Yes you read that headline correctly – and unfortunately. The only conundrum for me here is this: is this story best placed under the heading of idiotic, loony, moonbat political correctness, or the triumph of creeping sharia? I guess it properly belongs under both headings.
When I first heard about this, it was so overwhelmingly incredible, bizarre and mind-numbing, that I assumed it could not be a true story. But with even the BBC now getting into the act and reporting it, I guess it sadly is true. However I am still almost left without words over this.
The story as one write-up has it goes like this:
Two people who threw bacon and wrapped it around door handles at a mosque in Scotland were sent to prison on Friday. Douglas Cruikshank, 39, and Chelsea Lambie, 18, were convicted over the attack at Edinburgh’s Central Mosque in January last year. The consumption of pork is forbidden in Islam.
A court in Scotland’s capital heard that the pair were associated with the far-right Scottish Defence League.
Cruikshank, of Galashiels in southern Scotland, was sentenced to nine months’ imprisonment and Lambie, from Paisley near Glasgow, was ordered to spend 12 months in an institute for young offenders. They had both been convicted of threatening and abusive behaviour.
A third man, 25-year-old Wayne Stilwel from Gorebridge near Edinburgh, was sentenced to 10 months in prison in September over the attack. “The Muslim community are a valued and integral part of Scottish society and there is no place for such attacks in modern Scotland,” said state prosecutor John Logue after the sentencing.
The longer BBC report adds other bits of information, including:
A security guard at the mosque told the trial of the offence the bacon would have caused to Muslims. Usman Mahmood said: “I was surprised if a person did it for a joke. It is against our culture and religion. We do not eat pork or even touch it. I felt very bad seeing this meat in my sacred place. It hurt my feelings when I saw this meat hanging inside the mosque in the worshipping area. It was very disturbing.” The court heard that during a police interview Lambie had admitted being a member of the Scottish Defence League. The pair were accused of behaving in a threatening or abusive manner likely to cause fear and alarm.
Wow. Double wow. Where does one begin with all this? Throwing bacon is now a criminal offence in Scotland, and you can spend a year in jail for daring to do it?! And the basis for this horrific crime against humanity? As the Muslim guard said, “It hurt my feelings”.
So now you can be thrown into the slammer with the key thrown away for hurting someone’s feelings? Really? Or more specifically, for hurting the feelings of a Muslim? Well guess what Jack, my feelings are hurt too – and big time. They are hurt over this sheer idiocy and diabolical political correctness.
And they are hurt all the more because of the reality of creeping sharia. There is no more need for me to write articles about this. If this incredible episode does not convince you that stealth jihad and creeping sharia have won the day in the West, then you will not be convinced even if an airplane flies into your home with cries of Allahu Akbar ringing out.
Also, did you get the reason why they got this prison sentence? Because they were acting in a “manner likely to cause fear and alarm”. Umm, excuse me. I would have thought that behaviour likely to cause such fear and alarm would include the following:
-massacring all those who do not submit to Allah
-flying jets into skyscrapers
-running around with explosives strapped to your body
-cutting off the heads of infidels
-promising to kill all non-believers
-acid attacks and honour killings
-forced marriages and child brides
-declaring your hatred of freedom and democracy
Now that is what I call “threatening or abusive” behaviour. But not in dhimmi Scotland it seems. Here we have a nation so utterly duped and blinded by the PC lobby and Islamic taqiyya that they actually see the bad guys as those who warn about all this!
Those who fling a bit of bacon around are now the enemies of the state, while those who have promised to kill or enslave all infidels are elevated to the level of a protected species. Go figure.
When I was recently in England and amazed at just how far down the gurgler things had gotten there, some folks assured me that the situation was even much worse in Scotland. I found that a bit hard to believe at the time, given what a hellhole England was becoming.
Even more despicable than the Islamics are the Islam enablers, in this case the State prosecutor and judge.
Possibly related to Quisling or Chamberlain?
No more singing “Scotland the Brave” or watching Braveheart for the Scots!
