As the United Methodist Church divides over LGBTQ issues, a student at Emory University displayed a portrait depicting himself on a cross as a gay version of Jesus for the university’s Senior Capstone Showcase, according to Campus Reform.
The image shows recent graduate Tommy Greenler on a wooden cross with painted finger nails, bloody wounds and a crown of thorns.
In his “artist’s statement,” Greenler suggests that Jesus was a homosexual.
“I hope that viewers will find this photograph confrontational,” Greenler wrote. “as I have had to confront being called a sinner my whole life for something I believe that Jesus of Nazareth and I may have had in common.”
He defends this assertion by questioning why Jesus would “spend much of his adult life living with 12 male admirers.”
Additionally, Greenler asks, “Why was John the only disciple present at the Crucifixion, when many gospels confirmed that Jesus loved him in a special way?”
The sexuality of Jesus Christ is not the only aspect of Scripture challenged by the recent Emory graduate.
Greenler told Campus Reform that his “art” shines a light on truths that “are often overlooked in mainstream Christian discourse.”
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“The legend of Jesus’ life is more important to most Christians than the actual life of the historical figure, which is furthered by a lack of reliable recorded history,” Greenler wrote.
This story comes as 70 Georgia congregations recently broke with the United Methodist Church and a New York Church of Christ hosted a drag show during a Sunday morning service.