"Violence Erupts Over Israeli Museum’s Sculpture of a Crucified Ronald McDonald"

[TheresOnlyNow]

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"A 2015 sculpture of a crucified Ronald McDonald — called “McJesus” by artist Jani Leinonen — created a stir over the weekend at Israel’s Haifa Museum of Art. On Friday, hundreds of Arab Christians clashed with police over what they claimed was an offensive piece of art that mocked their faith.

The sculpture has actually been in the museum since August, as part of an exhibit featuring the intersection of religion and modern culture. Even the government has lobbied for the museum to take down the supposedly blasphemous sculpture."
source
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Do you feel this is offensive?

Why?
Why not?​

If this happened in the USA what would you feel should be done about it?

1. Nothing,
2. Take it down.
3. Other.​

WHY?​

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It is intended to be offensive.
It doesn't offend me. I don't subscribe to the crucifix imagery. Jesus died on the cross due to being pierced through the heart and lung.
What the crucifix shows is how the egocentric evil in man will seek to murder the truth when it appears.

The image itself isn't art. Rather it is an example of how depraved its creator is.

 

[Skwim]

Nope. Why? I lack of the baggage of "scared" from the religious point of view and see far more humor, even if cynical, regarding a great many things.
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I assume you meant to say "sacred." No?

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[Skwim]

IMHO, it is offensive to not praise the God who allows freedom of expression. We can visit non-Christian lands, including Muslim and secular atheist/godless, and find freedom of expression thwarted.

What of those non-Christian "lands" where freedom of expression is also allowed?

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[Shadow Wolf]

Good art will challenge an audience. This piece seems to have done its job well. Reminds me of scene from "Super Size Me" where a group of kids could identify Santa Clause and Ronald, but couldn't identify Jesus.

All they can do is a racist caricature of a random Arab guy and attach the name "Muhammad"

Christians have basically been doing that with Jesus for over a thousand years. The random white guy they put on their images and crosses most definitely could not have been this Jesus fellow of Middle Eastern descent.
And it's not like artistic recreations of a historic person aren't a thing. Not 100% accurate, of course, but not an impossible thing to do, and intention is everything.

 

[Shadow Wolf]

IMHO, it is offensive to not praise the God who allows freedom of expression. We can visit non-Christian lands, including Muslim and secular atheist/godless, and find freedom of expression thwarted.

Your god wants dead those who worship other gods, are rebellious teenagers, and adultery. That is not freedom of expression. Want to freely express yourself and adorn yourself with fine clothes and jewels and hair braids? The Bible does not allow it.

 

[PruePhillip]

Are you willing to give the same "not true" for non-Christians also?

Not sure of your argument.
In the New Testament it is said you must "obey those who have
the rule over you" and to respect worldly authority.

 

[PruePhillip]

Good art will challenge an audience. This piece seems to have done its job well. Reminds me of scene from "Super Size Me" where a group of kids could identify Santa Clause and Ronald, but couldn't identify Jesus.

Christians have basically been doing that with Jesus for over a thousand years. The random white guy they put on their images and crosses most definitely could not have been this Jesus fellow of Middle Eastern descent.
And it's not like artistic recreations of a historic person aren't a thing. Not 100% accurate, of course, but not an impossible thing to do, and intention is everything.

Yes, the bible tells us the Messiah would be a Jew, and not a particularly good
looking one either. But the iconic, Nordic, bearded Jesus is a culturally identifiable
symbol, despite its falsehood.
In not identifying Jesus, we find that children don't even know His commandments
either. The result is seen in my tag line figures below.

 

[PruePhillip]

Your god wants dead those who worship other gods, are rebellious teenagers, and adultery. That is not freedom of expression. Want to freely express yourself and adorn yourself with fine clothes and jewels and hair braids? The Bible does not allow it.

But do you believe "Your god" ???
What if there was evidence that indeed this narrow-minded "god" existed?
This "god" said of Israel, way back in the days of the Promised Land, that
the Jews would reject their Messiah and be outcast from the Promised
Land till the Gentiles time was complete. That is the history of the Jews.
Driven out of their land "because they did not know the time of their
visitation" and sent into exile, slavery, persecution and death.

 

[Shadow Wolf]

But do you believe "Your god" ???

The qualifier "your god" pretty much excludes the possibility that I do believe in the god of Abraham.

What if there was evidence that indeed this narrow-minded "god" existed?

If the god of Abraham exists, then I'd go about myself pretty much like I do now, and that is telling Christians and Muslims to stop appropriating the God of the Jews for themselves. The Covenants were made between Noah, Moses, Abraham, and their descendants known as the Hebrews. And stop trying to pretend and act like the Jews are infantile and getting their own religion wrong and making such an affront to god by rejecting the would-be messiah of the Gentiles.

 

[Shadow Wolf]

In not identifying Jesus, we find that children don't even know His commandments

Christians don't even know his commandments. They ignore many, and they can't even get what the Bible calls the 10 Commandments right.
And what are wrong with those things in your signature? Of course they are wrong according to your religion, but if someone wants to gamble a few bucks what concern or business is it of anyone? And homosexuals? They harm no one, so there is nothing inherently wrong with that one either. And if someone is suffering why shouldn't they be allowed to end their own life? Just because your morality was left behind in the dark ages doesn't mean those things you listed are wrong.

