Church of Iceland Depicts Christ with Breasts, Beard, Make Up

@divegeester said
Your reply is 8 inches of obfuscation; I don’t want a Jehovah’s Witness / Robbie carrobie / Galveston75 response, I’m asking you straight up , yes or no, as Jesus commanded, do you love your Republican neighbours as yourself?

I've answered you. I'm not submitting to your inquisition as well.

@suzianne said
I've answered you. I'm not submitting to your inquisition as well.

You responded, but you didn’t answer the question.

It’s amusing but a little disappointing to see you downshift into Robbie Carrobie mode to avoid my question, but we both know why don’t we.

@kevcvs57 said
You are the one repeating blatant lies here.
You go with Kremlin and Orthodox propaganda I’ll go with the propaganda from sources that do not label homosexuals as a danger to children.
I take it the Salisbury poisonings were western propaganda as well?

Name your source.

What Western LGBTQ advocacy organization can you name?

And where is the state sponsored persecution of gays?

Last time I recollect asking you for sources, you provided none and implied it was unnecessary. That's fine. But maybe just don't bother replying if you are not prepared to defend and argue your point.

@philokalia said
Name your source.

What Western LGBTQ advocacy organization can you name?

And where is the state sponsored persecution of gays?

Last time I recollect asking you for sources, you provided none and implied it was unnecessary. That's fine. But maybe just don't bother replying if you are not prepared to defend and argue your point.

Wiki
“ Main article: recognition of same-sex unions in Russia
Neither same-sex marriages nor civil unions of same-sex couples are allowed in Russia. In July 2013, Patriarch Kirill, the leader of the Russian Orthodox Church, of which approximately 41% of Russians are adherents,[29] said that the idea of same-sex marriage was "a very dangerous sign of the Apocalypse".[30] At a 2011 press conference, the head of the Moscow Registry Office, Irina Muravyova, declared: "Attempts by same-sex couples to marry both in Moscow and elsewhere in Russia are doomed to fail. We live in a civil society, we are guided by the federal law, [and] by the Constitution that clearly says: marriage in Russia is between a man and a woman. Such a marriage [same-sex] cannot be contracted in Russia."[31] The vast majority of the Russian public are also against same-sex marriage.[24][32] In July 2020, Russian voters approved a Constitution amendment banning same-sex marriage.”
Wiki
“ Gay pride events[edit]

LGBT activists in St. Petersburg, Russia, 1 May 2017
There have been notable objections to the organization of gay pride parades[39] in several Russian cities, most prominently Moscow, where authorities have never approved a request to hold a gay pride rally.[40] Former Moscow mayor Yuri Luzhkov supported the city's refusal to authorize the first two editions of Nikolay Alexeyev's Moscow Pride events, calling them as "satanic". The events still went on as planned, in defiance of their lack of authorization.[41][42] In 2010, Russia was fined by the European Court of Human Rights, ruling that, as alleged by Alexeyev, Russian cities were discriminating against gays by refusing to authorize pride parades. Although authorities had claimed allowing pride events to be held would pose a risk of violence, the Court ruled that their decisions "effectively approved of and supported groups who had called for [their] disruption."[43] In August 2012, contravening the previous ruling, the Moscow City Court upheld a ruling blocking requests by the organizers of Moscow Pride for authorization to hold the parade yearly through 2112, citing the possibility of public disorder and a lack of support for such events by residents of Moscow.[44][45][46][47]”
That’s just a quick scan of wiki.
I suppose I should be grateful your not asking for sources regarding the assassination of political opponents and journalist in Russia’s new orthodox and authoritarian Nirvana.
If you cannot debate without demanding evidence of the blatantly obvious then perhaps you shouldn’t debate at all.

@suzianne said
Let me ask you something.

Is he EVERYone's Christ, or just yours?

Are you equally offended by depictions of Jesus as black?

There are Christians who are offended by the mainstream depictions of Jesus as white. Does that bother you?

I have seen blond-haired blue-eyed Jesus figures in Bavarian churches. There are black Madonnas in Africa.

Do they offend anyone here?

@kevcvs57 said
Wiki
“ Main article: recognition of same-sex unions in Russia
Neither same-sex marriages nor civil unions of same-sex couples are allowed in Russia. In July 2013, Patriarch Kirill, the leader of the Russian Orthodox Church, of which approximately 41% of Russians are adherents,[29] said that the idea of same-sex marriage was "a very dangerous sign of the Apocalypse".[30] At ...[text shortened]... debate without demanding evidence of the blatantly obvious then perhaps you shouldn’t debate at all.

At no point have you provided information showing that they are oppressed.

You have only shown that they cannot marry and that they cannot organize parades.

You also provided some quotations from Orthodox clergy that is critical of homosexuality, big surprise. That is exactly what they should be saying.

@moonbus said
I have seen blond-haired blue-eyed Jesus figures in Bavarian churches. There are black Madonnas in Africa.

Do they offend anyone here?

Not to mention...

All the people mocking Christ & crucifying him are European looking, too.

These people just did not know what Middle Eastern people looked like.

@philokalia said
At no point have you provided information showing that they are oppressed.

You have only shown that they cannot marry and that they cannot organize parades.

You also provided some quotations from Orthodox clergy that is critical of homosexuality, big surprise. That is exactly what they should be saying.

