Wade Wilson v. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints: Is This The Right Thing To Get Offended Over?

“Certainly clumsy, embarrassing, unprincipled, and mean spirited things do occur in our interactions with other people that would allow us to take offense. However, it ultimately is impossible for another person to offend you or to offend me. Indeed, believing that another person offended us is fundamentally false. To be offended is a choice we make; it is not a condition inflicted or imposed upon us by someone or something else.” - David A Bednar 

Ah Christmas. What's not to love about the holiday season? The food, the music, the generosity, and the endless stream of people getting offended by Starbucks cups and other people using the term "Happy Holidays" or "X-mas". This year, another offence was added to the ever growing list of Yuletide offenders: the Merc  with the Mouth himself. That's right,  Deadpool is reaching out from the fourth wall, some say to attack the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

The Backstory

Deadpool is a fictional superhero created by Marvel writers Fabian Nicieza and Rob Liefeld. Known for his healing factor, and the ability to break the fourth wall, Deadpool has increased in popularity the past few years due to Ryan Reynold's portrayal of him in X-Men Orgins: Wolverine, Deadpool, and Deadpool 2. After the successful release of Deadpool 2, Reynolds and Marvel decided to re-release it with a PG-13 rating, adding in a frame narrative parodying the frame narrative of The Princess Bride. Fred Savage, who played the grandson in Princess Bride, is reprising his role as the "little boy". Instead of the grandfather reading the story of Wesley and Buttercup, it will now be Deadpool reading his own story. This new movie will also get a Christmas makeover with the new title of Once Upon a Deadpool. In addition to that, part of the proceeds from the film will go to the charity "Fudge Cancer."

The Poster 

Leading up to release of the film, two posters were released to promote it. One was a very festive one of Deadpool wearing a Santa hat and Fred Savage riding a reindeer. The other bore a striking resemblance to a very famous painting used by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. 

The Petition 

Shortly after this poster was released, a petition on change.org was put out asking for Tim Miller to "Change the Deadpool poster to not mock the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints." Here is the petition. 

"Deadpool recently posted a new poster for the “Once Upon a Deadpool” that resembles the sacred picture of “The Second Coming”. In the original painting Jesus Christ is at the center surrounded by angels. In the poster Deadpool replaces Jesus Christ. Deadpool is positioned exactly as Jesus Christ was and is wearing a white robe. It is unknown if the picture was used to intentionally mock the Church of Jesus Christ, but it is clear it was copied from the original picture. This is a form a religious discrimination. We ask that the picture be not used or posted in any manor. That they find another poster to represent their movie." 

The Joke

A quick disclaimer: I am a Christian. Anyone who follows me on Facebook is very aware of that fact. That being said, when I saw this poster I busted up laughing. Continuing the tradition of the Deadpool movies, this poster is actually a meta joke in and of itself. In Deadpool 2, Deadpool a team of superheroes he brought together.  are riding in a helicopter on their way to a rescue mission when Deadpool declares that a higher power brought them all together. In disbelief, Domino (one of the superheros) whispers to another "Did he just call himself God?" The joke is repeated in an end credit scene when Deadpool re-affirms that "the Lord works in mysterious ways." This poster is a call back to that joke. 

Another reason for this satirical poster is the fact that it is a yuletide miracle that a PG-13 family friendly of Deadpool is actually being made and released. Deadpool is not a PG-13 character in the slightest. The franchise is known for being violent, crude, and obnoxious. And now the character is more sanitized, more pure. So shrouding him in satirical religious imagery would be apt for this version. 

The Defense (Is "The Last Supper" any different?)

 

 

Once again. I would like to reaffirm that I am a Christian. I believe in Jesus Christ, and I love my faith dearly. Anyone who knows me personally can vouch for that. But I do not  believe this poster is as offensive as people want to make it. The main reason being that Deadpool is in no way, shape, or form suggesting that he is replacing Jesus Christ as the Savior. The poster is parodying the painting. NOT the subject of the painting. Think about the painting "The Last Supper" by Leonardo Da Vinci. That painting has been parodied in artwork, films, and TVs more times than I can count. It's another painting that depicts the Savior instituting the sacrament- a sacred ordinance. And yet, when it is parodied, we laugh instead of sharpening our pitchforks. 

One thing that I find quite interesting is the insistence that this poster is mocking the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints specifically. One copy write attorney had this to say according to the website The Friendly Atheist: "“It is a jab at the state of Utah, and a jab at the LDS Church… because this use is commercial, I would assume that the LDS Church would have a good claim for copyright infringement if they chose to pursue it. But they generally are reluctant to do that.”

The funny thing is, the painter of The Second Coming wasn't LDS at all, but a Seventh Day Adventist. The painting was just commissioned by the Church. Going back to the Last Supper, you don't see members of the Catholic Church wanting to ban The Simpsons or That 70s Show because that painting is used very commonly with the Church. Nor do the shows suggest that either Homer Simpson or Eric Forman is somehow Christ. They're just mimicking the painting. 

