Hi, I’m Apple…
…and I’m Ginger.
And the Reverend Archie Farcnard wrote a thoughtful article for ‘The Daily Upton’ at Easter, which has raised a great deal of awareness and support. This is what he wrote.
“Let me say it up front in the first sentence, I object to the name and title of my Lord and Saviour up above, Jesus Christ, being used in scripts and literature as a common swear word.
This is not swearing. I am not against so-called bad language. It seems the utterance of an Anglo-Saxon invective can have an analgesic effect when in sudden pain.
But to use the name of Jesus and the title Christ in such a manner is not swearing only. It is blasphemy, but if it means nothing to you faith-wise, then it disrespecting others who are spiritual around you and who are too polite to tell you off.
Well, I’m not too polite! I’m telling you straight that if I hear anyone do so, or anyone complains to me that someone else has done so, I will have no qualms about sending ‘The Boys’ round to where you live, to teach you a lesson in manners by praying with you all night!
And I promise you that ‘The Boys’ can make it a very long night indeed!
Now, I know for a fact that the BBC has a list of forbidden words and no doubt all other channels and networks have a similar document.
Top of the list at the BBC is a six-letter word referring to a black person, which didn’t used to be on such a list because it was impolite racial slang. Impolite racial terminology have been added to the list due to lobbying. However, please note that racial epithets for the Welsh, English, Irish, Scottish, Australians and Americans are still in common use.
All things being equal, this six-letter word should be joined on the list by Taffy, Pommy, Mick, Jock, Ozzies and Yanks. Where is the parity? Why does one matter over another when all are equal in God’s sight?
It angers me greatly the BBC guidelines for offensive words put a word referring to a black person, that is not blasphemous, at the top of the list and I am justified in this righteous anger in defense of my beliefs.
With other sexual words and milder words for excrement, all also not blasphemous, the name Jesus and the title Christ come far down the list. Too far down!
To blaspheme is more acceptable than to swear or use racial terminology. How do people of any faith feel?
Often words are cut when a film is being shown at an earlier time.
The six-letter word beginning with N will be cut.
The four-letter word beginning with F will be cut.
The four-letter word beginning with C will be cut.
The four-letter word beginning with S will be cut.
However, the six-letter word beginning with C is never cut. Nor is the five-letter word beginning with J ever cut.
Funnily enough, one film where you won’t find Jesus or Christ used wrongly is ‘Life of Brian,’ a film considered blasphemous in itself, in 1979 and still by some today.
Monty Python’s ‘Life of Brian’ is not blasphemous. There is not a single word against faith itself. It is a satire on high-minded Catholic and Protestant teaching, which is dogma over spirituality. I find it a very spiritual film. So there!
Of course, no other religious figures are blasphemed in speech. People don’t say ‘Oh, my Allah’ or ‘For Mohammed’s sake,’ but in a 1979 episode of ‘Fawlty Towers,’ about a deaf woman, John Cleese did utter ‘Oh, Buddha,’ which I think makes my point nicely.
The other week I was preparing a sermon and an afternoon play was on the BBC’s Radio 4 at 2.15. There was no strong bad language, but Christ was used blasphemously at least 7 times in 45 minutes. At least once ever 6 minutes. So I speak up now!
The guidelines must recognise blasphemy as religious offense, just as much as racial offense.
In conclusion I say this. Whatever your faith or religion I love you and God loves you and if you have no beliefs at all, I love you and God loves you. All of you!
I’m going to lobby, by letter, the BBC and all my television and radio channels and networks. Will you do the same in solidarity?
If you are a person of faith, will you support me in lobbying that the name of Jesus and the title Christ not to be allowed to be broadcast blasphemously?
Please say you will.
If you are a person of no faith, will you support me in lobbying for parity of respect that the name of Jesus and the title Christ will be equally respected, with all other minority religions?
Please say you will too.
God bless you all at Easter and don’t let the eight-letter word beginning with B in plural grind you down!”
Food for thought from the Reverend Archie Farcnad. We support him. We hope you will too. Say goodnight to all the nice people around the world.
O.K, goodnight folks. See you next ~Tuesday.
themaster1968 