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Olympics Blasphemy & Christlike Righteous Indignation

Olympics Blasphemy & Christlike Righteous Indignation

Last updated on: August 1, 2024 at 12:46 pm by Dave Armstrong

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Olympics Blasphemy & Christlike Righteous Indignation 2024-08-01T12:46:59-04:00 Dave Armstrong

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Photo credit: The Last Supper (1495-1498), by Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519), in the Santa Maria delle Grazie Church, Milan, Italy [public domain / Wikimedia Commons]

Some Catholics and other Christians are now lamenting the denunciation and outrage over what happened in the opening ceremony of the Olympics, with the mockery of the Last Supper and the hyper-sexualized mythological paganism. They have vociferously complained that too many (?) have expressed themselves in a manner that exhibits what they believe to be hatred, and works against a proper witness and evangelism. This is my reply regarding that particular issue.

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First of all, as a preliminary note concerning my own views: I don’t “hate” or despise any of these people (or anyone whatsoever, for that matter). I’ve devoted my life’s work to evangelism of all people, and I will talk to anyone towards that end. For example, I once had a nice, civil discussion with a self-described trans Satanist atheist. I don’t care what anyone has done or what “category” they may be considered to be in. I’ve lived that reality for over forty years, as an apologist (both as a Protestant and Catholic).

That said, what I do hate is mockery of sacred things, and in this instance, especially since it was condoned at the “high level” of the Olympics, with maybe 1/5 or 1/6 of the world watching. I’m with Bishop Barron. Catholics and other Christians must denounce that. It’s not “hatred” of people that motivates this. The same proverbially “meek and mild” Jesus Who ate with sinners, forgave the adulteress, etc. also denounced public displays of sacrilege and blasphemy in no uncertain terms, with very strong righteous indignation (including, on one occasion, with a whip, to boot!):

Matthew 21:12-13 (RSV) And Jesus entered the temple of God and drove out all who sold and bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons. [13] He said to them, “It is written, `My house shall be called a house of prayer’; but you make it a den of robbers.”

John 2:14-16 In the temple he found those who were selling oxen and sheep and pigeons, and the money-changers at their business. [15] And making a whip of cords, he drove them all, with the sheep and oxen, out of the temple; and he poured out the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables. [16] And he told those who sold the pigeons, “Take these things away; you shall not make my Father’s house a house of trade.”

Matthew 23:23-38 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you tithe mint and dill and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law, justice and mercy and faith; these you ought to have done, without neglecting the others. [24] You blind guides, straining out a gnat and swallowing a camel! [25] “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you cleanse the outside of the cup and of the plate, but inside they are full of extortion and rapacity. [26] You blind Pharisee! first cleanse the inside of the cup and of the plate, that the outside also may be clean. [27] “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within they are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness. [28] So you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but within you are full of hypocrisy and iniquity. [29] “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you build the tombs of the prophets and adorn the monuments of the righteous, [30] saying, `If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’ [31] Thus you witness against yourselves, that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets. [32] Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers. [33] You serpents, you brood of vipers, how are you to escape being sentenced to hell? [34] Therefore I send you prophets and wise men and scribes, some of whom you will kill and crucify, and some you will scourge in your synagogues and persecute from town to town, [35] that upon you may come all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of innocent Abel to the blood of Zechari’ah the son of Barachi’ah, whom you murdered between the sanctuary and the altar. [36] Truly, I say to you, all this will come upon this generation. [37] “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, killing the prophets and stoning those who are sent to you! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you would not! [38] Behold, your house is forsaken and desolate.

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St. Paul told us to imitate him, as he in turn imitated Christ (1 Cor 11:1) and wrote, “you became imitators of us and of the Lord” (1 Thess 1:6).

Part of imitating our Lord Jesus Christ is expressing indignation at blasphemy, where warranted, since He did that. I think the opening of the Olympics is of such influence and import that we must speak out when blasphemy occurs. If we don’t, it will only get worse and worse and more people will reject Christianity. That aspect is largely ignored.

This is not about currently fashionable no-limitations libertarianism and folks’ supposed rights to do whatever they want, whenever or wherever, no matter how much it may harm others. This is about the gospel and spirituality, and the souls of all the individuals involved. Even from a secular perspective, society doesn’t gain anything by one group of people mocking what another much larger group holds sacred. The people doing this are the most harmed; therefore it is a loving act to suggest that they stop doing so. The outcry I am seeing is contending that those of us protesting this outrage supposedly don’t care about the people who did this. Nothing could be further from the truth.

