This is my (chocolate) body which is broken for you
When it comes to the uproar over Cosimo Cavallaro's 200-pound sculpture of a naked Jesus made out of chocolate, I'm not sure whether it's the artist's choice of medium or the nudity that's got everybody's loincloths in a twist.
Either way, it seems to me that some Christians have easily shocked sensibilities. A chocolate Jesus sculpture is no more an assault on Christianity than it is an assault on the battle against tooth decay.
Christendom is not going to fall and folks were not going to be struck blind if they gazed upon it.
In America, after all, sacrilege is not a criminal offense. That's a good thing because, if it were, Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson would be cellmates in Leavenworth.
I remember the brouhaha years ago over a photograph called "Piss Christ,'' which showed a crucifix in a bottle of urine. Now, there was a theological statement: If Good Friday means anything, it means that Christ died for even those who humiliated him, even those who nailed him up on the cross.
When it comes to odd or even offensive artwork of Christ, I have to believe that Jesus can take it. And maybe he expects us to as well, without a lot of sturm und drang, the upshot of which is to make more people want to see what the big deal is anyway.
Either way, it seems to me that some Christians have easily shocked sensibilities. A chocolate Jesus sculpture is no more an assault on Christianity than it is an assault on the battle against tooth decay.
Christendom is not going to fall and folks were not going to be struck blind if they gazed upon it.
In America, after all, sacrilege is not a criminal offense. That's a good thing because, if it were, Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson would be cellmates in Leavenworth.
I remember the brouhaha years ago over a photograph called "Piss Christ,'' which showed a crucifix in a bottle of urine. Now, there was a theological statement: If Good Friday means anything, it means that Christ died for even those who humiliated him, even those who nailed him up on the cross.
When it comes to odd or even offensive artwork of Christ, I have to believe that Jesus can take it. And maybe he expects us to as well, without a lot of sturm und drang, the upshot of which is to make more people want to see what the big deal is anyway.
posted by Michael Riley at 9:46 AM
30 Comments:
Now there is another "chocolate" Jesus of sorts emerging from the art world..saw on TV yesterday an artist unveiled his large papier mache Messiah of Barack Obama...as long as there are no plans ahead for a Hillary as Mary statue ahead, fine by me..
Notice how Mr. Riley the Baptist substitutes "some christians" for Roman Catholics when he's really itching to say those "filthy papists."
"Notice how Mr. Riley, the Baptist, substitutes 'some Christians' for Roman Catholics when he's really itching to say those 'filthy papists?'" -- Anonymous @ 4:35 PM on 4 April 2007
I noticed as much, Anonymous, and I imagine most readers to this blog will as well. It is no secret, after all, that Bill Donohue of The Catholic League was, far more than any other individual, quoted in the press when recent news articles that mentioned "The Chocolate Jesus" referenced any criticism of this work of "art." As you accurately surmised, Riley was referring to Donohue in particular and to Catholics in general when he made his "some Christians" remark. He just lacks the courage to say as much.
"Some Christians" do get angry when the image of Christ is trivialized to the point of being associated with chocolate Easter bunnies we find in our childrens Easter baskets.
Saying "this is my chocolate body which is broken for you" is mocking what Jesus said and did over 2000 years ago.
Catholics eat the body of Christ when the unleavened bread or host is consecrated at the mass.
What is being said in your blog that "some Christians" shouldn't be so sensitive is fine. you are entitled to your opinion.
My opinion is that Jesus, buy his example, taught us it is okay to be justifiably angered when something sacred is defiled (think temple and moneychangers...think chocolate Jesus).
"Bill Donohue!?!?!? Do you even begin to see the irony of complaining about what you see as someone else's veiled bigotry while bringing up the overt hyper-bigot Bill Donohue in your tirade?" -- Ray
There's no irony involved at all, Ray. Bill Donohue, much like yourself, has made stupid and even bigoted remarks. Michael Riley has done the same. You point to Donohue's shortcomings; Anonymous points to Riley; I point to you. C'est la vie. It's just another day in Blogsville.
"ROTFLMAO!" -- Ray
Ray, could you give us more of this sort of thing in your future posts? I always find it amusing when someone that purports to be a middle-aged man feels the need to add a laugh track to his own blog posts.
Ray, as a non-practicing christian, I was just pointing out that Baptists have a proven track record of hating Catholics, especially in the South, where they didn't make chocolate Jesus' to tick off the catholics, they lynched them when there wasn't a suitable freed slave to harass.
You must be a Baptist and I must have hurt your poor little feelings.
