...not exercising censorship... ?

...funny I was just posting about censorship on this blog and also talking about it with my students and now I'm being censored!!! They are claiming they "not exercising censorship," but I am not sure what you would call it when they are not allowing my photo to be printed in a publication when the jury in charge of picked the images chose my work to include...

Mon 5/4/2009 11:28 AM

Dear XXXXXXXX,

Please explain to Mr. Andersen that we are not exercising censorship, we reviewed the XXXXXX based on your request and when we review material we review it with the interest of the XXXXXX in our minds and the interest of our XXXXXXX and XXXXXX.

The XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX department is not responsible for the laws or cultural issues or sensitivities that exist in a country. Our responsibility is however to protect the institution we represent.

Regards,

XXXXXXXXX

Mon 5/4/2009 10:16 AM

Dear Prof. Andersen,

I regret to inform you that after the reviewing of the XXXXXXX through XXXXXXXX, your photograph, "The Virgin Mary, Mary's House, Ephesus, Turkey" was seen as material inappropriate for printing for reasons of local regulations, etc. Although there is nothing we can do to compensate this, it would be great if you perhaps had another photograph you may want to submit in its stead.

If you do want to send something to replace it, please send it to XXXXXXXXX or myself by tonight or tomorrow morning. I know it is very short notice, but we are working to get the manuscript out ready for design and printing soon.

I sincerely apologize for the omission, and hope you'll want to send something else, perhaps.

Best wishes,

XXXXXXXXXX

Ephesus...

The Council of Ephesus decreed in 431 that the Virgin Mary be proclaimed Theotokos, literal English translations include God-bearer and the one who gives birth to God. Less literal translations used by most Christians, especially Catholics, are Mother of God and Queen of Heaven (names often associated with ancient goddesses).

Is it just a coincidence that she was given these titles in the very city famed for the Temple of Artemis one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World? The temple was destroyed in 401 CE by a mob led by St. John Chrysostom, Archbishop of Constantinople, and an important Early Church Father. All that is left now is one huge pillar with a giant nest on top of it... some of the other temple pillars are said to have been taken to Constantinople and used in the reconstruction of the Hagia Sophia.

It also is a very strange coincidence that Ephesus is still a major religious pilgrimage site, but now for the so called House of the Virgin Mary.

I loved Ephesus... it was warm and welcoming after the freezing temperatures of northern Turkey. It was also full of life, from the orange trees along the avenues to abundant animal life... ducks played in the swampy water around the old site of the temple to the Lady Of The Beasts, a white horse roamed near by, and huge flocks of black birds screeched at night and swarmed from tree to tree as you walked down the streets...