Organisers apologise for Olympics tableau of The Last Supper
Organisers of the Paris Olympics opening ceremony have apologised for a scene that parodied Leonardo da Vinci’s The Last Supper painting, with drag queens round the table and a campaigner for lesbian rights and fat acceptance, Barbara Butch, in the role of Jesus. The episode was made worse for the critics, by the appearance of a nude male singer painted in blue, portraying Dionysius, the Greek god of wine, lounging in front of the characters playing Jesus and the disciples. French Catholic bishops criticised the tableau, saying the ceremony “included scenes of derision and mockery of Christianity, which we deeply deplore.” Their general Secretary said there was a contradiction between the “displayed inclusivity and the actual exclusion of certain believers”. Outrage was also expressed by Catholics in Malta, Italy and the USA, and by conservative evangelical Christians in the US. The Mississippi-based telecommunications and technology company C Spire said it had pulled adverts because of the sketch. The creative director, Thomas Jolly, said he did not intend to be subversive or to mock or shock, explaining “We wanted to talk about diversity”. The organisers’ apology said there was never any intention to show disrespect to any religious group.
Adam Peaty turned to evangelist for help from “self-destructive spiral”
Olympic swimmer Adam Peaty missed out on the gold medal in the 100m breaststroke by 0.02 seconds, but hid his disappointment in media interviews afterwards, saying it had taken so much effort just to be in the final. He had faced personal problems last year with alcohol and depression, but made it back to the Olympics after finding help from Christianity and has a tattoo on his stomach reading: “Into the Light”. He was counselled by the American evangelist and Episcopalian vicar Dr Ashley Null, described as an elite sports chaplain. In an interview with Christianity magazine, he said: “The athlete thinks that if he’s holy enough, does enough Bible studies and evangelistic activities, God will bless him with success..Ironically, when it doesn’t work out, it may not have anything to do with them not being good enough, but just the opposite. As John 15:2 warns us, pruning is part of the process.”
Charity Commission launches assessment of four mosques over extremist preacher
The Telegraph is reporting that the Charity Commission is assessing four mosques for hosting the Pakistan based preacher, Ibtisam Elahi Zaheer, who toured the UK earlier this month. The report says the Charity Commission acted after receiving complaints from the National Secular Society. Mr Zaheer spoke at mosques in Bradford, Manchester and Birmingham in a tour of England earlier this month. His comments on social media over the past ten years include calling for apostates who denounce Islam to be killed, defending the use of sexual slaves by Muslims and saying Jews and Christians “cannot be our friends”. He has issued a statement saying he always stresses the importance of Muslims following the law of the land, and misinterpreting snippets of his speeches is selective and subjective criticism.
Jewish leaders concerned at government decisions on Israel
The Jewish Chronicle is reporting that the Chief Rabbi, Ephraim Mirvis, has requested a meeting with the prime minister to raise his deep concerns about a perceived shift in the government’s policy on Israel. It follows the government’s decision to drop its opposition to the International Criminal Court’s arrest warrant against Benjamin Netanyahu and defence minister Yoav Gallant. The Board of Deputies and Jewish Leadership Council say the decision following the restoration of UK funding to Unrwa, and an expected announcement on the sale of arms to Israel, “signal a significant shift in policy, away from Israel being a key UK ally. This would not only be a strategic error but a moral one.”
Church credentials of new Welsh first minister Eluned Morgan
The new Welsh first minister, Eluned Morgan, is a committed Christian, daughter of the Rev Bob Morgan, a parish priest in Ely, Cardiff, for 35 years, as well as being a councillor and council leader. She is married to a vicar, the Rev Rhys Jenkins, who is also a GP and the Associate Priest of Canton in Cardiff. Eluned Morgan has served in many roles in public life, as an MEP and a member of the Senedd, and has been appointed to the Lords as a life peer. She is taking a leave of absence from the Lords to be first minister.
Bishop speaks out against assisted dying bill
The Bishop of London, Sarah Mullaly, has cautioned against the assisted dying bill presented by Lord Falconer to the Lords last Friday. The bill was presented for the first time without debate. Previous attempts to get similar bills through have attracted criticism from religious leaders and disability groups. Commenting afterwards, the bishops said “No amount of safeguards could ensure the safety of the most vulnerable in society, should there be a change in the law allowing for assisted suicide. We believe that there would be unintended, serious and fundamental consequences for the whole of society, especially for those who are at the most vulnerable point of their lives, and for those who love and care for them.”
Archbishop: interfaith dialogue has “almost collapsed” since 7 October
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, has told the Lords that interfaith dialogue in this country has almost collapsed since 7 October last year and tensions are high, entirely as a result of overseas matters. As others have indicated, we are living in unstable times. The UK is recognised by the United Nations as the most diverse nation on earth, which means that every single overseas conflict or disaster has a diaspora community here. “Conflict overseas has a profound impact on our own society and our own domestic policies because of the multicultural nature of our communities” and to build a cohesive society here, domestic and foreign policy must work hand in glove. He said it is essential that foreign policy is religiously literate. Some 85 per cent of the world’s population identifies with a faith and thought he welcomed the intention to develop a strategy for Africa, “to do so without consideration of religious faith makes absolutely no sense at all”. Hansard report here
Irish novelist Edna O’Brien dies aged 93
Edna O’Brien, the Irish novelist whose honest account of love and sex outraged Catholics in her home town, has died aged 93. Her first book “The Country Girls, published in 1960, about two Convent girls who broke free from religious restrictions, was branded a smear on Irish womanhood and her parish priest said it should be burned. She wrote 20 novels and now she is regarded as a superb writer, fearless in telling the truth and someone who “shattered silences”. Her agent said she died peacefully on Saturday after a long illness. Reuters obit here
Magic mushroom experiment leaves Muslim professor reaching a spiritual nirvana
Hyphen Online carries a report that a growing number of Muslims are experimenting with magic mushrooms to help treat depression, and even get closer to God. Mattha Busby reports that narcotic drugs are forbidden in Islam, but Sughra Ahmed was among a group of religious leaders who took part in a US university study on magic mushrooms. She reasoned that intentional psychedelic use is in keeping with Islamic principles of growth and expansion, to become the best version of oneself to better serve God. And she found the mushrooms led her to a spiritual nirvana, leaving her with a stronger connection to God in everything she does. The idea behind the research is that mystical experiences are at the centre, even the origin, of most religions. The article lists experiences of other Muslims and ends with Sughra Ahmed saying she has not taken magic mushrooms since, but she believes it was like a sacred act.
