DJ's comments not blasphemous

2007-12-19 15:51

Johannesburg - 5FM radio station DJ Gareth Cliff did not make "petty" remarks about God, said the Broadcasting Complaints Commission of SA.

On Wednesday the BCCSA released the findings of some of its recent tribunals, including a judgment handed down about remarks the morning DJ had made about God.

"If it is such a big deal, I'm sure God will handle it, you know. If He is really that petty that he gets upset when you say his name, I'm sure He will send down appropriate punishment", Cliff said on a November 29 broadcast of his morning show.

He was commenting on the case of a British teacher in Sudan who was sentenced to imprisonment for allowing a teddy bear to be named Mohamed.

A seemingly organised campaign of callers then contacted the BCCSA to complain that Cliff's comments had been offensive and blasphemous.

Several of the complainants seemed to have not listened to the actual broadcast.

One complainant - named as A Fry - said he was offended that Cliff said "If God wants to be petty, leave him to be petty.

"I am a reborn Christian and although I rarely listen to 5FM, I am insulted that he managed to get those words out on the air.

"What right does he have to insult my God - especially since he claims to be an atheist"? asked Fry.

Another complainant, W Benvie, said Cliff had made "unjustified and derogatory statements." "Obviously this man, Gareth Cliff, has no idea of Bible principals [sic] and should keep his comments to himself."

The SA Broadcasting Corporation said Cliff had not been blasphemous in his comments.

"The reference linking God to 'pettiness' has clearly been misinterpreted by the complainants. What the presenter was suggesting was in fact that like all other sins against God, there would be appropriate punishment initiated by Him, albeit unseen and indirect.

"However, the presenter said very clearly that he did not believe that God could be so 'petty' as to visit a punishment on anyone who would call out his name."

"We are dealing here with the classic example of people who hear not what is actually said but what they want to hear.

"We are satisfied that the presenter did not say: 'If God wants to be petty, leave him to be petty'".

The Broadcast Complaint's Commission ruled that Cliff's comments had not been blasphemous.

In a judgment on December 6, the complaint against him was not upheld.

- SAPA