Christianity Deserves Respect

-

 We may have different religious views, but respect is something we can all agree on.




Let's just get straight to it; the 2024 Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony crossed a line. During the ceremony, there was a live performance which was staged to recreate Leonardo Da Vinci's The Last Supper. I didn’t watch it (and I wouldn't advise anyone to), but the performance was said to be a disgusting farce which mocked one of the most important moments in the New Testament of the Bible: Jesus' Last Supper with His Apostle. This event centres around the Institution of the Eucharist; Jesus' Ultimate Gift to His followers. The Last Supper is commemorated by billions of Christians every Sunday in the Mass and marked in a special way on Holy Thursday before Easter. 
 
Following backlash on social media, the Olympic Committee later apologized for the performance, but I feel that this incident is emblematic of a larger problem in our society today: a general lack of respect for Christianity. Almost everywhere you turn in our world nowadays, you can find examples of disrespect towards Christianity. I like jokes and memes as much as the next guy, but religion is one of those things that just shouldn't be made fun of. 

When something sacred is profaned, it's most likely intentional, but there are some instances when it is simply due to ignorance. The use of God's name in vain is often one such occurrence. Sadly, it's become so commonplace; from acronyms like 'istg' to Jesus' name being thrown around like a curse word. Where is the respect? You don't have to be Christian to get this.  I had a religious conversation with a Muslim and even though Muslims and Christians have different beliefs surrounding Jesus Christ, he always said 'Peace Be Upon Him,' when referring to Jesus as we talked. The Jews hold God's name, YHWH(Yahweh) in such high esteem that they don't speak it out loud.

To be honest, us Christians have to take part of the blame for the lack of respect towards our religion. Isn't it true that we can sometimes be afraid to stand up for our Faith, or to correct others when (knowingly or unknowingly) they say something that speaks against Christianity? Let's cast aside our fears and speak out when God is offended. 

Regardless of our religious beliefs; Christianity, and all religions, deserve respect. 

Sources:
Catholic Archdiocese of Boston, Aleteia.org.


Comments

  1. AnonymousAugust 27, 2024 at 4:40 PM

    I couldn’t agree more. Of particular note are those who tried to undermine just how offensive this ceremony was. There was absolutely no reason to try to imitate much less to insult any religion at a global sporting event - and the backlash would have been enormous had it attacked any other religion. Additionally, there were those who said it was just a copy of Dionysus and Greek gods. The Instagram story of the main actress (with the halo) literally had the original last supper painting above her own sacrilegious re-e action so I don’t buy that one in the slightest

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Househelps: Ordinary Heroes

-
 Not all heroes wear capes. Some wear aprons. . Although no one can shoot lasers out of their eyes or control lightning ( sigh ), our society has some real life superheroes - from first-responders such as ambulance personnel and search-and-rescue teams, to athletes who push themselves to do the best for their team. However, some of the most admirable individuals are those who's job it is to do the most ordinary tasks. People who consistently take care of the simple, but essential things that make our lives complete. Househelps fall into this category. Also known as maids or (checks Thesaurus.com) au pairs , these ladies really deserve a shoutout. I'm from Kenya, and in many African countries, a househelp isn't an exclusive worker who only the rich can afford. The average African middle-class household often has at least one househelp who, well, helps around the house. Oh boy, do they help out a lot . From preparing meals, to doing laundry; washing dishes, cleaning the house
Read more

The Passion of the Christ: Hope amidst Suffering

-
 Revisiting Mel Gibson's biblical epic. As Easter is here, our minds are apt to turn to chocolates, special meals and holidays. These are all well and good, but it's important to preserve the true meaning of the Easter season: celebrating the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. To get to Easter, we have to go through the Passion. [OBLIGATORY SPOILER WARNING] Mel Gibson’s 2004 film, The Passion of the Christ; does an excellent job of capturing the events of Good Friday with striking (and often horrific) accuracy. I applaud the cast and crew for doing their best to make the film as realistic as possible; the fact that the dialogue is entirely in Aramaic, Latin and Hebrew is great, it makes one feel as though they have been transported back to biblical times. I do wish they had included Jesus' consolation of the holy women (although apparently it's in a deleted scene).  From a cinematic perspective, this movie is incredible. The scenes are well shot (there's a littl
Read more

(Re)start

-
 Some thoughts and ideas on new beginnings. Happy New Year! Our planet has completed yet another orbit around our Sun. But nothing feels...different.  Our placement of the start of the New Year is quite arbitrary. We could have it at any time. The Chinese won't be celebrating their New Year until February (it's gonna be the Year of the Dragon-how cool is that?). People make a big deal out of the beginning of a new year, and not without reason. It's a time of high levels of activity: planning for the next 12 months, paying school fees, getting back to work...there's a lot to do. Setting New Year's resolutions is one common practice around this time. Not sticking to them for more than a few weeks is another.  But for real, whilst the idea of taking time at the beginning of the year to set goals and make some changes to our lives is admirable; why should we only do this on January 1st? My little brother put it in a very profound way: "A date can't change you,
Read more