While not intending to be disrespectful, I confess to having just laughed my socks off at the thought of people wrapping bacon around mosque door-handles….it does have a touch of humour to it. However, the jail sentences are incredibly stupid. Of course, if someone had stood at the door of a Christian church, tearing up Bibles, the cops wouldn’t have batted an eyelid.
The two who did this look like a pair of nutters, but it certainly didn’t deserve such a harsh sentence. Scotland has become a strange place; the people have welcomed “diversity” with open arms, far more readily than the English, it seems… which is rather odd when you consider how they battled to keep us out of Scotland several hundred years back. The forthcoming Scottish referendum will be an interesting news-item to follow since, according to their crooked politicians, they are mad-keen to embrace full-blown EU citizenship….which has no interest whatsoever in promoting Christianity.
I imagine if someone threw communion bread on the floor and stamped on it with the aim of insulting Christians a similar penalty would apply.
No one should defend the kind of actions the Scottish offenders engaged in.
Paul argued clearly for Christ but he did not stoop to low insult of the goddess of the Ephesians (Acts 19:37).
It would actually be funny if it didn’t involve the ridiculous punitive prison terms.
Um, no Rowland, on all counts, respectfully. A Muslim would never of course get a year in jail for doing that. Never. Sorry, but your naivety about Islam and creeping sharia in the West is simply showing here I am afraid. And your apparent siding with Muslims here is also quite remarkable to be honest. Moreover, by your reasoning, Elijah was quite wrong to insult the Baalists. Or Isaiah to insult and ridicule the false gods and idols. And Paul went even further, arguing that such pagan gods are in fact demons. Sorry, but I am just not buying your rather unhelpful attempt at interfaith harmony here. This was an utterly and totally outrageous and diabolical ruling, and comes straight out of the pit of hell. Islam is winning all over the world, and gullible Christians do not seem to have a clue about this sadly. While I may not counsel folks to toss bacon around, the penalty was utterly reprehensible and outrageous, and the idea that a Christian will actually seem to bless such a PC decision is even more incredible.
Perhaps Rowland ought to read Romans 1:21-23. If that passage is not an insult to those who worship false gods what is it? And to my knowledge the Ephesian goddess did not advocate massacring people.
quite right Lindsay.
Lindsay/Bill
One can argue strongly, as Paul does, but not descend to the kind of thing the Scottish men did. Elijah was a prophet directed specifically by the Lord.
Muslims per se, whatever the Koran may say, do not advocate massacring people. Some do but not all
Anyone who knows me knows I take the Scriptures utterly seriously and am firmly of evangelical Calvinistic convictions.
Happily too, there are multitudes of Converts from Islam of recent times. even here in Oz some are run off the feet dealing with people from that background who want to become Christians.
If you think that in any point I am not following my strict subscription to the Westminster Confession as a minister of the Presbyterian Church of Eastern Australia, then please approach my Presbytery accordingly.
I know we live in very difficult times for the faith. At least we know that ultimately Islam will fail, as communism did.
Regarding Rowland’s ridiculous claim, what sincere Christian would support jailing someone who stood on communion bread and what government should have the power to do that?
Would it be insulting? Sure.
But jailing them? That’s insane.
Rowland ought to also read about what the Bible refers to as “antichrist”, whether from Jesus, Peter, or Paul, take your pick, it all will sound insulting to the idol worshipper.
“No one comes to the Father but by me” is a pretty exclusive phrase that many would call offensive. Too bad, that’s what Christ said!
If a Christian does not call out every other worldview and so-called God as a false and demonic now when freedom abounds, when freedom fades and the real antichrist stands up, what courage will they have in that moment to speak against him?
Thanks again Rowland. I of course know nothing about the men and women thrown into jail for this. I take it they are not even Christians. And as I already said, I would not advise bacon throwing. But it is the continued inability to see creeping sharia when it stares us in the face that bothers me big time. When Christians actually defend such draconian and unjust sentences, then I for one am greatly confused.
