A false Messiah

By Scott A. Robinson, Editor

Filed Under General, Media Clips and Issues, Photo of the Day, Race for White House 2012 on Apr 27 

From World Net Daily:

On his 100th day in office, President Obama will be “crowned” in messianic imagery at New York City’s Union Square.

Artist Michael D’Antuono’s painting “The Truth” – featuring Obama with his arms outstretched and wearing a crown of thorns upon his head – will be unveiled on April 29 at the Square’s South Plaza.

According to a statement released about the portrait, “The 30″ x 54″ acrylic painting on canvas depicts President Obama appearing much like Jesus Christ on the Cross: atop his head, a crown of thorns; behind him, the dark veil being lifted (or lowered) on the Presidential Seal. But is he revealing or concealing, and is he being crucified or glorified?”

Apparently Mr. D’Antuono missed this or maybe he was deceived when Obama said:

“A light will shine down from somewhere. It will light upon you. You will experience an epiphany and you will say to yourself, ‘I have to vote for Barack’.”

Either way, this imagery frightening and sacrilegious to the highest degree. If Obama were a true believer, don’t you think he would ask for this painting not to be displayed?

Update: Per WND, Michael D’Antuono has canceled the display of this painting due to “overwhelming public outrage.”

Comments

  • http://scottslant.blogspot.com/ Scott A. Robinson

    As noted in the update added to the bottom of the post, per WND, Michael D’Antuono has canceled the display of this painting due to “overwhelming public outrage.”

    • Red State Eddio

      He must be an avid reader of PD! ;-)

    • Brian H

      Free Speech prevails again!!!

  • kjco

    All this is part of the daily deflection of attention away from serious matters which are going down without a fight. THIS AFTERNOON, the Hate Crimes legislation (should be seen for what it is CRIMES OF RELIGIOUS CONVICTION LEGISLATION[HR 1913]is being voted on in the house. Even staunchly conservative members of the house are afraid to say which way they are voting.

    Please go call your representative!!

  • Lizzy

    True believer in himself only, more like.

  • Mrs. Rustyshackleford

    I understand the President can’t comment on every little thing. I truly do, but this speaks to me of insensitivity on many levels. Just like Myra’s story on intersecting stories, this intersects to me with the insensitive nature of this administration. I keep waiting for someone to post about the incident yesterday in New York with the plane photo op. Between the picture which is obviously inflammatory (yes I am highly offended as a Christian) and the stupidity and lack of understanding of PTSD in New York this administration that is supposed to be so eloquent in speech and communication either just doesn’t give a rats rear or has their heads so far shoved up the rats rear.

    As a Christian (which he was so insistant to point out during the campaign) he should be offended and comment on his displeasure and dissapointment at the disrespect. It’s not a subtle comparison it is blasphemy.

    • Mrs. Rustyshackleford

      oops sorry about the duplication. Don’t know what happened there. Sorry.

  • David Kaiser

    It’s the reflection of one artist. You calling it anything other than that is your opinion and nothing more.

    Don’t go getting all egotistical on me RSE.

    • Brian H

      How about Barry walk on top of the water at the reflecting pool on the National Mall. When he can do that I will accept such comparisons.

    • Red State Eddio

      Whoa! What did I say? I lost your comment thread on that one, DK.

      • David Kaiser, Editor

        Sorry Eddio, I think I got my posts mixed up, that wasn’t meant for you.

  • kristen

    Just when you think it can’t get any worse, you see garbage like this take place. This is beyond sacrilegious. Anyone with an ounce of faith in Christ would request this poor excuse for “art” NOT be unveiled in a public venue.

    • David Kaiser, Editor

      Oh sorry kristen, let’s crap on the Constitution.

      Sorry if freedom of speech makes you upset, but it’s part of the deal here.

      Yes the painting is terrible, but it is not the role of the President of the United States to moniter everything that is said, written or composed.

      • Brian H

        David. The Constitution says:

        “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”

        Not one person on this post has suggest that the artist does not have a right to produce sacrilegious crap for art. No one has suggested that a law should be passed to stop his idiocy. But, we too, have the right of free speech, David. To place such blasphemy in a tax funded Union Station (I am assuming it is, I can’t be sure of that) is completely tasteless and disrespectful. Ronald Reagan won two elections with a 49 state majority and nobody ever thought to compare him to a Messiah.

        Make no mistake about it! This is ALL about the mans race. We all know it….and must accept this reality for at least four years. PLLEEAASSEE get behind the GOP. They are the only viable option to put a stop to ALL this craziness.

