What’s this about?
It's
about a plaster statue of the Lord Jesus Christ robed and in a traditional pose
onto the front of which, more or less in the genital area, artist Terence Koh
has stuck a 2” phallus. He is a bit obsessed with the male organ, to be frank.
The
statue, part of a collection owned by Anita Zabludowicz, was on display at the
Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art in Gateshead. The exhibition closed on
Sunday 20th January 2008 and Mrs Zabludowicz has now her statue
back for the length of time on our ‘Anita Clock’. She has had plenty of time
to destroy it.
Her husband, Finnish billionaire Poju
Zabludowicz, sits on the Jewish Leadership Council with the President of
the Board of Deputies of British Jews, Mr Henry Grunwald, QC, and a host of the
Jewish great and good. As the word of God says: ‘The twain shall be one
flesh.’ Poju and Anita are close friends of the Chief Rabbi, Sir Jonathan
Sacks. Poju is also a major donor to the Conservative Party. The Conservative
Christian Fellowship have condemned the statue and its owner in no uncertain
terms.
So what should happen now?
The
Baltic Centre is old news now, even though they could still face a prosecution
for blasphemy. The crux of this matter now is that a leading Jewish couple
have a pornographic, blasphemous statue in their home and they should destroy
it. Their stubborn refusal to do so is souring relations between
pro-Israel Christians and Jews.
Leading criminal law barrister Jonathan Goldberg QC agrees. He said this in
a letter to the Jewish Chronicle:
It
is unpardonable to show such disrespect and cause such gratuitous offence to
our Christian friends and supporters of Israel, above all in these troubled
times,’ wrote Mr Goldberg.
Mr
and Mrs Poju Zabludowicz should now demonstrate the qualities of Jewish
communal leadership to which they aspire, no doubt worthily, by consigning this
artefact to the depths,’ he concluded.
http://www.thejc.com/home.aspx?ParentId=m12s30&SecId=30&AId=57682&ATypeId=1
What have Sir Jonathan and Mr Grunwald said?
Back
in 2005, the Chief Rabbi lectured on "How to build a culture of
respect". He spoke of both the Christian and Jewish communities feeling
"on the defensive" and "bruised". In February 2006, he
asked on the BBC: "Can we learn to respect what others hold holy?"
So what is the answer to that question?
Jesus Christ is the one whom Christians hold most holy of all. Anyone would
think that the Chief Rabbi would by now have put some action with his fine
words and told Poju and Anita that buying this artefact in the first place was
disrespectful and that clinging on to it is unsustainable.
But no.
In very similar mealy-mouthed statements neither Sir Jonathan nor Mr Grunwald could
not even bring themselves to condemn the statue. Well, to do so would also
condemn their colleague and friend for having it in his home, wouldn’t it?
'I am sorry that a situation has arisen
that has caused you great offence,' wrote Sir Jonathan.
He
went on: 'Ultimately the decision to acquire and display the object was and is
that of the owner [ed: his friends] and the gallery to whom I have no doubt you
have conveyed your distress. I appreciate that you have felt it necessary to
write to me on this matter. However I am sure it is not your intention to
attribute responsibility for this situation to the Jewish community as a
whole.'
Jewish Community affected
However,
it is inevitable that the disrespect shown to Jesus Christ will reflect on the
entire Jewish community. Why?
1
Poju
Zabludowicz sits on the Jewish Leadership Council,
2
Leaders
are there to show leadership and to set an example.
3
The
Jewish Leadership Council as a whole have failed to condemn the statue.
4
The
President of the Board of Deputies of British Jews has not condemned it.
5
Nor
has their friend the Chief Rabbi. He seems to have told them: ‘Carry on
blaspheming’.
6
As
the spiritual head of the United Synagogue, the Chief Rabbi’s message to his
flock is that Jewish people can own porn and anti-Christian blasphemy.
7
There
is such a thing as collective responsibility. Any rabbi will know that the sin
of Achan taking a precious but blasphemous article at Jericho (Josh 7) brought
judgment on the whole people of Israel by that very principle. And Achan was
not in such a position of leadership as Poju, Mr Grunwald and the Chief Rabbi
himself.
Christian Evangelicals feel betrayed
Those
of us who honour the Jewish roots of our Christian faith and the place of
Israel in God's purpose feel betrayed by such disrespect of our faith from such
prominent members of the Jewish community, whom we regard as the cultivated
Olive Tree, from Romans 11:13-24.
Every day that Anita Zabludowicz hangs
on to her precious but accursed statue is another day in which she continues to
insult the Lord Jesus Christ and the Christian faith itself.
The
Chief Rabbi’s words on respect were clear. But he, and those in leadership in
the Jewish community, need to put their money where his mouth was. Otherwise,
the Chief Rabbi will continue to look a complete and utter hypocrite. OK,
destroying the statue may cost billionaire Poju a few quid. But whatever the
disgraceful statue is worth, good relations between Christian and Jews are
worth far, far more.
So what can we do?
PRAY: That its owners destroy the statue. Pray that
the Chief Rabbi has enough shame not to preach about ‘respect’ until they do.
WRITE: If you agree with us that Poju and Anita Zabludowicz
should destroy their offensive statue, please email Anita at info@zabludowiczcollection.com and Poju at poju@tamares.com .
Also write to the
Chief Rabbi, Sir Jonathan Sacks, at Adler House, 735 High Road, London, N12
0US, or email him on info@chiefrabbi.org
Write to the President of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, Mr Henry
Grunwald, QC, at 6 Bloomsbury Square, London, WC1A 2LP, or email him on info@bod.org.uk Jewish people
especially need to write or email. These guys might take more notice of you.
