Brilliant Bry *：歡樂吧！生命

其實，我本來是想要把標題訂成「Oh! My Jesus!」的，或者用河洛話來說，「阿娘喂，耶穌喔！」為什麼哩？因為最近兩則關於耶穌的新聞實在還滿有趣的！

首先，是一尊米開朗基羅所雕刻的大理石耶穌像最近又重新回到世人的眼光之中。米開朗基羅的大理石雕刻有什麼稀奇？翡冷翠不就有一尊大衛嗎？

當然，這個耶穌雕像的難得之處就是在於：一、這一尊是美術史家都知道「應該存在」，但是偏偏不知道在哪裡的。也就是說，失蹤了這麼多年之後，這才因緣際會被人發現原來是在某一個小教堂之中放著。也很妙，沒有人知道那就是米開朗基羅的大作，之前不知道，好好地放在教堂之中也沒什麼稀奇，大家就看著，欣賞藝術作品也好，緬懷耶穌的教誨也好……現在知道原來是大名鼎鼎的米開朗基羅的作品，搞得要加裝安全措施來保護。

二、這尊耶穌雕像是「裸體」的。不過，米大師的雕塑裸體也不是第一次了，沒啥好大驚小怪的。大部分的人會人云亦云地跟著說，這是文藝復興風啦，藝術作品啦！只有可能老阿嬤跟著旅行團逛到義大利的時候會羞著說，「袂見笑，哪會沒穿衫？」然後大家笑一笑，拍個照，回台灣給家裡的人看，「我去那個義大利喔，有跟沒有穿褲子露小雞雞的耶穌照相喔！」然後大家笑一笑，茶餘飯後的娛樂。

重要藝術作品重回世人眼光當然是一件好事。讓更多人可以欣賞到文藝復興大師米開朗基羅的作品也是非常好。

另外一件事情，可能就沒有那麼「有共識」了！

前一陣子，北愛爾蘭貝爾發斯特（Belfast, Northern Ireland）舉辦Gay Pride。這期間，有位同志運動者就宣揚了他的觀點：「耶穌是同志」。這一發言可不得了，馬上一群衛道人士站了出來，控訴他們覺得他們的宗教信仰遭到褻瀆。要求當局好好管制這些同性戀的發言。還恐嚇著說，「這要是在回教國家，以如此的說法去說默罕穆德的話，早就被下格殺令了！」

這個同志運動人士的理論是：「耶穌那時候三十三歲，獨身，還跟一群男使徒們過從甚密，在當時的社會之下，這根本就是只有『同性戀』才能解釋的呀！」

姑且不論那位同志運動人士的理論多站得住腳，基本上，耶穌好像沒有自己站出來說他不是同性戀吧！當然，他也沒有站出來說他是異性戀呢！所以，基本上，當事人沒有自己詮釋，那麼當然後人就可以各說各話了。

而基本上，從有沒有和女人結婚和生不生小孩這種事情上是無從得證一個人是不是「異性戀」的。結婚與否事實上跟同性戀還是異性戀一點關係也沒有。為什麼？從Bruce的現身說法，一大票已婚人士極力勾搭他，找他上床打泡這些案例看來，就知道同志也是可以結婚的！要記得，就算現在不平等的男女婚姻法律也只有規定一男一女在法律之下結合，並沒有規定這對男女的性傾向必須是異性戀。也就是，一個同男和一個同女要結婚，也是沒有什麼不可以的！至於生不生小孩，那和生育能力比較有關係，更與性傾向無關。不過，話說回來，按照聖經正典來看，耶穌是既沒有結婚也沒有生小孩。鄉野傳奇裡面耶穌和抹大拉的瑪利亞結婚生子，但是這是保守主義和基本教義派所完全不承認的。