Oh, and Ray, would you support a white chocolate statue of Mohammed with his family jewels on display, or a naked sculpture of Abraham standing over his naked son ready to deliver the death blow? I'm sensing you might be offended by a naked licorice scupture of Madeline O'Hair.
Some web sites are reporting that a school administrator in Burlington county held a mock drill with local authorities and students.The hostage takers were described as right-wing "Christian terrorists" who took over the school because they wouldn't allow a girl to pray in class.This is outrageous, and I haven't seen anything in APP or any other news outlet except the internet. Why isn't anyone in the mainstream media reporting this?
Ray-Ray wrote:
"Bigots cannot hurt my feelings. Especially the ones who have no idea that they're bigots."
Ray, you should look in the mirror. You will see a bigot there.
It's Good Friday...
"I'm also sorry that you think you can psychically tune in to Michael Riley's thought waves and tell us who he was thinking of when he made no such allusions." -- Ray
I don't need to read minds, Ray, to know where Michael Riley's heart lies. He has, on this very blog site, previously referred to The Supreme Pontiff, Pope Benedict XVI, as "The Offender Of The Faith." Even if you are shooting for tongue-in-cheek, you don't make those kind of remarks unless there is an element of anti-Catholic bigotry propelling them.
Incidentally, and as Margaret points out, today is Good Friday, the day on which we Christians celebrate Our Lord's Passion. Please know that I will, in about an hour or so, be kneeling and praying before The Blessed Sacrament. I will certainly keep you and Reverend Riley in my prayers at that time.
Happy Easter, everyone.
I would never refer to this Pope or any other as the "Offender of The Faith'' Someone has their blogggers mixed up.
Happy Easter all, and if you don't celebrate Easter, have a peaceful Sunday.
"I would never refer to this Pope or any other as the 'Offender of The Faith.' Someone has their blogggers mixed up." -- Michael Riley
Oh, really? Check your archives for the blog you created on September 18, 2006. Then please come back here, Reverend Riley, and tell us all that you did not refer to The Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, as the "Offender Of The Faith."
I went back to the 9/18 blog, and it's you title, Mr. Riley...BUT, in my opinion, I think you were trying a play on words (offender vs defender because the Pope said something that enraged Muslims), and it could be construedthat you said that the pope was an offender of the faith. I didn't get that feel though, and I'm Catholic.
I'm not gonna hold it against you, and I don't think you're Catholic hater.
I meant to say "your" not "you" in first or second line.
I checked my September column, and Margaret is right. There was no anti-Catholic sentiment. It was a play on words and Islam was the faith offended.
I still vote for anonymous and papist to be cellmates and see who can bore the other to death with their fanatical, bigoted rhetoric..I will pray for you both Easter (and no, I am not Catholic but a Christian and catholic with a small "c" who embraces all fellow Christians (and non-Christians) unlike both of you...
God bless those self-flagellating fools
"Aw, c'mon, Mike! You broke there little hearts by not allowing them to feel victimized! Now they'll have to go on another rampage and start the self-flaggelation process all over again." -- Ray
This from a guy that is looking for an anti-Semite under every rock.
"So what if he [Michael Riley] doesn't like the Pope? That doesn't imply any anti-Catholic bigotry." -- Ray
Yeah, sure. But if someone is even remotely critical of the ADL, that makes them a de facto anti-Zionist in your mind?
Riley wasn't speaking about a dislike for Pope Benedict the man, he was poking fun of The Holy Father's role as Defender of the Faith, as the leader of over a billion Catholics on this planet. In short, Michael Riley was airing his anti-Catholic bigotry for all to see.
"Are you Christians who hold the Jews responsible for Jesus' death anti-Jew?"
And what Christians would these be, Ray? You certainly wouldn't be speaking of Catholics faithful to the Magisterium and teachings of the Catholic Church. The teachings of the Church couldn't be more clear in holding that the Jews were not responsible for Christ's death. (CCC # 597)
Paragraph # 597 of The Cathecism of The Catholic Church
"I checked my September column, and ..."
And you backpedal pretty good for an old man. It took you less than 10 hours to go from "I never said that" to "Well, okay, I may have said it but I didn't mean it." That must be a new record for you, Reverend Riley.
sorry papist, but after you've been secretly munching on your chocolate jesus , I will not perform the Heimlich on you while you are choking..and don't count on god to answer your prays to perform it either...
"Oh, no, you guys are all goodness and light!" -- Ray
Now you're learning. And thanks, by the way. Despite what many may think, it does take some work being perfect and all. At the end of the day, it's nice to have all that hard work recognized.
