SAN FRANCISCO – Christian and pro-family groups are outraged over an ad promoting a sex fetish event that puts flagrant twist on Da Vinci’s depiction of the Last Supper.
In the poster ad for the upcoming Folsom Street Fair in San Francisco, half-naked sado-masochists wearing disturbing leather costumes take the place of Jesus and his disciples, and a clutter of obscene items replace bread and wine on the table. The ad also suggests the subjects featured are homosexual and has been viewed as an “open ridicule of Christianity.”
Christian groups were particularly angered over the fact that Milling Brewing Co. is listed as a sponsor of the ad and the Sept. 30 event.
“Never have we experienced greater corporate arrogance than in this dispute with the Miller Brewing Company,” said Catholic League President Bill Donahue in a statement Thursday. “Miller is sponsoring an incredibly outrageous and palpably anti-Christian event in San Francisco: the Folsom Street Fair.”
Matt Barber, Policy Director for Cultural Issues with Concerned Women for America (CWA), pointed out the double-standard held by the homosexual community in this “open ridicule of Christianity.”
"'Gay' activists disingenuously call Christians 'haters' and 'homophobes' for honoring the Bible, but then lash out in this hateful manner toward the very people they accuse,” said Barber. “In their version of The Last Supper, Christ, Who gave His life for our sins, is despicably replaced by sin itself as the object of worship.”
In response to criticism over the ad, Miller decided Wednesday to pull its logo from the poster but said it will continue to sponsor the event.
"While Miller has supported the Folsom Street Fair for several years, we take exception to the poster the organizing committee developed this year,” said Miller spokesman Julian Green. “We understand some individuals may find the imagery offensive and we have asked the organizers to remove our logo from the poster effective immediately.”
But that decision was not enough for Donahue, who derided the announcement as a “lame statement of regret.”
According to Donahue, Miller has not refused to withdraw their sponsorship of the fair nor taken action to remove the logo from the ad and logo on the website of the street fair. He also took issue with how Miller’s sponsorship of the event would go to fund an anti-Catholic group that was scheduled to hold a mock Last Supper dinner on Thursday in San Francisco.
On Thursday morning, Donahue called for a national boycott of Miller Beer while he was on Fox and Friends.
“Accordingly, Miller leaves us with no options: we are calling on more than 200 Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist and Hindu organizations to join with us in a nationwide boycott of Miller beer,” stated Donahue.
CWA has also issued its own call for action to California's elected officials and the media.
The group is asking Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Governor Schwarzenegger and Senators Feinstein and Boxer “to publicly condemn this unprovoked attack against Christ and His followers” and challenging “the media to cover this affront to Christianity with the same vigor as recent stories about cartoon depictions of Mohammed and other items offensive to the Muslim community.”
Despite the strong criticism from multiple groups, Pelosi and a representative of the Folsom Street Fair have downplayed the uproar.
"As a Catholic, the speaker is confident that Christianity has not been harmed," said Drew Hammill, Pelosi's press secretary, in The Bay Area Reporter.
Andy Copper, president of the Folsom Street Fair’s board of directors, meanwhile, defended the poster ad, saying it was not intended "to be particularly pro-religion or anti-religion.
“[T]he image is intended only to be reminiscent of the 'Last Supper' painting," he said.
"We hope that people will enjoy the artistry for what it is - nothing more or less," Copper added. "Many people choose to speculate on deeper meanings. The irony is that da Vinci was widely considered to be homosexual.”
Still, event leader admitted, "I guess it wouldn't be the Folsom Street Fair without offending some extreme members of the global community, though.”
Peter Sprigg, vice president for policy at the conservative Family Research Council (FRC), disagreed with Cooper’s take on the ad’s message as benign.
"Implicitly, Jesus's disciples are portrayed as sado-masochists, and how that could not be profoundly offensive to Christians escapes me," said Sprigg in a Cybercast News Service report.
The Folsom Street Fair will take place on Sunday in San Francisco's South of Market district. On the FAQ of the fair’s official website, even children under 18 are encouraged to come to the event, which has no age restrictions.
Next year's poster ad may take inspiration from “American Gothic” by Grant Wood or Edvard Munch's “The Scream” or even “The Sound of Music!,” according to Cooper.
Comments
This so called "art" is exactly what a bunch of filthy degenerates would come up with. Sad, but no surprise.
