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Gentle Reader,
What happened today in Paris is horrific. Absolutely horrific. That anyone should be killed for what they write or say… It makes me shudder. As a writer and as a human being. No, I don’t appreciate some of the “Charlie Hebdo” cartoons I’ve seen today, but I strongly believe in freedom of speech and freedom of the press. Nobody has the right to force another person to keep quiet. Nobody has the right to censor anyone but themselves.
I shake my head at yet another example that exposes the lie that Islam is a religion of peace. This was done in defense of Allah and the “prophet” Mohammed. No, I don’t think that every Muslim person is a terrorist. I don’t think they all want to kill me. But I wonder when we will stop thinking that this is no big deal. I wonder when we will realize that, yes, the Qu’ran does teach violence, to the extent that it teaches anything consistent at all. (For more details, please see the excellent work done by Dr. James White).
What happened today matters. “Charlie Hebdo” matters. Every blogger, journalist, novelist, cartoonist and even Facebook commenter should sit up and take notice – especially Christians. It is our duty to stand for the freedom of speech and of the press. We want this freedom to share our stories, to share our Lord. What we want, we cannot deny to anyone. We cannot turn a blind eye to those who silence voices. We cannot turn a blind eye to evil.
My heart is with the families of the slain. I pray that they sense the comfort found in God and turn to Him in their grief.