"It's not like you guys would track down heathens and burn them or torture them!" -- Ray
Tisk, tisk! Burning heathens at the stake is so "last Spring," Ray. Of late, we just lure unsuspecting Jews, Baptists, Democrats, ACLU members and other assorted heathens alike over for a backyard barbecue. (The Fourth of July is one of our busiest days.) We feed them well, get them drunk and then lure them into the pool for some family fun.
Shortly after these drunken dolts are blindfolded with a bandanna and are walking around the shallow end asking "Marco?," Margaret will then yell "NOW!" and the rest of us will pounce. We dunk the unsuspecting SOBs under the water and baptize them. We then congratulate them, wish them well and send them home with some potato salad and a plastic set of Rosary Beads -- all done for the greater glory of God, mind you. Granted, this method is not nearly as dramatic as the whole torturing thing of yesteryear, but then again, do you have any idea what a pain in the ass it is for the pool guy to get all those ashes out of the pool? :-)
"And I've heard little if any complaining from you guys about Mel Gibson's movie and his portrayal of the Jews as responsible for killing Jesus." -- Ray
Nor will you. Notwithstanding what was pointed out in a previous post -- namely, that the Catholic Church holds all Jews blameless for the death of Jesus Christ -- The Passion Of The Christ was an excellent movie that, as per the Gospels, accurately portrayed what Jesus endured on Good Friday. Brutal though it may be, the movie should be seen by all Christians for precisely the reasons mentioned in the paragraph of The Catechism that follows the paragraph that I referenced in my last post on this thread. Please now see:
Paragraph # 598 of The Catechism of The Catholic Church
Incidentally, and while I can't fault you for not knowing as much, Mel Gibson is not a Catholic -- at least certainly not a Catholic faithful to the Magisterium, the authority and teachings of the Catholic Church.
Mel Gibson, much like his nutty father, is a suspected sedevacantist. At best, Mel Gibson can be called a schismatic Catholic. (And that is being generous.) For years now, Mel Gibson has attended a church that he built and paid for, "The Church of the Holy Family" in Malibu, California. That church, which is home to some 70 parishioners (Read: Gibson groupies), whose address is considered a secret, whose phone number is unlisted and whose pastor is an "independent priest" hired by Gibson himself, is most certainly not recognized by the Archdiocese of Los Angeles (or any other diocese). Indeed, when speaking of Mel Gibson, the Archbishop of Los Angeles, His Eminence Cardinal Mahony had this to say:
"I know nothing about [T]he Church [of the Holy Family] in Malibu. It is certainly not in communion with the Universal Catholic Church nor the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. I have never met Mr. Gibson, and he does not participate in any parish of this Archdiocese. He, apparently, has chosen to live apart from the communion of the Catholic Church. I pray for him."
Church Digs Mel Gibson's $5 Million
Tee hee, giggle giggle, Papist, you make me LAUGH!!!
papist/papinian/anonymous: I lump you all into the same nutty, fanatical worship cults, i.e. Jim Jones, Waco (wacko) David Koresh because the more you speak/blog..the crazier you sound (are)...do any of you have kool=aid jugs or lots of bunk beds in your homes? kids, put down the kool-aid and don't lie down for any naps in those creepy bunk beds, no matter what they say!!! run, kids, run..
But Ray, you refer to Catholics and Christians, stating how awful we are by referring to things that other people did hundreds of years ago - the crusades, slavery, things like that...those things happened. We're neither denying it happened,nor are we saying Christians did not partake in these things. But just so you know, I'm not 500 years old, or 300, or 200...I didn't do these things. Papist, anon, and papinian didn't... and holding this huge grudge is counterproductive. It can't be healthy.
There are many histories of many religions and cultures of people who did horrible things to other people. It's a flaw in human nature. But not all people are like that. not all Christians, and not all agnostics, and not all Jews, etc.
Again, I'll have to post as 'anonymous':
Were any of that true the world might be at peace now.
But the salient point is that the idea of "He's not one of us" is a perfect parallel between the Catholics, at least as described by papist/papinian, and the fundies. Each group denies membership whenever it's convenient and usually, to each other. Thus, the arbitrariness of religion is highlighted.
- Ray
Maybe it's elitism, Ray. It may be that there are schisms in the church due to choices of the folks not to follow doctrine. We Catholics are big on doctrine. It is tradition, faith and a deep reverence for these things.
Mel gibson must be one of us, and to me, all I can think of when I think of him as a Catholic (broken from us or not) is the movie, Passion of the Chris. it took a faith-filled person to come up with what he created. Pope John Paul II viewed this movie and said, "It is as it was". And man, never a more powerful depiction of Christ's death has ever been shown. Schism or not.
Margaret
Passion of the Christ (darn it - I need spell check) Margaret
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