INVITING gay people to write their names in a Bible displayed in Glasgow’s Gallery of Modern Art has proved an embarrassing mistake for naïve Christian artist Jane Clarke.
Clarke’s intent was that gay and transgendered people would jot down their names in the book to show how they had been “marginalised” by Christianity. But it all went horribly wrong – or terribly right, depending on your viewpoint.
The vandalised Bible is now safely behind glass
Instead of “writing their way back” into the “holy” book as she had hoped, outraged gays let rip with “offensive” and “obscene” messages. One wrote:
This is all sexist pish, so disregard it all.
Another said:
Mick Jagger and David Bowie belong in here.
And another described the book as:
The biggest lie in human history.
And one simply wrote:
Fuck the Bible.
News of the exhibit – part of the Made in God’s Image exhibition – quickly reached Rome. The Pope, recovering from a broken wrist sustained when he tripped over the edge his bed trying to find a light switch in a dark room of his holiday chalet, condemned the exhibit – called Untitled 2009 – as “disgusting”,
An adviser to the head of the Catholic Church added:
They would not think of doing it to the Koran.
The exhibition includes footage of a woman ripping pages from the Bible and stuffing them into her bra, knickers and mouth.
Clarke, a minister at the Metropolitan Community Church, a ministry for homosexuals, said she had not intended to offend. The silly moo added:
I had hoped that people would show respect for the Bible, for Christianity and indeed for the Gallery of Modern Art. I am saddened that some people have chosen to write offensive messages.
Writing our names in the margins of a Bible was to show how we have been marginalised by many Christian churches, and also our desire to be included in God’s love.
As a young Christian I was encouraged by my church to write my own insights in the margins of the Bible I used for my devotions – this was an extension of that idea.
The book is now on show in a locked case, and visitors are being asked to write their comments on blank sheets of paper instead, and these will be inserted in the Bible later.
See full reports here and here.
The Freethinker was founded in 1881 by GW Foote, an outspoken critic of religion. After the publication of 
July 29th, 2009 at 4:39 pm
In my opinion, the best that can happen to an artist is if what happened turned out to be more dramatic than he intended.
Good stuff. I would have written: "Bad motto." under Ecclesiastes 1:18. http://bible.cc/ecclesiastes/1-18.htm
Though the pope is right in that the same thing happening to the Koran would probably have had the government intervene. Sad.
July 29th, 2009 at 5:29 pm
Since gays know better than anyone that their preferred form of recreation is victimless and therefore not sinful, and religion, its pushers and its god do not know that, that means that they are incapable of telling right from wrong. In much of the world that is the legal definition of insanity. So since gays KNOW that the biblical god is insane, how can they justify continued allegiance to such a psychopath? There should be no gay godworshippers. Similarly, since an omnipotent creator who is also a sadist is an oxymoron, no person who has ever sat on a toilet seat or watched a TV ad for tampons should be a godworshipper.
July 29th, 2009 at 6:23 pm
I've been chuckling about this for days. If only the NY subway system ran a train to Glasgow…
July 29th, 2009 at 6:44 pm
It's a shame the bible is in a locked cased now I would have like to put a few edits in there myself, personally I think they should add the koran too and I really hope they add whatever pish it is the hare krishnas read too I would LOVE to have a go at that.
July 29th, 2009 at 6:45 pm
Sadly the heart of these people are revealed…Romans 1: 18-32…had it been the Koran there would be out cry all the way to No.10…and protests all over the world…
July 29th, 2009 at 6:54 pm
The Pope tripped and broke his wrist in a dark room looking for a light. He is still in a dark and he is still looking for a light. He won't won't find the light in the dark ages to which he continues to look and long. He might find some light in The God Delusion.
July 29th, 2009 at 7:46 pm
Too right! No female should ever subscribe to any superstitious nonsense, as it's all invented to keep us in our place. its only 200 years since the church stopped burning us and gays. Its an insult to our humanity to even listen to these gibbering idiots.
July 29th, 2009 at 8:03 pm
I have to feel a bit sorry for Ms Clarke. She obviously had good intentions and it is not often that you read about Christians in the media reaching out to gays and lesbians and acknowledging the latter's marginalisation within religion as opposed to claiming that gay acceptance/ rights has caused this for Christians.
However, you can hardly blame the scribblers when you think of the neverending geysers of venom that gay people around the world get because of a few books.
