Boston Globe: Chocolate Jesus Exhibit Canceled Click HERE to Bring Up Full Post

Boston Globe (from AP Wire), March 31, 2007:

NEW YORK -- A planned Holy Week exhibition of a nude, anatomically correct chocolate sculpture of Jesus Christ was canceled yesterday amid a slew of complaints including those of Cardinal Edward Egan.

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But word of the confectionary Christ infuriated Catholics, including Egan, who described it as "a sickening display." Bill Donohue, head of the watchdog Catholic League, said it was "one of the worst assaults on Christian sensibilities ever."

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The artwork was created from more than 200 pounds of milk chocolate and features Christ with his arms outstretched as if on an invisible cross. Unlike the typical religious portrayal of Christ, the Cavallaro creation does not include a loincloth.

I have absolutely no warm regard for Bill Donohue, but he has a point, if grossly overstated.

General rule: a artistic reference to, or depiction of, the genitalia of a revered hero will get you hateful blowback until proven otherwise. This is true whether the hero is secular or religious. Who really wants to see an anatomically correct statue of Harry Truman in the buff, whether made out of chocolate, marble or soap?

Donohue's business is the manufacture of outrage, but this artist handed him the supplies, equipment, inventory, electric power and labor supply for this particular assembly run. The artist has no right to expect the factory not to complete its run.

If you use art to degrade somebody else's religion, you are primarily in the religion degradation business, not in the art business. If you are going to do this, don't act like Captain Renault in Casablanca who was "shocked, shocked, I say!" that gambling was occurring in Rick's Cafe, when he had winnings on the table himself.

I am disappointed in the tone-deafness of some of the liberal sites that have approached this issue. Pandagon and Feministe as communities both need a booster shot of maturity. Echidne's Olvlzl was smarter this round.

UPDATE I: Zuzu of Feministe has responded below in the comments. I would also direct readers to Terrance's substantial discussion of this exhibit at the Republic of T; his take is quite different from mine and substantially more comprehensive in its scope.

UPDATE II: I normally don't call out a Kossack here out of general regard for a fellow liberal (broadly defined), but I am a secular "non-subscriber" to Kossack Cenk Uygur's approach to religion, which to my embarrassment has made the "recommended diaries" listing over there. WARNING: HIGHLY offensive metaphors and similes in the link, but I would rather you learn about it from me than from the right-wing blogosphere tomorrow morning.

It takes a LOT to get me criticizing secular critics of religion, it really does.