Driven out of their land "because they did not know the time of their
visitation" and sent into exile, slavery, persecution and death.

That sounds eerily close to the position that the Jews only have themselves to blame for the Holocaust because they obviously disobeyed god and displeased him and that was their punishment, a position supported by what is portrayed in the Bible whenever the Jews wondered astray from god and he set his wrath upon them.

 

[Firemorphic]

I just don't find it particularly evident nor compelling.

Not a response to me, but do you find the electric chair evident or compelling?

 

[Firemorphic]

Literally everyone is NOT blasphemous towards everyone else's beliefs (rather some, not all), but where did you get this line of reasoning? Considering you don`t know not even 1% of the people in your area how is everyone accountable for blasphemy? Very poor logic indeed.

Basically in this relativist day and age, people prefer to mock each other than to get along.

 

[PruePhillip]

The qualifier "your god" pretty much excludes the possibility that I do believe in the god of Abraham.

If the god of Abraham exists, then I'd go about myself pretty much like I do now, and that is telling Christians and Muslims to stop appropriating the God of the Jews for themselves. The Covenants were made between Noah, Moses, Abraham, and their descendants known as the Hebrews. And stop trying to pretend and act like the Jews are infantile and getting their own religion wrong and making such an affront to god by rejecting the would-be messiah of the Gentiles.

What I love about the Messiah is that Abraham, Jacob, Moses, David, Isaiah, Ezekiel, Zechariah and others stated definitively - the Messiah will be believed upon by the Gentiles, rather than the Jews.
That's seriously strange. Read Isaiah 53 to see what the Messiah would endure at the hands of his own people.
The Messiah the Jews prefer is a reigning king. But Zechariah tells us this reigning and conquering king would be the one "whom they pierced" and the lowly man who rode upon the donkey.
Simply put, the Jews got it wrong. All the blessings of the Old Testament were symbolized by LAND, and this was taken off the Jews after Jesus - until the Gentiles are finished, which is now BTW.

 

[Evangelicalhumanist]

Do you feel this is offensive?

Why?
Why not?

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It does not offend me, but I can see how it would offend some. Then again, I don't demand that the things that offend me cease to exist. What I do is stop paying attention to them.

If this happened in the USA what would you feel should be done about it?

1. Nothing,
2. Take it down.
3. Other.​

WHY?​

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Nothing, because a major part of the purpose of art is to force us to see from another point of view. This is sometimes jarring, and yes, it is sometimes upsetting and offensive. But that is always a subjective reaction, based entirely on your own viewpoints and emotions, and therefore simply doesn't apply to everyone else. Therefore, the onus is on you to avoid being offended by not paying attention to it, rather than demand that all of the rest of the world should submit to your personal tastes and values.

 

[Epic Beard Man]

Basically in this relativist day and age, people prefer to mock each other than to get along.

That is the sad state of affairs of humanity!

In another thread I alluded to when discussing with @rosends I rather invite my friends of all faiths over for a cookout where we can discuss customs, culture, and music. I think for far too long human beings have mocked and ridicule each other. I rather much live in peace, it is a lot easier and quieter. Nothing makes me more happier than cooking for others especially my famous Ribeye steak. With a cup of long Island Ice Tea and good music this to me is paradise. Alas my mother (and my girlfriend) once said "Everybody doesn't think like you."

 

[Firemorphic]

That is the sad state of affairs of humanity!

In another thread I alluded to when discussing with @rosends I rather invite my friends of all faiths over for a cookout where we can discuss customs, culture, and music. I think for far too long human beings have mocked and ridicule each other. I rather much live in peace, it is a lot easier and quieter. Nothing makes me more happier than cooking for others especially my famous Ribeye steak. With a cup of long Island Ice Tea and good music this to me is paradise. Alas my mother (and my girlfriend) once said "Everybody doesn't think like you."

Dude, same kind of thing I long for. A massive group of people from a large variety of religions (as well as non-antitheist Atheists) to hang out and learn stuff from each other - pure community.
You know the kind of joy it gives to see Muslims, Hindus, Christians, Jews, Buddhists, Occultists, Atheists, Sikhs and any other title, getting along and learning (deep) things from each other?
I wish the world was more like that in general, I can only hope that as we get older we start to see this stuff happen more.

 

[Shad]

I assume you meant to say "sacred." No?

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Yup

 

[Shad]

His portfolio says that he's an anti-consumerist. At least in my country religious people aren't scared of consumerism, they just go with it just like anyone else. Though he might have different ideas...

Sacred not scared. Mistake on my part.

 

[Firemorphic]

And it's not like artistic recreations of a historic person aren't a thing. Not 100% accurate, of course

Not even 5% accurate more like it.

but not an impossible thing to do, and intention is everything.

Intention sure is everything (may not effect the result of the product though), still the thing in question is impossible to do without using universally known symbols or directly stating "this is who we're depicting", otherwise it's just some random bearded man wearing a robe.


The crucifix itself though, is a symbol that stands for something theologically, but outside of this is historically a form of barbaric public murder (I don't think execution exists)

 

[Cooky]

Jesus is not mine... The crucifix is not mine... Those things belong to every human being that has ever lived on planet earth.

...Whatever one's choice is regarding Jesus is their choice alone.