Things Sacred, Secular, Profane.
Sacred beliefs vary widely among cultures, and there are aspects of life in the collective conscience of all societies that they hold dear. Trample on things revered, whether the church, temple, mosque, the burial ground, national symbols such as the flag, and even the home—anything we proclaim to be sacrosanct, and offenders are likely to feel the public’ wrath. Sacrosanct or sacred here refers to the human being and community objects that are revered and may be deemed inviolable.
There’re sacred things including the human body, considered a temple by religions. Corinthians 6:19-20 “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God?” And there’s no place one would find more images of the beauty of the human body than in religious paintings and sculptures adorning Christian churches. The quintessence of such grand display of flesh is the incomparable Renaissance fresco by Michelangelo in Vatican’s Sistine Chapel.
The human body has been celebrated in numerous artforms since ancient times, especially in Greek and Egyptian cultures that had an obsession with the human physique as a divine creation. So, when some people say “it’s time we celebrate the woman’s body and not see it as a shame” in response to the outrage over scantily clad models parading on the altar of the Anglican Cathedral, there had to be confusion in their minds. There’s a difference between celebrating the body and displaying it for a focused effect of selling swimwear that disappears between cheeks.
Is the naked female body viewed with shame? In depends on the context—cultural norms, behaviour, and sense of time and place. What is done with the body could be deemed shameful, and in a religious place, a desecration.
Scantily clad women have always been used as attractions to sell merchandise. The purpose of showcasing new designs is to create desires for products and motivate sales. It’s an age-old marketing strategy, and in the context of unconscionable exploitation, the woman’s body is the “loss leader,” which in sales terminology means selling cheap to attract buyers. Modelling revealing wear for sale has no relevance as a “celebration” of women’s bodies. It’s business and done in a church would be offensive. Why must the body be naked or half-naked to be celebrated? Meiling and Minshall’s works are exquisite celebrations of their crafts that show their reverence for the human body. The claim about “celebration” in defence of what happened in the Cathedral is in the least disingenuous.
Speaking of sacred things, so too, is the natural environment that harbours the absolute stunning variety of life that sustains us. Yet we’re destroying it on the altar of so-called economic progress. It’s the perfect manifestation of ‘godly’ creation, the wondrous evolution of life, and the imaginable beauty that surrounds us. In some religions, the forests, mountains, rivers and animals are considered sacred. If the continued rape of the pristine forests can attract the same level of public outrage as models with supple bumsies sashaying down the Cathedral aisle had done, then there may be redemption for the violence and destruction we inflict on the precious ecosystems.
It must have been reassuring to the parishioners that the Anglican Bishop, His Lordship, the Right Reverend Claude Berkley had unconditionally apologised for the fashion show that offended many people regardless of their religion. It’s the kind of leadership we expect from state institutions such as the Environmental Management Authority concerning the illegal quarrying and destruction of the forests. Although we don’t want apologies, but rather a decisive action against the profanity of thieves profiteering from an unlawful practice and the devastation of the environment.
The church is a sacred place, and sacred objects are collectively revered as pure and supreme aspects of cultural identity that bind people together. To indiscriminately interfere with them is disrespectful. So too, secular aspects of our lives that we value. The natural environment is also considered pure, and therefore, it is used in spiritual rituals and worship practices. Be sensitive.