Ants on crucifix. Civilisation doomed.

Christians are demonstrating solidarity with Muslims by making us join them in paying obeisance to their own particular strange beliefs. The (US) National Portrait Gallery has pulled a video because of horribly offensive depictions that have upset and humiliated Christians, belittling their deeply held beliefs and confronting them with things they just don't want to know about, labelling it "hate speech". The offending image? A crucifix with ants crawling over it.



As Blake Gopnik points out though:

Of course, it's pretty clear that this has almost nothing to do with religion. Eleven seconds of an ant-covered crucifix? Come on.

This fuss is about the larger topic of the show: Gay love, and images of it. The headline that ran over coverage of the matter on the right-wing Web site CNSnews.com mentioned the crucifix - but as only one item in a list of the exhibition's "shockers" that included "naked brothers kissing, genitalia and Ellen DeGeneres grabbing her breasts." (Through a bra, one might note, in an image that's less shocking than many moves by Lady Gaga.) The same site decries "a painting the Smithsonian itself describes in the show's catalog as 'homoerotic'. "

Ladies: don't ever touch your own breasts. God will smite you.

And 'homoerotic'? Isn't that in the eye of the beholder? There's something in the Bibble about motes and beams...

Meanwhile, in Australia politicians have been forced by a vote in Parliament to determine what their constituents want in relation to gay marriage. As if it isn't already the fundamental requirement of politicians to act on behalf of their electorates. EoR's own particularly right wing member has, so far, failed to contact him. Given that he's obviously doing his best to take over Wilson Tuckey's role as Chief Lunatic in the Parliament, EoR isn't expecting him to come calling anytime soon.



Thanks to Liz Ditz for pointing out that today is Cthulhu Day, part of the celebrations of which include "Pin the Tail on the Lurking Fear" and "Summonings of temporarily defunct deities". It's good to see that the Catholic League and Don Randall are getting into the spirit of things.