You have so many interesting clips that appeal to my sense of spirituality AtlLiberal! I hope that this does not offend you, but you are more spiritual than most Christians. The fact is, that Jesus and countless others like him were crucified naked, as shocking as that may be to many Christians. Romans were expert at inflicting the most humiliating and embarrassing punishments as a lesson to others not to "offend Rome". But the nakedness of Jesus has a lot to say to us about our goals in life. When Jesus was crucified, he didn't have anybody with him. No house, no friends, others were railing at him; he had nothing, literally nothing. Just his own body and even that was abused and br...

You have so many interesting clips that appeal to my sense of spirituality AtlLiberal! I hope that this does not offend you, but you are more spiritual than most Christians. The fact is, that Jesus and countless others like him were crucified naked, as shocking as that may be to many Christians. Romans were expert at inflicting the most humiliating and embarrassing punishments as a lesson to others not to "offend Rome". But the nakedness of Jesus has a lot to say to us about our goals in life. When Jesus was crucified, he didn't have anybody with him. No house, no friends, others were railing at him; he had nothing, literally nothing. Just his own body and even that was abused and broken. That is the lesson in life of how worthless our goals really are. There are so many Christians whose goals are to get ahead in life, and make a lot of money and support those in government who give more to the rich, support wars and the death penalty, and want to do away with our few safety nets such as Social Security. Or they are more concerned with the promise of an "afterlife" if they will only be "saved" and the movie "The Passion of the Christ" only reinforced the message in their minds that Jesus's message was we were somehow all responsible for the death of Jesus and he had to experience all this horror because of us, instead of the true message that those who live for nonviolent justice die all too often from violent injustice. If only those Christians could understand what Jesus was "passionate" about as a way of understanding why his life ended. Personally, AltLiberal, I think this is a beautiful representation of Jesus's passion, life, and nakedness.

Thanks debbyski! I find your comment interesting. Obviously I don't share your views concerning Jesus in an historical perspective I can look at the concept in a metaphoric way and agree with much of what you've written. Being an atheist, contrary to popular myth, does not blind someone from certain basic ideas.

Unfortunately, the mainstream patriarchal Christian ideology as portrayed today, is not so inclusive. Their ideas concerning nudity, sex, family and reproduction might fair well in an agricultural iron age culture of 2000 years ago but are out of touch with the realities of modern day life. And wishing for the past to return is a chimera. The position of confusing reality with meta...

Thanks debbyski! I find your comment interesting. Obviously I don't share your views concerning Jesus in an historical perspective I can look at the concept in a metaphoric way and agree with much of what you've written. Being an atheist, contrary to popular myth, does not blind someone from certain basic ideas.

Unfortunately, the mainstream patriarchal Christian ideology as portrayed today, is not so inclusive. Their ideas concerning nudity, sex, family and reproduction might fair well in an agricultural iron age culture of 2000 years ago but are out of touch with the realities of modern day life. And wishing for the past to return is a chimera. The position of confusing reality with metaphor could very well be deadly today on a world wide scale.

Debbyski, I must say that your personal sense of Christianity, while unconvincing to me as a lever of personal change, is one which I find at least a bit rational as compared to that which many hold forth. Among those many would be those who would melt this sculpture as fast as they could fire-up their torches to do so.

The outrage expressed by the self-righteous over this work is simply an extension of the commonly used religious tool of FUD; fear, uncertainty, and doubt. Religion (as differentiated from faith, which is totally different of course) is as much about control of the masses of the followers and self-glorification of the leaders as it is anything else, in my estimation at least...

Debbyski, I must say that your personal sense of Christianity, while unconvincing to me as a lever of personal change, is one which I find at least a bit rational as compared to that which many hold forth. Among those many would be those who would melt this sculpture as fast as they could fire-up their torches to do so.

The outrage expressed by the self-righteous over this work is simply an extension of the commonly used religious tool of FUD; fear, uncertainty, and doubt. Religion (as differentiated from faith, which is totally different of course) is as much about control of the masses of the followers and self-glorification of the leaders as it is anything else, in my estimation at least; and by maintaining FUD among that mass, the leaders maintain security within their position. They are forced to strike out against any idea which counters the lessons which put them in control in the first place, lest they be exposed as the mere mortals they really are.