        • http://scottslant.blogspot.com/ Scott A. Robinson

          The GOP? Are you crazy? There are as much to blame as the Dems for everything that is going on.

          As for me, I’m with Gary. This is not a “little” thing. Kaiser is right in that President cannot monitor everything said or done. It would take another department of government which many on my side of the political spectrum would probably jump on, labeling it as the “Thought Police”. However, for a Christian, this imagery is no small or insignificant issue.

          • David Kaiser, Editor

            Scott, once again, I completely agree with you that the imagery is disturbing, my issue was with your point that Obama should address it.

            • http://scottslant.blogspot.com/ Scott A. Robinson

              DK,

              I guess we’ll have to disagree whether Obama should address this issue. I think if he is as committed to his religion as he campaigned on, he should.

              • David Kaiser, Editor

                Fair deal!

              • Brian H

                Scott. I agree with you.

                He can make the time to pick his NCAA brackets but can’t address this nonsense.

              • Brian H

                Scott. I understand your frustrations with the GOP but have you not been watching what this guy and congress have been doing the last 100 days?

                There is no euquivalency here.

                • http://scottslant.blogspot.com/ Scott A. Robinson

                  Brian,

                  The past 100 days have been an unprecedented power gathering. However, it would not have been so expedient had the GOP not laid the groundwork over the past several years.

                  • Brian H

                    And maybe my car would not have broken into if I had not left my valuables in plain view? True. But, my failure is still not equivalent to that of the criminal who seized my products by force due to my own stupidity, arrogance, etc.

                    Don’t get me wrong, Scott. The GOP helped this become our new reality, yes. But, unfortunately, if we are to stop this high speed train with no brakes it will have to come from the GOP. That is a fact.

      • kristen

        Um, no one said anything about freedom of speech. This person can paint whatever he wants; but to display it in a public place is another question. So don’t twist this to fit your own vendetta against me.

        Should we let streakers run around in the name of art? Should we have artists mocking victims of 9/11? How about a graphic demonizing our vets? After all, artists are just expressing themselves. None of these things should be done because they are inappropriate, not to mention completely offensive. If someone put me in that sort of depiction I would be outraged. We have a president who continually apologizes to other nations but doesn’t seem to care about his own constituents.

        I’m expressing my free speech by commenting on the disgusting nature of this picture. I am allowed to do that, aren’t I? Or is this just a one way street?

        • David Kaiser, Editor

          Of course you’re allowed, and I’m not sure where this vendetta came from, I just happen to disagree with you a lot.

          Nothing personal, just politics.

          And for the thousandth time, I agree the picture is terrible, I just don’t think it’s right to put the screws to Obama over it being displayed.

          He didn’t paint it, ask for it to be painted, and I find it hard to believe that he would approve of it.

          You said he should ask that it not be unveiled in a public forum, that’s where I got freedom of speech from. Do you not see the political symbolism of a President asking someone not to display something? It’s fine if you don’t, but I do.

          And beyond that, once again, I belabor the point that if a President starts getting bogged down in addressing something as small potatoes as a piece of artwork, it will create a slippery slope that I don’t think we need right now.

          • http://scottslant.blogspot.com/ Scott A. Robinson

            Kaiser,

            One thing I’m not quite sure about, how do you feel about the painting? :-)

  • David Kaiser

    It’s bad to be sure, but should the President of the United States get sucked into addressing every little thing that people say or do?

    If Obama had asked for this painting to be done, I think we have an issue here.

    He obviously didn’t, and making a post about it is just giving some artist, who by the way is allowed to paint and display this under freedom of speech rights, some free press.

    Due respect, you all are starting to look like the Democrats who attacked Bush for anything and everything they could to make him look bad.

    • Gary Russell

      Couldn’t disagree with you more on this one, Kaiser.

      Of course the president can’t be sucked into addressing every little thing. But, obviously this is not a “little” thing.

      The point is that, if he is a Christian, he would be completely outraged at the flippant and crude comparison.

      Even if he isn’t a Christian, he should be outraged at the use of his image to offend a majority of Americans.

      I can only imagine the outcry if his image was used to offend Jews, blacks, or gays. Do you think that he would say something then?

      • David Kaiser

        Gary, you, Scott and most people on here wouldn’t care if this painting was of Obama portrayed as Muhammad or Bhagwat Gita.

        Your issue is personal to you and your religion, and it should stay that way.

