Underlying religious mockery

(Apologies to Les précieuses ridicules)

Some great writers like Voltaire and Molière have used mockery as a pedagogical tool even against religious pomp and hypocrisy.

Some countries are very fertile grounds for religious mockery, though people do not always distinguish between pedagogy and obsession resulting from imposition. A mocking hostility against religion may be a reaction to religious imposition. Thus, one finds that religious swearing is most common in countries where the infamous Inquisition reigned supremely and attempts to remain alive in modern times.

I have come across a number of phenomena of religious imposition which, consequently, invite mockery of a sarcastic or aggressive nature.

During a discussion among Maltese and foreigners, an Englishman said that he was born in Malta. Someone asked him if he was Maltese and he replied: "If a person is born in a stable that doesn't make him a horse". Which is quite logical. However, a gaffing Maltese lady added: "Or Jesus". Everyone stared at her incredulously as, in this lady's mind, all words are related to religion. (Which reminds me of the story about the psychologist's Rorscharch test and his sex-maniac client.)

Persistent bell-clanging and religious loudspeakers in streets are two types of religious imposition on those who are not interested. A religious hobby or practice becomes an imposition when we force it on others.

I heard a story about a confessionist head of department at a foreign University who blocked all attempts at promotion of a deserving lecturer. No rational reason was given until finally it was explained to the lecturer that the religious head of department disliked the fact that the lecturer had many girlfriends before getting married.

Some time ago Cardinal Vingt-Trois of Paris was nominated macho of the year by women's organisations after he said: "It's not enough to have a skirt. You must have something in your head as well".

Sometimes an e-mail goes round explaining some religious mystery or event. As a conclusion, you are admonished to forward it to 10 others or something terrible will happen to you. It seems to me that this is a kind of threat and naïve people who send these things do not realise their possible illegality.

There are periods in the calendar of some religions when members eat less than usual. These faithful sometimes scold people who eat whenever they like. This is intolerance at its best.

Finally, sometimes people in conversation with others speak of "Our father St Paul" to people who are not Christian, let alone Catholic. You have no right to impose your dad on others.

All the above examples are typical of religious imposition. And most imposition deserves mockery. This does not mean that religion deserves mockery. If a group of people decide to practise religious activities euphorically while bothering no one, mocking them is not only out of place but definitely intolerant. If religious symbols and personages are important to someone minding his own business, I have no right to mock him as I would hypocritically be practising imposition myself. As far as I am concerned, while having no gregarious faith, if a person wants to pray upside down or wishes to adore a particular person, the sun, a cactus or whatever, I will leave him alone and feel happy that he is having a good time.

I see the mockery of Christ as ignorance. Christ's life and ideology include no imposition and his messages are totally positive. I see no reason for mocking a rational humanitarian. It would be plain ignorance. Ignorance, however, should not be criminalised but combated by social education. Imagine if we had to throw all ignorant people into prison!

Blame it on the WEC

The global warming cliché is being given a break as the WEC has taken its place. WEC means world economic crisis - a terrible misfortune now hounding all countries and invading all media. You switch on the radio and the speaker, who is analysing why tomatoes this year are a bit flatter, explains that it's because of the WEC. After him a DJ will come and explain that this year's songs are a bit strange because of the world economic crisis.

Switch on the TV set and you will see a group of people discussing sports and explaining that the usually excellent centre-forward missed the goal because of the world economic crisis. Someone else will come after him to say that lampuki will be late this year because of the WEC.

Open a newspaper and in big letters you will see WEC, WEC and definitely WEC. Sometimes I feel brainwashed enough to suspect that recession itself is due to the infamous WEC.

Dr Licari teaches psycholinguistics, sociolinguistics and geolinguistics at the Department of French of the University of Malta.