Irony and Prophecy

In yesterday's Chicago Tribune Don Wyclife, the public editor, wrote a column about why the Trib hasn't published the Mohammed cartoons. But that's not the good part. He also wrote that the paper should not have included the use by a woman in another story of Jesus' name as an ephithet (swear word). Then he wrote (paraphrasing) "Just as we won't publish cartoon of the prophet" (which left me wondering which one, Isaiah?, Amos? Malachi?, oh well) "neither should we print the words 'Jesus Christ!' as an ephithet."

Um. You just did, Don.

But that isn't even the best part. This is: WHY DO AMERICAN NEWSPAPERS EVEN USE THE WORDS "PROPHET MOHAMMED?" Do you ever see the words "Jesus Christ, the Son of God" in a newspaper? Hell no! Not an f---ing chance, right? But Mohammed's status as a so-called prophet is an article of muslim faith -- NOT A FACT, just as Jesus' status as the Christ and Son of God is an article of faith.

I would never suggest that newspapers adopt "Jesus Christ, Son of God" whenever writing about Jesus. That's just silly. It's an article of faith, not fact, and newspapers shouldn't be adopting such things.

What I would suggest is that newspaper style books from now on refer to Mo as "the 7th century tribal warlord Mohammed" and leave it at that. Or "Mohammed, the founder of Islam" or something. Calling him a "prophet" borders on offensive.

Erm, or it would if I cared.