Sioux City Journal

Do you think a Holy Week art exhibit featuring a nude chocolate Jesus should have been shut down?

Posted: Sunday, April 01, 2007

A planned Holy Week exhibition of a nude, anatomically correct chocolate sculpture of Jesus Christ was canceled Friday after Cardinal Edward Egan and other outraged Catholics complained.

The "My Sweet Lord" display was shut down by the hotel that houses the Lab Gallery in midtown Manhattan. Roger Smith Hotel president James Knowles cited the public outcry for his decision.

The reaction "is crystal clear and has brought to our attention the unintended reaction of you and other conscientious friends of ours to the exhibition," Knowles wrote in the two-paragraph cancellation notice.

Matt Semler, the gallery's creative director, resigned in protest.

The six-foot sculpture was the victim of "a strong-arming from people who haven't seen the show, seen what we're doing," Semler said. "They jumped to conclusions completely contrary to our intentions."

But word of the confectionary Christ infuriated Catholics, including Egan, who described it as "a sickening display." Bill Donohue, head of the watchdog Catholic League, said it was "one of the worst assaults on Christian sensibilities ever."

Do you think the Holy Week art exhibit featuring a nude chocolate Jesus should have been shut down?

Story Comments

Hungry wrote on Apr 3, 2007 4:38 AM:

" Yum...chocolate. "

Someone wrote on Apr 2, 2007 9:18 PM:

" Why is it that when someone says it is offensive to hear "under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance, we must remove that part, but when a Christian is offended by something this ludicrous, it's against freedom of speech? And why isn't this kind of action just as wrong as making disparaging remarks about someone's ethnic background? I'm hard pressed to see the difference. "

Minnow wrote on Apr 2, 2007 6:07 PM:

" OK, Mark granted. But how can it be offensive enough to ban? Don't like it, don't look at it, it's as simple as that. But that's not good enough is it? It's not your "remote control" your interested in controlling, it's mine. "

Kay wrote on Apr 2, 2007 2:35 PM:

" Yes, I do agree with the shutting down of the display of Jesus without a loin cloth. Disrespectful to our Lord and Saviour. I don't think the chocolate medium is as offensive as the nudity unless it was meant to be some kind of sarcasim such as comparing it on the level as the easter bunny, eggs, etc. used for decorations and fun during this holiday season. "

Mark wrote on Apr 1, 2007 8:05 AM:

" Minnow, the AP article the Journal carried said it was depicting "Jesus," not a figure posed as what you may think is like a Jesus, and it was called "My sweet Lord." How can you say it wasn't Jesus? Of course it wasn't ACTUALLY Jesus, but then, as we do not truly know what he looked like, even the statutes in churches aren't actually Jesus but merely a likeness. "