那要怎樣證明耶穌是異性戀呢？總不能拿保羅的話吧！？為什麼？因為保羅說也只是保羅說而已呀！真要追根究底起來，要「無一字無出處」的話，基本上要是耶穌不承認，基本上別人也沒輒。所以，回到那句話，既然耶穌自己沒有主動詮釋，那就無法客觀認定耶穌的性傾向。也就是說，說耶穌是異性戀的話和說耶穌是同性戀的話都一樣是後人的主觀認定。

只是，兩千年以來，異性戀神學宰制了整個基督宗教，如果突然有人說耶穌是同性戀，當然就被視為大逆不道，離經叛道。換個角度想，耶穌當時也是被猶太教的法利賽人視為大逆不道，離經叛道呀！所以，有很怎麼樣嗎？

當然沒有。現在這些基督宗教基本教義派的主張只是很嚴重的邏輯偏差而已。

米開朗基羅雕了一尊裸體的耶穌。這是他個人的體驗和觀感。耶穌有沒有這樣光著身子倚著十字架而站立？天曉得。就算有，米開朗基羅也沒有看見過。但是他這樣的表現手法，大家會說，這是藝術，這是文藝復興風格。然後站在裸身的耶穌像前，看見的是一個時代的藝術結晶和表現。就算不懂藝術的一般人，也會跟著讚嘆，至少知道拿著相機拍拍照，以為留念。

但是今天，一個同性戀運動者依照他個人的體驗和觀感來敘述耶穌是同性戀。卻要受到許多攻擊，甚至跟著平常自己最不恥的回教激進恐怖份子的行為模式來起舞，恐嚇著「這是殺頭的罪行」，這不是很可笑嗎？不拿好的榜樣比，去找最糟糕的例子來當榜樣。這說明了，只要是基本教義派主張，回教和基督教其實都是恐怖份子。只是回教激進的恐怖份子會大拉拉地承認自己就是恐怖份子，而基督教的那些人則是披著羊皮的狼，不知道在躲躲藏藏進行什麼見不得人的勾當。

我想，如果今天耶穌現身說法，有人問他，他是不是同性戀的話，無論他回答是或不是，他一定會說：我很榮幸那些同性戀的朋友把我視為他們的一份子。為什麼？因為他自己說過，他是要來讓那些「受壓制的得自由」。（路加福音第四章）

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兩則新聞稿：

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Manly’s Link to Michelangelo
18th August 2007

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A peninsula journalist's impromptu meeting in Italy with a former St Pat's priest led her to a Michelangelo sculpture of a naked Christ, providing Manly with a link to the great master of the High Renaissance, writes BILL TIBBALS

FANS of ABC television's Foreign Correspondent are in for a treat on Tuesday evening. Thanks to a chance email from Balgowlah resident Mike Armstrong to acquaintance journalist Anne Maria Nicholson on assignment in Rome, a story unfolded which fleshed out the background to an old mystery about a Michelangelo sculpture of a naked Christ.

Mr. Armstrong admits that if he had not turned on the radio and heard the story of arts correspondent Ms Nicholson being on assignment in Rome, he would never have thought to send her an email asking her to look up an old friend while over there.

And the email came just in the nick of time. Ms Nicholson, of Manly, was in Italy, not on an arts story, but filing one on volcanoes which viewers might recall was broadcast a week or two ago.

“If Mike Armstrong hadn't got in touch and I hadn't been in the vicinity on my last weekend, I would never have stumbled across the story,” she said.

The story turned out to provide Sydney, and Manly's St Patrick's Seminary in particular, with its own link to the great sculptor, artist and architect genius of the High Renaissance, Michelangelo Buonarroti.

The friend that Mr. Armstrong asked Ms Nicholson to look up was Father Cletus, a Benedictine priest who came to Manly in 1957 to study fourth and fifth-year theology at St Pat's followed by two years licentiate in theology. Ordained in 1959 he taught at Subiaco Catholic School, Parramatta, went on to be a parish priest at Smithfield and then entered Arcadia Benedictine Monastery at Castle Hill. He returned to Italy in 1966.

