Jesus Christ…Not Again!

An Oklahoma City council has — once again — authorized the use of public money for the fabrication and installation of a religious statute. The statute, Come Unto Me (not “come on to me”), by artist Rosalind Cook, depicts a “larger than life [Jesus] Christ figure,” which can be supplemented by, get this, “children of varied nationalities that can be purchased to group with the sculpture.” From Townhall.com:

A conservative Oklahoma City suburb with a history of trying to incorporate religious art into public spaces has approved city funds to help pay for a statue of Jesus Christ to be placed downtown for Christmas, likely leading to another court fight.

“This is the third major unconstitutional effort they’ve engaged in recent years,” said Barry Lynn, executive director of the Washington D.C.-based Americans United for Separation of Church and State. “It’s a little surprising, because normally people pause to take a breath before they violate the Constitution again.”

June Cartwright, the chair of the commission and who supported funding the latest statue, said the sculpture was viewed simply as a piece of art and not a religious endorsement. “It is a piece of artwork,” Cartwright said. “It doesn’t state that it is specifically Jesus. It is whatever you perceive it to be.”

“You cannot promote what is obviously a very specific religious image using tax dollars,” Lynn said. “The city lawyers should have stopped this. This isn’t even close to the line. This is way over it.”

Tags: first amendment, Religion, religious art