I've seen many members of the LDS Church call for a boycott of this movie, which makes me chuckle because honestly.... How many members of the Church are actually interested in Deadpool? They are not really the target audience for the movie, nor ones that would be eagerly awaiting its release. Which is a shame really, because Deadpool 2, despite all my expectations, was actually a genuine uplifting, heartfelt film with actual good morals finding its way through the obnoxious and juvenile humor. I'm glad its getting a PG-13 rating so that it can reach a wider audience. A handful of my friends, who had no interest in the Deadpool franchise, were pleasantly surprised by how much they liked the second film. 

I highly doubt that Ryan Reynold or Marvel had the intent to mock Christianity or Christ's sacrifice by this poster. Nor do I think they attended this as attack against the LDS Church.  Rather  they were just using that painting as an inspiration to make a satirical joke about their own franchise. And as Christ said in the answer to the Prayer for Covenant: " I have given you a former commandment that I, the Lord, will forgive whom I will forgive, but of you it is required to forgive all men. And again, I have taught that if you forgive men their trespasses, your Heavenly Father will also forgive you; but if you forgive not men their trespasses neither will your Heavenly Father forgive your trespasses. How do I act toward mankind? If men intend no offense, I take no offense, but if they are taught and should have obeyed, then I reprove and correct, and forgive and forget. You cannot be at peace with one another if you take offense when none is intended. But again I say, Judge not others except by the rule you want used to weigh yourself." (T&C 157:58) 

So, in conclusion to this part of the post, I really don't think we should be freaking out over a poster that the Savior would probably just roll his eyes at. 

But that begs another question......

What Would Offend Jesus? 

Near the end of the Book of Mormon, the Lord shows Moroni our day,  specifically the readers of the Book of Mormon and the Church that those readers belong to. And rather than heaping praises on the Church, Moroni instead becomes unglued. Here is what he has to say: 

"O ye wicked, and perverse, and stiffnecked people, why have you built up churches unto yourselves to get gain? Why have ye transfigured the holy word of God that ye might bring damnation upon your souls? Behold, look ye unto the revelations of God, for behold, the time cometh at that day when all these things must be fulfilled. Behold, the Lord hath shewn unto me great and marvelous things concerning that which must shortly come at that day when these things shall come forth among you. Behold, I speak unto you as if ye were present, and yet ye are not. But behold, Jesus Christ hath shewn you unto me, and I know your doing, and I know that ye do walk in the pride of your hearts. And there are none, save a few only, who do not lift themselves up in the pride of their hearts, unto the wearing of very fine apparel, unto envying, and strifes, and malice, and persecutions, and all manner of iniquity. And your churches, yea, even every one, have become polluted because of the pride of your hearts. For behold, ye do love money, and your substance, and your fine apparel, and the adorning of your churches, more than ye love the poor and the needy, the sick and the afflicted. O ye pollutions, ye hypocrites, ye teachers who sell yourselves for that which will canker, why have ye polluted the holy church of God? Why are ye ashamed to take upon you the name of Christ? Why do ye not think that greater is the value of an endless happiness than that misery which never dies? Because of the praise of the world? Why do ye adorn yourselves with that which hath no life, and yet suffer the hungry, and the needy, and the naked, and the sick, and the afflicted to pass by you and notice them not? Yea, why do ye build up your secret abominations to get gain? And cause that widows should mourn before the Lord, and also orphans to mourn before the Lord, and also the blood of their fathers and their husbands to cry unto the Lord from the ground for vengeance upon your heads? Behold, the sword of vengeance hangeth over you, and the time soon cometh that he avengeth the blood of the saints upon you, for he will not suffer their cries any longer." (NC Mormon 4:5, emphasis added) 

Moroni makes it clear that not even what he calls "the holy church of God" is except from the pollution- that every single church is under this condemnation, including the LDS Church. He is talking to the readers of the Book of Mormon, and the Church that provides it. Here is a rare opportunity for Moroni to warn us about the evils of our day, and yet there is no mention of LGBTQ+ rights or marriages, nor of Proposition 2, or sacrilegious Deadpool posters. Instead he calls out the desire for wealth, the pride, and the secret abominations that plague the holy church of God. 

In my opinion (and Moroni's apparently), there are way better things to get offended over than a poster for a movie most members are not going to watch anyway: 

1. Wearing of fine apparel- I totally understand wanting to dress nice out of respect for God, but it can, and has, been taken too far to the point of being Pharisaical. One of my closest friends who hasn't been to a formal church service in years once remarked to me at a wedding that he hardly ever wears a white shirt and tie anymore, only on special occasions. They are called "nice clothes" for a reason. And the rigidity of our dress can be a distraction as well.  One of the saddest examples I have of this comes from my mission companion. One of his investigators (or recent converts, I don't remember which) came to Church in a sleeveless dress, being told to dress nice. One of the woman in the ward came up to her and told her she was dressed like a slut. She never came back. This breaks my heart. What we wear matters FAR LESS to God than the conditions of our hearts. 

