Prophetic Vocational Identity for freedom

 S.A. Aiyar titles his Swaminomics Column in the Times of India as - Right to offend is an inalienable part of right to religious freedom, free speech (TOI, November 1, 2020).  He stands by free speech which includes the right to offend. Those offended can protest peacefully, but not kill the offenders. Free speech does not extend to offensive speech. All freedoms are subject to reasonable curbs. If you deliberately incite violence, that should certainly be stopped. Satirical humour or cartoons, on social life, politics and religion are not for ‘hating’ and are not racist in themselves. They are thinkable humour. Cartoons don’t kill, they provoke thoughts and imaginations.

According to Aiyar, the fact is: every religion suffers from its obsession with its own superiority, and thus offends other religions. Freedom of religion implicitly implies freedom to offend others. Others must practise tolerance and not feel offended – for no one offends anyone, one feels offended. For Christians the “heathens” are barred from entering heaven. Non-Christians can be offended to this belief system. But one cannot burn the Bible or kill Christians. The Muslims led by Quran and Hadith, like the Christians, did convert by the sword and kill many. That offence does not justify banning the Quran and Hadith. Hindu’s scriptural belief in re-incarnation (bad guys being reborn as dogs and pigs) may offend non-Hindus.  But others will have to cope with it and not kill. Inter-faith co-existence can happen only through tolerance, not revenge or punishment. I condemn all kinds of fundamentalism that divide through violence.

Religious justification for killing and violence has no place in today’s world. Apostasy and blasphemy have no place in human communion. The basic truth, therefore, is: every religious faith system, Scriptural texts and traditions are offensive, blasphemous and heretical to other sects and religions. All must respect all beliefs including that of an atheist. I hold to my belief and convictions. Others may feel offended. But I damn care about it.  It is my right to religious freedom and practice with respect and honour.

Jesus of the Gospel cleanses the temple - the political, economic, cultural, and religious centre of the world of the Jews; a sacred institutional embodiment of the Jewish tradition. His prophetic vocation gets manifested in all his speeches, gestures, and actions. Jesus confronts the fallen powers and dysfunctional traditions.  He turns over the tables of the money-changers, drives out the merchants, shouts out against the religious fraud of the time, and upsets the establishment.  Jesus showed himself as a critic and he had the right to be prophetic and have the freedom of speech, where others were offended, and he had to bear the consequence for it – death on the Cross.