And being rather clueless about what the Koran, hadith and sira do in fact teach helps no one here. Those who kill in the name of Allah are of course the real, faithful Muslims. I already said elsewhere that while most Muslims do not kill, their very silence is of course empowering those who do: https://billmuehlenberg.com/2014/06/17/the-myth-of-moderate-muslims/
Rowland,
I have looked at this page on Bill’s website for much of the day, wondering whether to reply or not, but I am constrained to put up a comment.
Bill mentioned inter alia Elijah and the Baal prophets. You dismissed that appeal, but was Elijah right to ridicule them even to the extent of suggesting that Baal had gone to the toilet (w’ki sig lo, 1 Kings 18:27)? I don’t know how more disrespectful one can be than that. It matters not to me whether Elijah was as a prophet authorised to say it or not; the fact remains, he said it! Had you been there you would have taken him aside and rebuked him.
Bill remarked that your inter-faith bias is coming out. That is certainly the case. I have a problem with what I see as fraternising with the enemy, when all over the Muslim world my Christian brethren being torn from their homes and driven out, even shot in the streets or beheaded; women and girls kidnapped and sold as sex slaves; churches torched and bombed; men refused employment and discriminated against in all manner of ways; families massacred, etc. – all in the name of Allah! And you come on to this board with your mealy-mouthed pleas for what you see as “even-handedness” and tolerance. I am constrained to ask, “Whose side are you on?”
Your profession of adherence to the Westminster Confession in this connection means nothing to me. This is what matters: what do you say about Meriam and her little boy and new-born baby shackled to a floor in a stinking cell in the Sudan, facing 100 lashes and hanging for her faith in Christ? Have you protested to the Sudanese authorities? Or are you going to tell us to “keep our heads on this”? Do you support the work of say Patrick Sookhdeo and Barnabas Fund, or Open Doors, or similar organisations?
Words fail me at one I see as a Mr Facing-both-ways.
Rowland, you said:
“I know we live in very difficult times for the faith. At least we know that ultimately Islam will fail, as communism did.”
But I put it to you that communism is still active and dangerous, too.
I am deeply hurt because I have unwittingly been eating halal meat. Shops do not want to admit to this excessive pandering to Islam. Yes, this story shows how desperate the PC brigade are to keep the lid on this simmering pot of revulsion at the creeping Islamisation of Britain. At some point, the fools in power will have to wake up it; probably when members of their own family start meeting the same fate as Lee Rigby. It will be much harder to stop then of course.
Speaking of ‘moderate’ muslims…
This was posted on another website and I think it deserves a wide airing.
Yes the term ‘political correctness’ really has taken on a life of its own and there is not an elected member who will stand up and be counted! Unfortunately, I do not believe that we have reached the bottom of the barrel. We see our politicians scream about the mindless, Muslim brutality all over the western world but not one of them have the intestinal fortitude to say enough is enough! If they were really serious, they would prevent Islamic migration to their countries.
And yet Sir Ian McKellen brags about ripping pages from Bibles left by the bedsides of hotels.
And Muslims are so confident now that they declare Holland to be an Islamic country
Meanwhile the Church in Europe tell us that we have nothing to fear from either Homosexuals or Islam
David Skinner UK
Remarkable indeed are Ian McKellen’s remarks about Leviticus 18:20 being obscene and pornographic when he in public revelled in reciting the obscene, pornographic poem, ‘The Love that Dares to Speak its Name’, that describes in graphic detail a Roman soldier pouring out his Necrophile lust onto the dead body of Jesus Christ . He read this out in a Restaurant up the Tottenham Court Road in 2008 in front of the Secularist and Humanist Society.
Meanwhile schools up and down Britain invite “Gandalf” into their schools to teach the children a few “hints and tips” on how we can become more kind to one another.
I don’t think the expression “Useful Idiot” adequately describes all those, including the enthusiastic new caster, who participated in this macabre comedy.
David Skinner UK
Hi Bill
Just wanted to add my take on this specific issue and also comment on the broader issue of ‘causing offence’.
In several recent articles you have pointed out that Jesus was not afraid to cause offence when he chose to. And quite true, he certainly wasn’t. However when we talk about the rights and wrongs of causing offence, we need to look a little deeper at the motives of the offender.
