No Censorship

Have you heard the huffing and puffing over the “censorship” of the “Jesus covered in ants” art at the National Portrait Gallery?  The celebration of the ICA bringing this (ahem) work of art to Boston in a show of solidarity against “censorship?”

Only one problem: There IS no censorship.

Censorship is when the government stops you from showing a work of art. Nobody’s banning the display of this goofy video, the artist isn’t going to be arrested, and nobody’s going to get busted for showing it.  The only thing that has happened is that some people who PAY for government art displays—i.e. “taxpayers”—have objected to being forced to pay to display something that offends them.

You know, like when some whiner goes to Town Council and objects to a Christmas Tree in a public park?

If a group of Christians said that every town refusing to pay for a creche was “censoring” Christmas, they’d be laughed out of the manger. 

What’s the difference?