Religious Fury

Muslims around the world are raging against cartoon characterizations of the Prophet Muhammed.

Using illustrations of Christ, Muhammed, Buddha, or any other religious figure is risky business.

I remember a few years back using the image of Christ in a wheelchair as the cover for handout materials I used doing a presentation for the Anchorage Archdiocese. There were probably about 50 leaders in the Catholic Church present.

Upon first seeing the image of Christ there was a collective gasp in the room. The tension became so thick you could cut it with an knife. Now, I have to admit that the whole purpose of depicting Christ in a wheelchair was to get their attention. Sometimes, the shock factor is all we have working for us.

The presentation turned magical when one of the lay leaders with a disability read from a passage in the Bible. I was able to use the passage to illustrate that Christ was totally accepting of people with disabilities and only cured them to satisfy the scribe's need for sensationalizing.

By the end of the day, the depiction of Christ in a wheelchair was a poignant part of the overall context and the original appalling looks melted into understanding and acceptance.