When Jesus called the Pharisees “whitewashed tombs” and “nests of vipers” etc, his primary motive was to speak a truth boldly, courageously and with complete lack of ambiguity. It was not simply to offend for the sake of offending. The Jesus I see in the Gospels is a man far too in control of his emotions, words and actions to speak or act carelessly or recklessly, and too much of a gentleman to offend simply for the sake of it and nothing else. The fact that the Pharisees took offence is of secondary importance, subordinate to Jesus’ higher purpose.
Similarly, speaking or writing the truth about Islam or homosexuality – as you and others do so well and courageously – has a higher purpose that overrides any offence taken; the aim is to disseminate truth, not offend per se.
Unfortunately, the bacon-tossing incident does not pass this test. There was no higher purpose to be gained (that I can see) and was meant simply to be offensive for the sake of it. It was childish, stupid and potentially dangerous, and could have lead to incalculable harm by way of riots, property damage or even deaths, as similar incidents have in the past.
Now don’t get me wrong here. I couldn’t give a rat’s you-know-what about the Muslims’ hurt feelings. That mob needs to learn to take what they dish out. If the prison sentences were for ‘causing offence’ – as I suspect they were – they were way over the top. But as a possible deterrence for similar stupidity, well, just maybe not.
Anyway, my point is, if one is going to offend, at least offend in a way that has a higher motive attached.
Keep up the good work Bill.
Thanks David. But you may not have read my article and comments carefully. Where did I say I approved of this incident? And I also said these folks were likely not even Christians. So I of course was not comparing this in any way with the offence of the gospel. My sole reason for writing the piece was to show how political correctness and creeping sharia now utterly dominate and enslave Scotland, and that the punishment for this “crime” was utterly incommensurate and way out of line. But thanks, and keep up your good work too.
So Muslims can march with impunity down the streets of London chanting death to infidels and Jews but if you throw bacon at their mosques you go to jail. The problem surely is with the ruling elites in Britain. They foolishly allowed thousands of Muslim immigrants into the country and now they are afraid of the resulting fifth column.
Now now, I think some have been a bit unfair to Rowland Ward. After all, think of the penalty that was imposed when an “artist” displayed a photograph of a crucifix in urine. The offender was sentenced to … oh wait. Sorry, he won an award for that. Scratch that one.
Okay, what about the atheist professor from the University of Minnesota who obtained a consecrated wafer from a Catholic mass and put a rusty nail through it and threw it out in the rubbish? He was sentenced to … oh wait. His university defended his freedom to do as he wished.
Well, what about… nope, not that either. Rowland, can you help me out here?
Off topic a bit but did you know that both of Ian McKellen’s grandfathers were preachers, and his great-great-grandfather, James McKellen, was a “strict, evangelical Protestant minister” in Ballymena, County Antrim? His home environment was strongly Christian, but non-orthodox. “My upbringing was of low nonconformist Christians who felt that you led the Christian life in part by behaving in a Christian manner to everybody you met.”
Many times when Christianity is mocked or blasphemed in some way people don’t bat an eyelid and even pass it off a freedom of expression. Not so with Islam.
Wow. Double wow. Where does one begin with all this? Throwing bacon is now a criminal offence in Scotland, and you can spend a year in jail for daring to do it?! And the basis for this horrific crime against humanity? As the Muslim guard said, “It hurt my feelings”.
The extensive jail terms are completely over the top and it seems as if they are given as a deterrent to anyone else contemplating such an action.
The Muslim men who refuse to stand in court for a magistrate should be similarly punished as it would hurt a lot of people’s feelings to see such blatant disrespect. http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/muslim-man-refuses-to-stand-in-court-due-to-religion/story-fni0cx12-1226929228808 and http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/accused-rioter-mohammed-issai-issaka-berated-in-court-after-refusing-to-stand-for-magistrate-jacqueline-milledge/story-fni0cx4q-1226646584711
This judge saw fit to enforce the law of respect at least! http://blogs.wsj.com/law/2012/06/05/when-defendants-refuse-to-stand-in-court/
Even more despicable than the Islamics are the Islam enablers, in this case the State prosecutor and judge.
