Posted on 09/25/2009 9:54:40 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
TORONTO—You’ve never seen Jesus like this before: dripping red nail polish around the nails in his feet and hands, an irreverent riff on the crucifixion wounds. The provocative title of the painting: “Jesus Does His Nails.”
Blasphemous? Absolutely. Deliberately provocative? You bet.
It is part of an upcoming art exhibit in Washington that will mark the first-ever International Blasphemy Day next Wednesday (Sept. 30) at the Center for Inquiry DC near Capitol Hill.
Artist Dana Ellyn says her “Blasphemy” paintings are a tongue-in-cheek expression of her lack of belief in God and religion. The self-described “agnostic atheist”—she doesn’t believe in the existence of any deity but can’t say for sure one doesn’t exist—says her introduction to religion was in college when she studied art history. Stories from the Bible, she says, are just that: stories.
“My point is not to offend, but I realize it can offend, because religion is such a polarizing topic,” Ellyn said of the exhibit.
Atheists, skeptics, freethinkers and free-speech advocates around the world will mark Blasphemy Day by mounting their soapboxes—figuratively and literally—and uttering words and displaying images that may cause offense.
And they’re making no apologies.
“We’re not seeking to offend, but if in the course of dialogue and debate, people become offended, that’s not an issue for us,” said Justin Trottier, a Toronto coordinator of Blasphemy Day and executive director of the Ontario chapter of the Center for Inquiry. “There is no human right not to be offended.”
St. Thomas Aquinas described blasphemy—deliberately showing contempt or irreverence for something considered sacred—as a sin “committed directly against God ... more grave than murder.” In the Gospel of Mark, Jesus said, “Whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit can never have forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin.”
While it may sound as anachronistic as a witchcraft trial, blasphemy remains punishable by death in countries like Pakistan and Afghanistan. In addition, Ireland recently introduced a defamation law making blasphemy punishable by fines up to 25,000 euros ($37,000 US). What’s more, six U.S. states (Massachusetts, Michigan, South Carolina, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania and Wyoming) have laws that, in some way, prohibit or regulate blasphemy, noted Ron Lindsay, a lawyer and president of the CFI International in Amherst, N.Y.
CFI also cites efforts by the United Nations to introduce anti-blasphemy resolutions that many say would curtail free speech about religion.
Sept. 30 was chosen for the inaugural Blasphemy Day because it is the anniversary of the 2005 publication of the controversial Muhammad cartoons in the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten. The cartoons resulted in worldwide riots by outraged Muslims and widespread self-censorship by media.
Lindsay said the Blasphemy Day events are part of his group’s larger Campaign for Free Expression, which encompasses more than protection of speech about religion. CFI, he said, aims to expose all religious beliefs to the same level of inquiry, discussion and criticism to which other areas of intellectual interest are subjected.
Besides the Washington art exhibit, Blasphemy Day events include:
-- a Blasphemy-Fest! at CFI Los Angeles that will feature a talk about free speech followed by three provocative films;
-- supporters worldwide have been encouraged to take up The Blasphemy Challenge (http://www.blasphemychallenge.com) by uploading their denials of faith to YouTube. A typical recording: “Hi, my name is Ray and I deny the Holy Spirit. (pause) No lightning. Maybe next time.”
-- a Speaker’s Corner, modeled after the famed soapbox in London’s Hyde Park, and a Blasphemy Challenge at CFI Toronto;
-- a blasphemy contest held by CFI International, in conjunction with its Campaign for Free Expression, in which participants are invited to submit phrases, poems, or statements that would be, or have been, considered blasphemous. Winners will receive T-shirts and mugs printed with their winning phrases.
Will the public events and demonstrations disturb some people? Without a doubt, said Lindsay, but causing offense is not the intention. Participants are encouraged to avoid vulgarity and profanity.
“We’re stressing that we want something that is insightful and thoughtful,” Lindsay said. “The point we’re trying to make is that we’re against restrictions on speech based purely on the possibility that some people might be offended, because if you go down that path there’s no end to it.”
http://www.centerforinquiry.net/news/cfi_blasphemy_contest/
September 30th will be the first International Blasphemy Day. The idea of the holiday was started by the Center For Inquiry, a humanist group which promotes skepticism and freethought. The day was chosen to commemorate the publishing of the Danish cartoons depicting the Islamic prophet Mohammad, which incited mass riots in 2005.
The Center For Inquiry has just announced a contest of their own to coincide with Blasphemy Day. The Blasphemy Contest encourages people to come up with the most blasphemous phrase, poem, or statement in 20 words or less. Submissions can be made to blasphemycontest@centerforinquiry.net. The top 5 submissions will win a free CFI t-shirt with the winning submission imprinted on it. The number one submission will win the before mentioned t-shirt, a similar mug, “recognition in Free Inquiry magazine, general publicity, and, naturally, eternal damnation.”
Lord, help us....
Sounds like this “artist” has issues.
Wonder if she mocks islam also? Those muslims just love a good joke...
I’m sending in a little model of Obama suspended in a jar of urine.
Wonder how they’ll like that?
Liar
Typical coward. When this person's time comes let's see him not call out for help then.
Time is close that we’re going to have to choose sides.
I'll bet my house against a donut that not a single entry dares to mention Islam, Mohammad or the Koran.
The Communist Takeover Of
America - 45 Declared Goals
http://www.rense.com/general32/americ.htm
23. Control art critics and directors of art museums. “Our plan is to promote ugliness, repulsive, meaningless art.”
24. Eliminate all laws governing obscenity by calling them “censorship” and a violation of free speech and free press.
25. Break down cultural standards of morality by promoting pornography and obscenity in books, magazines, motion pictures, radio, and TV.
26. Present homosexuality, degeneracy and promiscuity as “normal, natural, healthy.”
27. Infiltrate the churches and replace revealed religion with “social” religion. Discredit the Bible and emphasize the need for intellectual maturity, which does not need a “religious crutch.”
28. Eliminate prayer or any phase of religious expression in the schools on the ground that it violates the principle of “separation of church and state.”
Nothing new; they blasphemed Christ as he was heading up to the Cross for cruixifion as well..! The good news for them is if they Repent and turn from their sins He WILL STILL save them!
There is no hiding place from the kindoms throne, how said, this guy Mocks the one who will stand and judge him one day and would have glady pardoned him had he only asked ...
Well, they commemorated the day. I wonder how many Islam entries will there be?
0 of course.
What a liar, her object is DEFINITELY to offend.
That's what I was wondering.
They chose their date for the anniversary of the Muslim cartoons, yet all the examples in the article take shots at the far safer target of Christianity.
Sounds like another instance of people lacking talent trying to pass themselves off as "artists" with gimmicks, with the assurance they can count on the support of the current popularity of selling one's soul to the exaltation of "wisdom" of man.
Fortunately, God isn't threatened by these fools wasting their lives waving their tiny little fists at Him.
They can have their season of ignorant bliss.
The fact is:
EVERY knee will bow, and EVERY tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.
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