Zennodaddy, it is true that some Christians have embraced the American values of tolerance and diversity. That is a very good thing. But it is not correct to say, as you do, that "If it were not for Christianity, you would not have freedom to begin with." We owe democracy not to Christianity, but to the ancient Greeks. Moreover, the first society to mandate religious tolerance was not a Christian society, but that of the Buddhist emperor Ashoka in northern India circa 272-232 BC. It is true that most of the early European settlers of this country were Christian. But they were fleeing persecution by other Christians in Europe, and some of them were very slow to adopt the values of tolerance and diversity. Christians in this country massacred pagans for some time, first in the famous witchburnings of Massachusetts and then in the wars against the Native Americans. Finally, the religious freedoms that non-Christians do enjoy in this country are owed not to any of the Christian founding fathers but to Thomas Jefferson, a deist who denied Christ's divinity and wrote the Establishment and Free Exercise clauses of the First Amendment to the Constitution.
Again, many Christians in this country do embrace the American values of tolerance and diversity, but many do not.
The public American attacks on Christianity in general are getting worse and they will continue to get worse... in my view, Miller lost a whole lot of cash flow from people who enjoyed Miller beer... and anything associated with the Miller brand.
And for all of those people who are taking the stand of 'look at what Christians did in the past'... get a life. If it were not for Christianity, you would not have freedom to begin with.
TUPRBABE, to respond to your question about whether homosexuals need to be defended, it seems obvious that they do. When was the last time bands of homosexuals roamed the street killing Christians? It's never happened. On the other hand, organized groups of Christians have killed homosexuals several times in recorded history, including the two occasions I mentioned, one Catholic and one Protestant. It seems that the persecution of homosexuals often serves as the harbinger of authoritarian regimes, not because homosexuals threaten anyone, but because homosexuals are nearly universally hated and/or feared; thus, a group that desires power in society can often gain adherents by attacking them. For example, Hitler, Mussolini, Pol Pot, Mao, and Stalin all made the brutal persecution of homosexuals an early part of their social programs. I note that some of the Christian Reconstructions in our own country have called for the death penalty for homosexuals. So to hear a member of the overwhelming dominant majority religion in the United States (i.e., Christianity) declare that his or her religion has been attacked by a small group of harmless weirdos in San Franciso cannot be taken seriously.
Again with assuming and the supposed suggestions. I'm not saying that there is no problem with the ad because there is but people automatically assuming and saying that this is what is being represented are jumping to unfounded conclusions. This is how we get in the messes we have we shout off our mouths before thinking through what we're saying and by assuming to know what was meant to be said or portrayed.
Look, let's face it, the ad agency that confuses debasing a religious painting as a cute way to promote sadomasochism and homosexuality is in reality only revealing the core value of the community they represent; that is, to debase and malign the values of virtue and restraint. Nothing original here..... they can only make a mockery of what others hold sacred and pursue their own selfish interests. They only destroy, mimic, and distort the natural and beautiful, lacking as they do control over their sexual impulses. Such pitiful ads are their sad attempts to validate their empty lifestyles, so devoid of creativity and symbolized by their lack of procreative interest.
These pitiful souls deserve our love and prayers, not our judgment and condemnation. They are living in hell without realizing it.
Oh, here's a link to SFGate.com about the Folsom Street Festival. I am posting it here so that you can see what actually happened there, written by those who supported it.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/10/01/BAVESHALR.DTL
My 'favorite' quote:
People paid money to be flogged in front of crowds of onlookers. One man looked like he was crying, and red lash marks covered his back.
"Lovely start to a Sunday afternoon!" exclaimed a man with a microphone trying to persuade people to get flogged.
Good, clean fun for charity. Yeah.
I'm kinda curious to know what in the world Greg0284's talking about. He talks like the S&M and homosexuals depicted in and participating in the Folsom Street fair are some kind of poor, helpless, misunderstood individuals who need to be "defended" from an angry "mob" who is waging some kind of relentless, unwarranted persecution and/or vendetta against them. Quite the contrary.
This ad is an attack UPON Christianity, not BY it. If we, as Christians, choose to voice our displeasure, it should be considered "self-defense". Yes, God is capable of defending Himself, but He has chosen US to be His "body" on earth.
And as for the "Inquisition" and "Geneva" comments, no. Christianity had nothing to do with either of them. GREED and HERESY did. "Inquisition!!" is the battle cry of those who have no leg to stand upon, and need to make Christians look like eternal aggressors, which has NEVER been the case. (If you don't believe me, try reading some of the posts at Witchvox.com ... it seems to be a neopagan mantra.)
