Actress and filmmaker Candace Cameron Bure is speaking out concerning the controversial Opening Ceremony on the Paris Olympics, saying she was each “sad” and “mad” as she watched drag queens portray what seemed to be Jesus and the disciples in a reenactment of Leonardo da Vinci’s painting The Last Supper. The Opening Ceremony’s designer, Thomas Jolly, said it was not da Vinci’s painting that inspired the scene but as a substitute Dionysus, the Greek god of wine and fertility. But the Opening Ceremony’s producers contradicted Jolly, saying in an announcement that The Last Supper did indeed function inspiration.
“For the ‘Festivities’ segment, Thomas Jolly took inspiration from Leonardo da Vinci’s famous painting to create the setting,” the producers said within the statement, in keeping with The Wrap. “Clearly, there was never an intention to indicate disrespect towards any religious group or belief … [Jolly] will not be the primary artist to make a reference to what’s a world-famous murals. From Andy Warhol to ‘The Simpsons,’ many have done it before him.”
Bure, on Instagram, said she was initially hesitant to weigh in but believed the controversy was “too essential to not.”
“It’s the most effective of the most effective athletes on the earth competing for the title. So, to look at such an incredible and wonderful event that’s going to happen over the subsequent two weeks and see the Opening Ceremonies completely blaspheme and mock the Christian faith with their interpretation of the Last Supper was disgusting. And it made me so sad. … It [also] makes me mad. But I’m more sad because I’m sad for souls.”
Bure cited Scripture in her six-minute video and in addition urged fans who usually are not Christians to come back to Jesus.
“I pray for my heart to interrupt over what breaks God’s heart,” she said. “And I just take into consideration all of the those who have rejected the Gospel of Jesus Christ or don’t know the Gospel of Jesus Christ. And within the Bible, in Galatians, it says, ‘God will not be mocked. For whatever an individual sows, He may even reap, since the one who sows to his flesh will reap destruction from the flesh. But the one who sows to the Spirit will reap everlasting life from the Spirit.’”
“… He continues and says, ‘Let us not get bored with doing good, for we’ll reap at the correct time if we don’t surrender.”
Bure also addressed Christians who downplayed the importance of the portrayal.
“It’s those which might be lukewarm about it that will think, like, ‘I don’t need to ruffle any feathers. Live and let live. Let people do what they need. I’m just going to remain in my corner and be quiet about it.’”
She then read from Revelation 3:16: “You’re neither hot nor cold. I wish that you just were cold or hot. So because you might be lukewarm and neither hot nor cold, I’m going to vomit you out of my mouth.”
Addressing what she called “lukewarm Christians,” Bure said, “Don’t be lukewarm.”
Bure encouraged fans who usually are not Christians to think about the message of the Gospel. She read from Revelation 3:20: “See, I stand on the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I’ll come to him and eat with him, and he with me.”
“God wants your heart so badly,” she said. “God loves you a lot. I encourage you to read the Bible. I encourage you to see the lengths that God goes through and the quantity of patience that He has in waiting for every one in all us to only call on His name.”
Meanwhile, Bure said she’s going to proceed watching the Olympics.
“I’m going to look at the Games. I would like to support our athletes,” she said. “There are a number of great Christian athletes competing as well. But I would like to cheer them on, I would like to see God getting the glory. And I’m gonna watch. …These athletes have dedicated not only the last 4 years but their entire lives to compete in these games — [they] had nothing to do with that opening ceremony. So I would like to support them. But in the event you feel a conviction not to look at, then don’t.”
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Related Article: Drag Queens Portraying Jesus and Disciples at Opening Ceremony Spark Outrage
Photo Credit: © Instagram/candacecbure
Michael Foust has covered the intersection of religion and news for 20 years. His stories have appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, The Christian Post, the Leaf-Chronicle, the Toronto Star and the Knoxville News-Sentinel.
