C Spire, a telecommunications and technology company, recently made a significant decision regarding its advertising during the Olympics broadcast by NBC. The company has chosen to remove all of its ads from the coverage of the opening ceremony. This decision comes in response to concerns raised by many people who felt that the ceremony may have portrayed Christianity in a mocking manner.
As a setting, the opening ceremony of the Olympics in Paris included a humorous recreation of the Last Supper. This is the dramatic event where Jesus broke bread and shared wine with his followers before being caught in the Garden of Gethsemane, scourged by Pontius Pilate, and put to death on Calvary Hill.
The rendition of the Last Supper at the mocking Olympics was quite the spectacle. Drag queens and transgender performers took on the roles of the disciples, recreating the iconic painting. However, what raised eyebrows was the presence of young children scattered among the performers, leading to heated debates about the appropriateness of the situation.
The opening ceremony of the event included a reference to the book of Revelation, which seemed to be a satirical portrayal. A white horseman, representing one of the four horsemen of the apocalypse, was seen riding across water while accompanied by a spectacular pyrotechnics display. The presence of that rider symbolizes death, which adds to the overall weirdness of the situation.
C-Spire quickly pulled its advertising for the event after the shocking display. It then wrote on X (Twitter), “We were shocked by the disrespect shown to the Last Supper during the opening ceremonies of the Paris Olympics. We have decided to withdraw our advertising from the Olympics.”
Commenters on the post expressed their gratitude, stating that they have never been more proud of a company. “Thank you for representing the values of your customers” and “THANK YOU! As a Mississippian, I already know what you stand for, and now I know what you value. Working together is the key to our success. It’s a battle between us and them, a clash of good versus evil. May we all continue to uphold our values and stand for what is right. Thank you for being a trailblazer in the corporate world.”
Many Christians and appalled viewers expressed their outrage over the disturbing exhibition. “I think, folks, what’s interesting here is this deeply secularist, post-modern society knows who its enemy is. They’re naming it. And we should believe them. They’re telling us who they are. We should believe them. Moreover, as Christians and Catholics, we should not be timid. We must stand firm and ensure our voices are heard,” expressed Bishop Robert Barron of the Diocese of Winona-Rochester.
In a recent statement, a group of French bishops expressed their deep concern and disappointment regarding the “scenes of derision and mockery of Christianity.” “We are grateful for the support shown by members of different religious denominations,” the statement continued. “Today, our thoughts are with Christians around the world who have been deeply affected by the distressing and provocative scenes that have unfolded.”
In a recent post, Archbishop Charles Scicluna of Malta shared his deep distress and disappointment regarding an incident that took place during the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympics. He expressed his concern over a group of drag artists who parodied the Last Supper of Jesus, which he found to be highly disrespectful towards Christians.