Comments on: Chocolate Jesus Bites The Dust
New York Gallery Cancels "My Sweet Lord" Show Amid Flood Of Protest
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- markbrookhar:
I can't speak for anyone else by myself, but I could care less that the artist portrayed him minus a loincloth. It is the lack of regard for a symbol of the christian faith and, even more importantly, the timing with which he displayed it. Nakedness is not the issue, at least to me.
I do agree, however, that violent threats was wrong. There are better ways to show a disappreciation for the untactful display towards the most important aspect of the christian faith, being the crucifiction, without the death threats and and overall threat of violence. Those are did that are the ones who give Christians a bad name. Please, do not think that all Christians are this way. That is all I ask. - Reply to this comment
- "Death threats???" That is not the proper response for "real" Christians protesting what you dislike. "Phone threats and "fear of the hotel's safety?" This is a very bad witness for people of true faith in God. The problem with this artist concept was that the sculpture had a "p*nis" instead of a loincloth. Otherwise no one would have been concerned. Or has Jesus become like Mohammad who can't be drawn without faith-based-violence? I hope not. I guess people don't like to think that Jesus had a P*nis. I don't care for artwork either, but I am not going to get violent toward someone else over it. That is a worse sin against God than the display. Grow up people!!! By the way, the Romans often crucified the Jews naked (no covering) to humiliate them.
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- me4prezz,
Education is NOT free. Wait and see what I let you know.
Posted by george2221 at 09:38 PM : Mar 30, 2007
Without specifics, I am inclined to believe that your bigotry is based on a self-imposed disinclination to accept that all of christianity cannot and should not be exemplified in the actions of a few.
Meaning, that those who would impose fear and distrust in the name of God are not true Christians and are undeserving of such a title. True Christians will speak of their faith, but not force it upon anyone and will respect others to have their own religion so long as they accept that Christians have a right to a belief that may be different from their own. - Reply to this comment
- In response to SusanHelit: freedom of speech is in no way absolute. Open a high school textbook and you'll quickly see that the state, correctly, proscribes certain types of speech as a matter of policy to protect public safety. But thanks for playing.
Posted by IAMBAKER at 09:32 PM : Mar 30, 2007
Not public safety, but political safety. It is political suicide to do anything that might offend or look offensive to a politician that wants to be reelected. - Reply to this comment
- me4prezz,
Education is NOT free. Wait and see what I let you know.
Posted by george2221 at 09:38 PM : Mar 30, 2007
And that means what exactly? - Reply to this comment
- In response to SusanHelit: freedom of speech is in no way absolute. Open a high school textbook and you'll quickly see that the state, correctly, proscribes certain types of speech as a matter of policy to protect public safety. But thanks for playing.
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- george2221:
Please, do tell what this fear is based upon and upon whom this fear is so based? I am anxiously awaiting the story of this one. Just where, again, is the foundation of this fear based? - Reply to this comment
It comes down to freedom of speech needing an unspoken agreement between humans of all walks of life that a certain ethical and moral guideline is established. That is what is missing from America. To have freedoms is a great and powerful thing. To have the freedom to say and believe as we want is a wonderful thing. But, where does it end if there are no guidelines at all in terms of tact and ethics and morals? If we choose to be crude and disrespectful to each other over important aspects of who we are, and faith is a LARGE part of what makes us who we are as individuals, then where does it end? I am not at all blind to the harsh reality that thousands of people out there, if not millions, have a horrible feeling towards those of different religions. But again, is it RIGHT, I am not speaking of legality, but is it RIGHT to target and belittle those of different faiths, color, ethniticity, gender, or anything that makes a human being unique and different from others only because we can? No, it isn't. Again, just because you COULD, does not always mean you SHOULD. This artist COULD and DID make a controversial piece of artwork. Does that mean he SHOULD have is the question.- Reply to this comment
- Yes, we have freedom of speech. But with that freedom comes a responsibility---on all sides and all religions---to respect each other and the opposing faiths from which we all came. Many flocked to America for one thing---freedom from religious persecution. That goes for all religions and not just christianity, but more and more, it is christianity that is being asked to give up aspects of our faith so as not to offend others of different religious beliefs. Why then, is that same freedom of religion being lost to christians and the freedom of christians to have the freedom of speech to speak our prayers and our beliefs?
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- "How is a piece of chocolate destroying the Christian religion?" - Posted by SusanHelit at 05:00 PM : Mar 30, 2007
It's only a small change from "Hershey" to "Heresy."
Seriously, though, Jesus called himself "the Manna that has come down from heaven."
What was Mannah ? It was probably Chocolate flavored Bread.
Of course it was.
Why else would Chocolate be the only "sweet" that is also a health food ? The Bible says, "Taste and see how sweet is the Lord." (Psalm 34:8, 1 Peter 2:3).
And science confirms the health benefits of chocolate: e.g. "Studies have shown that small portions of dark chocolate can improve blood vessel flow, especially in older adults, and may improve blood sugar and insulin sensitivity to help reduce the risk of diabetes.
One study, published in the journal Hypertension, reported that the antioxidants found in dark chocolate could help reduce high blood pressure. The study participants who ate chocolate also reduced their LDL "bad" cholesterol levels, and improved insulin sensitivity. A little chocolate goes a long way, however. The study subjects were limited to a small portion of dark chocolate per day and cut calories elsewhere in their diets to avoid weight gain." - WebMD.com
It all fits together. - Reply to this comment
- Also, I know the Christian community believe that this artist was committing blasphemy, but I believe that he scared them and we all know that people have a strong tendency to denouce and hate that of which they do not understand. They did not understand this artist or his mission.
