The Shofar is the ancient trumpet which called the people of God to prayer, repentance, sacrifice and war.

BLASPHEMOUS STATUE ON SHOW IN GATESHEAD

Immediate: 5th January 2008 16.00 hrs.

As the Chinese authorities continue their persecution of the Christian Church, a statue by a Chinese artist attacking Jesus Christ is on show in the North-East of England.

The statue by Terence Koh, who was born in Beijing , but now lives in New York, is part of a collection owned by Newcastle-born Anita Zabludowicz which is being exhibited until 20th January at the Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art in Gateshead.

http://www.balticmill.com/whatsOn/present/ExhibitionDetail.php?exhibID=80

The 1ft-high depiction of Christ with an erection is the central figure in the exhibition.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.htmlid=1770

Stephen Green, National Director of Christian Voice, said today:

'It is particularly chilling that a Chinese artist should create such a sculpture, while the Chinese authorities are doing everything they can to oppress the Christian Church in China, imprisoning and torturing pastors for their faith in the very Jesus Christ Koh is humiliating.  Koh is supporting the Chinese atheist regime from the comfort of his home in New York and spitting in the face of his countrymen persecuted for their faith.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/3993857.stm

'Koh has previously exhibited work with a pornographic theme, so there must be a lot going on his mind and his life which, ironically, badly needs the saving and healing grace of Jesus Christ.'

Anita Zabludowicz is a well-known collector in the arts world.  She is married to Chaim Zabludowicz, also known as 'Poju', the billionaire Finnish-born businessman and gaming magnate. 

http://www.warandpiece.com/blogdirs/000347.html 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tamares_Group

http://www.somethingjewish.co.uk/articles/2014_bicom_s_new_ceo.htm

Stephen Green went on: 'Chaim Zabludowicz is also chairman of the Britain Israel Communications and Research Centre, a pro-Israel pressure group.  Both Chaim and Anita are well-known in Jewish circles.  Christians, many of whom support the state of Israel not least in prayer, would normally expect more respect for their faith from those of the cultivated olive tree (Rom 11:13-24).

'The exhibition also reveals all that is wrong with the arts in the United Kingdom . Parliament is debating whether to allow the creation of human/animal embryos, we are killing our own children by abortion, what passes for our civilisation is becoming daily more crass, sexualised, selfish and disrespectful, schools and families are failing to teach children eternal standards of behaviour, family breakdown is causing misery and contributing, along with drunkenness and drug-taking, to crime.  The police detection rate in Gateshead is only 30%, while violent crime there is up 8.6%. A culture of lies and spin permeates and degrades politics and our troops are dying in illegal wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

http://www.christianvoice.org.uk

http://ww1.northumbria.police.uk/ePolicing/Web/WMS.nsf/

'Yet with all these legitimate targets for the arts to expose, all the Director of the Baltic Centre, Peter Doroshenko, and Chairman Sir Ian Wrigglesworth seem able to do is put on an exhibition ridiculing the Son of God who alone can redeem sinners and transform our society from evil to righteousness.

'The Baltic Centre project itself cost £46 million of taxpayers' money. £34 million came from the National Lottery via the Arts Council and the rest was provided by various public bodies including Gateshead Council.

http://www.dooyoo.co.uk/museums-national/baltic-centre-for-contemporary-art/422948/

'The Centre costs £3 million per year to run, of which half is being squandered by the Lottery.  From the Baltic Centre website, it seems a lot of that money goes on parties for arts insiders.

http://www.balticmill.com/society/Society.php 

'Evil displays like this only happen because the Church in our land allows them to.  I hope and pray there will be an outcry from the Church in Gateshead and across the UK which will cause all involved to examine their own lives and repent of their sins.'

Ends