On Holy Thursday, an episode of “Rachel Dratch’s Late Night Snack” on TruTV featured an exchange between two girls about sex. “What does that mean? Do you mean the first time I had vaginal intercourse?” To which it was said, “Yeah. Okay. That’s such a Catholic girl question. Yeah. It’s a vagina.” Comedy Central’s “@Midnight with Chris Hardwick” had a Holy Thursday episode about Jesus that joked about that “barren cross” and “sacramental wine.”
Also on Holy Thursday, Seth Meyers on his NBC “Late Night” show commented, “No wonder Judas dropped a dime on you.” The next day, Good Friday was panned on the Fox 5 show, “TMZ”: referring to the meaning of the crucifixion, it was said, “Screw that cause.”
Reports of a Catholic priest being crucified in Yemen on Good Friday have not been confirmed. But no one disputes that 70 people were killed in Pakistan on Easter Sunday, 29 of whom were children. Ehsanullah Ehsan, one of the Taliban terrorists, explained, “The target was Christians.” But not all Muslims are barbarians. Last week, a Muslim shopkeeper in Scotland posted an Easter greeting on Facebook: “Good Friday and a very Happy Easter, especially to my beloved Christian nation.” For this he was knifed to death on Easter Sunday by a Muslim.
Yes, there is a profound difference between ridicule, even in its most vulgar manifestation, and murder. But none of this can be justified. Those who preach the gospel of tolerance yet make light of mocking Christians—during Holy Week—are part of the problem. Even Bill Maher did not go off on Christians on his Good Friday show.
It’s about time we connected the dots. When attacks are aimed almost exclusively and relentlessly against one religion, whether violent or non-violent, they should be condemned by everyone.
