NEW YORK (AP) -- A planned Holy Week exhibition of a nude, anatomically correct chocolate sculpture of Jesus Christ was canceled Friday amid complaints from Catholics, including Cardinal Edward Egan.

The "My Sweet Lord" display was shut down by the hotel that houses the Lab Gallery in Manhattan, said Matt Semler, the gallery's creative director. Semler said he resigned after officials at the Roger Smith Hotel shut down the show.

The artwork was created from more than 200 pounds of milk chocolate and features Christ with his arms outstretched as if on an invisible cross. Unlike the typical religious portrayal of Christ, the artwork does not include a loincloth.

The 6-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."

*for full story, see LINK for details*

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I wonder what was so offensive - was it the fact that it was made out of chocolate, or the fact that it was nude? Some people can get really touchy about these sorts of things. I personally would love to get a hold of some of that Holy Chocolate - maybe there'll be a miracle and I won't get fat (well, fatter).

Though I guess people could be forgiven for seeing a vision of Jesus in the chocolate

Regards, PA

It's because it was made with milk chocolate instead of white chocolate and people don't like to think that Jesus had a wee wee.

The Catholic Church was also afraid that they would have to substitute the cardboard flavored bread at communion with Hershey Bars.

(I kid.)

That is hilarious! Who would have thought to sculpt a naked jesus.....out of chocolate >_>. Since it was cancelled I wonder if they ate him .

Wow! Six feet tall too! That's a lot of chocolate *mmmm* Chocolate

I wonder if it was hollow. Hollow chocolate is much better .

mmmm 6 foot of chocolatay

And people reacted on word alone, without having ever seen the sculpture. How often do we read that one?


This was a dialog I had with someone in a forum chat on opening night of "Passion of the Christ".
"This movie is atrocious and should be stopped. It's an insult to christians everywhere!"

"Have you seen it?"

"NO! But...."

LOL......So tempting, yet soooooo wrong......

So tempted to make a "Last Supper" joke, but I shall refrain.

*bites tongue*

Disgusting. Looks like christians are taking a page from their history once again. Free speech is there for both sides of views, just not for one group.

Okay-I'll be the one to say it. This puts a new spin on, "Take, eat, this is my body."

Reactionary ignorance. Amazing stuff that. But that the hotel feared for their own safety in this matter is pathetic. Jesus had a penis! OMG! No way! A man? That just cant be allowed to display as the son of god! Next thing you know that he was celibate may be a lie.

Well unless Mary, Jesus' wife, got knocked up like Jesus' mother did in mythology... I'm pretty sure Jesus would have had to do it with Mary for Juda to be born.

I thought Jesus would have been more of a cookies and cream kinda guy *shrugs*

Maybe they feared that the shock of seeing Jesus' willy would be earth shattering and would cause a crisis of faith. I remember when I once exclaimed to my nan "she's the queen yes, but she's just a woman... she does pass wind you know!" and she was shocked to the core... me, talking about the queen and passing wind like that. Such things are demeaning. Private parts and bodily functions.

gives a new meaning to "want a piece of me?!" lol, send it to the nudist colony, they will accept it in welcoming arms, i hope there werent any teenage girls around, that would be hell

Imagine that in an easter basket !!

I'd love to have a replica in the basket to be blessed at Mass before easter. !! I'm always for uncovering mans' fear.

Yep with Christians all you get is a 'few complaints'..even though, it sounds like the chocolate Jesus was made as a deliberate wind up.
Can you image if it was a chocolate Mohamed?
All around the world innocent people would be killed..

lol PA i dont know any moderator like u, ur kinda like us, the little people. . . if u stop being on UM be sure to remember us, just sayin

Thing is can you imagine all the religious paintings, sculpture, etc... that the public hasn't been made privy to? Because of conservative attitudes that it might be "offensive"? I mean think about it from a real human mother/son perspective. In the 1st century there were no bottles, ergo Mary breast fed christ. If you want to start a real furor sculpt that out of white chocolate and watch the world collapse upon itself. The myth seems to foreshadow the reality, if indeed a jesus and Mary did exist, that they were human first. But all one is permitted to see, as this report examples, is the idealized image that makes jesus (and any holy icon) more than human, but less than suitable to be viewed as such. And then, to top it all off, people that believe the myth are suppose to relate to jesus being the son of man. They just can't see he was a man. Because....that would be wrong!

