'McJesus' sculpture sparks outrage among Israel's Christians

[Eugene]

Source: Associated Press

‘McJesus’ sculpture sparks outrage among Israel’s Christians

HAIFA, Israel (AP) — An art exhibit in Israel featuring a crucified Ronald McDonald has sparked protests by the country’s Arab Christian minority.

Hundreds of Christians calling for the removal of the sculpture, titled “McJesus,” protested at the museum in the northern city of Haifa last week. Israeli police say demonstrators hurled a firebomb at the museum and threw stones that wounded three police officers.

Church representatives brought their complaints to the district court Monday, demanding a suspension order for the exhibit’s most offensive items, including Barbie doll renditions of Jesus and the Virgin Mary.

Israeli Culture Minister Miri Regev, who has pushed for legislation mandating “loyalty” in art, has also called for the removal of the offending artwork.

The museum has refused to bow to pressure, saying that doing so would infringe on freedom of expression.

https://apnews.com/617d714534a343488755fbe815336c65



______________________________________________________________________

Source: Jerusalem Post

VIOLENT CLASHES IN HAIFA AS ARAB CHRISTIANS PROTEST 'MCJESUS' SCULPTURE

The depiction of a crucified Ronald McDonald, sculpted by Finnish artist Janei Leinonen, and part of the musuem's "Sacred Goods" exhibit, has been on display since August.

BY SARA RUBENSTEIN JANUARY 12, 2019 22:17

Violent clashes broke out between hundreds of Arab Christians and police in Haifa on Friday following demonstrations against the Haifa Museum of Art which displayed "McJesus," a sculpture showing Ronald McDonald on a cross.

The depiction of a crucified Ronald McDonald, sculpted by Finnish artist Janei Leinonen, and part of the musuem's "Sacred Goods" exhibit, has been on display since August.

An Arab Christian protestor told Walla! news that the government was not properly responding to the Arab Christian community's complaints because of their minority status in Israel. “If they put up [a sculpture of] Hitler with a Torah scroll they would immediately respond,” he said.

A molotov cocktail was thrown at the museum on Thursday.

-snip-

Read more: https://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Violent-clashes-in-Haifa-as-Arab-Christians-protest-McJesus-sculpture-577153

[Pope George Ringo II]

1. Burger King has Apostles, though.

Hamburglar and all the rest.

[gay texan]

3. The Duke of Doubt

Finds your lack of faith disturbing....

[Pope George Ringo II]

12. I'm actually a devotee of Whataburger, even with those stupid stickers in the window.

I don't have many other choices if I want my jalapenos.

[gay texan]

18. "One nation under gawwwwwd"

Yep, I know where you are coming from

[MineralMan]

2. Such is the response by the religious to any mockery of their religion.

Violence. And so the weakness of religion's truths is revealed. Where there is true strength, there is no need for violence.

[guillaumeb]

4. A very broad brush was used in the crafting of this response.

But this violence pales in comparison to that perpetrated by the Chinese Government against theists.

[MineralMan]

5. Focus, Guy! Focus...

[guillaumeb]

6. Widen your narrow focus.

Do not miss the forest for all of the trees.

[MineralMan]

7. One thing at a time, Guy. One thread at a time.

This thread is about a satirical piece of art in Israel, and the response to it. That is what I am discussing in this thread. It is not about that other thing. You will find me in your thread discussing that there.

[guillaumeb]

10. Art can be provocative.

This is bad art at best. Quite cartoonish in fact.

[MineralMan]

11. Is it bad art, Guy? I don't know.

You say it is cartoonish, and I tend to agree with you, but I am not the artist. Is cartoon art bad? Many would disagree.

What did the artist mean by putting Ronald MacDonald on the cross? I don't know that, either, because I haven't asked him or her. Do you know?

But those questions are irrelevant, really. Someone created a piece of art, which is hanging in some building because someone thought it was of some artistic merit or meaningful. Otherwise, the artist would have seen his or her artwork rejected for display. It's not my building. It's not my artwork. It's not my business, really.