But then again, in our culture, just as in the time of the Judges, "every man [is doing] what is right in his own eyes." Those who misuse Matthew 7:1 as a means to condemn Christians for RIGHTFULLY JUDGING forget that they are, themselves, JUDGING when they say this, so it is THEY who are the REAL hypocrites.
(By the way, did you notice that Jesus didn't say "NEVER JUDGE ANYBODY"? He said to make sure you weren't making a HYPOCRITICAL judgment when you DID judge. So in other words, JESUS COMMANDED US TO JUDGE!)
Christianity does not condone unprovoked attack, just answering when you are confronted by those who are slandering you - "But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. ALWAYS BE PREPARED TO GIVE AN ANSWER to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with GENTLENESS and RESPECT, KEEPING A CLEAR CONSCIENCE, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their SLANDER." 1 Peter 3:15-16
We are commanded to - tactfully - give an answer. That is the command of Scripture, not just "the reaction of the mob." Alerting the public about blasphemy and boycotting events and products (which, quite frankly, Christians SHOULD ALREADY BE DOING IN THIS CASE, considering the Folsom Street Fair is an S&M/homosexual festival promoted by a BEER company) should be considered our duty. To sit mute while others are blatantly sinning before your very eyes is to infer permission of their behavior, and will cause us to have the sinners' blood upon our own heads at the Final Judgment (Ezekiel 3:18, 33:8).
"Nothing shall offend thee" This is another is sign of the times that we live in brethren! Jesus told us, this world hates Him and they will hate us too! What this does for me is to show me that HE is closer to coming than HE was yesterday! I give thanks that HE did not leave us in this world without hope! Jesus died for this; when HE prayed, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do!" For even this HE died, that we might be set free from the bondage of sin! But not everyone wants to be set free, and that is their choice. It's not for us to judge or condemn, this world already stands condemned! For those who do not believe God, and Jesus, His Son, the wrath of God remains on them! This is all the prophecy our Lord and the prophets spoke about, and we're living witnesses to His truth! God does not need our Defense, HE is our Defender, our Shield! God is quite capable of defending Himself, "It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the LIVING GOD! HE is Almighty and Awesome in power and might! and yet HE is the most tender, loving Father I have ever known! Praise and Honor, Glory and Wisdom, Be Unto You, Jesus, Who sits at the right hand of God! Hallelujah! Come, King Jesus, Come! For HIS glory, Annie Pray for the people everywhere, who deny Him, and revile Him, they will stand before Him one day as we all shall do! JESUS is LORD!
"The Christian Saints of today will be at Folsom St., they reject cultural prejudice and serve those in need with unconditional compassion. Those ranting at those they've never met are simply the hypocrits of this era. Sorry we don't have time for you, there is work to be done." The only cultural prejudice is the ad itself GIL. You seem to have a obtained the age old skill of cherry picking scripture without understanding the whole counsel of God. And how can you claim to be a Saint then tell us you don't have time for us? You're correct we don't know the people at the Folsom St. festival, but those who provided comments were merely commenting on the ad itself. So we are very happy to know that you will be there to preach the truth in love to the lost souls of San Fran. Keep up the great work!
Mathew 7:1 - "Don't judge, so that you won't be judged. {7:2} For with
whatever judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with whatever
measure you measure, it will be measured to you. {7:3} Why do you see
the speck that is in your brother's eye, but don't consider the beam
that is in your own eye? {7:4} Or how will you tell your brother, 'Let
me remove the speck from your eye;' and behold, the beam is in your own
eye? {7:5} You hypocrite! First remove the beam out of your own eye,
and then you can see clearly to remove the speck out of your brother's
eye.
The Christian Saints of today will be at Folsom St., they reject cultural prejudice and serve those in need with unconditional compassion. Those ranting at those they've never met are simply the hypocrits of this era. Sorry we don't have time for you, there is work to be done.
although offensive to me, as a Minister, I cite these verses and ask you to pause and consider the subject matter of the Last Supper. I spin it this was and hope that we will realize for WHO Jesus ate the LAST SUPPER:::>
1Co 6:9 Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality,
1Co 6:10 nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.
1Co 6:11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
It's undoubtably an attack on traditional Christian values. Many people feel justified in doing so because of the intolerance of the past that Christians have exhibited. Bottom line, until enough people want to make change happen it will only get worse.
I think we shouldn't bother too much about such things. We can leave them as they are. There will be an increase in such attempts if we give them so much attention. There are many things to worry about being as Christians other than those matters.
So now it's time for all of the Miller "beer drinking" Christians to come out of the closet.