October 24, 2009
Scott Ehrisman doing the Mexican Hat Dance over at South DaCola
A little South Dakota blog drama for your Saturday morning…
Yesterday, Scott Ehrisman at South Dacola once again stooped to ridiculing other people's religion, this time using sexuality. He posted a version of the classic DaVinci painting of Jesus and the disciples at the Last Supper –only a Stripper was dancing on the table. I was the first to comment something to this effect:
Still waiting for you to post something comparably offensive to Muslims. You are so into blog stats over there (aka attention), that should get you some traffic.
Immediately Ehrisman got on the defensive and tried to make the case that what makes the "art" funny is that everyone was wearing colorful silk garments and the table cloth was obviously pressed and folded. Ehrisman the Artist(?) then took a cheap shot at the work of an actual world renowned artist, DaVinci, noting the disciples surely wouldn't have been wearing colored silk garments. Yes, Scott, what makes that "funny" is the pressed table cloth. I called him an idiot. I know,,, how un-Christianly of me. Jesus once called some guys a "brood of vipers" so I figure my designation "idiot" was merely being descriptive.
His cowardly anonymous friends, AngryGuy and Costner, decided to unload on me questioning my strength of my faith that I'd be so easily offended. They noted how they like to pick on Christians and Jesus because they know we will have to forgive them. Here's a little factoid on me - I got kicked out of high school eleven times for fighting - a few times I took shots at and bullied people because I knew they wouldn't fight back - AngryGuys comment reminded me of when I was "small" like that, not physically, at that weak, immature and insecure point in my life. However, unlike him, I was delivered of all that anger and now I'm all about defending those who can't defend themselves from people like him. (AngryGuy was obviously still angry that his death threat against Allen Unruh on this blog put him in the hot seat last spring - I really wish I had recorded his panicky voicemail left on my office phone begging me to not report him to the FBI and asking me nicely to delete his comment - which I did.) These guys speak first, think later, typical of those still stuck in post-adolescence into their thirties.
"Costner" in particular lectured me on how far I am from a "true Christian" because I label stuff light/darkness here on my pro-life blog. (They later chided me for bringing abortion into it, yet, that only came up when they started talking about my blog.) Curious as to what these guys would know about "true Christianity" I asked them to define it. Out comes the only verse they know — the one about not judging. I pointed out that both Martin Luther King Jr., and Jesus for that matter, wouldn't be "true Christians" based on their interpretation of that verse. The same Bible says to "have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness but rather expose them." I pointed out it's hard to obey that verse if "not judging" meant to turn your brain off when it comes to matters of right and wrong, life and death. And of course we all know there is zero tolerance shown by these types of liberals to any who dissent from their godless and self-centered worldview. They judge, and go for the kill– those who hold to a Christian worldview.
My real point was not to highlight their hypocrisy, but rather to underscore their cowardice - that never ever have they posted anything comparably offensive to Muslims. Then, one of the other South DaCola fellas– Ghost of Dude– puts up a post called "Here you go Stev-O" and it's a softball pitch of an attempt to equally offend Muslims. It's a sketch of Mohammad with a fuse coming out of his head. No keywords in the title, text or tag to indicate that - only key words like "freedom of speech" were used. They did make a couple nervous comments about hoping Al Qaeda wouldn't notice.
Ehrisman immediately took down both posts - the Last Supper/Stripper post and the one relating to Islam. Ghost of Dude immediately chided him for letting the "theocrats" win - "When you delete offensive blog posts, the theocrats win." Ehrisman tries to change the subject and immediately drops in an unrelated link seeking a cheap laugh about Dick Cheney. Costner says:
Wait a second. The guy who was complaining about Kelo censoring/deleting posts is now censoring/deleting posts?
Again Ehrisman tries with futility to change the subject to get them off his case - and he does the very same Mexican Hat Dance he erroneously accused Senator Thune of earlier in the week. Obviously agitated, his last comments on the matter;
I’m not censoring sh_t, I’m telling Steve to STFU! Steve is not a Theocrat. He is a f"'ng idiot.
At the end of the day we learn blatant attacks on Christians and Christianity are "entertaining" and somehow "deserved" but the same people won't go anywhere near a comparable defilement of Islam. I and the religion I follow get hammered for merely seeking to stop the killing of human beings, and yet these guys won't touch with a ten foot pole the religion that actually promotes killing. Remarkably, Ehrisman is still trying to hide behind this all being about "art." Read it yourself…
I deleted the posts about Allah and the Last Supper because once again, Pastor Doohickey brings out the worst in people and turns every debate into abortion. Just for once Steve, can you debate the issue at hand? The post was about ‘ART’.
Within moments Ehrisman put up a few other unrelated posts obviously hoping to bury this matter quickly.
Comments on Scott Ehrisman doing the Mexican Hat Dance over at South DaCola »
Anne Beal @ 11:45 pm
What's funny is that it is IMPOSSIBLE to dance on a table with a tablecloth on it.
Some Dude @ 3:10 pm
Have you, by chance, actually asked the person in charge of the blog where Scott got that image to take it down?
The cartoon I posted, of Muhammed with a bomb in his turban, was so offensive to Muslims a few years ago that its author recieved death threats and several people were killed in violent protests of it. Danish flags were burned by Muslims all over the world after it came out (the cartoonist was Danish). Were you living under a rock when this all happened?