Things to do with chocolate 101

And I so agree that if this were a chocolate , with willy in place, of Mohammad the curators or staff of the gallery would in all likelihood be dead. Or the facility burned to the ground. It's an amazing contradiction actually. Religions that preach tolerance, avow prophets that preach peace, and yet the believers in the faith example themselves as intolerant, and violent , in the name of the religion. It's like someone I know that is christian, but not at all by the book. They say if one is still looking up to jesus as a man, or aspiring to one day see him in heaven, they're not truly one with what is meant by christ consciousness. That transcends the imagery the jesus myth evokes, and instead is the energy the christ invoked, and taught that all people could do the same, if they only had faith.

In truth, art has been censored since censorship was invented, for all sorts of reasons. Every generation/nation has had its laws, its morality, its code. Religious censorship is only a part of it. There are no doubt vast quantities of paintings and sculptures that have been destroyed... and works of literature... because the censors thought they would corrupt the masses, or inspire them to fight political oppression. And, to be fair, artists are more than capable of being deliberately provocative.

For an artist, his art is his voice... not surprising that art offends really, when it is so often a social comment or an attack on one system/regime or another.

In this case though... offense at the thought of a naked chocolate Jesus... well, that's just downright silly.

Silly indeed. I think it's the relativity of an edible delicious medium, being used to depict an endowed religious male icon. Something about oral fixation and implications in milk chocolate, I think. Seriously. Like the Quentin Crisp quote used in another thread. Saying the word, "Gay" doesn't just relate to imagining homosexuals in the act. Any description, visual, etc... of sexual organs automatically leads to a relationship of a sexual act, for those that know the experience. For those that don't it's the imagining of what it all means. And it's instantaneous, so to have that occur on a christian image of a man many believe was only so in name, without actually being so, completely, is somehow obscene because it's in a medium that is also edible.

Hey, the way I see it jesus said eat of this bread it is my flesh, could just as easily work for cocoa products. And therein lies the obscene visuals. Jesus, Willy....chocolate Willy. Makes the bunny bites sort of pale in comparison, no!?

And I agree with your pov about Art and social context, Shadow. I would love to see every piece of art that exists in every treasury or gallery, opened to the public view. I think controlling what we see controls what we think, so I don't doubt what is hidden would put a whole new slant on social relations and the evolution of this edited contemporary world view. The one way to teach conservatism is to outlaw liberalism.

Im gonna get me a chocolate Jesus for easter....The easter bunny will be bringing it to me. I still hope they can pull if off in cookies in cream

Could you pull off a cookie's and cream Jesus for me GW?....I heard you were a great cook

THERE WOULD BE A BIT OF A QUEUE TO EAT THE CHOCOLATE P*NIS OF JESUS.

Or better yet, carve it off and sell it on Ebay! The first pictures to put it on Ebay for bid, would blow the roof off!

If a casino buys Mary on grilled cheese, anythings market worthy! What is toast in Vegas stays in Vegas!

FIRST! There was RAPTOR JESUS!



He went extinct for our sins!

Now, there is...CHOCOLATE JESUS!

He was taken away by radical qausi-fascist christian fundies with the collective IQ of a small peruvian rat, and then melted for our sins!

It's ok for you to make light of it PA along with a few others...but I can see why it's offencive............protestants mock catholics for having a figure of Jesus on their cross, they claim its a FALSE idol, when it is not false, it's Jesus and they are reminded to be thankful Jesus died for all our sins. But see what I don't get is a number of protestant christians (on line) can't think what is so offencive about a chocolate christ..what's the biggie I hear some of you say?? Can you not spot the irony of it all??

let me break it down for you PA...

The protestant chrsitians bang on about MAKING false idols..............(for some reason they think having a statue of Jesus on a cross is a false idol)
Yet when some see this, a great big false idol of Jesus....all of a sudden they read..the catholic church is annoyed at it..so low and behold...the protestants look past their irony..and say - Whats so offencive about the (false chocolate idol) aka chocolate christ?? WE DONT GET IT

If it not offencive to you...tell me something...would you eat a smaller version of it and then say -- WOW I really AM recieving the body of our lord Jesus christ ? hmmmmm

the irony cracks me up

I can see why people found it offencive....any smart person would....

