A year-old facebook.com group named “I Hate Jesus” was recently deleted by the site’s administrators because some individuals complained about its offensiveness.
Group creator Erik Browne, president of the University student organization Atheists, Humanists and Agnostics, created a satirical, humorous group about hating Jesus: the “alleged son of God.” He’s back with a new, ostensibly less offensive group named “I Dislike Jesus.”
Way to go, Erik. Not only did you give me an interesting, controversial topic to write my first column about, but you are managing to bump up facebook’s ad sales in the process through free publicity.
Concerning the debate of whether it is appropriate to allow a group that offends so many, holding a majority viewpoint does not automatically award someone a can’t-be-affronted trump card.
I tend to scoff at any group that takes itself too seriously, and religious sects pretty much lead the pack of self-righteous groups notorious for not being able to take a joke – along with the CCCC, both major political parties and soap opera actors.
Christianity is the largest religion in the world with more than 1 billion more members than Islam, the closest competitor. I recognize that saying you hate the savior of more than 1 billion people is considered offensive to many, distasteful to some and hilarious to a handful.
I don’t particularly have a problem with it because I am not a Christian, and I think religion is homespun by different groups pushing their own agendas – more political than spiritual – and overall, a waste of time, effort and trips to the dry cleaner.
If I had to put a finger on my spiritual beliefs, I’d say I’m somewhere between a healthy agnostic and a secular humanist – too inspired to be prosaic and too imaginative to be a strict rationalist.
I digress; the purpose of my column is not to conjecture on my own religious beliefs but to address the inherent rightness or wrongness of removing the “I Hate Jesus” facebook group.
DeCuir’s article quotes University student Jacob Benda as saying he thinks Browne’s new group about disliking Jesus is “an attack on Christians.” I can see how Mr. Benda would be offended. After all, Christians have never attacked anyone.
Well, except for during the early Crusades, the Spanish Inquisition, the Salem witch trials and Christian rock’s attack on religious and non-religious hearing.
Come on Mr. Benda, let’s not be hypocritical. WWJD?
Regarding this whole “son of God” thing, rationally/agnostically speaking, it cannot be determined whether Jesus Christ was the son of God – or if God even exists. I think Jesus should have a chance to be hated just like everybody else.
Equalness – right next to godliness.
Being a private entity, the owners of facebook have the sole right to regulate what appears on their site.
First Amendment rights to free speech do not apply to privately owned Web sites. The one aspect in which those rights do apply is the fact that the government cannot force Web sites to shut down. But facebook, like magazines and newspapers – including The Daily Reveille – are self-regulated mediums.
Although this facebook incident doesn’t necessarily violate the First Amendment right to free speech, that doesn’t make the censorship any more appropriate or correct.
It has a chilling effect on speech. People are less likely to express themselves freely if they fear punishment.
Aside from breeding self-censorship, denying people open forums – facebook groups have message boards – in no way lends a hand to the purpose we are all in college: to learn.
This is a form of unhealthy censorship that deprives students a chance to openly discuss religion. Students should have more to talk about than the pap that everyone else agrees with.
Education and thought-provoking rhetoric is not just about reiterating what the masses already believe but challenging that which is accepted truth.
Controversial subjects like hating Jesus lead to debate.
Granted, I hope it is a healthy, disciplined debate that doesn’t end with someone getting stoned to death or burned at the stake.
Debate is good.
Sweeping a sensitive topic under the rug in the name of offensiveness or political correctness is not.
Censorship does nothing to promote intelligent discussion, introspection or free thinking – all things that are lacking on this campus.
 
Dennis is a theatre senior.
Contact him at [email protected]