July 29th, 2009 at 8:41 pm
She's a patronizing idiot, Stuart! Did she not think to contact a few gay people before she launched into this stupid stunt just to find out what reception it was likely to get? As I've said before ad nauseam, it wasn't being gay that ruined my life but the Christians who couldn't accept that a person could be gay and moral at the same time! They ruined my life, and they are doing the same to others even as I write this. What do you think goes through the minds of thousands of gay teenagers in this country who have to attend "Faith schools" now, for goodness sake? Read this load of bollocks about some "poor, victimized Christian teacher" on the CCFON site and weep for them: http://www.ccfon.org/view.php?id=790
July 29th, 2009 at 9:03 pm
Sad, but true: religious gays suffer the same disconnection from the real world as their heterosexual counterparts, and they just cannot get it through their skulls that, by supporting churches like the Metropolitan Community thingie, they are NOT doing the LGBT community as a whole any good whatsoever. They are part of the problem of homophobia, not the solution.
A week or so ago a lesbian came into the store where I work, and got all stroppy because among all of our guides to Brighton, not one, as far as I could see, gave any details of the local MCC. She then asked if I was a local. When I said yes, she said she was "amazed" that I did not know where the church met. When I pointed out that, as an atheist, I had no interest whatsoever in gathering places for the deluded, she stormed off in a huff.
Last year a gay person got equally angry when he asked whether we sold "rainbow crosses." I replied: "No, and we don't do rainbow swastikas either."
July 29th, 2009 at 9:04 pm
John 8:1-11…..sin is sin whatever grade we place it in…God see's sin as sin…we put levels to sin that is nonesense Rom 3:23…John 8:11 'Go and sin no more…' the end….irrespective of 'severity' of the sin…we have to change our ways that is all!!
July 29th, 2009 at 9:12 pm
Atheists don't recognise the concept of "sin", but we do have a strong sense of what's right and what's wrong. And homophobia is WRONG!
July 29th, 2009 at 9:15 pm
never heard of homophobia…is it contagious or just another buzz word???
July 29th, 2009 at 9:21 pm
This reminds me of the definition of a person who's discovered God. He's like a blind man who ventures into a pitch black cellar in search of a black cat that isn't there – and finds it!
July 29th, 2009 at 9:22 pm
we do have a strong sense of what's right and what's wrong…that is your conscience which recognises a higher moral ground than that which is around you…where does that spring from???
July 29th, 2009 at 9:24 pm
What planet are you on?. Look it up here: http://www.avert.org/homophobia.htm
July 29th, 2009 at 9:24 pm
What planet are you on? Look it up here: http://www.avert.org/homophobia.htm
July 29th, 2009 at 9:25 pm
What planet are you on? Look it up here:
http://www.avert.org/homophobia.htm
July 29th, 2009 at 9:31 pm
Evolution!
July 29th, 2009 at 9:33 pm
interesting…unnatural….against nature (Darwin) survival of the species…yes they would naturally NOT survive because they cannot produce children according to the laws of nature…me…a fear NO…because I disagree with their lifestyle…MMM…strange thought…I disagree with alot of things liberal attitudes, war on terror, the banking system as it stands (criminals) etc etc does that make me PHOBIC in those areas?? Freethinker??….
July 29th, 2009 at 9:41 pm
You are confusing the words "unnatural" and "unusual". Homosexuality NATURALLY occurs in nature, affecting around 10 percent of every population on the planet. By your definition people who are red-haired or left-handed are "unnatural" – which is patent nonsense. And have you considered the possibility that evolution intended a percentage of humans not to breed in order to keep population numbers down? The world cannot sustain population growth at its present level.
July 29th, 2009 at 9:42 pm
Now that was a good theory that Hollywood turned into a good film!!…anyway it been good convo so will be back in a few days to up pick from here…
July 29th, 2009 at 9:46 pm
Oh my Gosh…I am now offended…I am both red haired and left handed!!!!………lol YES it true but no I am not really offended…be careful who you judge??
July 29th, 2009 at 10:14 pm
That was very good barry_duke.
I agree that she could have contacted the gays beforehand. The artists I know however are usually very glad when something turnes out unexpectedly.
Couldn’t she just close the project and think to herself
“Wow. That went south quickly. I wonder why noone wanted my reaching, helping hand in making peace?”
The obvious answer would be that
gays are to chrisitians
as
jews are to nazis
And there’s the problem. Would you have expected the Jews to reach out? To make the first step?
I wish her the best of success in her future projects.
July 29th, 2009 at 10:52 pm
Brilliant, Barry! "His subtle humour devours me." (Phrase from Giles cartoon of 14th Feb., 1961. Students drawing Venus de Milo: one produces cubist version: languid art teacher says, "I see the Russian spaceship has landed on your Venus"! How can I be so sure of the date? Not only do I have the book, but it was such a funny cartoon that it is mentioned on the web!!)
July 29th, 2009 at 10:54 pm
Fuck off! We don't want any more trolls on this site!!
July 30th, 2009 at 8:20 am
I suggest this pretentious display of “art” was an attempt to collect names of gays so the xtains could go around to their houses and harass them – that is just the sort of vile trick we would expect from xtians. Paranoid, me?
