My name is Theodore Karakostas and I am a
Greek American. I would respectfully like to criticize the “art” that was displayed in your gallery. Those of us who are Orthodox Christians are offended and outraged by the blasphemous depictions of the icons of the most holy Theotokos and our God and savior Jesus Christ, and of the icon of Saint George the great martyr. The display of this “art” was thoughtless and a betrayal of Greece’s Orthodox faith which sustained Hellenism during the centuries of Turkish Occupation.
The thoughtlessness of depicting this “art”
Is exacerbated by the genocide now under way in the Middle East which Christian communities from Syria to Gaza are enduring. This is the time of year when the Orthodox are observing Great lent. This is a time for forgiveness and reconciliation.
Perhaps some apologies are in order. The museum and the artist might wish to apologize for the desecration of the icons. Christians are forgiving. The Greek Orthodox Church has permitted museums in America to display their sacred icons in the past.
Is not the display of desecrated icons a step down for a museum to display? Many of us expect better from Museums which should display real art and not items that glorify destruction.
An icon is a holy item. Christians must not overreact but neither can we be indifferent to such vile displays. There is a war on Christianity as can be seen by the aforementioned genocide in the Middle East, and an increasing intolerance for Christians among the powerful in Europe and America.
It was Saint John of Damascus who said that
Icons are Bibles for the eyes. To desecrate icons is to desecrate books. Those who desecrate books are usually fascists or
Communists. They are not enlightened and
the display of this “art” indicates a lack of enlightenment on the part of those who approved it.
Theodore Karakostas
Boston, MA
USA
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