The opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics sparked outrage among religious groups over allegations that it featured a blasphemous depiction of the Last Supper.
It has also heated up the tempers of two popular Australian influencers: Chloe Szepanowski and her partner Mitchell Orval.
The pair, described on social media as “loving of Jesus, led by the Spirit and focused on family,” posted angry messages on Instagram Stories on Saturday.
They compared Leonardo da Vinci’s famous painting The Last Supper with the scene at the Olympic Games, which featured transvestites and a ‘naked’ man painted blue.
“Did anyone else see how they mocked Jesus at the Olympic Games?” Orval wrote.
“If it made me so angry, let it be a comforting reminder: if he wasn’t telling the truth, they wouldn’t be doing this!”
Szepanowski responded to her own post: ‘Well this is just the worst.
“This year they mocked God. That’s horrible, but all the more reason to follow Jesus.”
The opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics sparked outrage from religious groups over allegations that it featured a so-called blasphemous depiction of the Last Supper. It has also angered Australian influencers Chloe Szepanowski and her partner Mitchell Orval (both pictured).
Despite Chloe and Mitchell’s concerns, it has since come to light that the opening ceremony likely referenced a different artwork.
US-based Pastor Benjamin Cremer shared a post on social media debunking accusations that the controversial scene mocked Leonardo da Vinci’s classic painting and, therefore, Christianity.
The message reads: ‘It was a representation of the event called the festival of Dionysus. Greek god of festivities and feasts and rituals and theatre.
‘The Olympic Games come from Greek culture and tradition. French culture is deeply rooted in celebrations and festivities and performing arts.’
According to theory, the scene depicted during the opening ceremony is based on a painting entitled Feast of the Gods by Johann Rottenhammer and Jan Bruegel, circa 1602.
The couple, described on their social media as “Jesus-loving, Spirit-led, family-focused,” shared angry messages on Instagram Stories on Saturday
Szepanowski joined in the conversation: ‘Well, this is just the worst one yet. This year they mocked God. This is horrible, but all the more reason to follow Jesus.’
It has since come to light that the opening ceremony likely referenced another artwork, the Feast of Dionysus, with prominent religious figures pointing out the error online
Another social media post challenged the idea that the scene depicted the Last Supper.
Taylor Driskill Pafford wrote: ‘This painting is not specifically Dionysus, but shows how celebrations were often depicted during the Renaissance, with many Greek influences.
‘It may resemble the feast of Dionysus, but it may also be reminiscent of the Last Supper.
‘That’s because during the Renaissance many paintings of banquets showed a table with people on one side (and perhaps a few on the front) and had them sitting and standing in various positions.’
To bolster Pafford’s point, her post was shared by a pastor.
Pastor Cassie Rapko wrote: ‘It was not the Last Supper, which takes place in Italy and not in France. It was the feast of Dionysus.’