Possibly related to Quisling or Chamberlain?
No more singing “Scotland the Brave” or watching Braveheart for the Scots!
While not intending to be disrespectful, I confess to having just laughed my socks off at the thought of people wrapping bacon around mosque door-handles….it does have a touch of humour to it. However, the jail sentences are incredibly stupid. Of course, if someone had stood at the door of a Christian church, tearing up Bibles, the cops wouldn’t have batted an eyelid.
The two who did this look like a pair of nutters, but it certainly didn’t deserve such a harsh sentence. Scotland has become a strange place; the people have welcomed “diversity” with open arms, far more readily than the English, it seems… which is rather odd when you consider how they battled to keep us out of Scotland several hundred years back. The forthcoming Scottish referendum will be an interesting news-item to follow since, according to their crooked politicians, they are mad-keen to embrace full-blown EU citizenship….which has no interest whatsoever in promoting Christianity.
I imagine if someone threw communion bread on the floor and stamped on it with the aim of insulting Christians a similar penalty would apply.
No one should defend the kind of actions the Scottish offenders engaged in.
Paul argued clearly for Christ but he did not stoop to low insult of the goddess of the Ephesians (Acts 19:37).
Isn’t there a famous English dish called Pigs In Blankets that involves wrapping bacon around sausages, Chris? http://www.food.com/recipe/pigs-in-blankets-bacon-and-sausage-rolls-for-christmas-trimmings-272576
It would actually be funny if it didn’t involve the ridiculous punitive prison terms.
Um, no Rowland, on all counts, respectfully. A Muslim would never of course get a year in jail for doing that. Never. Sorry, but your naivety about Islam and creeping sharia in the West is simply showing here I am afraid. And your apparent siding with Muslims here is also quite remarkable to be honest. Moreover, by your reasoning, Elijah was quite wrong to insult the Baalists. Or Isaiah to insult and ridicule the false gods and idols. And Paul went even further, arguing that such pagan gods are in fact demons. Sorry, but I am just not buying your rather unhelpful attempt at interfaith harmony here. This was an utterly and totally outrageous and diabolical ruling, and comes straight out of the pit of hell. Islam is winning all over the world, and gullible Christians do not seem to have a clue about this sadly. While I may not counsel folks to toss bacon around, the penalty was utterly reprehensible and outrageous, and the idea that a Christian will actually seem to bless such a PC decision is even more incredible.
Here are the double standards in action – a lone girl is beaten unconscious by a Muslim girl gang and all four girls walked free from court for the random attack, because they were Somalian Muslims and “not used to drinking alcohol”.http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2072459/Rhea-Page-Muslim-girl-gang-sentence-sends-wrong-message-street-violence.html
Perhaps Rowland ought to read Romans 1:21-23. If that passage is not an insult to those who worship false gods what is it? And to my knowledge the Ephesian goddess did not advocate massacring people.
quite right Lindsay.
Lindsay/Bill
One can argue strongly, as Paul does, but not descend to the kind of thing the Scottish men did. Elijah was a prophet directed specifically by the Lord.
Muslims per se, whatever the Koran may say, do not advocate massacring people. Some do but not all
Anyone who knows me knows I take the Scriptures utterly seriously and am firmly of evangelical Calvinistic convictions.
Happily too, there are multitudes of Converts from Islam of recent times. even here in Oz some are run off the feet dealing with people from that background who want to become Christians.
If you think that in any point I am not following my strict subscription to the Westminster Confession as a minister of the Presbyterian Church of Eastern Australia, then please approach my Presbytery accordingly.
I know we live in very difficult times for the faith. At least we know that ultimately Islam will fail, as communism did.
Regarding Rowland’s ridiculous claim, what sincere Christian would support jailing someone who stood on communion bread and what government should have the power to do that?
Would it be insulting? Sure.
But jailing them? That’s insane.
Rowland ought to also read about what the Bible refers to as “antichrist”, whether from Jesus, Peter, or Paul, take your pick, it all will sound insulting to the idol worshipper.
“No one comes to the Father but by me” is a pretty exclusive phrase that many would call offensive. Too bad, that’s what Christ said!
