Christians and leaders worldwide express outrage over controversial Olympic opening ceremony
“... scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires” – The Bible
Christians and major leaders worldwide voiced outrage over the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics that featured a scene that many thought was a parody of the Last Supper involving drag queens, according to multiple media sources.
Broadcast live on July 27, the performance featured drag queens and others, who at one point were arranged along a long table reminiscent of Leonardo da Vinci’s iconic painting. The opening ceremony has since been removed from the YouTube channel of the Paris Olympics.
During the ceremony, the camera cut to French DJ and producer Barbara Butch, who describes herself as a “love activist.” She was flanked by drag queens on both sides. Later, a nearly naked man appeared painted in blue, a portrayal of Dionysus, the god of wine-making, vegetation, fertility, and ecstasy, on a dinner plate surrounded by food. He then sang as the people around him danced, and it turned into a runway scene where models walked across.
The scene sparked backlash from many corners of the globe, including from a cellphone provider advertiser, X/Twitter owner Elon Musk, Evangelicals, the Catholic Church, and many others.
Officials at Mississippi technology company C Spire were not inspired by the Olympic opening ceremonies. C Spire, the largest privately-held wireless company in the United States, decided to pull its advertising from the rest of the games, which are being broadcast by the networks of NBC. The company branded the performance “woke” and questioned why France chose to mock this central moment in Christianity during an event intended to highlight the best of French culture.
Social media erupted in the hours following the exhibition, pointing out that a child was included in the performance’s depiction. Elon Musk, Tesla CEO and owner of X/Twitter, who recently referred to himself as a “cultural Christian,” described the performance as “extremely disrespectful to Christians” to his 190 million followers.
Gavin Calver of the Evangelical Alliance of the United Kingdom expressed disappointment in the display, labeling the depiction as “utterly insensitive, unnecessary and offensive.”
“It really was appalling to see Christianity so openly mocked in the opening ceremony with the unbelievably crass portrayal of the Last Supper,” he wrote on X.
Leonard Zohn, a Southern Baptist pastor in Texas, posted on Facebook, along with photos of the ceremony: “People might call this entertainment, it is Scripture unfolding. God will not be mocked. It doesn’t matter what you think your intellectual side tells you. God will judge us for this blatant disobedience. Wake up.”
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In a statement Saturday, the French Bishops’ Conference criticized the “scenes of derision and mockery of Christianity, which we deeply deplore.”
“We thank the members of other religious denominations who have expressed their solidarity. This morning, we think of all Christians on all continents who have been hurt by the outrage and provocation of certain scenes,” the French bishops said.
American Catholic Bishop Robert Barron of Minnesota condemned the act, calling on Catholics to “make their voices heard” in response to what he said was “the gross mockery of the Last Supper” during the Olympic event.
“Would they ever have dared mock Islam in a similar way? Would they ever have dreamed of mocking in this gross, public way a scene from the Quran? As I say, we all know the answer to that,” he said in a video posted on X.
A Biblical Response
“…scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires” (2 Peter 3:3, ESV).
“They said to you, ‘In the last time there will be scoffers, following their own ungodly passions’” (Jude 1:18, ESV).
“Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap” (Galatians 6:7, ESV).
In the Bible, passages 2 Peter 3:3 and Jude 1:18 warn against “scoffers” who mock Christ in the last days, ridicule God’s teachings, and oppose the gospel. These warnings are against false teachers who lead others astray. Scoffers deny Scripture’s truths and encourage others to follow their error, as described in the Bible.
Mockery in the Bible is a behavior exhibited by various characters, including the fool, wicked, enemy, hater of knowledge, proud, and unteachable. Mockers are not just lacking judgment, but also making conscious decisions for evil, lacking a spirit of obedience, teachability, discernment, wisdom, worship, or faith.