        • Sartho

          Considering that the majority of Americans belong to Christian denominations, I’d say this issue is personal to the nation, not just Gary and Scott and Christians as individuals. And I would guess that many people of other faiths would be sympathetic to the offense as many Christians would be the same if it were another religion’s equivalent of Christ disgraced in a similar manner.

          How is it that when a major newspaper publishes a cartoon of a chimpanzee getting shot there’s a huge outrage over it being racist, but when someone creates a very sacrilegious piece of art, we’re just suppose to brush it off as no big deal?

          I’ve wanted to comment all day about this one but have been left speechless that the Obama/Messiah comparison has come to this point. At the point Obama stated we’re no longer a Christian nation, my heart was broken as an American that has a lot of pride in our Christian herritage. How sad to snub such a huge part of our nation’s history. And this is just salt on the wound even though it’s from a separate individual and not Obama himself.

          • David Kaiser, Editor

            I’m not saying it should be brushed off as “no big deal” Sartho.

            Read what I wrote.

            Scott made it a point to say that Obama should disown this painting, and I think that a President should not comment on every thing that is said, written, or painted that could be insulting to someone.

            I don’t recall Obama making comments about the political cartoon that most people on here blew off as a silly controversy, basically telling those who were insulted by it that they were being too sensitive.

            Smacks of hypocrisy to me.

            • Gary Russell

              David, you can’t say this:

              “I’m not saying it should be brushed off as “no big deal”…”

              and this:

              “Smacks of hypocrisy to me.”

              when you’ve already said this:

              “…should the President of the United States get sucked into addressing every little thing that people say or do?”

              and this:

              “…you all are starting to look like the Democrats who attacked Bush for anything…”

              Consistency is a wonderful thang, ain’t it?

              • David Kaiser, Editor

                It’s my party, I can waffle it I want to :)

                • Gary Russell

                  I’m sure I’ve been guilty, too.
                  (Ironically enough, I just bought the first Russell family waffle iron last week – already sick of waffles!)

                  • David Kaiser, Editor

                    Do you put fruit on them?

                    • http://scottslant.blogspot.com/ Scott A. Robinson

                      Personally, I go for strawberries.

                    • David Kaiser

                      Thumbs up from me on that!

  • East of Eden

    if this man and his colleagues in congress have their way they will begin the acts of every banana-republic of charging the previous administration with political crimes.

    Brian, what goes around, comes around. By letting the Banana Republic gain speed, he is setting a dangerous precident. I wonder if he is prepared to face negligence charges when we are hit again for adopting a pre-9/11 mindset?

    As for that picture….ewww, that is just sick.

  • Red State Eddio

    And you wonder why I call him “The Oba-wan”?

    For a second, without my glasses on, I thought I was looking at Alfred E Neuman. I would have understood the sarcasm and irony in that picture.

    This is a reflection of the far left more than Obama himself. It’s a sad shame that some people’s moral and spiritual compass have been so compromised that this is what they are left with.

    Hey, when we’re all passing around A’s to each other in the staff meetings, why not amp it up a bit and go for the whole brass ring??

  • Brian H

    Elections have consequences!

    This is SICK but I now find nothing regarding this man to be surprising any longer.

    For over 200 years we have had a system the celebrated the peaceful exchange of power, if this man and his colleagues in congress have their way they will begin the acts of every banana-republic of charging the previous administration with political crimes. When that occurs, the peaceful of exchange of power will be lost as nobody will ever leave voluntarily leave power for fear of punishment.

    I am far froma conspiracy loon, but, the “change” we are getting at such a high rate of speed is beyond alarming.

    2010 is critical for this nation!

    • Brian H

      Please excuse the typos….typing between bells…Got to go!

  • Joe Citizen

    Isn’t the notion that Obama is a Christian long gone? In ‘The Audacity of Hope,’ he admits he joined Wright’s church at the suggestion of peers/colleagues. Then he quit at the suggestion of peers/colleagues/political expediency. He mocked conservatives for clinging to religion. He emphasized we are not a Christian nation while overseas. In my opinion, it is fact that he is not a believer.

  • Gary Russell

    Yes, Scott, if Obama was a true believer, he would make sure that this never goes up.

    Wasn’t it the apostle Peter who, when facing martyrdom by crucifixion, requested to be crucified upside down – because he felt that he wasn’t worthy to die the same death as Christ?

    I don’t care how you spin it – a real Christian would put a stop to any exhibition of this.