The New York Times is facing considerable backlash after the publication of a full-color image of Pope Benedict XVI made of condoms. Freedom of speech aside, the paper has developed a bad habit of mocking one religion while defending another.
Although the New York Times won’t think twice when poking fun at Christianity with images like the famous “Piss Christ,” it continues to uphold Islamic blasphemy laws.
A few days ago, the Times presented a full-color representation of Pope Benedict XVI made of 17,000 condoms. The creation is called “Eggs Benedict” and is now housed in the Milwaukee Art Museum. Catholic leaders are condemning this blasphemous creation and the NYT is taking the heat for a traitorous double standard that has exsisted for years.
Earlier in 2015 the Times refused to publish the Charlie Hebdo cartoons for fear of offending Muslims. The paper also rejected a free speech ad presented by the American Freedom Defense Initiative (AFDI) that depicted a cartoon Muhammad saying, “You can’t draw me!” with the cartoonist’s response being, “That’s why I draw you.”
AFDI received a curt letter explaining that the ad did not follow the newspaper’s “acceptability standards because it is offensive on religious grounds.”
So a representation of the pope made of condoms does fit those standards?
This isn’t the first time the NYT has mocked Christianity. In 2012, they ran a full-page advertisement advising Christians to desert the Catholic faith. When AFDI approached the NYT with a mirror ad calling Muslims to leave their faith, the paper said no. They used the current situation in Afghanistan as an excuse, saying they might publish it later. They never did. The Washington Post followed suit, rejecting the counter-jihad advertisement because they believed it would endanger the lives of US troops overseas.
Starting on the first of May in 2004, the NYT published front page articles about Abu Ghraib for 32 days straight. The treasonous rampage continued when the NYT put countless lives in danger as they exposed the secret government program SWIFT. “The president is concerned that, once again, the New York Times has chosen to expose a classified program that is protecting the American people,” said White House spokeswoman Dana Perino in 2006.