Catholics angry over naked chocolate Jesus in NY

A life-size sculpture of a naked Jesus made out of chocolate has angered Roman Catholic leaders, and a Manhattan art gallery is reconsidering whether to exhibit it during the Easter season.

The sculpture "My Sweet Lord" by Cosimo Cavallaro was to be exhibited for two hours each day next week in a street-level window of the Roger Smith Lab Gallery in Midtown Manhattan. It was set to open on Monday, days ahead of Good Friday when Christians mark the crucifixion of Jesus.

"We're considering our options," Matthew Semler, the gallery's artistic director, said on Friday. "We're still assessing the situation."

The Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights called for a boycott of the affiliated Roger Smith Hotel, writing to 500 religious and secular organizations.

"This is an assault on Christians during Holy Week," said Kiera McCaffrey, director of communications for the league, which describes itself as the largest U.S. Catholic civil-rights group.

"They would never dare do something similar with a chocolate statue of the prophet Mohammad naked with his genitals exposed during Ramadan," she said.

The archbishop of New York called it "scandalous" and a "sickening display."

"The Catholic community is alerted to this offense of our faith and sensitivities. This is something we will not forget," Cardinal Edward Egan said in a statement.

Semler said the hotel had no knowledge of what the gallery planned to show and was being unfairly targeted. Moreover, he said the work was not irreverent.

"It's intended as a meditation on the Holy Week," Semler said of the sculpture, which depicts Jesus as if on the cross. Easter Sunday, this year April 8, is celebrated as the day of Jesus' resurrection.

A photo of the piece on the artist's Web site (http://www.cosimocavallaro.com/) shows the work suspended in air.

New York is familiar with clashes between art and religion.

In 1999, then-Mayor Rudolph Giuliani threatened to withdraw a grant from the Brooklyn Museum of Art for a painting depicting the Virgin Mary as a black woman splattered with elephant dung adorned with cut-outs from pornographic magazines.

Current Mayor Michael Bloomberg is taking a different approach.

"If you want to give the guy some publicity, talk more about it, make a big fuss," Bloomberg told WABC radio. "If you want to really hurt him, don't pay attention."

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[tags : unusual wierd bizzare]

Ribena's Response to the Lack-Of Vitamin C case

You may have heard recently some Ribena drinks in Australia and New Zealand have been found to contain less Vitamin C than stated on pack. The case came about because the method we had used for testing Australian and New Zealand products was not sensitive enough to measure the natural break down in Vitamin C that occurs over time while this type of product is on shelf.

First things first: we wanted to reassure you this isn’t the case in the UK. Ribena contains the levels of Vitamin C as stated on our packaging and we’re still committed to producing the same quality refreshment that’s been enjoyed in the UK for the last 70 years. During that time we've worked with three generations of blackcurrant growers to create the unique Ribena taste we know our consumers love.

We also wanted to let you know that people who consume Ribena are obviously our number one concern. It was never our intention to mislead consumers in Australia and New Zealand and we're really sorry this has happened. We’ve moved to a new method of testing Vitamin C levels in those countries and we’re also developing a new recipe for our drinks in Australia and New Zealand to ensure Vitamin C levels are maintained over shelf life.

If you have any questions then give us a bell on 0800 096 3666.

The Ribena Consumer Careline Team (UK)

Related Post

• Ribena Exposed - Contains No Vitamin C & Sued $217,000

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[tags : unusual wierd bizzare]

Britney Spears & Kevin Dederline Settle Divorce

LOS ANGELES - Britney Spears and Kevin Federline reached a settlement in their divorce Thursday, a spokesman for Federline's attorney said.

After a five-hour meeting with their attorneys present, Spears and Federline signed "a global settlement on all issues of their marriage," said Michael Sands, a spokesman for Federline's attorney Mark Vincent Kaplan.

Sands declined to elaborate on terms of the settlement, saying only that it covers child custody and financial matters.

Spears' attorney, Laura Wasser, declined to comment.

The settlement came more than a week after Spears checked out of a luxurious rehab center. During her nearly one-month stay at Promises Malibu Alcohol and Drug Rehab Treatment Facility, Spears and Federline were under a temporary agreement that gave them joint custody of their two young sons.

When Spears filed for divorce on Nov. 7, the pop star cited irreconcilable differences as the reason for ending her two-year marriage to Federline. She sought custody of the children, with visitation rights for Federline.

Federline counter-filed court papers the following day seeking sole custody of their boys — 6-month-old Jayden James and 18-month-old Sean Preston — and for spousal support.

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[tags : unusual wierd bizzare]

Malaysia's Noah Ark

A huge structure, built by a cult that promised its followers smooth sailing into the hereafter, is headed for doom.

Purportedly the Noah’s Ark of modern times, followers of the late Sulaiman Mohd Said, who once predicted that the people of Klang would perish in a terrible flood, built the boat-like structure that is now close to ruin.

Sulaiman persuaded his followers, that when the floods came, they would be the chosen ones to sail away to safety with him in the “vessel.”

The Selangor state government now wants to tear down the building.

“Yes, the building will go. The order to demolish has been given to the Klang land office,” said state executive councillor in charge of religious affairs Datuk Abdul Rahman Palil.

The state government made the decision in August last year, to wipe out any memory of the deviant Ajaran Sulaiman or Ajaran Bahtera Noah.

Sources from the Selangor Islamic Affairs Department (Jais) said Sulaiman did not know how to read the Quran nor did he have any formal religious education.

Apart from claiming that his so-called Noah’s Ark would save mankind, he also claimed to be the Prophet Isa (Jesus).

Jais sources said the movement had wanted its followers and their families to move into the vessel and make it their “mothership.”

Jais had kept a close watch on the leaders since the cult surfaced and banned the movement in the early 1990s.

The mammoth structure – which stretches like a row of terrace houses and includes a surau, two towering masts, portholes and Quranic verses on the wall – is located in a remote village in Meru Barat.

A check by The Star showed the structure had long been abandoned, but the locked entrance was guarded by two hissing geese.

Sulaiman purportedly set up the movement in 1989, by registering it as a business entity with a capital of RM2.5mil and is said to have envisioned a global Islamic enterprise.

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[tags : unusual wierd bizzare]