t even know what it looks like!
Thank you for proving to me that Evil really does exist, for all that support this manner of freedom. I had my doubts at times, but reading the intelligence levels shown here has shown me that there is a hell; this school and state is in the center. I pray you all will be delivered as I have become, and that a revelation of Heaven and Hell fall upon you. I guess I won
“I love you. You love me. We’re a happy familiy.”
~Barney The Purple Dinosaur 35:12
Christianity? Organized? Apparently someone hasn’t had their daily medication.
Ok, ok. I have to come out and say it. I am religious. I am even Catholic. I have read the Insurgent and I find them trite. Look it up if you don’t understand. ’nuff said.
All this is such a big hipe. I’m so tired of all this nonsense about Jesus Christ and organized religion. I was brought up in a disfuctional Christian home and I know all about the insanity and neurosis of organized religion. I have an awareness of this unknown and mysterious energy behind all creation, but I also have an awareness of reality. Check out my writings at http://www.darksunproject.org Be sure to look under “Projects” as well.
M: Yes
Olly: Hadn’t planned on it, the state is enough detail.
Bryan: Will you be my sugar-daddy?
Also, Theresa:
O ye Twelve! and all Saints! profit by this important Key
Ah, let’s not do the IP-detail-posting thing. Let’s just bask in the full and frank exchange of insults and scriptures.
Like I always say: it’s the Internet! People are supposed to rant in ALL CAPS and go completely insane at the drop of a hat! This stuff is fun!
Hey Theresa, you know what else?
“You’ll find, by the way, another man at this stage, and his preclears will shift the identities and borrow facsimilies.
“Like men, there’s what they call ‘The ChristGame’ and that game has been played and played and played and play…, honest to Pete, these cards are just so thin, they’ve been laid down amongst the coffee cups, and so forth, of the whole universe. You’ll find out thousands of years before the year 1 AD, Earth, you will have facsimilies and dolls made up like Christ. Fact one: a million years ago is occasionally rigged with Christ and the devil and an angel. ‘s a fascinating thing, it’s an old game. Here on Earth, there was undoubtably a Christ. One of the reasons he was … he swept in so suddenly ah, and he, he would go forward so hard, is he had a good assist back of him in terms of an implant.”
— L. Ron Hubbard
is that via IP address? i just googled her name….
Is it that hard to tell the difference between The Commentator (which is the magazine whose website you are reading right now) and The Insurgent (who’s rather dumb cartoons this magazine has covered as a news story)? If so, I’m going to have to have a serious talk with Ian.
And, M: Nope, South Carolina.
Hey Theresa:
Koran-Sura 5:17 “In blasphemy indeed are those that say that Allah is Christ the son of Mary. Say: “Who then hath the least power against Allah, if His will were to destroy Christ the son of Mary”
Ms. Graber that is.
I think Ms. Garber is from Orofino, Idaho.
‘Nuff said.