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Green Philosophy

Mocking Nature

Paul Keeling reacts with a Green perspective on religious insult.

The deep sense that some things are sacred underpinned the outrage felt by many Muslims upon the publication in 2005 of offensive cartoons depicting the Prophet Mohammed. While the resulting violent protests cannot be condoned, the universal principle of respect for another ’s beliefs can be readily acknowledged. And I can personally empathize with the visceral experience of religious insult, even though I am not a member of any established religion.

Religious insult on a massive scale is not an unfamiliar phenomenon. In 1988 millions of Christians across America protested the release of the film The Last Temptation of Christ, directed by Martin Scorsese, for its perceived unbiblical and disrespectful portrayal of Jesus.

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