Hoosier State Today

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Todd Young (R-Ind.) and James Lankford (R-Okla.), along with a group of 30 Republican lawmakers, sent a letter to International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach following the depiction of the Last Supper during the Opening Ceremony of the Olympic Games Paris 2024.

"We write in response to the vulgar mockery of the Christian faith on display at the Opening Ceremony of the Olympic Games Paris 2024. The Games should unite people of every country, race, and creed. There is no place for anti-Christian bigotry at an event designed to bring the world together. The Games should celebrate the athletes, not denigrate anyone’s faith. We urge you to take immediate action by amending Rule 55 of the Olympic Charter to ensure that no faiths are the subject of mockery as part of the opening or closing ceremonies ever again," stated the members.

"The International Olympic Committee (IOC) should formally condemn the mockery that occurred in Paris of one of the most sacred moments of the Christian faith. Then, the IOC should make formal changes to ensure this kind of divisive display is not repeated to ensure that Coubertin’s vision for the Games may continue to thrive. Every person, from every nation and every faith, should be encouraged to enjoy the Olympics without being belittled or mocked. Thank you for your attention to this matter," they continued.

The full letter reads:

Dear President Bach:

We write in response to the vulgar mockery of the Christian faith on display at the Opening Ceremony of the Olympic Games Paris 2024. The Games should unite people of every country, race, and creed. There is no place for anti-Christian bigotry at an event designed to bring the world together. The Games should celebrate athletes, not denigrate anyone’s faith. We urge you to take immediate action by amending Rule 55 of the Olympic Charter to ensure that no faiths are subject to mockery as part of opening or closing ceremonies ever again.

There are more than 2.5 billion Christians globally. Africa is home to more than 700 million believers, followed by Latin America and Europe. With 157 majority-Christian nations worldwide, your remarks following this incident rang hollow: "We do not only respect each other; we live in solidarity with each other." You also stated: "In a world torn apart by wars and conflicts, it is thanks to this solidarity that we can all come together tonight, uniting athletes from all 206 National Olympic Committees and IOC Refugee Olympic Team." How can we claim solidarity while bigotry and derision are part of opening ceremonies?

Pierre de Coubertin once said: "May joy and good fellowship reign, and in this manner may the Olympic Torch pursue its way through ages, increasing friendly understanding among nations for humanity's good." The IOC should formally condemn what occurred in Paris regarding one of Christianity's most sacred moments and make formal changes ensuring such displays do not recur so Coubertin’s vision for these games thrives.

Every person from every nation and faith should enjoy Olympics without being belittled or mocked.

Thank you for your attention.

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