”He taught me in primary school over 50 years ago and we've kept in touch ever since,” Mr. Armstrong said. ”In 1999, Father Cletus came back to St Patrick's to celebrate his 40th anniversary since ordination.”

Ms Nicholson had no idea what she would find when she made her way to the monastery in the village of Romano Bassano outside Rome. It was just to be a social call to say hello and pass on good wishes from Mr. Armstrong. But she was in for a big surprise.

“Would you like to see my Michelangelo?” asked Father Cletus.

“I was expecting to see a drawing, perhaps. But I was bowled over when the priest led me inside the church and showed me a 2m-high marble sculpture of a naked Jesus Christ.”

The priest runs the Monastery of San Vincenzo de Matire in the historic village which is two hours north-west of Rome. For 400 years, the monastery has housed the sculpture of Christ. But it wasn't until four years ago that questions were asked about its provenance and it was proved to be the real thing. Once established, the monastery set about building a special maximum-security chapel.

All the popular legends about Michelangelo have him making his way to the Carrara quarry to find the perfect piece of marble for a commission - and always finding it. But in the case of his contract to produce a Risen Christ, he got it wrong. The block had a flaw - one not discovered until it was too late.

“He was a perfectionist and always started from the bottom of the marble upwards,” Ms Nicholson said.

“He worked on it from 1514 to 1516. It was two years before he reached the shoulder and face of his Christ - and then discovered a black vein in the beautiful white marble.”

Presumably angry and frustrated, he gave it away in exchange for - wait for it - a horse. The trouble was he still had to fulfill the contract. This meant it had to be replaced.

The new version was hurriedly substituted (1519-1520). Michelangelo worked on it in Florence; final touches were entrusted to an apprentice, Pietro Urbano, who managed to bungle the toes, fingers and beard. A good friend of Michelangelo, Sebastiano del Piombo, suggested the work be completed by Federico Frizzi and the finished result was judged impressive. Today the Christ Carrying the Cross, finished in 1521, is in the church of Santa Maria sopra Minerva in Rome to the left of the main altar.

“The other version - the original - stayed in a courtyard in Rome with a lot of classic Roman sculptures - and there it remained until after Michelangelo's death,” Ms Nicholson said.

This turned out to be one of those great art mysteries It so happened that the powerful Justinian family was building a monastery at Bassano Romano. One of them took the naked Christ for the monastery and there it has remained for 400 years. In due course the family gave the church and monastery to the religious order.

“Then four or five years ago an art historian wanted to inventory the Justinian art treasures.” Ms. Nicholson said. “The student went to the monastery and came upon the naked Christ in the sacristy of the church. He immediately thought it might be a Michelangelo.”

Drawings had long existed in the Louvre in Paris of the sketch of a hand but the full story remained elusive. Ultimately the sketch helped confirm the provenance of the sculpture.

“This turned out to be one of those great art mysteries,” Ms. Nicholson said. “Scholars knew it existed but didn't know where it had gone. It had been put out of sight in the monastery sacristy behind closed doors so no one had seen it for decades.”

After tests, the discovery was accredited as the work of the Renaissance master sculptor. Like the other version it is only partly sculpted by Michelangelo with some contribution by others.

Ms. Nicholson freely admits that in spite of the magnificence of Michelangelo's David, she found herself uneasy about a naked Christ. During its history the modesty problem was solved by adding a bronze loin cloth.

“During the Counter Reformation the Catholic Church was biased against showing private parts - and I did find the experience confronting,” she said.

The original commission by a wealthy family specified that the statue be nude as a symbol of humility.

To the people of Bassano Romano, who are familiar with the monastery's treasure, feelings are equally mixed - one local asked in the TV report proved more accepting of the nude Christ than another. But the tradition of nudity in sculpture and painting of antiquity is well established within the church. Some of the finest example are Michelangelo's and can be seen in the magnificent ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.

“We also filmed inside St Peter's Basilica where we were given amazing access by the Vatican press office,” Ms. Nicholson said. “Our cameraman, Louie Eroglu, shot some incredible pictures of artworks, including Michelangelo's sculpture of La Pieta.”

