Olympic organizers face ire of Christians over opening ceremony: 'Clearly intentional'

Olympic organizers are facing fierce backlash from Christians and others worldwide about the opening ceremonies of the 2024 games after a skit appeared to mock Jesus' Last Supper. 

The "Outnumbered" panel reacted to the mockery on Monday, explaining why many believe the segment was intended to offend Christians and how the controversial opening has impacted the real purpose of the Olympics. 

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"You can't tell me that it was not intentional. It was clearly intentional," Fox News contributor Charlie Hurt said during "Outnumbered" on Monday. "It's truly disgusting, but the other thing is, you're talking about the cradle of some of the most beautiful art in the world, and it's so ugly. The whole thing is so unattractive."

"You have all of these wonderful athletes from all around the world who are there, and… it's the whole purpose of the Olympics is to display unity and to have a place where the greatest athletes compete on a track field instead of on a battlefield, and these people just want to show their behinds… the display you wind up with is something that is not beautiful. It is ridiculous, and then… to boot, it's also really offensive to Christians."

The controversial Olympics display featured numerous performers, including drag queens and a large woman in a halo crown, parodying "The Last Supper," a universally recognizable painting by renaissance artist Leonardo da Vinci of Christ and his apostles on the night of Passover before Christ’s passion and death. 

The image sparked outrage among Christians and conservatives online, one of them being Catholic Bishop Robert Barron, who expressed disappointment that a country with such Catholic heritage would mock such an important event from the Gospels.

But those behind the controversial segment insisted the "mockery" wasn't intended to offend Christians, but to honor the Greek god of wine, Dionysus. 

Co-host Kayleigh McEnany pushed back on those claims, arguing Christians should absolutely be offended. 

"This was the most appalling thing without a doubt, and Christians should be deeply offended," McEnany said. 

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She also argued it was unfortunate there were sexualized images incorporated into the skit, given the purpose of the games is supposed to be unity. 

"That's not what this is about," she said. "The Olympics are iconic, historic, and we celebrate athletes who have done this their whole lives work for this moment."

Paris 2024 spokesperson Anne Descamps addressed the backlash over the weekend. "Clearly there was never an intention to show disrespect to any religious group. [The opening ceremony] tried to celebrate community tolerance," Descamps told reporters, via Reuters.

"We believe this ambition was achieved. If people have taken any offense, we are really sorry."

The Olympic Games' official X account wrote, "The interpretation of the Greek God Dionysus makes us aware of the absurdity of violence between human beings."

"This really robs every athlete from the spotlight," co-host Harris Faulkner said. 

"They are not the focus, and if they think they are, they need to look at the open of that show… They took a punch at us, and it's fair game for everybody, so I don't really understand what they think they accomplished through that IOC spokesperson, but I will never watch another opening. 

"They won't miss my viewership. I didn't watch the whole thing anyway. I was so offended I turned it off, but I am tuning in for those young men and women who have given their lives as young people, teenage years to do everything they can to compete and represent their countries," she continued. 

"I am concerned about them and I will watch for them, and I hope that they don't catch whatever it is that the IOC leadership has in France, because it's a disease and it's hateful."

Fox News' Gabriel Hays and Timothy H.J. Nerozzi, Ryan Gaydos and the Associated Press contributed to this report. 

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