Are You Grateful For This Christian Statue?

The Emancipation Memorial in DC

Imagine you’re a Christian living in a land where, for the past 250 years, Christians have not been considered full citizens granted with their full rights and protections under the law. Discrimination against Christians was violent, brutal, and sadistic. Oh, and condoned. Only the followers of the one "true" majority religion were provided full citizenship status and allowed to do things like own property, vote, get an education, and run for office. 

After decades of fighting in the courts to be recognized as an equal religion, a religious leader comes along who finally allows for your religion to be considered "valid", and equal, thus making you a full citizen.  

To commemorate this wonderful occasion (albeit, way overdue) the government commissions a statue to serve as a long-lasting symbol of your newly granted equality. 

The statue, situated right in front of your town’s City Hall, depicts the majority religion’s leader standing proudly in his finest garb, arms raised majestically in the air. Next to him is Jesus, barely clothed, battered and on his knees at the feet of the other religious leader, nails still in his hands, blood pouring down his face from his crown of thorns, head bowed in “gratitude”. 

Think about that image. Does that feel like equality?

You live and work in the city right around the corner from this statue. You drive by it every day.  As a Christian, how do you think you would feel when you see this statue, Jesus supplicant at the feet of another religion’s leader?

Would this be the image you would want the government to forever enshrine/endorse in the public square as a “celebration” of your supposed equality? Would this image make you feel like you were truly seen as an equal citizen now? 

What might this statue depict that would be more inclusive to all the parties involved? Perhaps, Jesus standing next to the majority religion’s leader, eye to eye, person to person? As an EQUAL?

Or, as a Christian, are you fine with the bloodied, barely clothed depiction of Jesus kneeling in “gratitude” to another religious leader?

Now, scroll back up to the top of this page and take another look at the Emancipation Memorial. Is that a symbol of equality?

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