... same argument works for both sides.
Not that it matters - we have freedom of speech here - period. Not freedom of speech the majority finds worthy, not freedom of pretty speech that makes people feel good, but freedom of all speech. A lot of great speech has been strongly opposed in this country, as well as everywhere it happens - from pushing civil rights, christian missionaries, womens rights, Martin Luther, and so on and so forth. And whenever the government thinks it can get away with it, it wants to censor what it doesn't like, as 'dirty', 'offensive', etc. The very reason why our founding fathers wrote in an absolute right to free speech. - Reply to this comment
- You're entitled to stand up for what you think - but so is the artist. And you're not entitled to throw death threats around (which you have not - but that is how the exhibit got cancelled).
Hurt feelings should never ever be written into law. I may have extremely strong feelings about, let's say, child abuse - but that shouldn't mean I can silence people who use the expression "belt them" as a joking reference to using a belt to whip someone.
I've got a lot of strong beliefs - one of which is freedom of speech, freedom of expression. No group should ever be given the power to say what people can and cannot say. Maybe it's rude, maybe it's not (did you think at all about what if the artist is supporting christians and the original meaning of Easter?) - but that doesn't change a thing about freedom of speech. - Reply to this comment
- Also, I know the Jewish community believe that Jesus was committing blasphemy, but I believe that he scared them and we all know that people have a strong tendency to denouce and hate that of which they do not understand. They did not understand Jesus or his mission.
Did you also know that the reason he was tried and crucified was for political gain? It had nothing to do with trampling of people's belief, but everything to do with Pontious Pilate appeasing the people to keep Caesar happy. He was also a threat to the leaders of the Jewish community because of the support he had from his followers and the people who flocked to him. It was a dangerous time and there was much political unrest. They believed, that if he so chose, he could raise an army and defeat their oppressors. Jesus was even asked to by Barabas, who was freed instead of Jesus. Don't confuse religious trampling with political upheaval, which is why he was crucified. - Reply to this comment
- To the Jews of the time, he was trampling on their cherished beliefs and traditions. You agree, so to you, it's just questioning. To them, what he was saying was blasphemy and wrong. To the artist - what was he saying here - have you even thought about that?
Posted by SusanHelit at 08:14 PM : Mar 30, 2007
Do you see where someone is entitled to a right to stand up for what they see as wrong? That is all the christians who disagree with this are doing? The part that outrages is me is the stereotyping of christians and the total and utter disregard of our beliefs that others have posted on this website. I disagree strongly with that statue of chocolate mostly because of its timing. This is coming to the most holy week in the christian faith and making fun of that, making light of that, is just wrong.
Let me ask you this. Have you ever felt so strongly about something and believed so much in something that you would defend it with every breath in your body? Your children perhaps? Perhaps it might be cancer. Or it might be eradicating child abuse. Or it might standing up for women's rights. Whatever it is that someone believes in and cherishes it worth something to that person. That is christianity to christians and that is what the holy week is. This is a bad time to be putting out art week that makes fun of a very important time in the christian faith. - Reply to this comment
- To the Jews of the time, he was trampling on their cherished beliefs and traditions. You agree, so to you, it's just questioning. To them, what he was saying was blasphemy and wrong. To the artist - what was he saying here - have you even thought about that?
Myself, I see a very thought provoking (and I usually don't go for this type of thing), and pretty pro-christian sentiment. Jesus as he really was on the cross (the romans weren't nice enough to provide the loincloth), in chocolate like the Easter bunnies that now very nearly represent Easter. Think about it. - Reply to this comment
- Jesus was also Jewish, so he had even more right to question what he was being taught if he felt compelled to. Questioning and making people think on what they are teaching is different then trampling. He was also fulling prophecies fortold in the Jewish religion. People have a hard time seeing what is right in their face. They were looking so hard and praying so hard for the Messiah, that they couldn't see it when it was there. And Yes, I understand the Jewish faith. My uncle and cousins are Jewish.
- Reply to this comment
- Jesus was also Jewish, so he had even more right to question what he was being taught if he felt compelled to. Questioning and making people think on what they are teaching is different then trampling. He was also fulling prophecies fortold in the Jewish religion. People have a hard time seeing what is right in their face. They were looking so hard and praying so hard for the Messiah, that they couldn't see it when it was there. And Yes, I understand the Jewish faith. My uncle and cousins are Jewish.
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- Jesus trampled on the beliefs of the Jewish institutions of the time.
Posted by SusanHelit at 08:04 PM : Mar 30, 2007
Jesus did not trample them, he made them question them. There is a difference and he did nothing to hurt them, but he stood up for his beliefs. Why do you have such a hard time understanding the difference between standing up for what you believe versus forcing your beliefs on others and/or trampling on the beliefs of others? There is a big difference. - Reply to this comment
- I don't think it's art (but then I disagree about a lot of what is called art) - but freedom of speech very, very, very much includes the right to trample on the ideologies and beliefs of others. Controversial speech is exactly and precisely why that right was written into our Constitution!
Every great movement, every change, tramples on the ideologies and beliefs of others. Jesus trampled on the beliefs of the Jewish institutions of the time. - Reply to this comment
- Sounds like more christian paranoia invading our secular society. Last time christians got a wild hair about stuff like this, they burned a bunch of people in the name of God. When will they ever learn?
Posted by duhrer at 07:50 PM : Mar 30, 2007
Do you have specifics do go with that? - Reply to this comment
