Greg Laurie, Vlad Savchuk, Lisa Bevere, Others Christians Condemn Olympic Opening Ceremony
A growing chorus of Christians worldwide, including popular pastor Greg Laurie, the founder of Harvest Church in California; Vlad Savchuk, senior pastor of Hungry Gen Church, and Lisa Bevere, co-founder of John Bevere Ministries, have condemned the Paris Olympic opening ceremony, specifically criticizing the parody of the “Last Supper,” which they view as a mockery of Christian beliefs.
The Olympic opening ceremony in Paris on Friday included a recreation of Leonardo da Vinci’s Last Supper artwork, with transgender persons and drag queens replacing the biblical figures. This divergence from the conventional Christian story infuriated some Christians, who saw the scenario as an intentional mockery of Christianity.
In a lengthy post, Vlad Savchuk denounced the event as a “mockery of Christ” and an attempt to normalize a “demonic agenda.” He expressed outrage over what he perceived as blasphemous elements within the ceremony, claiming it was an open invitation to demonic forces. He further accused the organizers of promoting anti-biblical values, celebrating sinful behavior, and normalizing deviant sexual practices.
“They mock Christ, not Buddha or Muhammad. Demonic mockery,” he wrote. “This is not entertainment; it’s an open door to the demonic. They are trying to normalize the demonic agenda.” He, however, called upon Christians to resist the demonic influence and stand firm in their faith, urging them to “get back to prayer, fasting, and winning souls.”
Lisa Bevere was also outraged by various aspects of the event, including the “Last Supper” parody and a “golden calf” suggestive of the biblical account of Moses. She also attacked the organizers for their representation of the “pale horse” in the Book of Revelation.
She went on to decry the Olympic organizers’s decision to ban Muslim female athletes from wearing hijabs while allegedly promoting “perverse expressions” of femininity. Bevere asserted, citing Romans 1:32, that the organizers had succumbed to the mastery of lust and referred to the ceremony as a “cultural moment.”
“They’ve mocked the Christians by their last supper of debauchery, they’ve mocked Moses & Judaism with a golden calf. They’ve mocked the book of Revelation with their portrayal of the pale horse,” she wrote. “They held back from attacking Islam in the opening ceremonies but forbid the female athletes from wearing hijabs. But they’ve long mocked the image of God that is female thru perverse expressions.”
Bevere conclusively announced that she is boycotting the Olympics.
Speaking to his audience in a video shared online, renowned pastor Greg Laurie expressed deep concern over the event. He placed it within the context of a series of troubling occurrences, including the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump and the unexpected pause in President Joe Biden’s presidential pursuit. He called the “Last Super” parody an “intentional insult to Christians.”
“It was an intentional insult to Christians.” he said. ” they would never do this with any other religion.” Laurie further urged his followers to intensify their efforts in spreading the gospel in response to the “lost world.”
Many other Christians and Christian leaders have also taken to various platforms to express their concerns about the event.
Paris 2024 however has responded to the Olympic ceremony backlash, clarifying their intentions and offering their apology. “Clearly there was never an intention to show disrespect to any religious group. (The opening ceremony) tried to celebrate community tolerance,” Paris 2024 spokesperson Anne Deschamps told a press conference. We believe this ambition was achieved. If people have taken any offense we are really sorry.”
View this post on Instagram