My Sweet Lord

I am a non-practicing Catholic. That means that I was baptized Catholic, raised Catholic, made my First Communion, went to church every Sunday, was married in a Catholic Church, the works. Then, as I got older, I realized that I wasn't really feeling "in tune" with the Catholic religion. There was so much fear and damnation that I felt like I lost sight of why I was there. I haven't set foot in a Catholic church since my wedding (unless you count other people's weddings) and I have found myself exploring other avenues. I found that I am much more spiritual than religious--I believe in the existence of something greater than myself and I know that there are miracles out there, and I know there is more to belief than what I had been taught...

And now I know for sure that I no longer want to be associated with an organized group of Catholics...not after what has happened in New York.

An artist named Cosimo Cavallaro has created an image of Jesus on the cross...and it is made out of 200 pounds of chocolate. That isn't all that has infuriated people. He also made it anatomically correct and he was going to display it during Holy Week. He had a show all set up and it threw people into an uproar. I can't understand it. Jesus was a man, right? So doesn't it stand to reason that he would have all the parts any man would have? If anything, seeing Him as a man instead of a beyond my reach being would make me eel closer to Him. Anyway, I digress...

I was watching MSNBC last night, a man (Bill Donahue, I believe...head of the Catholic League) kept verbally assaulting the artist and saying that the display was an insult to "all Catholics" and that "all Catholics" wanted to see the art removed. He made references to making Swastikas and how the Jesus statue is just as offensive to Catholics as the Swastika was to the Jews. Excuse me? How can anyone make that comparison?

As I watched, I realized immediately that I didn't want that close minded man speaking for me. I was not offended by the chocolate Jesus...I didn't wish ill on the artist (who, by the way, was receiving death threats over the art...very Christian, don't you think?), and I was very sad that this man who was representing Catholics on national television was so close minded, hateful and angry. When the artist asked this man where he should display his art, the man replied "in a dump in Soho." Where is the Christian mentality? Aren't we supposed to treat others how we want to be treated? Or does that "golden rule" have caveats I am not aware of. Should we teach our children: "Love thy neighbor...but, if they piss you off, upset you, offend you or in otherwise go against your general idea what is right, you can badmouth them all you want." What this man from the Catholic League doesn't understand is that he just taught by example...and not in a good way.

I feel for the artist. He didn't do anything wrong. He isn't trying to upset anyone, but, because a select few (labeling themselves as "good Christians") have voiced distaste, his show has been cancelled.

I know that not all Catholics believe what Bill Donahue believes, but he made it appear that he was speaking for the ENTIRE religion. I urge you, if you are a Catholic and are not offended by the display, please find somewhere to voice that. Don't let one close minded man paint a whole group of people in the wrong light.

And, if the image offends you, that's okay, too. I am not saying that it is for everyone, but I am asking that everyone be allowed to voice their own opinions on it...don't let someone else speak for you.