2. "For behold, ye do love money, and your substance, and your fine apparel, and the adorning of your churches, more than ye love the poor and the needy, the sick and the afflicted."- At the bottom of an LDS tithing slip is some fine print saying that the Church can use the money in whatever manner they see fit, regardless of what you specify you want it to used for. The official wording can be found here. 

The Church has provided a ton of humanitarian aid, and their #LighttheWorld vending machines in New York and other locations are certainly praiseworthy and commendable. However, a standard practice of the Church is to take the tithing money, invest it and use the interest in business ventures and other investments. Which is all well and good from a business standpoint. But the Church does not claim to be a business. It claims to be the true Church of Jesus Christ. Using hundreds of millions of dollars  generated from tithing money to build the City Creek Mall, buying MASSIVE amounts land in Florida, and building condos and apartment complexes while ignoring common consent and refusing to disclose the Churches  funds is deplorable. Another problem Moroni points out is our obsession with adorning our "churches", or our temples. The Church spares no expense when building or remodeling their temples. An imported rug in the temple may cost around $17k. FOR A RUG. 

Sparing no expanse for the Lord is a laudable goal, but it is an insult to God when it is done at the expense of the poor. And sadly, it is. I've been seeing posts about how much the Church gives to humanitarian aid, but when you do the math, it comes down to around less than $5 per member per year goes to humanitarian aid. Think about all that tithing.....

A couple of years ago, I became aware of a wonderful organization named the Liahona Childrens Foundation. They are a non profit, volunteer group dedicated to aiding LDS children who suffer from malnutrition and hunger. They are truly living the covenant to bear one another burdens. However, it is truly disheartening to realize that they need to exist because the Church chooses to spend its money remodeling an already functional temple. People who are hungry, starving, and cold matter more than any building. What we do to the least of these, we do to Christ. We should be offended when our Church chooses money over the poor in any capacity,  

3. "Why do ye adorn yourselves with that which hath no life, and yet suffer the hungry, and the needy, and the naked, and the sick, and the afflicted to pass by you and notice them not? " It is against the law to give money to beggars in Salt Lake City. If you are familar with King Benjamin's sermon, we are to give freely to them, and to not judge.

Forgive me if I seem like I'm ragging on the Church or nitpicking, it is not my intent. My intent is to show that according to the scriptures, we should be more offended by the injustice and inequality around us more than a movie poster. Sadly, there is one other awful offence that Moroni speaks of that I need to address before I can wrap up this blog post. 

Secret Abominations 

There is only one time in all of his mortal ministry that the Prince of Peace advocated violence against other human beings. This is what he had to say: "It were better for him that a millstone were hung about his neck and he cast into the sea than that he should offend one of these little ones." (NC Luke 9:21) Violence against children, sexual or otherwise, is one of the most abominable acts in the sight of God.

A few months ago, a man was excommunicated from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. His crime? Collecting the stories of almost a thousand LDS children and youth who were shamed, molested, and raped by LDS bishops during one on one worthiness interviews, and asking the leaders of the Church to changed the policy and stop one on one interviews (by having a parent, spouse, or trusted adult in the interview with them) and end the practice of asking sexually explicit questions in worthiness interviews. He created a website called Protect LDS Children where he compiled all the stories and invited the members of the Church to take appropriate actions and keep their children and the bishops safe.  The leaders took that as questioning their authority and he was  excommunicated for apostasy. This was not the first time this particular issue was brought up. The Church hired Glenn L Pace to investigate rumors of child abuse and his findings were nothing short of horrifying. These secret abominations amongst us should be exposed, brought to light, and eradicated. How much more offended should we be that a man trying to expose these things was cast out by the Church he loved than a silly movie poster! We SHOULD be offended. 

Better Things 

Regardless of your feelings about the Once Upon A Deadpool poster, no amount of signatures on a petition will get Marvel to change it. However, if you still want action, I would suggest taking the money you would've spent on a movie ticket and donate it to the Liahona Childrens Foundation or Protect LDS Children. I've included the links here: https://liahonachildren.org/  and https://protectldschildren.org/

As disciples of Jesus Christ we do have a duty to stand as a witness of him at all times and in all places. That does not mean we are to have a knee jerk reaction to every tease, joke, or mockery that comes our way. Those offences will come, there is nothing we can do to stop it. Movie posters and Broadway musicals should matter less to us than compassion, mercy, and empathy towards human suffering. There are simply far more worthy things to get offended over.

"He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God"

 (Micah 6:8 ESV)