For the practice of censorship, this has been a banner week (so to speak), confirming yet again that after hundreds of years of book burning, muzzling, and downright ham-fistedness, banning remains the preferred method for institutional authorities to regulate behaviour they oppose. Although experiences from Victorianism to prohibitionism, from Oscar Wilde to Stonewall, from Lady Chatterly’s Lover to Harry Potter, have demonstrated that banning is a futile practice, authorities do it anyways. Why the need to ban? It almost has the same compulsiveness as the sexual impulse, and carries with it the same feeling of release once it’s accomplished. Unfortunately, it most resembles gay sex in the 80’s. It may feel good at the time, but it’s a risky thing to do given the potential consequences.
Over the past week we have learned that:
• A Christian College in Michigan has canceled the appearance of Vancouver-based indie band, The New Pornographers, because of its name (read story here).
• A Pastor in Gainsville Fla. graciously agreed not to burn copies of the Qur’an when Muslim leaders agreed not to build an Islamic centre near Ground Zero in lower Manhattan (read story here).
• Canadian scientists could not report on a flood which occurred 13,000 years ago because they did not have approval from the office of Christian Paradis, Minister of Natural Resources (read story here).
• The British Advertising Standards Authority nixed an ice cream ad (“immaculately conceived”) featuring a pregnant nun, presumably so as not to offend the sensibilities of the visiting pope (read story here).
Although these stories come from geographically disparate sources, and concern different kinds of organizations, they sound a common note. It is the noisy gong of the controlling paternalism that pervades conservative Christianity. This is true even, and perhaps especially, of Canada’s federally funded scientists who are becoming demoralized by their inability to communicate their findings with the general public, thanks in no small part to the religious leanings of the governing party.
Always, such an approach stems from fear. And assuming that the rest of the world is likewise motivated by fear, it answers its own fear with more fear: fear of ridicule, fear of litigation, fear of criticism, fear of persecution become ridicule, litigation, criticism and persecution.
Such an approach also fears humour. That is the other common note all these stories sound: they are humourless. That is why Stephen Harper is so utterly forgettable — he doesn’t know how to laugh. The guy barely knows how to smile. That is why a buffoonish pastor from a tiny Florida church is so memorable — he cuts a ridiculous figure; he inspires cartoons and parodies; he makes us laugh. That is why the Catholic League had so much difficulty challenging Cosimo Cavallaro’s chocolate Jesus. And that is why Chile’s Episcopal Bishops had such a hard time getting a handle on the breast-enhanced models posing as the virgin Mary.
So, to mark the Pope’s visit to Scotland …
Yesterday the Pope performed a mass at Bellahouston Park in Glasgow. People had come from far and near to see the Pope. After Susan Boyle had sung her songs and after Benedict had sung his mass and after the benediction, the Pope made his way out of the park by passing through the crowd. Iain Duncan, a local Glaswegian, had put on his Sunday best and was sure the Pope would stop and talk to him. He was standing next to an exceptionally down-trodden looking homeless man who didn’t smell very pleasant either. As the Pope came walking through the people, he leaned over and said something to the homeless man and then walked right by Mr. Duncan. Duncan couldn’t believe it, then it hit him. The Pope wouldn’t talk to him because the pontiff is more concerned for the unfortunate: the poor and the vulnerable. Thinking fast, Duncan gave the homeless man £20 to trade clothes with him. He put on the homeless man’s clothing and ran further through the park to line up for another chance for the Pope to stop and talk to him. Sure enough, the Pope walked right up to him this time, leaned over close and said “I thought I told you to get the hell out of here!”