So if some tinpot dictator in a dress told you that you couldn’t marry you wouldn’t feel in any way suppressed, yeah ok.
Not allowed to gather in the street and parade, you know, like on St Patrick’s day. That’s not suppression or bigotry, yeah ok.
Well I guess you won that one.

@philokalia said
Not to mention...

All the people mocking Christ & crucifying him are European looking, too.

These people just did not know what Middle Eastern people looked like.

Well, for that matter, we do not know what Jesus looked like, apart from being a Semite (that is, very probably not blond-haired or blue-eyed).

Nonetheless, a blond-haired blue-eyed figure on a cross in Bavaria I do not see as blasphemous, so long as those adoring it are guided thereby to the salvational message.

I suppose the Icelandic church was hoping to broaden its appeal to people who feel disenfranchised by a dogma which scorns anyone not gender-binary heterosexual and monogamous. If it was indeed their intention to save some gender-fluid non-heterosexuals with this bizarre image of the Savior, the attempt is pretty lame. I can’t imagine any trans person, who was not already drawn to Christianity, suddenly converting because of that image.

@moonbus said
Well, for that matter, we do not know Jesus looked like, apart from being a Semite (that is, very probably not blond-haired or blue-eyed).

Nonetheless, a blond-haired blue-eyed figure on a cross in Bavaria I do not see as blasphemous, so long as those adoring it are guided thereby to the salvational message.

I suppose the Icelandic church was hoping to broaden its appe ...[text shortened]... trans person, who was not already drawn to Christianity, suddenly converting because of that image.

Not very many Christians I have known really give a damn if non-heterosexuals are "brought to Jesus" or not. Most are perfectly happy thinking they'll just fry forever.

@moonbus said
Well, for that matter, we do not know what Jesus looked like, apart from being a Semite (that is, very probably not blond-haired or blue-eyed).

Nonetheless, a blond-haired blue-eyed figure on a cross in Bavaria I do not see as blasphemous, so long as those adoring it are guided thereby to the salvational message.

I suppose the Icelandic church was hoping to broaden its ...[text shortened]... trans person, who was not already drawn to Christianity, suddenly converting because of that image.

I think they were probably trying to be inclusive and welcoming to an ostracised outsider. Remind you of anyone?

@kevcvs57 said
So if some tinpot dictator in a dress told you that you couldn’t marry you wouldn’t feel in any way suppressed, yeah ok.
Not allowed to gather in the street and parade, you know, like on St Patrick’s day. That’s not suppression or bigotry, yeah ok.
Well I guess you won that one.

But two men, two women cannot be married in any traditional sort of institution.

Just as such, in an Islamic country, the Muslims cannot drink alcohol. Are they oppressed for this?

No more than people who cannot legally smoke opium.

The gay pride parades are not allowed to happen because it turns into a system of propagandization of homosexuality towards children like you see in Western societies, which will cause long-term ill effects.

@moonbus said
Well, for that matter, we do not know what Jesus looked like, apart from being a Semite (that is, very probably not blond-haired or blue-eyed).

Nonetheless, a blond-haired blue-eyed figure on a cross in Bavaria I do not see as blasphemous, so long as those adoring it are guided thereby to the salvational message.

I suppose the Icelandic church was hoping to broaden its ...[text shortened]... trans person, who was not already drawn to Christianity, suddenly converting because of that image.

Very true -- this would likely not inspire any conversion moment.

Let us also remember... Christianity cannot dismiss its own texts any more than any other religion can.

If the Muslims started to say that the Koran was not important and that the texts could be interpreted radically differently, it would become, immediately, a religion for one's own whims. it would lose respectability. It'd turn to mush. It'd really be nothing at all.

And what would Christianity be without its own Holy texts and traditions?

There is no Christ that looked like that, or that wants others to look and behave like that.

@philokalia said
But two men, two women cannot be married in any traditional sort of institution.

Just as such, in an Islamic country, the Muslims cannot drink alcohol. Are they oppressed for this?

No more than people who cannot legally smoke opium.

The gay pride parades are not allowed to happen because it turns into a system of propagandization of homosexuality towards children like you see in Western societies, which will cause long-term ill effects.

Nobody can drink in a Muslim country, try again and think about discrimination as a concept.

“ The gay pride parades are not allowed to happen because it turns into a system of propagandization of homosexuality towards children like you see in Western societies, which will cause long-term ill effects.”
There it is right there The Lie that homosexuality is a disease that can infect people, especially children, rather than simply a state of being.
It’s people like you that prove religion to be a danger to civil society and something that should be monitored and opposed at all costs.

@philokalia said
Very true -- this would likely not inspire any conversion moment.

Let us also remember... Christianity cannot dismiss its own texts any more than any other religion can.

If the Muslims started to say that the Koran was not important and that the texts could be interpreted radically differently, it would become, immediately, a religion for one's own whims. it would ...[text shortened]... ons?

There is no Christ that looked like that, or that wants others to look and behave like that.

Your focus on material / shallow things, buildings, books, traditions, looks, is very unhealthy spiritually. There was a time when there were none of these things, and people were still able to do the will of God and please God, maybe even more so. I can site many examples where Jesus condemned the focus on these things which detract from more important matters. The Pharisees had a similar focus like you do and they were condemned by Christ. Christians should try to be more like Christ, not more like the Pharisees.