Newspaper Apologizes For Cartoon Showing Jesus Performing Sex Act

[matcom]

<snip>

A newspaper cartoon targeting religion has once again sprung into the spotlight -- this time in a two-frame jab at Christianity in the University of Saskatchewan student newspaper, the Sheaf.

The newspaper is issuing a mea culpa after a cartoon depicting Jesus performing a sex act on a capitalist pig was published in Thursday's edition of the Sheaf.

"The comic was actually laid out and went to print as a result of an editorial oversight and a mistake," production manager Liam Richards said Monday. "It was not our intention to have a (public) reaction to it."

The cartoon ran a week after the student-funded newspaper ran a four-page spread discussing the controversial Danish cartoons picturing the Prophet Muhammad, which have incited rioting and violence by Muslim extremists around the globe. Then-editor-in-chief Will Robbins wrote an editorial telling readers the Sheaf would not publish the cartoons, which have offended so many.

Robbins tendered his resignation to the paper's board Sunday.

"In order for us to rectify this foul-up, accidental though it may be, especially given the egregious nature of the offence given to a large section of our campus community . . . someone needed to fall on their sword," Robbins wrote in his resignation letter, obtained by The StarPhoenix.

A columnist has also resigned because of the cartoon and the news editor previously resigned because the paper refused to print the Danish cartoons.

The anti-Christian cartoon has raised the ire of many on campus.

University president Peter MacKinnon has demanded an apology from the newspaper.

"This is a cartoon that is certain to cause distress to members of our community," MacKinnon wrote in an e-mail distributed Friday to all faculty, students and staff. "It has divisive shock value only and does nothing to advance the understanding or debate for which universities should be distinguished."

The Saskatoon Christian Centre issued a news release Monday asking MacKinnon to close the Sheaf and withdraw all public funding until the current editorial staff are dismissed.

MacKinnon wasn't available for comment Monday.

Rev. Renita Falkenstern, a university chaplain with the Lutheran Campus Ministry, said the publication of the cartoon demonstrates a "colossal lack of judgment" by Sheaf editors.

"Usually freedom of speech has to do with publishing the truth," she said. "I think (the cartoon is) a violation of our hate laws. They are actually pretty efficient at offending pretty much everyone. Specifically gays, Christians, Jews, even Muslims."

http://www.canada.com/saskatoonstarphoenix/news/story.html?id=99d5b011-144a-4d32-8f18-c0f46174b468&k=98990

[Katherine Brengle]

1. Too bad the cartoon was dead-on... I guess the 1st Amendment doesn't

apply when Jesus is involved.

[LeftyMom]

3. The 1st amendment doesn't apply anyhow

The story's from Canada.

[Atmashine]

2. Ha!

Aw, no pictures... :-(

[NNadir]

4. Let's have a riot and kill about 500 people.

[TheFriendlyAnarchist]

5. Ill come along! don't forget the blood of Jesus

[EstimatedProphet]

6. Apparently The Sheaf has changed

When I went there, The Sheaf was a waste of time to even try to read. The editorial content and cartoons didn't even make sense, let alone make any attempt at any kind of political commentary.