Byko: Pope Francis fallible on free speech
Did he really say he'd punch someone for a yo' mama remark?
JESUS H. CHRIST on a crutch, what's Pope Francis saying now?
"If my good friend Dr. Gasparri says a curse word against my mother, he can expect a punch," Francis said, making a fake move toward Gasparri, who organizes papal trips. "It's normal. You cannot provoke. You cannot insult the faith of others. You cannot make fun of the faith of others."
Sounding a little like an ayatollah, the pope spoke to reporters en route to the Philippines.
While his off-hand remark excused a "punch" (what happened to turn the other cheek?), he also said it was an "aberration" to kill in the name of God and that religion must never be used to justify violence.
Except it is.
There are many who insult religions, "who make fun of them, who make a game out of the religions of others," he said. "They are provocateurs. And what happens to them is what would happen to Dr. Gasparri if he says a curse word against my mother. There is a limit," the pope said.
"One cannot provoke, one cannot insult other people's faith, one cannot make fun of faith," he said. While freedom of expression is a fundamental human right, he said "there are limits."
That's a conventional sentiment from an unconventional pope who famously asked himself "Who am I to judge" gays, and allegedly said that dogs can go to heaven (a mistranslation that went viral).
His remarks followed the Charlie Hebdo murders. He seemed to be skating in circles, nearly justifying the murders "provoked" by Charlie Hebdo.
The pope represents a special interest and doesn't want religion offended. Religious leaders of all faiths and most people, I think, agree. But . . .
The opening words of this column, which use an old expression of frustration, might be amusing to some, blasphemous to others.
When I say "Je suis Charlie," and I have, I am not agreeing with its often pornographic, crude and vicious cartoons. I am supporting Charlie's right to do it. (With a normal press run of 50,000 in a nation of 66 million, not many people were listening to Charlie.)
Even in free-speech America, we have legal limits. You can't directly incite violence, you can't harm others by deliberately lying about them. But you can insult and ridicule and even cause emotional pain. It's the price we pay, and sometimes the price is steep.
The problem with limiting free speech is determining who gets to draw the lines between satire, fair criticism and blatant offense.
Lines drawn by Bill Maher would be very different from those drawn by Sarah Palin.
When the pope calls for limits, he aligns himself with the Organization of Islamic States that for more than a decade has been pushing U.N. resolutions to ban "defamation of religion." Critics rightly say that would create an "international blasphemy law."
When I write that the megaphone-assisted, anti-white, anti-Christian, anti-Jewish, anti-gay Black Israelites are jugs of hate, am I defaming their religion (whatever the hell it is)? I don't think so, and I tolerate their right to spew repulsive ideas on street corners.
When the genetic mutants of the Westboro Baptist Church disturb military funerals, should they get a punch? I don't think so. There are better ways to handle those knuckle-draggers.
Both the above, like Charlie, are provocateurs, which the pope abhors. When the pope permits a "punch," he opens the door for others to "punch" with bombs and guns.
We already have limits on free speech. Dear God, we don't need more.
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