However, some Christians in the area, as identified in the news story, decided that the art was bad and that they disliked it. So, they protested by throwing Molotov cocktails at the building. Now, if I thought the art was of poor quality or in poor taste, I would have simply avoided going to view it. I would not have resorted to destructive, dangerous methods to state my dislike of it.

That is not what happened, though. A group of Christians in the area threw Molotov cocktails at the building containing the artwork.

See, I think that is a really bad idea and illustrates some real intolerance of freedom of expression. It's also very dangerous and could destroy property or injure people. Molotov cocktails are the weapons of terrorists, and have been for a long, long time.

Now, you liken this to the official intolerance of China, but I don't see the connection there at all. In this case, it was a group of religious people who did not like a work of art so they tried to destroy it and the building it was in. A group of Christians in one place, acting on their own account. They were not a country. They were not doing anything but carrying out an act of terrorism, based on their religious zeal.

There is a great deal of bad art on display almost everywhere, in my opinion. I have my own preferences when it comes to art. However, if someone displays art I think is bad or even in very poor taste, I simply ignore it. I see cartoonish representations of Jesus all the time, with him depicted as a blond-haired, blue-eyed European. I'm not even fond of religion in the first place. Bad art, but what is that to me? I am not going to try to destroy it or even protest its existence. Why would I bother?

This thread is about violence carried out by a group of Christians in Israel who were offended by a work of satirical art. I find that troubling. You find official intolerance of Christianity in China troubling. Are you going to throw molotov cocktails at the Chinese Embassy in protest? No, of course you are not going to do that. The most you will do is complain about it here on DU, as far as I can tell.

Molotov Cocktails? That's pretty far over the line, don't you think? But it's not equivalent to official government intolerance of a religious group. That's even worse, but not something I can do anything about. Certainly not with a terrorist attack using incendiary devices.

Bad art? Really? Who cares?

[guillaumeb]

13. Pam Geller, one of the founders of Act for America,

loves such "art".

She loves the way it causes violence. Act for America, as I am certain you know, has been designated a hate group by the SPLC.

Motivation? To incite.

[MineralMan]

14. Never heard of her. Was she involved with that

Ronald MacDonald crucifix? I didn't see that in the news story, if so. If not, then her opinion is irrelevant to this particular instance. Why do you bring her up?

Art is often used to incite action. The social justice and civil rights movement has used art in that way frequently. Perhaps you were not aware of that. For example:

[guillaumeb]

20. If you have never heard of her,

that might suggest that you might wish to do some research on Act for America and Geller.

[MineralMan]

24. I did.

So what! Nutcases abound.

[guillaumeb]

25. And their actions also abound. eom

[Act_of_Reparation]

15. Art causes violence?

Do.

Tell.

[MineralMan]

16. Well, see...example found on Google of something

someone was trying to say. Irrelevant example, but example. You can find anything on Google. Look what I found while looking for examples of satirical use of the crucifix:



Now, that's irrelevant, too, but I did find it on Google while doing a relevant search. Maybe people have to think about things before posting them. Do you suppose?

[Act_of_Reparation]

17. If someone blows up your house because they were offended by that...

...you only have yourself to blame!

Whatever you do, don't be provocative!

[Cartoonist]

22. Is that a real thing?

It looks more like a satirical piece of art than McJesus.

[MineralMan]

23. If not, it's an opportunity.

It's on google, though, so...

[guillaumeb]

21. Is there an art to incitment?

Is their a motive for incitement?

[Voltaire2]

19. So if religious extremists attack a satirical

magazines office and murder the people inside, it is the victims we should blame for their own murders?

[Cartoonist]

8. Versus

One group creates images. The other group throws rocks and Molotov cocktails.

[NeoGreen]

9. Now you are getting it, those acts are absolutely...

...equivalent.

We should count up all those times when someone was burnt and/or disfigured because there was an advertisement on the side of a bus.

A bus advertisement is just as bad as a Molotov cocktail.

Oh and off.