I am not Charlie Hebdo, either.

Today in Paris people marched in solidarity with the victims of the shootings at the headquarters of Charlie Hebdo. Many people have placed as a profile picture or status on facebook “Je suis Charlie Hebdo.” And then there are some voices saying explicitly, “I am not Charlie Hebdo.” David Brooks makes several good points about why he thinks that the solidarity expressed with the victims is in many ways hypocritical by Americans, particularly those in academia.

However, I say, “I am not Charlie Hebdo” for a different reason. I am not Charlie Hebdo because I do not support the profaning of the sacred. I am not Charlie Hebdo because I believe that creating material for the sake of offending others with no other purpose is immature and wrong. I think that Christians must ask ourselves, “How would we feel if those cartoons were of Jesus?” In 1987, Andres Serrano took a photograph of a crucifix submerged in urine and called it “art.” It was, understandably and, I think, rightly, objected to by many Christians. How can we then support the profaning of Muhammad, the prophet of Islam?

I want to be clear. I think that Islam is a false religion. I think that Jesus of Nazareth, the Christ, the Son of the Living God, is the one and only way to be reconciled to God the Father. I think that people should make reasoned arguments against views they disagree with. I think that Muhammad can and should be criticized for many of his acts during his life and for the acts that his words and deeds inspire others to. I do not think we should shrink back from these criticisms because they might offend someone. But I don’t think we should go out seeking to offend. It’s unproductive. I also want to be clear that I do not believe that the actions of the editors of Charlie Hebdo warranted a death sentence, nor that there is or was any justification for reacting violently to offensive content published in a magazine.

As I said, the question I have to ask myself is this: “What if Charlie Hebdo had published pornographic cartoons of Jesus of Nazareth rather than Muhammad?” Because my answer to that question is that I would not support them, I must say “I am not Charlie Hebdo.”

This does not change the fact that what happened in Paris is a tragedy. I mourn for those who lost their lives. I hope that those who died knew Christ as their savior. I pray for their friends and family. But I do not stand in solidarity with the choices of Charlie Hebdo.