Hey what about a great big chocolate bible..then let all the chrsitians have a go at finially getting to not only preach the words..but now they can EAT the words.................would that be offencive??
I can almost pic it now...[b]do you believe in the words of the christian bible?? YES I DO...ohh ok then...now eat them..go on its chocolate.............<--yup again offencive
Me thinks it would [/b]

I cant see what's offensive at all about an effigy that is common place in many churches, but made of chocolate. Especially right before Easter, when chocolate icons of the season are everywhere in abundance. What's offensive is the threatening behavior exampled in opposition to chocolate!

What's found offensive is no loin cloth and thus the full man depiction of that icon so familiar. But what of that, really!? He was a man, the son of man. God incarnate. Born a boy child in a manger. I wouldn't be offended that he's depicted as he had to be, if he existed at all as a man. I'd be offended if someone made yet another icon of christ without any manhood. We're all born naked. Where's the shame in knowing what naked looks like!? Bare as god made ya. Is that really a sin or a shame!?


~wanders off to her stash of Cadbury chocolate egg's~ Gotta start somewhere.

The difference is, BM, that people aren't likely to bow and pray before this chocolate Jesus. Catholics are likely to kneel and pray to the cross with Jesus stuck on there, as if Jesus is still sitting there dying for our sins when he died, resurrected and is no longer on that cross.

Know what I mean. That this article was referring to Catholics had nothing to do with my posting this. I'm sure there would be some protestants who also would have rallied against it, but in that area I guess Catholicism was the dominant denomination. This isn't an insidious "poke fun at the Catholics" post, BM. If it were protestants, I'd have posted it just the same.

That sounds like a good thing. Chocolate Jesus.

In the words of the True Messiah "Sacrelicious":D

too clever!

Well I only have your word for that PA and I know how you feel towards catholics..so I think you should drop that one...besides if the catholics where to kneel infront of a chocolate statue...it would be so wrong..to kneel and pray to something you are going to take a bite out of

Besides..lets say IF someone made a chocolate bible...and said..this is your bible..you read and believe in its words...now eat it...LOL now I for one would think..thats a tad disrespectful

I can see the pure irony of it all.....they preach out...DONT MAKE FALSE IDOLS...they call Jesus a false idol that catholics pray to...and yet whoohoo look the catholics are giving off about someone making a chocolate Jesus...how silly for them to be offended by that...forgetting how they slam catholics for praying to jesus on the cross..but will come up with ANY excuse to find a loop hole..sad!!

Here is your saviour the Lord Jesus Chrsit..this time dont kneel down and pray to him,...noooooooooooo stand up and take a bite of him..wanna try eating his backside, I head they left the darker chocolate for that part hmm yummy?? go on EAT JESUS..he tastes sooooooooooooo YUMMY.....................yea PA so NOT offencive

End this one with...you see it one way PA................lol I see it another way because I defend what I see as WRONG and I hold RESPECT for their beliefs

...it's *ART*, people. Period. Nothing more. *ART*. Leave it alone! THIS ISN'T THE DARKAGES!

Actually, years ago during a visit to Spain my family came across a small church where a woman was selling little gifts and chocolates, and she was selling little crosses with Jesus on made out of chocolate, and Bibles, and all sorts of religious whotnots in choccie. I have to admit though, that I always feel a bit odd about biting the head off any human shaped edible object.

And try as I might, no matter how nice the chocolate was, I could not eat a backside.

What if some catholics saw the crucifix as the sacred reminder that jesus died for the sins of the world. And from there was their faith born?

To put your observation into context, it's the same as saying catholics don't recognize the resurrection. To say the christ on the cross image is as if jesus is still there dying for our sins.... Did he start that process of dying for the sins of the world on the cross? Well then.

I'd ask the catholics on board. Do you recognize christ resurrected? What does the crucifix mean to you/your faith?



As for people not being likely to bow and pray before choco-christ. Never say not likely! If people will kneel and pray, bring flowers and light candles, before a iron stain on an overpass, thinking it a sending from Mary, one might say anything is subject to being viewed as worthy of such adoration. I think it's something that's intrinsic to holding faith in religious myth. A body of traditions and contextual narratives, that predisposes one's conscious choice to believe in the unbelievable, the super natural, as it were. So seeing Mary in oxidized glass is just as possible for the believer as was the Virgin Lourdes encounter.

