As an atheist who is interested in religion, my favourite artists are usually those lapsed Catholics who criticise/ satirise the religion they were brought up with. There are a few artists, for example Andreas Serrano, who stick with their religion but criticise certain aspects of it: extremism, excessive idolatry etc.
See Piss Christ (right)
After exhibiting the photograph in 1989 Serrano received a few death threats from fundamentalist Christians in American but mainly people just talked about it and sent letters of complaint to their local papers.
Image, then, a practicing Muslim creating art criticising aspects of his or her religion: suicide bombings, inequalities against women etc. It wouldn’t be done, it’s bad enough if someone of no religion does that. No one wants to be beheaded.
Serrano interview here.
(notice I’ve used a picture of Jesus in piss for this post and not a Mohammed with a bomb in his turban- thank you. This is because I thought those cartoons were boring.)
04-Feb-06 at 1:19 pm | Permalink
I’ve just found this Mohammed Image Archive. Quite interesting.
05-Feb-06 at 3:58 pm | Permalink
As an interested Atheist, one should never worship false idols. Jesus in point; why not piss on him, he died for your mis-doings. If you’ve been to the pearly gates and Jesus is waiting outside covered in piss, he would usher you in. But Jesus would forever know that in his pain on the cross, which he will always feel, was the sin of everyone who believed and still believe, in him. What ever you do that you think is sinful, will be a sin to you. Where does one draw the line? Could be a Republican, fascist or part of the Al-Queda but someone will always push the boundries and create a history of their own.
Plus, when a box explodes how many people can you take with you?
06-Feb-06 at 10:17 pm | Permalink
Speaking as one who has in his time explored the fundamental Christian thing but is now an atheist, I have a theory about religion. Religion seems to me to be something invented by mankind to fulfil a fundamental need in mankind. That accounts for all the different religions which appear to have the same problems. i.e. people who use their ‘faith’ as a petty excuse to kick the shit out of anybody else, or failing that to exhort others to indulge in similar/worse violence.
Being born and bred in Ireland, north or south makes no difference, is very helpful in understanding this concept.
06-Feb-06 at 11:08 pm | Permalink
Yes I know what you mean. I had the (mis)fortune to be sitting next to a pack of drunken rugby fans on the way back from Edinburgh last night and I wondered the same thing about them.
Although I’m sure I have my own obsessions.
I didn’t know you were Irish.
07-Feb-06 at 1:02 pm | Permalink
Saddam shark
07-Feb-06 at 3:07 pm | Permalink
I agree with that to an extent. Generally speaking, mankind certainly seems to require some kind of metaphysical crutch on which to rest an abundance of issues directly related to the arrogance of being for all intents and purposes, the most ‘intelligent’ yet typically finite form of life in our world. I also agree that this is often used as vindication of prejudice and abuse, but this is a seperate issue. I think it’s only fair to point out that this is obviously not the intention of the writings in the first instance, nor the understanding of the orthodoxy.
Religion may or may not be relevant to your life, but don’t write it off as being a ‘bad’ thing. It may well be a reason for one group of people to throw stones at another, but it reaches out and offers comfort to those most in need, provides physical, emotional, financial solace and represents all that is good about mankind. Lets not dismiss it’s value altogether.
07-Feb-06 at 5:18 pm | Permalink
I don’t disagree with what you are saying. I maybe should have made it clearer that my problem is with the fundamentalist fringe of religions and the worry is that that this fringe appears to be growing.
I’m kinda writing a website on Buddhism at the moment (as a silly practise thing) and actually getting a lot out of that. Although I don’t believe in any God I do agree with a lot of the principles of that religion.
It just annoys me when *some* religious people think that anyone who doesn’t follow their religion can’t be a good person.
07-Feb-06 at 9:57 pm | Permalink
The reaction is pretty horrifying, as much as it might be interpreted as any indication of the ratio of extremists to moderate Muslims.
Good depth of coverage on Wikipedia (understandably edit-locked).
15-Feb-06 at 10:52 pm | Permalink
If you’re not already sick of the topic, I’ve been amused by this blog over the past coupla weeks.