We must protest with love, of course, but we don’t refrain from doing it for fear of the disapproval of the world and the flak we catch from the world-system as a result, and the ever-present misguided accusations of “hatred” when we express Christian morality and piety. We must love the sinner but not the sin. We can do both. Christians can walk and chew gum at the same time. St. Paul wrote: “Do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewal of your mind” (Rom 12:2). The Phillips paraphrase delightfully renders this as, “Don’t let the world squeeze you into its own mould.”

As far as denouncing the Christians — however many there are — who truly can’t renounce sin and blasphemy without hatred or conspiratorialism, etc., I totally agree. But I partially disagree as to when and where and to what extent that is occurring. Some Christians, no doubt (as is always the case; people being people), have gone overboard in denouncing this. But we don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater because of that. We do it the right way and denounce the wrong way.

If we are silent when this garbage gets worse and worse, then we have only ourselves to blame for the culture going further and further towards the devil. If that happens, millions of souls are lost, too. We’re evangelists, but we’re also salt and light and the city on a hill. We must render our opinion on something like this, and yes, reason with them and show love, too. And again, the people most harmed are the ones committing the mockery and sacrilege. To oppose it is at the same time an act of love towards them.

Christianity is not mere “warm fuzzy feel-goodism.” We have spiritual and theological and moral truth to share, and it’s good for everyone. The comes a time when further attempts to evangelize are futile and we must move on. This was true even of Jesus and Paul, as well as the disciples:

Luke 9:5 And wherever they do not receive you, when you leave that town shake off the dust from your feet as a testimony against them.

Matthew 13:57-58 And they took offense at him. But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own country and in his own house.” [58] And he did not do many mighty works there, because of their unbelief.

Acts 18:4-6 And he argued in the synagogue every sabbath, and persuaded Jews and Greeks. [5] When Silas and Timothy arrived from Macedo’nia, Paul was occupied with preaching, testifying to the Jews that the Christ was Jesus. [6] And when they opposed and reviled him, he shook out his garments and said to them, “Your blood be upon your heads! I am innocent. From now on I will go to the Gentiles.”

Jesus also severely rebuked — almost cursed — those who deliberately rejected His (or His disciples’) message:

Matthew 11:20-24 Then he began to upbraid the cities where most of his mighty works had been done, because they did not repent. [21] “Woe to you, Chora’zin! woe to you, Beth-sa’ida! for if the mighty works done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. [22] But I tell you, it shall be more tolerable on the day of judgment for Tyre and Sidon than for you. [23] And you, Caper’na-um, will you be exalted to heaven? You shall be brought down to Hades. For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. [24] But I tell you that it shall be more tolerable on the day of judgment for the land of Sodom than for you.”

Luke 10:8-16 Whenever you enter a town and they receive you, eat what is set before you; [9] heal the sick in it and say to them, `The kingdom of God has come near to you.’ [10] But whenever you enter a town and they do not receive you, go into its streets and say, [11] `Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet, we wipe off against you; nevertheless know this, that the kingdom of God has come near.’ [12] I tell you, it shall be more tolerable on that day for Sodom than for that town. [13] “Woe to you, Chora’zin! woe to you, Beth-sa’ida! for if the mighty works done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. [14] But it shall be more tolerable in the judgment for Tyre and Sidon than for you. [15] And you, Caper’na-um, will you be exalted to heaven? You shall be brought down to Hades. [16] “He who hears you hears me, and he who rejects you rejects me, and he who rejects me rejects him who sent me.”

There are many reasons (besides Christians acting stupidly and hypocritically and lacking love) why Jesus said that we would be hated by all for His name’s sake (Mt 10:22; Mk 13:13; Lk 21:17). The world (i.e., “the world-system”; Gk., kosmos) hated and killed Him. It will always hate us, too: no matter how polite and nicey-nicey and tolerant we are — and how reasonable and intellectual — we attempt to be. The world will always oppose the message of the gospel and of the fullness of Catholic Christianity, because it is under the domain of Satan (Acts 26:18; Rev 12:9).

If anyone doubts this, spend a year in an atheist forum, as I have done, and see how wildly popular you are.

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Photo credit: The Last Supper (1495-1498), by Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519), in the Santa Maria delle Grazie Church, Milan, Italy [public domain / Wikimedia Commons]

Summary: I offer my $00.02′ worth regarding the controversy over the blasphemous, sacrilegious display at the opening ceremony of the Paris Summer Olympics in 2024; with Scripture.

Catholic Apologetics

Blasphemy

carnal mockery of Christianity

Olympics & the Last Supper

Olympics blasphemy

opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics

sacrilege

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