Here’s the big news this Easter: Christians are outraged by an anatomically correct, life-sized sculpture of Jesus, made entirely of chocolate. Hear this, before I make my final point: I’m NOT saying that Jesus should ever be replicated in chocolate; I find the whole situation more ridiculous than offensive, really. I wonder what the world would be like if Christians put the same amount of energy into telling (and showing) people the amazing, life-changing love of Jesus—instead of just complaining and boycotting stuff. My impression is that the “artist” must not have a personal, saving relationship with Jesus Christ to treat Him (or His image) with so little respect or dignity. This would be a great time--and opportunity--for Christians to engage with this man about the reality of Jesus Christ and His ressurection. Instead, we complain and protest and we get the chocolate Jesus taken down…but what kind of witness have we been to the world, or the artist, or the gallery in the process?
What do you think?
In case you are wondering, “What the heck is she talking about a chocolate Jesus for?”, here is the impetus behind my thoughts:
N.Y. gallery cancels naked chocolate Jesus exhibit
Fri Mar 30, 2007 2:56pm ET
NEW YORK (Reuters) - A Manhattan art gallery canceled on Friday its Easter-season exhibit of a life-size chocolate sculpture depicting a naked Jesus, after an outcry by Roman Catholics.
The sculpture "My Sweet Lord" by Cosimo Cavallaro was to have been exhibited for two hours each day next week in a street-level window of the Roger Smith Lab Gallery in Midtown Manhattan.
The display had been scheduled to open on Monday, days ahead of Good Friday when Christians mark the crucifixion of Jesus. But protests including a call to boycott the affiliated Roger Smith Hotel forced the gallery to scrap the showing.
"Your response to the exhibit at the Lab Gallery is crystal clear and has brought to our attention the unintended reaction of you and other conscientious friends of ours to the exhibition of Cosimo Cavallaro," Roger Smith Hotel President James Knowles said in a statement addressed to "Dear Friends."
"We have caused the cancellation of the exhibition and wish to affirm the dignity and responsibility of the hotel in all its affairs," the statement said.
The Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights had called for a boycott of the hotel, writing to 500 religious and secular organizations.
"This is an assault on Christians during Holy Week," said Kiera McCaffrey, director of communications for the league, which describes itself as the largest U.S. Catholic civil-rights group.
"They would never dare do something similar with a chocolate statue of the prophet Mohammad naked with his genitals exposed during Ramadan," she said before the cancellation.
The archbishop of New York called the sculpture "scandalous" and a "sickening display."
"This is something we will not forget," Cardinal Edward Egan said in a statement.
Matthew Semler, the artistic director of the gallery, said earlier that the hotel had no knowledge of what the gallery planned to show and was being unfairly targeted. Moreover, he said the work was not irreverent.
"It's intended as a meditation on the Holy Week," Semler said of the sculpture, which depicts Jesus as if on the cross. Easter Sunday, this year April 8, is celebrated as the day of Jesus' resurrection.
A photo of the piece on the artist's Web site (http://www.cosimocavallaro.com/) shows the work suspended in air.
New York is familiar with clashes between art and religion.
In 1999, then-Mayor Rudolph Giuliani tried to withdraw a grant from the Brooklyn Museum of Art for a painting depicting the Virgin Mary as a black woman splattered with elephant dung adorned with cut-outs from pornographic magazines.
Current Mayor Michael Bloomberg took a different approach.
"If you want to give the guy some publicity, talk more about it, make a big fuss," Bloomberg told WABC radio. "If you want to really hurt him, don't pay attention."
© Reuters 2007. All Rights Reserved. From: http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=domesticNews&storyID=2007-03-30T185605Z_01_N30244192_RTRUKOC_0_US-USA-CHOCOLATE-JESUS.xml&pageNumber=0&imageid=&cap=&sz=13&WTModLoc=NewsArt-C1-ArticlePage2
What do you think?
In case you are wondering, “What the heck is she talking about a chocolate Jesus for?”, here is the impetus behind my thoughts:
N.Y. gallery cancels naked chocolate Jesus exhibit
Fri Mar 30, 2007 2:56pm ET
NEW YORK (Reuters) - A Manhattan art gallery canceled on Friday its Easter-season exhibit of a life-size chocolate sculpture depicting a naked Jesus, after an outcry by Roman Catholics.
The sculpture "My Sweet Lord" by Cosimo Cavallaro was to have been exhibited for two hours each day next week in a street-level window of the Roger Smith Lab Gallery in Midtown Manhattan.
The display had been scheduled to open on Monday, days ahead of Good Friday when Christians mark the crucifixion of Jesus. But protests including a call to boycott the affiliated Roger Smith Hotel forced the gallery to scrap the showing.
"Your response to the exhibit at the Lab Gallery is crystal clear and has brought to our attention the unintended reaction of you and other conscientious friends of ours to the exhibition of Cosimo Cavallaro," Roger Smith Hotel President James Knowles said in a statement addressed to "Dear Friends."
"We have caused the cancellation of the exhibition and wish to affirm the dignity and responsibility of the hotel in all its affairs," the statement said.
The Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights had called for a boycott of the hotel, writing to 500 religious and secular organizations.
"This is an assault on Christians during Holy Week," said Kiera McCaffrey, director of communications for the league, which describes itself as the largest U.S. Catholic civil-rights group.
"They would never dare do something similar with a chocolate statue of the prophet Mohammad naked with his genitals exposed during Ramadan," she said before the cancellation.
The archbishop of New York called the sculpture "scandalous" and a "sickening display."
"This is something we will not forget," Cardinal Edward Egan said in a statement.
Matthew Semler, the artistic director of the gallery, said earlier that the hotel had no knowledge of what the gallery planned to show and was being unfairly targeted. Moreover, he said the work was not irreverent.
"It's intended as a meditation on the Holy Week," Semler said of the sculpture, which depicts Jesus as if on the cross. Easter Sunday, this year April 8, is celebrated as the day of Jesus' resurrection.
A photo of the piece on the artist's Web site (http://www.cosimocavallaro.com/) shows the work suspended in air.
New York is familiar with clashes between art and religion.
In 1999, then-Mayor Rudolph Giuliani tried to withdraw a grant from the Brooklyn Museum of Art for a painting depicting the Virgin Mary as a black woman splattered with elephant dung adorned with cut-outs from pornographic magazines.
Current Mayor Michael Bloomberg took a different approach.
"If you want to give the guy some publicity, talk more about it, make a big fuss," Bloomberg told WABC radio. "If you want to really hurt him, don't pay attention."
© Reuters 2007. All Rights Reserved. From: http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=domesticNews&storyID=2007-03-30T185605Z_01_N30244192_RTRUKOC_0_US-USA-CHOCOLATE-JESUS.xml&pageNumber=0&imageid=&cap=&sz=13&WTModLoc=NewsArt-C1-ArticlePage2
1 comment:
Our Christians on my school's campus have a motto, "Love the crap out of them." Seems like a good scenario. Instead of yelling and spitting, love on him.
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