Christians Complain Of Hirst Art

Christians have accused the artist Damien Hirst of exploiting religious imagery for the sake of controversy in a new art exhibition, to be displayed in a working Anglican church, the Independent reports. The exhibition features graphic photographs inspired by the wounds of Christ, a crucifix encrusted with pills and a silver heart impaled with needles and razor blades. Many of the show's works appear to pit the spiritual against the pharmaceutical: one sculpture entitled The Eucharist takes the form of an outsized marble Paracetamol tablet. According to Mr Hirst, the works explore the tensions between religion and science. "People tend to think of them as two very separate things, one cold and clinical, the other emotional and warm and loving. I wanted to leap over those boundaries." But Justin Thacker of the Evangelical Alliance warned that some Christians will be affronted by Mr Hirst's "crass theology". He said: "You could be offended at seeing a great symbolic event in Christianity reduced to a headache pill ... although both pharmaceuticals and Christianity provide relief from physical or emotional pain." (For full source and article click the Headline) Irish Art