If a Christian does not call out every other worldview and so-called God as a false and demonic now when freedom abounds, when freedom fades and the real antichrist stands up, what courage will they have in that moment to speak against him?
Thanks again Rowland. I of course know nothing about the men and women thrown into jail for this. I take it they are not even Christians. And as I already said, I would not advise bacon throwing. But it is the continued inability to see creeping sharia when it stares us in the face that bothers me big time. When Christians actually defend such draconian and unjust sentences, then I for one am greatly confused.
And being rather clueless about what the Koran, hadith and sira do in fact teach helps no one here. Those who kill in the name of Allah are of course the real, faithful Muslims. I already said elsewhere that while most Muslims do not kill, their very silence is of course empowering those who do: https://billmuehlenberg.com/2014/06/17/the-myth-of-moderate-muslims/
And someone who knows what she is talking about is well worth hearing here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vYjiSaV5VoE
So much for Scotland the Brave.
Rowland,
I have looked at this page on Bill’s website for much of the day, wondering whether to reply or not, but I am constrained to put up a comment.
Bill mentioned inter alia Elijah and the Baal prophets. You dismissed that appeal, but was Elijah right to ridicule them even to the extent of suggesting that Baal had gone to the toilet (w’ki sig lo, 1 Kings 18:27)? I don’t know how more disrespectful one can be than that. It matters not to me whether Elijah was as a prophet authorised to say it or not; the fact remains, he said it! Had you been there you would have taken him aside and rebuked him.
Bill remarked that your inter-faith bias is coming out. That is certainly the case. I have a problem with what I see as fraternising with the enemy, when all over the Muslim world my Christian brethren being torn from their homes and driven out, even shot in the streets or beheaded; women and girls kidnapped and sold as sex slaves; churches torched and bombed; men refused employment and discriminated against in all manner of ways; families massacred, etc. – all in the name of Allah! And you come on to this board with your mealy-mouthed pleas for what you see as “even-handedness” and tolerance. I am constrained to ask, “Whose side are you on?”
Your profession of adherence to the Westminster Confession in this connection means nothing to me. This is what matters: what do you say about Meriam and her little boy and new-born baby shackled to a floor in a stinking cell in the Sudan, facing 100 lashes and hanging for her faith in Christ? Have you protested to the Sudanese authorities? Or are you going to tell us to “keep our heads on this”? Do you support the work of say Patrick Sookhdeo and Barnabas Fund, or Open Doors, or similar organisations?
Words fail me at one I see as a Mr Facing-both-ways.
Rowland, you said:
But I put it to you that communism is still active and dangerous, too.
I am deeply hurt because I have unwittingly been eating halal meat. Shops do not want to admit to this excessive pandering to Islam. Yes, this story shows how desperate the PC brigade are to keep the lid on this simmering pot of revulsion at the creeping Islamisation of Britain. At some point, the fools in power will have to wake up it; probably when members of their own family start meeting the same fate as Lee Rigby. It will be much harder to stop then of course.
Speaking of ‘moderate’ muslims…
This was posted on another website and I think it deserves a wide airing.
blogs.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/timblair/index.php/dailytelegraph/comments/peaceful_majority_irrelevant/]PEACEFUL MAJORITY IRRELEVANT
[/url]
Yes the term ‘political correctness’ really has taken on a life of its own and there is not an elected member who will stand up and be counted! Unfortunately, I do not believe that we have reached the bottom of the barrel. We see our politicians scream about the mindless, Muslim brutality all over the western world but not one of them have the intestinal fortitude to say enough is enough! If they were really serious, they would prevent Islamic migration to their countries.
And yet Sir Ian McKellen brags about ripping pages from Bibles left by the bedsides of hotels.
