During the opening ceremony for the 2024 Paris Olympics last week, many people mistakingly believed that one portion of the festivities mocked the Christian faith, sparking widespread outrage. And it seems like one NASCAR driver was among those offended and concerned.
The mistake occurred when people believed that a collection of drag queens and other performers were parodying The Last Supper – a Renaissance painting by Leonardo da Vinci that shows the final meal that Jesus shared with his disciples before his crucifixion. As a result of this confusion, many thought that the ceremony was making a mockery of Jesus and the Christian faith, and that included NASCAR driver Dean Thompson.
“Mockery. Absolutely awful. Praying for them,” Thompson said in a post on X, the social media website that was formerly known as Twitter.
Mockery. Absolutely awful. Praying for them.
— Dean Thompson (@deanthompsonr) July 27, 2024
As it turns out, Thompson’s outrage was misguided as the ceremony was not referencing The Last Supper at all. Instead, it was paying homage to the Festival of Dionysus, who is the Greek god of fertility, wine, and revelry.
“Clearly there was never an intention to show disrespect to any religious group. (The opening ceremony) tried to celebrate community tolerance,” Paris 2024 spokesperson Anne Descamps told reporters.
“We believe this ambition was achieved. If people have taken any offense, we are really sorry.”
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