I always told people that Jesus was pimp. Anyway, that frog statue thing is pretty sweet. I hope that the Catholic church ends up losing this one. It'll be a sign, to me at least, that they're finally losing some of that gold-laden grip on the world.
Not that i care but i just don't see the point in offending peoples beliefs just because they are not your own. I see no purpose in displaying a crude replica of a crucified Kermit in a museum. Its not like you would hang that hideous crap in your house, at least i hope we all have better taste in home decorations, than these examples of anti-Christian art. So why post it? What purpose does it serve? Does it accomplish anything? Or is it for the purpose of offending? As art goes it a pretty lame example, it looks like something some kid made in 6Th grade art. Don't get me wrong i have no religious affiliation, nor to i believe a being such as Jesus would have anything to do with someone such as myself, i just prefer to believe in tolerance of all, Christians an Non-Christian alike. I find it funny though that it seems Atheist appear to exert more effort attempting to convince Christians that God doesn't exist, than Christians trying to convert them. Live and let live, why cant we all just do our thing and believe in what we want. If some people choose to believe in a man in the sky, then go ahead. If some choose to eat shrooms and run through the Forrest naked worshiping nature, then go ahead. Disclaimer: I have never ate shrooms and ran naked through the Forrest.
imo.... if the pope gets angry. we're all fucked. and what does he have to say for the kid that wrote that poster that said BONG HITS FOR JESUS for people unaware. http://ablogination.tn420.org/blog/media/zuma_bong_hits_070625_ms.jpg
As has been mentioned several times, the piece is not religious. Just because the Pope has a case of Christocentrism and feels compelled to associate the cross with Jesus even though it's not a quintessentially religious icon doesn't mean the point is to offend anybody.
Religious, spiritual, art, whatever, i just don't understand either side. I understand the OPs reasoning for making the post, but it seems as soon as you make a thread like this the Christian bashers dog pile on posting blatantly offensive mock religious art, not that i care it ain't my fight, its more of an observation. I just don't understand the purpose of purposely offending anyone. They shouldn't care how i lead my life as long as i mean them no harm, and by the same token i shouldn't care how they lead their lives as long as the mean me no harm. I know there's a few religious groups out there that are shall we say less than tolerant, but two wrongs don't make a right. If you ever want to expect tolerance in life you have to be tolerant. Sorry went off on a stoned thought.
The artist who created the piece, was in a lot of pain, and he saw his deteriorating body as biology class frog in a science experiment for the medical docs who acted as gods while dissecting him as he was dying. This piece represents how he saw himself, stripped of dignity, and posed ridiculously, without the strength to resist, feeling he had no choice left but to laugh in the face of death. And I felt that the minute I looked at the piece, because I feel the same way, sometimes. I don't understand how an expression of mortality can be misconstrued as mocking something it has no relation to. The artist was honest, how can that offend a god, or another man in any way? We have to learn enough tolerance to be able to look at life in all of its lights, whether flattering to us or not, and strive to be able to see the perspectives of all who share this world with us. How can an artists honest expression of pain be deemed worthy of scorn, even without any causal connection to the scorners? Why waste time condemning things that have no actual relation to your own interests? It's not christian bashing that is the problem, it seems to be that The Pope is no longer relevant, and just likes to act powerful so that Dorothy won't look behind the Curtain of Great Temple of Oz, and see it's just a bitter old man with an agenda, pulling some strings back there.
Most artists are just welfare recipients that use their pompous dilly-dadling to suck grants from state and private funds so that they who dole out the money get recogniction as being "supporters of culture!" and the artists get enough for another 3 months red-wine binge on some comfortable mediterrenian island or other. What they do create is usually done through the foggy lens of alcoholic mist. There is a reason why there is free booze at vernisages. It is there to lower the faculties of the critics and buyers to a level where they cannot discern shit from skilled work. And don't get me started on religious hypocrites that get offended for the slightest thing. They deserve it for all the real pain they inflict on people.