A massive painting of Jesus watching over sailors lost at sea has been removed from the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy because it triggered a bunch of Christophobic bigots.
The 10-foot by 19-foot painting, entitled “Christ on the Water” and also known as “Jesus and Lifeboat,” was painted in 1944 by noted Marine artist Lt. Hunter Wood.
The painting depicts an image of Jesus and merchant seamen adrift in a lifeboat, presumably after being torpedoed in the Indian Ocean during World War II.
The Military Religious Freedom Foundation demanded that Transportation Sec. Pete Buttigieg and Academy Supt. Joanna Nunan remove the beautiful painting after a number of “anonymous” people complained.
The Dept. of Transportation oversees the Merchant Marine Academy.
“The outrageousness of that Jesus painting’s display is only further exacerbated by the fact that this room is also used regularly for USMMA Honor Code violation boards where midshipmen are literally fighting for their careers,” MRFF founder Mikey Weinstein wrote.
The MRFF is on a mission to eradicate Christianity on every military installation in the nation. They claim to represent Christians who are offended by their own faith. I’ve written about them extensively in my book, “Culture Jihad: How to Stop the Left From Killing a Nation.” Click here to read my book.
Weinstein compared the painting to the USMMA “screaming that ‘Jesus Christ is the only approved solution to all of life’s difficulties!’”
“We’re not seeing Allah, Buddha, Vishnu, Satan or any of the other multitudes of the deities of other faith or non-faith traditions being even remotely shown there under similar circumstances,” he added.
Nunan immediately surrendered and ordered that a white curtain be draped over Jesus.
“This will completely block the painting from view, but also allow those who wish to view it the opportunity to do so. Second, I have asked the Director of the American Merchant Marine Museum to prepare a plaque that explains the history of the painting, which will be installed near it. Given the size of the painting, there is no other location to which it can be moved.”
Rep. Jim Banks (R-IN) called on Buttigieg to restore the painting to its original place.
“Covering this painting isn’t about ‘constitutional concerns,’ it is just the latest example of the Left’s woke agenda,” Banks told Fox News Digital in a statement.
The Indiana congressman also noted that over 4,400 “midshipmen, alumni and community of the United States Merchant Marine Academy have signed a petition asking for the removal of this curtain to allow the original artwork to be viewed and that a plaque describing the historic significance of the painting be placed alongside it,” the congressman said.
One final thought — the Merchant Marine Academy recent opened a gay pride exhibit on campus in a prominent corridor.
If there’s room for the gay pride agenda, surely there must be room for a painting of Jesus.