In case you missed it, the opening ceremonies for the 2024 summer Olympics in Paris were held on Friday July 26, 2024. These opening ceremonies typically kick off the games with a parade of athletes and a show that is a representation of the country where the games are being held. This opening ceremonies did both of those things, but they also stirred up controversy.
There was one scene during the opening ceremonies which many Christians are claiming is a mockery of the Leonard DaVinci painting “The Last Supper” which represents Jesus’ final meal with his 12 disciples. In an Instagram post, actress Candace Cameron Bure, who is a Christian and a huge fan of the Olympics, posted a video where she shared her view of the opening ceremonies.
Bure started the video by explaining that she was not planning to talk about her thoughts on the Olympic opening ceremonies publicly because she didn’t want it “to become a headline.” Well, here we are. She has spoken, and we have the headline to prove it.
Bure continued the video by sharing that the reason she decided to speak about the opening ceremonies publicly was because “it felt too important.”
She then explained just how much the Olympics mean to her. She said, “I love the Olympic Games. I love them. My husband is a two time Olympic medalist.” Her brother-in-law and father-in-law are also Olympic medalists, so when she says “I love the Olympic Games” she really means it on a personal level.
Not only did she marry into a family of Olympians, but she also remembers watching the 1984 Olympics in person in Los Angeles. She said that she “stood on the street watching marathon runners go by.”
After raving about how much she loves the Olympics and why, she got into the heart of what she was really there to talk about – the opening ceremonies for the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Bure stated that in her opinion “the opening ceremonies completely blasphemed and mock the Christian faith with their interpretation of The Last Supper was disgusting. And it made me so sad.”
She explained that even though it does make her “mad” she’s “more sad.” She added, “I pray for my heart to break over what breaks God’s heart.”
She also told her followers, “Don’t get tired of doing good.” She encouraged them to do what they feel is best about whether or not to boycott watching the Olympics.
Bure shared that she is not going to boycott watching the Olympics because she wants “to support our athletes.” She pointed out that “these athletes have dedicated not just the last four years but their entire lives to compete in these games that had nothing to do with the opening ceremony.”
In the caption of her post, Bure also shared, “Since posting, many have tried to correct me saying it wasn’t about an interpretation of DaVinci’s The Last Supper, but a Greek god and the festival of Dionysus; who is a god of lust, insanity, religious ecstasy, ritual madnes etc. I still don’t see how that relates to unifying the world through competitive sports and acceptable for children to watch. In any case, I’m not buying it.”
Do you think the opening ceremonies were trying to mock “The Last Supper,” or do you think it was supposed to be the festival of Dionysus?