“Forgive them, Father, for they know not what they do.”
JC

I didn’t watch the Olympic opening ceremonies. To be frank, I don’t believe I have ever watched any Olympic activities, opening, closing, or otherwise. Not that I don’t admire the skills and dedication of the athletes, just not that interested.

But I do enjoy a good controversy, particularly one involving religion.

Someone in France, probably after several bottles of excellent (though not as good as Californian or Australian) wine came up with the opening ceremony. The pictures look like something from a bad dream.

Christians, always looking for a way to be offended, decided it was a dig at the Last Supper and therefore blasphemy (one of my favorite words and, according to some, pastimes!)

They claim the spectacle was a mockery of the Last Supper and are flooding social media—which is like throwing a cup of water into a Tsunami—with “images” of the real Last Supper by Leonardo Da Vinci.

Somehow, they have reached the conclusion that Da Vinci’s concept of the story is an actual documentation of the event.

They need be dissuaded from this.

This is a painting.

It is not a copy of the front page of the Israeli Times circa 33 CE (they also hate the use of C.E. common era.) It is not a photo taken by Judas for his scrapbook or a surveillance photo by Herod’s Secret Police.

It is one brilliant artist’s interpretation of a story in the Bible for a painting commissioned by the Church. Da Vinci got paid to paint it, it was not divine inspiration but a testament to the brilliance of the man.

But then again, we should be not surprised when a significant number of Christians would instantly recognize this “picture” of the main guest at the last supper.

Perhaps the choreographers didn’t think this through but, even if they did, one can only be offended if you allow it. To claim this was some monstrous and intentional insult to Christianity is to give way too much credit to the strange minds who created it.

This is a creation of the French, When was the last time something invented in France mattered? Except the guillotine, of course.

Religions have been hurling insults, derogatory comments, and worse at each other since the first humans thought burning a goat would bring rain or prevent an earthquake and the Neandertals in the next cave laughed and pointed as they burned a rabbit. (Apologies if rabbits and goats didn’t exit then, it is just for illustrative purposes. Please do not be offended.)

What might speak volumes to the “Christian” part of Christianity would be to act in a manner consistent with its name’s sake. “Forgive them, Father, for they know not what they do.”

But where would be the fun in that when it is so much more satisfying to be outraged?

Good luck flooding the internet, so far I haven’t seen any pairs of animals boarding a yacht! But it they start, don’t forget the unicorn this time.

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