Let me answer that..well I am a former catholic LOL

The catholic church worships Jesus...to have him on the cross..is to only REMIND you, of what he did for us ALL..and how we should be thankful he died for all of our sins.........thats why they pray in front of him...giving thanks for what he has done....frankly I dont see the harm in it...HOWEVER the protestant chrsitians who once came from the catholic faith hence the term pro-test-ants....will use that to spit at the catholics and make up stories saying Jesus on the cross is a false idol.....its out of pure spite and lack of respect for a chrsitian faith

yet the same people will expect everyone else to show respect for THEIR faith - Propaganda at its best!!!-believe in our hype LOL

You dont have to agree with a religious faith to show respect for it

LOL

I too would feel odd biting the head of someone that is seen as GOD...or even biting a bible made out of chocolate..to me it would be weird and disrespectfull

If anyone wants others to respect their faith...then practice what you preach

I can tell you what my Italian grandmother saw when she looked at Jesus on the cross... the suffering he underwent for her, her personal saviour. It was a reminder to her that her pain was small in comparison to his, and of his love for her, that he would suffer that agony to take away her sins. She knew he wasn't still hanging there... she wasn't stupid. It's a reminder of an event, for those who believe... an event that is the basis of the faith of so many.

Do you think the choco-Jesus would have been so offensive if he'd been made by the church, for a charity event or something like that?

If the catholics did it for charity..then YES I would still see it as offencive............the thoughts of someone biting Jesus in the backside may seem funny to some of you LMAO..but to me..I see it kinna weird

Like saying - NOW you have just recieved the body of our lord Jesus..and he was YUMMY..Jesus tastes good when he is chocolate...taste his backside they made it so creamy..unlike the head of Jesus..its tastes like dark chocolate, a bit too strong for my taste LMAO...come on everyone EAT JESUS!!!

Too weird!!

What's a discussion like this without video!?


Conservatives Outraged Over Chocolate Jesus Art


The piece titled, My sweet lord at that.


BLASPHEMY!!! ~points a chocolate bunny at choco-christ , in outrage~




Edit link fix

we're all going to hell because jesus hasn't a sense of humour, or he has and his people havn't

ok ive decided not to eat this choccie jesus, especialy his butt! no way!

I think I would only eat the arms or legs.

I'd nosh the turtle! True enough. I figure christ had a Willy, what's the big deal. And if he was the savior of the world, wouldn't he want to leave behind as many little copies of that essence, to keep on keeping on after he knew he was destined to leave? What better way to save the world than to have children blessed to be of a god father, to help the plan along!? Eww, that sounds oddly familiar.


I like the part in the youtube video, wherein the President of the Catholic League, Mr.Donahue , played the victim saying he was merely exercising his 1st Amendment rights in this matter. But what about Mr. Cavallaro's first amendment rights as an artist. And is it christian for the President of the catholic league to refute Mr.Cavallaro's assertion that he is a christian? What's the difference between depicting jesus without the loin cloth in this medium, and any gold icon in Rome with the cloth in place!? The medium? The fact people will eat of it on Easter? Eat of my flesh. It's a sacrament, in chocolate.

But the mob says that's not how it's meant to be seen. So it shall not be seen at all. I wish I had a gallery in Manhattan. Jesus would be on display and attorneys on retainer. Wanna party? Let's party! I'd show what the first Amendment looks like and Mr.Donahue no doubt would show me what a true catholic is.

I've never heard it called that before I learned a new word today... gotta find someone to use it on now.

Any man will do!

You'll know they know the reference, when you say it and they blush. So cute.

I am going to boycott eating chocolate chrsits...and tie myself to the factory that is in the process of making them..chanting DONT EAT MY SOMEONE ELSES JESUS you bunch of no good heathens...............When Jesus said -- Take my Body and eat it..he didnt mean go eat his body of chocolate...I so hope that every last one that eats a peice of chrsits backside all have sore tummys and have to pay their dentist a visit..............WARNING THIS CHOCIE CHRIST WILL MAKE YOU BIGGER SICK AND YOUR TEETH ROT FAST

Who thinks the statue probably tastes good?

Of course it would, jesus was magic.

Thus, the statue would taste like hogwarts.