Griffin said, "A lot of people come up here and thank Jesus for this award. I want you to know that no one had less to do with this award than Jesus." According to CNN.com, she went on to hold up her Emmy, make an off-color remark about Jesus and proclaim, "This award is my god now!"
The award show is scheduled to air on E! channel tonight. In a statement Monday, the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences said, "Kathy Griffin's offensive remarks will not be part of the E! telecast." Her speech will be abbreviated and some of the language will be bleeped out.
Many would argue that Griffin's raucous remarks, no matter how offensive, are protected by the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and should not be restricted.
The right to free speech is a principle that Americans fiercely defend, but as many celebrities are quickly learning, personal rights must be balanced with public responsibility.
The Apostle Paul said in 1 Corinthians 6:12, "All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient."
Griffin's remarks may have been acceptable, and perhaps even funny, if they had not ventured into the realm of defamation.
But while editing out the lewd portions of Griffin's speech is necessary for the public airwaves, additional censorship of her comments may have far-reaching consequences for people of faith.
Suppressing secular or anti-religious commentary will set a precedent that could be used to restrict religious content.
People of faith are already losing the "war on Christmas." Retailers, municipalities and even the White House opt for the politically correct term "Happy Holidays" instead of "Merry Christmas."
If we continue to demand the silencing of Griffin and others who don't believe as we believe, we run the risk of losing many more battles.
Under the Constitution, Griffin has as much a right to say Jesus had nothing to do with her statuette as her colleagues do to thank God for theirs.
If people of faith want to continue to enjoy their right to freely express their religion, we may have to stomach remarks that are sometimes offensive to our faith.
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* COREY J. HODGES writes about current events and ideas from a moral perspective. Hodges, the senior pastor of the New Pilgrim Baptist Church in Taylorsville, welcomes comments at coreyjhodges@comcast.net. You also may send comments to religioneditor@sltrib.com.
People of faith are already losing the "war on Christmas." Retailers, municipalities and even the White House opt for the politically correct term "Happy Holidays" instead of "Merry Christmas."
The right to free speech is a principle that Americans fiercely defend, but as many celebrities are quickly learning, personal rights must be balanced with public responsibility.