The email was a happy chance for Manly resident Ms. Nicholson. Her real assignment in Italy was an update on volcanos. Raised in New Zealand in the shadow of Mt. Ruapahu, volcanos have long been a passion - and the subject of her first novel Weeping Waters. A second work of fiction on volcanoes should be completed by next year. Stumbling across a long-forgotten Michelangelo in an Italian monastery proved to be quite another kind of blast and one which proved just as exciting.

The ABC's Foreign Correspondent airs on Tuesday at 9.20pm.

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LGBT Rights Activist Claims Jesus Was Gay
9th August 2007 by Tony Grew

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A leading campaigner for gay equality in Northern Ireland has hit back at criticism of a placard carried at last weekend's Belfast Pride by stating he is convinced Jesus was a gay man.
 
Belfast City councillor Christopher Staltford led calls for restrictions on future gay parades, claiming he was offended by a placard reading "Jesus is a fag."
 
In a discussion on BBC Radio Ulster P A MacLochlainn responded that in his view the details of Jesus' life as presented in the Bible led him to conclude that he was a homosexual.
 
"I believe that a 33-year-old unmarried rabbi living in Israel, in the time that he was living and having a favourite friend among the apostles called John, was quite clearly a gay man," he said.

"I am entitled to that belief as a gay Christian. Christ, if he were alive today, would be on the parade with us, on the side of the underprivileged, not standing superciliously at the side looking on like Christopher."
 
Councillor Staltford, a member of the Democratic Unionist Party, argued that the placard was designed to upset Christians and was not in the spirit of tolerance and respect that Pride is meant to represent.
 
Belfast Pride is habitually picketed by groups of fundamentalist Christians, but usually passes off peacefully.

Mr MacLochlainn said that he would not be censored, and he is entitled to think of Jesus as gay.

Councillor Staltford called for the Northern Ireland Parades Commission, which decides whether individual protest marches or parades in the province can take place, to intervene.

"Whether the organising committee sanctioned the placard, or simply turned a blind eye, questions must be raised by those funding such events and the Parades Commission should be looking into the need for restrictions on any further parade," he said, according to the Irish Times.

"Christians all over the province, and indeed, the world will be disgusted by this slur. If such provocative claims were made against Muhammad, Muslims would rightly be up in arms. It is about time those who regulate such public displays clamp down on those continually attacking Christianity and the Christian values of this country."

The DUP is closely linked with the Free Presbyterian Church, which are both led by Ian Paisley.
 
The party was challenged in May over a grant from a government department to Belfast Pride.
 
A Free Presbyterian preacher demanded that a DUP government minister block a grant to Pride, calling it a "celebration of sodomy."

Edwin Poots, the DUP minister for Culture, Arts and Leisure, is renowned for his homophobic opinions.
 
As a councillor in Lisburn he tried to ban gay and lesbian couples from holding civil partnerships in the town hall.

However, Mr Poots said he would not be intervening in the grants process.

Free Presbyterian minister Ivan Foster told the Belfast Telegraph:

"If it turns out that financial support for a celebration of sodomy is sanctioned by a member or office bearer of the Free Presbyterian Church, then it will underscore the utter futility of the power sharing agreement that has been put together by the DUP and Sinn Fein.

"Far from the DUP elevating the morals of society, it seems that the DUP is going to come down to the level of morality that society demands."
 
The Free Presbyterian Church mounts a yearly counter-protest against Belfast Pride at the City Hall.
 
Last year they even tried to get the Parades Commission to ban the event outright.
 
However, Commission chairman Roger Poole described Belfast Pride as, "a welcome addition to the streetscape of Belfast and a colourful and positive celebration of all lifestyles which co-exist in the city."

Free Presbyterian protesters infiltrated the march in 2006, handing out extracts from the Bible in protest.
 
Belfast Pride has been held every year since 1991.