Blind Trust

If you thought ‘another kid-and-priest innuendo/pedophile allegation’ then you have validated the whole concept of this exhibition!

This image contains no reference to pedophilia or misconduct. If you thought it did, you brought that idea in the door with you. Our society and the media have made an icon of the image of an adult priest and an adolescent male penitent and have attached it to the crime of pederasty. We see the image and respond to the icon without careful scrutiny. This type of reaction to icons is exactly why they are so useful to those who wish to rally us around a particular social idea.

My use of this image is to prove a point notwithstanding; there is a trust demanded by religion that usually requires unquestioning obedience. Does blind obedience help the penitent or the Church? Both?… Either?

Is blind belief the price of religion and is it best started when the penitent is very young? Are icons used by governments and other organizations simply devices used in a form of secular dogma? Is it an intent to trigger a blind-faith response to social issues?

If this use of the priest-and-child icon caused an association to pederasty then, hopefully, you are probably questioning all icons and concepts attached to them.

Any concept worth believing can survive a little scrutiny, and the associated icons will retain their meaning. Perhaps we can make the effort to improve society by putting our blind beliefs and their associated icons to the test—and by rejecting those that fail.