I was looking through things earlier today and found an old post that is reminiscent of recent events. (You can’t be reminiscent of something that happened after you happened, but I can’t think of another word for it, and I’m sure you can figure out what I mean.
I’ll just repost it here.
Respect us or we’ll smash your art
November 11, 2008
Hey don’t forget, if that smelly guy grabs your jacket, give him your cashmere sweater too. If somebody belts you in the face, say thank you. Forgive people seventy times seven. Be generous, and more than generous. Like those super-nice people who worry about art works.
Christians have warned of a backlash of art world vandalism, following a decision to halt a private prosecution of a Gateshead gallery which exhibited a statue of Jesus with an erection…Christian Emily Mapfuwa…said the show…was offensive to her faith and instructed her lawyers to seek a private prosecution against the gallery…Mapfuwa’s supporters warned [the CPS decision] could lead some people to destroy similar art works.Her solicitor Michael Phillips said: “Although it is right to say that there was no actual disorder, there was potentially such disorder, which was evidenced to the CPS in the witness statements provided. In particular one witness felt like smashing the object. The decision is simply not in accordance with the facts and is unsustainable.”
Ah. Christian Emily Mapfuwa was offended so she instructed her lawyers to seek a private prosecution against the gallery; a witness felt like smashing the object, therefore the gallery was guilty of creating a risk of disorder. So…any time anyone is ‘offended’ by something, if a witness can be found to testify to feeling like smashing the object, it will then become the case that the ‘offensive’ something is at fault. Then no one anywhere will ever be allowed to say anything ever. Sounds promising.
Christian Voice national director Stephen Green said…”[T]here were those at the Baltic Centre who wanted to take matters into their own hands and I have warned Anita Zabludowicz that her statue will not survive being put on public display again. If the CPS wanted to give the green light to blasphemous art their decision may paradoxically have the opposite effect. With the threat of destruction hanging over it, the Zabludowicz statue is now locked away by its wealthy owners and is unlikely to see the light of day again. The same will go for any other blasphemous works of so-called art. Put simply, Christians won’t tolerate insults to Jesus Christ. However, I do hope that the art world will discover some respect for Christian religious beliefs and for the person of Jesus Christ.”
To put it another way, the CPS wanted to go on allowing free expression in the usual way and Stephen Green and other Christians are determined to use threats of violence to prevent that. ‘Respect’ is unlikely to be what the art world will be discovering more of as a result.
Mediawatchwatch, from whom I lifted this story, has pungent commentary.
prescient? prophetic?
How stupid are these people? There is no such thing as bad publicity in the art or music world. If they had wanted it to go away, they should have just IGNORED IT!
Nick Hornby wrote a story, NIpple Jesus, about something similar. It’s worth reading.
Surely it’s some kind of offense (I mean legally, the kind that can get one arrested) to essentially threaten riot and vandalism?
I remember those incidents. I retaliated by making my own Jell-o jesus mold.
http://fav.me/d3elwhm
Never mind the statue, the very idea the Jesus Christ could possibly ever have had any sort of sexuality of His own has to be blasphemous in the extreme.
“But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.” Matthew 5:28
He was of course speaking there totally hypothetically. There is not the slightest possibility that it was in any way from experience.
Meanwhile in Australia, my own city of Adelaide (not the eponymous old clipper ship) :
http://www.abc.net.au/am/content/2013/s3936263.htm
I’m almost tempted to go although I suspect it’ll be pretty terrible comedy by a stand up probably too unoriginal to come up with his own lines – or maybe not.
As always I wouldn’t have even heard of this or this statute of Christ Erect thingy or the Piss Christ one et cetera without teh complaints and “controversy.”
The Streisland effect at work.
prefigured?
I guess the extremist christians have gotten jealous of the extremist muslims and want to step up their game…
If those Christians belong to the rank and file, then they probably don’t give a toss about the art and wouldn’t be game enough to even spit on it, let alone smash it. If they did turn up at the exhibition with a hammer they’d be praying for one of their peers to step in and hold them back. They’re just happy to have found an excuse to get up on a stump and broadcast the strength of their faith to the congregation. “Look at me everybody; bravely defending our lord and saviour. I’m the holiest one of all.”
Ridicule.
What the “prophets”and religious fear most of all.
Harry Potter, well, J.K. Rowling got the right ’bout the boggarts.
Ridikulous!
And they are exposed as the empty fools they are.
I’m pretty sure that will happen when you go to heaven or whatever dreamworld you’re headed for.
The world is littered with art works that have been mutilated and or destroyed in the name of
religionstupidity.Speaking of destroyed christian artworks – the fighting in Syria is getting close to the crusader castle Krak Des Chevaliers and there is concern that the Syrian military will damage/destroy it with artillery. Understandably, it’s not a popular place for a great crusader relic but it really is a great work of art and it would be a great shame if it is damaged.
On the positive side for christian art, the pope’s harley sold for $300,000+. Who’d’a thunk the pontifical buns had such a miraculous effect on used vehicle prices?!
Please use your favorite search engine to find an image of the ‘Jesus with Two Children’ switchplate.
Marcus Ranum @14
It must be Frank’s old bike because I have trouble seeing Pope Palpatine on a Harley.
Ahhh, nice art gallery ya’ got here. It’d be a shame if sumpthin’ bad happened to it.
Stephen Green is the go-to idiot of choice in on Christian matters in this country. If a news story mentions Christianity, you can be sure that some journalist will wheel him out to say some blithering thing.
He’s a nasty piece of work, too. He advocates the murder of homosexuals (he compares them to serial killers), likes to protest outside abortion clinics, wants to overturn the law on marital rape and to establish a blasphemy law. He was responsible for a cancer charity turning down a donation of £3000 from the producers of Jerry Springer the Opera because Green threatened to harass their patients if they accepted it.
As far as I can tell, his organisation (Christian Voice UK) is basically just him, but he does seem to have achieved some modest ‘successes’ such as having book signings cancelled through threats of disruption and appearing on Question Time.
But at least there’s video of him being shat on by a bird http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AYxY39GL64Y
Yes! And Atheists won’t tolerate second children! They will force abort your child and tax the hell out of you if you escape it! – Oh, no wait, that’s just some atheists in China. Like this is some Christians in somewhere, and you’re a dishonest propagandist/lazy bigot.