Respect for Islam but not Christianity?
Yet again a puerile, infantile “artist” has decided to commit atrocious blasphemy by depicting himself as Jesus Christ in his new music video. David Bowie wears robes striking a Christ-like pose promoting his song The Next Day whilst his fellow performer, Gary Oldman, appears dressed as a priest dancing with a prostitute in a brothel.
One such prostitute in the music video is played by Oscar-winning actress Marion Cotillard who, dressed in underwear, is seen kneeling staring upwards as blood pours from the palm of her hands in a deliberate portrayal of stigmata – a term used by Christians when body marks appear on people corresponding to the crucifixion wounds of Jesus Christ.
During the production of the video, did David Bowie contemplate using Islamic imagery instead perhaps?
The question is, of course, rhetorical. Christianity is seen as an easy touch for entertainers who wish to be “controversial” to sell records. Madonna (a cradle Catholic no less) has been overtly blasphemous for years in her performances as was Michael Jackson at times, despite being allegedly a Jehovah’s Witness.
Politicians on both sides of the Atlantic have tolerated this and even promoted it with their fear of offending Islam but quite happily attacking Christianity, as was seen by David Cameron deploying his Government lawyers to the European Court of Human Rights earlier this year to defend the UK Courts decision that British Airways had not acted discriminately against their employee when they banned her from wearing a cross at work. They, fortunately, lost and the ECHR ruled Nadia Eweida had suffered discrimination at work.
I can’t quite see British Government lawyers acting in the same way in a case of discrimination if a Sikh had been banned from wearing his turban or a Muslim lady had been banned from wearing the Hijab.
Government lawyers fighting Christians in the Courts and along with comments from Prime Minister David Cameron saying his Christian faith “is a bit like the reception for Magic FM in the Chilterns: it sort of comes and goes”, this all adds up to a culture of treating Christianity as a lesser religion than Islam or Judaism by the British political establishment. And the upshot is our cultural performers feel they can cause maximum offence against what is still the biggest religion in Britain.
Gavin Maclure's Musings 