Saturday 28 January 2012

Christ the Redeemer Statue to watch over London?



In a move destined to send the National Secularist Society into paroxysms of froth-mouthed green-ink rage, the Brazilian government has proposed a plan to erect a 30 foot replica of the statue of Christ the Redeemer that overlooks Rio de Janeiro on London's Primrose Hill. The hush-hush plans, discovered and published by the local Camden New Journal, are intended to celebrate the end of the London 2012 Olympic games and promote the 2016 Olympics in Rio. Although planning permission has not yet been sought, it is believed that the statue would only be in place for the four years between the two Olympic games. It is also thought that the plans were being kept secret so that there would be a "wow factor" when the statue was unveiled at the end of the 2012 games. 

All news reports point to the "obvious" controversial nature of the statue, and to the requisite foaming at the mouth by the NSS who have already helpfully supplied outraged comments. I'm rather perplexed as to why it is so very controversial to put a statue of Our Lord up in a country in which the culture, law, architecture, language and education system are all the direct inheritance of Christian civilisation. Presumably even the National Secularist Society cannot deny the Christian foundation of our Western European civilisation. I imagine that the Brazilian government will be bemused by the extreme reactions.

I'm hoping that the plan goes ahead - what a blessing to have a statue of Our Lord looking over the "Epicentre of the Culture of Death".  Surely some lasting good would come from four years of London being reminded of the saving presence of the risen Christ. 

And there would always be the question of where the statue would live afterwards. Hmmmm, that fourth plinth on Trafalgar square still doesn't have a permanent statue...

1 comment:

  1. And if not the fourth plinth (try saying that with a mouthful of bacon and eggs), there is always Tyburn Field at Marble Arch.

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