The French have a saying, and it might have been none other than Talleyrand who said it first: This is worse than a crime; it is a mistake.
Some outfit that calls itself "an artists' group" took responsibility for hanging a large banner on the Christ of the Ozarks statue late last week in Eureka Springs, Ark. The banner read "God bless abortions."
The photos from Friday show that some work must've been involved in getting the banner up there. Christ of the Ozarks is 67 feet tall, and its arms spread 65 feet from fingertip to fingertip. The banner was large enough to hang on both arms. It took a bucket truck and a crew to remove it.
According to the newspaper: "The heavy-duty cloth banner was 44 feet wide, weighed more than 50 pounds and was equipped with locking mechanisms and pulleys . . . ."
Some group called Indecline--and we don't doubt it--hoisted the sign just before sunrise Friday. It calls itself a "renegade activist art collective." According to its news release/boasting/confession, a team disguised as construction workers smuggled the sign onto the property Thursday night.
It makes you wonder. Those who'd be inclined to be more militant about abortion might giggle and say, "Good one!" But would those who might disagree, have a certain veneration for statues of Christ, or perhaps are on the fence on either subject, be moved toward the pro-abortion argument over this mischief?
Would, say, a young person making her mind up about the abortion debate in the United States (and world) be persuaded toward supporting legal abortions because somebody put a sign over this statue? And what about the millions of Christians who happen to worship in their way, and who saw the photos of the display over the weekend? Would they really be moved to see the other point of view in this matter, or would they more likely feel outrage at the sacrilege--that is, the violation or misuse of the sacred?
One would assume that most people think of abortion, when they must think of abortion at all, as a tragic thing. Does anybody, even those pro-Choicers who march on occasion, believe abortion should be considered something good? Even blessed? We remember Bill Clinton and Democrats in the 1990s saying abortion should be legal, safe and rare. They never made the case that it was holy.
We imagine bringing the Unnameable into the debate, and desecrating a statue of Christ, was meant as a frat-boy prank to punk all those conservative Christians who vote pro-Life in Arkansas. If that is supposed to change minds, it is worse than a crime--it is a mistake. It may have elicited a few "woot-woots" from the more bellicose among their own ranks, but the prank didn't likely move a single person where it counts. That is, in the soul.
Visitors and store owners around the Christ of the Ozarks told our reporter that they didn't appreciate the vandalism. One store owner, who also happens to be an artist, said: "I just don't like them hiding behind the word 'art' because it sounds like, 'Hey, we should be able to do things that are illegal and hateful because of art." We think most people in Arkansas, on both sides of the abortion debate, would agree.
Speaking of art, something had to be done with the "God bless abortions" sign. Organizers of the Great Passion Play in Eureka Springs will cut up the sign to be used as dropcloths. There's a lot of painting to be done on the set. A lot of dropcloths will be needed. And a lot of people will continue to visit the Christ of the Ozarks statue, and continue to see the Great Passion Play. In fact, this devilry brought a lot of advertising for both the town and the play. Some of it on national news programs. You just can't buy that kind of publicity.
Which reminds of a particular verse in a particular Book of some note:
"You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives."--
Genesis 50:20