I resent Ramon Tulfo’s calling me, along with millions of other Christians who find offensive the so-called work of “art” of Mideo Cruz, a “hypocrite.” This work of Cruz depicts Jesus Christ in a painting with a penis protruding from His face.
Tulfo piously reminds us that we live in a democracy, yet forgetting—if he once knew—that in a democracy, only the freedom of thought is absolute, never the freedom of expression or any other overt act. In the name of democracy as he understands it, Tulfo suggests we must tolerate Cruz’s work of “art” and not “crucify” him like the Jews did to Jesus for His radical teachings. Last time I consulted the dictionary, I found that the word “sacrilege” was still there, and I don’t think Tulfo has unilaterally deleted it. Last time I consulted the Bible, I found that Jesus was crucified without due process. On the other hand, Cruz is far from being “crucified” without due process. Tulfo’s comparison of Cruz with Jesus Christ is odiously misleading.
I don’t have to be a Muslim to be offended by a depiction of Mohammed (whom Muslims don’t even consider God but only a prophet) in a painting with a penis protruding from his face. I don’t even have to be a Christian, but just an ordinary, decent and reasonably sensitive human being, to be offended by Cruz’s perverse depiction of Jesus who is God to billions of people, dead and alive.
I surmise that Tulfo, presumably a reasonably sensitive man himself, might be offended by a work of “art” depicting his mother, sister or daughter in a painting with a female genital on her face. I won’t consider him a hypocrite if he is so offended. And if I were in his place (which I’d really hate to be!), I would be a fool or worse, if I were not so offended.
Tulfo posits the legal heresy that in a democracy, anyone can make a fool of himself as long as he does no physical harm to others. Surely, Tulfo must have heard of such non-physical offenses as theft, estafa, adultery, concubinage, obscenity, slander, libel, etc. for which even a “fool” can be held liable.
—JOSE M. RICAFRENTE,
Suites 1511-1512 Cityland 10 Tower 1,
156 H.V. dela Costa St., Makati City