Christians were shocked this week when musician Alien Skin appeared on stage on a cross, wearing a crown of thorns and robes reminiscent of the depictions of Jesus in popular media. The image was provocative, but was it truly a mockery of Christianity? Or did it simply hold up a mirror to the faith’s contradictions?
Poetic License in Art
Artists, writers, actors, and anyone in the creative industry have what is known as poetic license—the freedom to use nuance, symbolism, and satire to provoke thought and discussion.
For example, Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o’s novel “The Devil on the Cross” is rich with allegory and symbolism, addressing themes of colonialism, capitalism, and social injustice in postcolonial Kenya. Some Christians criticized the novel for its use of Christian imagery, accusing it of blasphemy.
In 1987, American Journalist and artist Andres Serrano created one of the most controversial depictions of Jesus. The award winning art piece called “Piss Christ” depicts a plastic crucifix submerged in a glass tank of the artist’s urine.
It sparked outrage among Christians, particularly when it was vandalized by activists in France in 2011, who viewed it as a direct insult to their faith.
The actual message in this art was not to denounce religion but but to point out the trend of commercializing or cheapening Christianity in contemporary culture, some fo the things he criticized still happen today with the holy pens, holy soda, holy handkerchiefs and holy rice being sold by city pastors.
Alien Skin’s performance might be shocking to some, but history shows that artists have long used religious imagery to spark conversation. The real question is whether modern Christians have the moral authority to condemn him when their own actions often contradict the teachings of their faith.
Do we Christians not mock Jesus every Sunday?
1. Idolatry
Exodus 20:3-4: “You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.”
Despite this commandment, Christians do not only carve idols of Jesus, we have gone on to add images of his mother, disciples and now even a few of the people we have known. We call them saints and convince ourselves that these men and women had no sin and are sitting at the right hand of the father.
And that is not even the worst of it, We asked Jesus how we should pray and he told us to pray to our father (The first two words of the prayer he taught us are literally “our father”) But now, we pray through his mother and maybe a certain saint of our choice.
Is Christianity still a monotheistic religion? Maybe it is time to re-think our whole doctrine. If we have more than one God, then let’s stop being shy about it. The Hindus have 30 Million Gods and they have not died?
2. Love Your Enemies
Matthew 5:44: “But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.”
How many Christians sincerely pray for those they politically oppose? Do those christians who tortured
@KakwenzaRukira
genuinely believe they were following Christ? My fellow mulokole
@JoelSsenyonyi
when did you last say a good prayer for writers ?
3. Selling Possessions and Helping the Poor
Acts 2:44-45: “And all who believed were together and had all things in common. They were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need.”
Haaa, this one is worse for us who live in city apartments. I am also a culprit. I spent about 3 years without knowing the name of my neighbours. It was a muslim family of refugees that moved in last year who gave me a reality check. This family would invite us for all their events, they would offer food to us and always checked on us. It was weird, Kampala had taught me not to care for neighbours and now I had to relearn my Christian manners from a Muslim. Two years ago, one of our neighbours fell terribly sick for many months and even died. We only heard the news from the security guard. We now check on our neighbours regularly.
4. Forgiveness
Matthew 6:14-15: “For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”
Mulokole Ex wo wamusonyiwa oba omusabira kufa kwoka?
5. Avoiding Judgment
Matthew 7:1-2: “Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”
Despite this teaching, many Christians may engage in judgmental attitudes towards others based on differing beliefs or lifestyles.
Is it unchristian to insult LGBTQ people, what about beating them to death? Is that murder or is that okay and Godly? What about the men who stabbed steven kabuye because he was openly gay. What about when I published the story of his stabbing and people with names like Emmanuel(God is with us) were singing praises to the criminals and saying “Good for him.”
The Real Mockery of Christianity
If Alien Skin’s act was blasphemous, what do we call the everyday desecration of the church by its own members?
What did Alien Skin do that is not done in the church now. Infact worse things are happening in the church.
Adultery is celebrated in church. A married pastor has his concubine as the church’s mama.
Polygamous men are given front seats in church. Proceeds of corruption are building churches.
Some of the infamous stolen Karamoja iron sheets ended up on the roof of a Church in Kalungu.
Corrupt government officials are our “Saabakristu” (The head of the congregation)
And the sex ohhhh!!! Is it even still a Christian value to wait till marriage?
Why is the choir leader sleeping with the youth pastor, all of us know it but no one is speaking out? Why is the pastor’s wife sleeping with the bass guitarist? Everyone knows but it is okay.
Why have we personalized and branded God. I hear nowadays that it is only the God of Prophet…………….. who works. Every other God is fake.
The Bishop is sleeping with his secretary, all of us know it but act surprised when it makes headlines.
Forgive my french but what the hell(pun intended) is happening in Church?
What the Hell is holy rice? What the hell is holy soda?
Art as a Catalyst for Conversation
If Alien Skin hadn’t dressed up as Jesus for his stage performance, I would have no reason to do all this research for this article, this conversation would not be happening if he hadn’t started it. That is what art is all about. Whether it is politics, human rights, social injustice, love, the economy, tribalism or even the highly emotional religion and culture. Artists, and writers (Like me) have an obligation to start the conversation.
Art is relative so it can be interpreted by everyone differently. It may not have been his aim but that is the beauty of art, all of us consumers can interpret it differently. But if his aim was to start a crucial conversation about christianity’s monetization, and the mocking of religion by its leaders, the hypocrisy, the desecration of the church and the temple of Jehovah actually turning it back into the den of thieves that Jesus fought against, then Alien Skin won.
Instead of condemning Alien Skin, perhaps Christians should reflect on the state of their faith. If Christianity feels mocked, it is not because of an artist’s performance—it is because of what the church has become.
And that, my friends, is worth talking about.