The "freedom of speech" tag came out because Islamic theocracies would never allow such a thing to be published. Aside from the obvious terrorist thing, the image was especially offensive to Muslims because it was an image of the prophet Muhammed - which is a sin against Allah or something. Hardly a "softball".
Do you study about other religions much, or do you prefer to remain ignorant of everything that isn't in your neat little world?
We Christians are easy to poke fun at because we take it so well. I don't think anyone would ever be in fear for their lives that Steve Hickey and his congregation would behead Scott for posting that picture.
Steve @ 3:36 pm
Dude - No I didn't realize that was the very cartoon that caused the big stink but I do remember well the fury. And that was my point - softball stuff like that is hardly comparably offensive and yet no one dares slight a Muslim. Yet urine gets poured over Christianity and all in the name of "ART" and "free speech." Are you seriously asking me if I've studied other religions?
My "neat little world" - Dude, let's compare passport stamps.
Some Dude @ 4:22 pm
And that was my point - softball stuff like that is hardly comparably offensive and yet no one dares slight a Muslim.
That cartoon was a pretty big slight. Perhaps you have some suggestions? How about a toon of the prophet and his eight-year-old bride? Had I any artistic talent, I could whip it up in no time. Islam is just too easy to lampoon once you know anything about it. Just take, for instance, the law Al Qaeda in Iraq made in a village they controlled that the private parts of sheep were to be covered up, or the other law about tomatoes and cucumbers not being allowed to be carried in the same basket because they too closely resemble genitalia.
The fringe whakos of any religion are really easy to take swipes at. What's worse is that reasonable people of that faith would rather defend them or say nothing than correct their faulty thinking.
Yet urine gets poured over Christianity and all in the name of "ART" and "free speech."
I don't recall Christians taking that one lightly. The artist certainly got the reaction he wanted, didn't he?
Are you seriously asking me if I've studied other religions?
Just curious. I would think someone who has studied Islam would know a little something about images of their prophet and why that's taboo.
My "neat little world" - Dude, let's compare passport stamps.
I meant your black and white world. No shades of grey. I've been out of the country, but having a family to take care of and a business to run keeps me busy.
You know, Steve-O, one place you might consider a mission trip is Germany. 80% of the country is athiest or agnostic. While Christianity is spreading like wildfire in africa and eastern europe, western europe is moving away quickly. It's vastly underserved.
Steve @ 5:43 pm
Dude - good cartoon ideas for Islam, though they seem just descriptive to me of the reality of it in terms of history/belief/practice. What Ehrisman put up was categorically different.
The differences between you and he are notable. Hopefully you can help your friend grow up in the responsible place you have taken in the world. And, know that being one who posts there, what goes up there is associated with you.
Remember me being gone this summer and not posting here for 3 months? My family and I spent the summer in Europe, based mostly in Germany. I took a need sabbatical from here and went there to working with leader there to start a new mission agency we are calling Europe Advance.
http://www.europeadvance.org/
It is secularism on steroids there and they are ripe for revival. Of the 400,000 foreigners living in Berlin, 200,000 are Turkish Muslims. Europe is considering opening the union to Turkey which will send 80,000,000 Muslims into Europe. A hundred years of liberal higher critical "Enlightment" thinking in the church/society and Europe as we know it is no more. The Imams there say there won't be another 9/11 as they will just wait 25 years and be populous enough to vote Westerners out. Muslim fertility rates in Europe are 8.1. Western Europeans are at 1.3 - thanks to abortion and the abandonment of the traditional family - takes 2.1 to sustain the population.
So, there IS a remnant of the church there that is awake and we are seeing pockets of God's power touch regions.
Steve @ 5:56 pm
I thought to share this link - I posted regularly on my church blog while in Europe - http://stevehickey.wordpress.com/2009/07/29/i-sat-in-bonhoeffers-chair-but-walking-in-his-shoes-is-far-more-difficult/
This part here may inform you or whoever the kind of thinking that stands behind my political activities as a pastor…
Bonhoeffer criticized Luther for two things; 1) focusing the Reformation only on the church (whereas Zwingli sought to influence – salt and light – all of society). Bonhoeffer believed Luther’s views on this set the stage for the German Church of the 1930’s to stay out of Hitler’s business. In the 1000+ plus pages of Reformation history I’ve read this month, I’ve had the sense that had Zwingli been in Germany and not in Switzerland, the Holocaust wouldn’t have happened. Bonhoeffer also was one of the earliest voices in the German Lutheran Church to renounce 2) the anti-Semitism and treatment of the Jews.
Some Dude @ 2:18 pm
Looks like the cartoon I posted is still offending Muslims:
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,569780,00.html?test=latestnews
Costner @ 12:25 pm
"His cowardly anonymous friends, AngryGuy and Costner, decided to unload on me questioning my strength of my faith that I'd be so easily offended."
Still relying upon those ad hominem attacks huh Steve? Would it make you feel any better if I sent you my home address?
Steve @ 12:54 pm
I could care less about your address but I do, as do many bloggers in our state, have an issue with anonymity. It's quite cowardly to me to not be willing to put your name next to what you say.
Costner @ 2:28 pm
The thing with the Internet is, what I say today could very well be retained for decades. Family, friends, and perhaps even future employers could locate statements connected with my name with a simple Google search, and for that reason I choose to not use my full legal name. Not because of what I say today, but because of how it may be interpreted tomorrow.
Call that cowardly if you wish, but thankfully this is still a free country where I can make such decisions for myself, and I don't even need to insult you in the process.