Ban Religion

...said artists Gilbert and George in the recent Manifesto Marathon held at the Serpentine Gallery near Speakers Corner. It's not new for them to have a go at religion (especially Christianity) as they have created their own versions of religious imagery many times.

What interests me when people are so vehement is what they are really saying. Are they militantly atheist, or are they against specific institutional expressions of a faith that should be more pure or personal, or is the anti-religious message actually indicating other hurts, perhaps at the hands of the Church or representatives of religion.

In G & G's case it appears to centre a lot on church teaching about sex - especially the Catholic Church's teaching on homosexuality and contraception.

Maybe Christians need to think again on what they say and how they say it, and although we may never win Gilbert and George over, I wonder how many more people are out there ignoring Jesus because of how his followers behave.