Behold:

This 200 pound statue has caused so much negative press that the show in which it was to appear has been cancelled, and caused the artist to resign from the host gallery. In spite of the fact that the artist is himself a christian and has explained that the statue was a labor of love, christians (especially catholics, who have been very outspoken in their condemnation of the piece) are completely, indignantly offended by it.

To be honest, I do not see why.

Is it because the figure of christ is carved from chocolate or is it because he's naked? Both?

Look at the detail. The peaceful expression on Jesus' face. The musculature of his body. The way even the waves of his hair are well defined and detailed. I do believe the artist when he says his statue was created in love. It is too exquisitely carved to be otherwise.

The medium is inconsequential. I can see why christians would be offended by the 'Piss Christ' image, which is seemingly a direct jab at the belief in Christ (I say 'seemingly' because I do not know what the artist's original intent was when he created the piece; it could have been as harmless as the Virgin Mary statue that drew so much venom a couple of years ago, a component of which was elephant dung - not to offend but because the artist, who is African, wanted to create his painting using authentic materials utilized in African art). Everything is crafted from chocolate this time of year. An American candy company is reportedly making little chocolate crosses. The Oriental Trading Company always offers pretty chocolate christian novelties this time of year, some of which have peanut butter fillings.

So the chocolate can't be the whole issue.

The nudity then?

It isn't as if the statue has an enormous erection and was sculpted in a suggestive, pornographic or even slightly erotic manner. It is also realistic, as part of the act of crucifying a person was the removal of their clothing, which humiliated the condemned while leaving him or her open to the elements. This was done solely to increase the suffering of the victim. The cloth that covers Jesus' lower body in all christian art from the time of his death on is the result of teachings that portray the human body as an ugly, shameful thing that is to be covered at all times. It's the reason why many christians regard sex as a dirty act on par with going to the toilet (or being used as one), instead of the loving and natural expression of love and creation it actually is.

Okay, it's the nudity.

I saw a woman on the news maybe two minutes ago livid with anger that Jesus' genitalia is exposed. Her argument is that no one would ever dare to portray Mohammed with his lower half uncovered.

Yeah, and?

Mohammed wasn't crucified by the Romans and subject to their customs of pain and humiliation.

How did he die, anyway? I'm going to have to look that up. Now I'm curious.

Anyway...

Christians seem to be forgetting that Jesus was born a man. He died a martyr and to many he became a god, but he was still a man. Flesh. A being of skin and bones like the rest of us. Do they really believe that he was not anatomically correct? His divinity prevented him from urinating, defecating and feeling the same pleasure, warmth, cold and pain as the rest of us? How can anyone read the bible and believe that the Christ was a single Rabbi at age 30 and a eunuch? That's just plain gullibility, folks. That's not a miracle, that's a lonely individual who has been ostracized from his peers and leads an existance so agonizingly solitary that he would have most likely been grateful for the day when he would depart this world of unhappiness.

Yet we know this is not true. The rabbi was always surrounded by people - indeed his presence was much sought after - and he was a radical feminist who loved women and children and was loved by them in return.

He was a beautiful, humane being. And he was a man. There is no shame in sculpting him naked. Particularly when the piece is as reverent as the one pictured above. In other religions (including Wicca), Gods & Goddesses are often pictured, painted or sculpted nude, sometimes even making love. There is nothing ugly, shameful or disrespectful about this.

I think a lot of the time people are either on a hair-trigger or actively looking for something to be offended by. It would be far more productive for them to save that fire and passion for issues that really matter. The chocolate Jesus is not even remotely offensive.

This is more ado about nothing.