And Muslims are so confident now that they declare Holland to be an Islamic country
Meanwhile the Church in Europe tell us that we have nothing to fear from either Homosexuals or Islam
David Skinner UK
Remarkable indeed are Ian McKellen’s remarks about Leviticus 18:20 being obscene and pornographic when he in public revelled in reciting the obscene, pornographic poem, ‘The Love that Dares to Speak its Name’, that describes in graphic detail a Roman soldier pouring out his Necrophile lust onto the dead body of Jesus Christ . He read this out in a Restaurant up the Tottenham Court Road in 2008 in front of the Secularist and Humanist Society.
http://www.secularism.org.uk/sirianmckellenhammersthefinalnai.html
Meanwhile schools up and down Britain invite “Gandalf” into their schools to teach the children a few “hints and tips” on how we can become more kind to one another.
I don’t think the expression “Useful Idiot” adequately describes all those, including the enthusiastic new caster, who participated in this macabre comedy.
David Skinner UK
Hi Bill
Just wanted to add my take on this specific issue and also comment on the broader issue of ‘causing offence’.
In several recent articles you have pointed out that Jesus was not afraid to cause offence when he chose to. And quite true, he certainly wasn’t. However when we talk about the rights and wrongs of causing offence, we need to look a little deeper at the motives of the offender.
When Jesus called the Pharisees “whitewashed tombs” and “nests of vipers” etc, his primary motive was to speak a truth boldly, courageously and with complete lack of ambiguity. It was not simply to offend for the sake of offending. The Jesus I see in the Gospels is a man far too in control of his emotions, words and actions to speak or act carelessly or recklessly, and too much of a gentleman to offend simply for the sake of it and nothing else. The fact that the Pharisees took offence is of secondary importance, subordinate to Jesus’ higher purpose.
Similarly, speaking or writing the truth about Islam or homosexuality – as you and others do so well and courageously – has a higher purpose that overrides any offence taken; the aim is to disseminate truth, not offend per se.
Unfortunately, the bacon-tossing incident does not pass this test. There was no higher purpose to be gained (that I can see) and was meant simply to be offensive for the sake of it. It was childish, stupid and potentially dangerous, and could have lead to incalculable harm by way of riots, property damage or even deaths, as similar incidents have in the past.
Now don’t get me wrong here. I couldn’t give a rat’s you-know-what about the Muslims’ hurt feelings. That mob needs to learn to take what they dish out. If the prison sentences were for ‘causing offence’ – as I suspect they were – they were way over the top. But as a possible deterrence for similar stupidity, well, just maybe not.
Anyway, my point is, if one is going to offend, at least offend in a way that has a higher motive attached.
Keep up the good work Bill.
Thanks David. But you may not have read my article and comments carefully. Where did I say I approved of this incident? And I also said these folks were likely not even Christians. So I of course was not comparing this in any way with the offence of the gospel. My sole reason for writing the piece was to show how political correctness and creeping sharia now utterly dominate and enslave Scotland, and that the punishment for this “crime” was utterly incommensurate and way out of line. But thanks, and keep up your good work too.
So Muslims can march with impunity down the streets of London chanting death to infidels and Jews but if you throw bacon at their mosques you go to jail. The problem surely is with the ruling elites in Britain. They foolishly allowed thousands of Muslim immigrants into the country and now they are afraid of the resulting fifth column.
Now now, I think some have been a bit unfair to Rowland Ward. After all, think of the penalty that was imposed when an “artist” displayed a photograph of a crucifix in urine. The offender was sentenced to … oh wait. Sorry, he won an award for that. Scratch that one.
Okay, what about the atheist professor from the University of Minnesota who obtained a consecrated wafer from a Catholic mass and put a rusty nail through it and threw it out in the rubbish? He was sentenced to … oh wait. His university defended his freedom to do as he wished.
Well, what about… nope, not that either. Rowland, can you help me out here?
Off topic a bit but did you know that both of Ian McKellen’s grandfathers were preachers, and his great-great-grandfather, James McKellen, was a “strict, evangelical Protestant minister” in Ballymena, County Antrim? His home environment was strongly Christian, but non-orthodox. “My upbringing was of low nonconformist Christians who felt that you led the Christian life in part by behaving in a Christian manner to everybody you met.”
Many times when Christianity is mocked or blasphemed in some way people don’t bat an eyelid and even pass it off a freedom of expression. Not so with Islam.