July 30th, 2009 at 8:29 am
it is a shame this piece has been neutered, it sounded very exciting. I bet it would have got a lot of people into the museum.
If I had £1 everytime someon pulled out the old "they'd never dare do this to the Koran"!! The religious background of this country is still mainly Christian, so if you want to make a statement about religious it will usually focus on Christianity.
What people mean when they say "you'd never dare do this to the Koran" is "because some Muslims would kill you" and behind that lurks "good on them" and "I wish I could get away with killing you" which is just twisted. We should abhor religiously motivated vioence just as much as any other kind, not envy them the licence it seems to give!
Remove the glass, let people who love God write their messages and people who hate religion write theirs. Free and open debate and involving ordinary people in art, what could be better?
July 30th, 2009 at 9:31 am
I used to think that the bible would be better if only the pages were softer….
Thinking along those lines, how about commissioning these chaps [ http://www.printedtp.com/ ] to print up some Bible & Koran verses in handy scroll form, for religious folk to read when they are dropping the kids off at the pool?
July 30th, 2009 at 11:51 am
Okay, my previous post caused a slight stir, but I struggle to see why. Jumping from a glimmer of sympathy for the naive creator of a tiny 'art' exhibition – and one tailor-made to have fundies growling, at that – to gay children being forced into Christian schools and the CCFON's latest attention-seeker?
Hmmmm….
Christians might all ultimately be cut from the same altar cloth, but they do come in different colours and are not ALL out to 'heal', hatemonger, re-invent themselves as modern day persecuteds or control the lives of others.
July 30th, 2009 at 12:10 pm
This topic is being covered over at Platitude Of The Day today @ http://www.platitudes.org.uk/platblog/index.php It was the subject of a "Thought For The Day" this morning that was indeed worthy of its rating as "Highly platitudinous"! (You can read the full text or listen to the broadcast there, if you can stomach such patronizing twaddle!!)
July 30th, 2009 at 12:12 pm
"Christians might all ultimately be cut from the same altar cloth…" I couldn't have put it better myself!!
July 30th, 2009 at 12:49 pm
Well said, Gordon! This "They wouldn't do it to the Koran!"/ that they keep coming out with just betrays their true mindset. In other words, they're mighty jealous of those pesky Muslims, and would really like to be in a position, one way or another, to stifle all criticism of their own religion and holy book!!
July 30th, 2009 at 12:49 pm
Well said, Gordon! This "They wouldn't do it to the Koran!" that they keep coming out with just betrays their true mindset. In other words, they're mighty jealous of those pesky Muslims, and would really like to be in a position, one way or another, to stifle all criticism of their own religion and holy book!!
July 30th, 2009 at 6:28 pm
Its much like the veiled threat from angry political zealots "you're lucky we live in such a free society or [insert ther violent fantasy here]". Still, despite all the publicity this piece has attracted, the real elephant in the room is that its a pretty crappy excuse for art. However, if you want to recreate it on any of the numerous blank canvasses helpfully left by Gideons up and down the country, feel free. I can draw an excellent cock and balls, look out for my work!
July 31st, 2009 at 1:58 pm
I love your wording! It is full of truth and reason. It is now time for an end to the word of "God" and time for the beginning to TRUTH! Kudos…
August 3rd, 2009 at 11:43 am
As if, I would give them my name for later persecution and social margins… they should have set the thing on fire. The "artist" had to see this exhibit somewhat condescending and if not then she is just naive.As for the Koran I would deface or burn that one too ..the pope is must be upset that there is no new Hitler for him to support forreigning in a new age of "Christian/catholic" totalitarianism.
August 29th, 2009 at 6:47 pm
It's a freaking stack of paper. I am offended by the pope every time I see him, and by everything he writes. Maybe he should be locked up in a glass box. As for the other so called holy books, they are all stacks of paper. It's about time the religious of every stripe get offended. They have been offensive and oppressive for thousands of years.
Why oh why would any gay person , or thinking person for that matter want to participate in any kind of religious observance after all the evil religion has perpetrated on us is beyond me.
And why can't the pope just pray to be healed instead of using up expensive secular healing that could have been given to the poor.
August 30th, 2009 at 3:58 am
The bullets are real. Your god is not.
September 26th, 2009 at 5:35 pm
I quite agree with the written quotes.
March 15th, 2010 at 11:49 pm
Of course, if “christians” write hate messages about gays and display them publicly, that’s perfectly OK. What a bunch of ignorant hypocrites and liars they are. The Muslims are as bad or worse. Most of the problems of the world are, and always have been, caused by religion.
Mankind will never truly be free until the black yoke of religion is lifted by the clear light of truth and logic.