Olympic Meddles:  

Niceness, Naïveté, and Christianized Paganism

By Dr. Jeffery J. Ventrella

“Satan doesn’t serve spinach”^[1]

Woe to those who call evil good

and good evil,

who put darkness for light

and light for darkness,

who put bitter for sweet

and sweet for bitter!^[2]

For certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.^[3]

[F]alse brothers secretly brought in— . . . so that they might bring us into slavery^[4]

“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.^[5]

On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’^[6]

Introduction

It’s common, easy, and sometimes, lazy to assume that paganism is “out there” – that is, only causing havoc in the broader culture – certainly not part of a congregation’s ethos and DNA.  And, certainly Scripture informs us that indeed the Fall inaugurated paganism into the entire created order – fundamentally worshipping the creation rather than the Creator – in many forms:

Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.

Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.^[7]

Nothing limits Paul’s description geographically to the Roman world or chronologically to the first century.  The world “out there” continues to manifest paganism broadly – the Truth exchanged for the Lie. Neither progress nor technology ameliorates or confines paganism; in fact, technology often provides a conduit that accelerates and expands its cultural spread.  Let’s get to the gist.

Prime Time Paganism

Recently, the world “out there” unabashedly proclaimed paganism with a bright, bold display during the Opening Ceremony of the 2024 Paris Olympics.  There the organizers thrust before viewers of all ages and tastes a blasphemous LGBTQ parody of Da Vinci’s Last Supper, replete with Drag Queens and other sexually deviant implications.^[8]  The intent of this coarse concoction is unmissable.  According to the ceremony producer (and homosexual),^[9] Thomas Jolly:

“The idea was to have a pagan celebration connected to the gods of Olympus.^[10] 

As the truth unfolded in the aftermath, this explanation, though accurate, only partially reflected the project’s overall aim.  Many viewers, both Christian and non-Christian, were appalled and expressed offense by this “in your face” pagan fete.  Given such reactions, including one sponsor’s (C-Spire) pulling all advertising,^[11] the spin machine claimed this degrading content only celebrated the Dionysus-Bacchanalian festival – And that therefore, Christians and others of good will had misunderstood, overreacted, and wrongly linked this display to the Christian sacrament of Communion – many Christians took the bait and embraced this proffered, but faux, narrative, in essence self-righteously saying to those who had expressed offense:

“Stop being so thin-skinned you prudish, ignorant, and judgmental, Christians; this had nothing to do with your/our Faith.  Enjoy the show; it’s only entertainment anyway.” 

Of course, while one can airbrush history, one cannot truly erase it.  The following insightful X commentary compiles and parses the actual evidence, including translating and explaining how the Official Olympic organizers labeled the display.  First, note the producers labeled it “Last Supper” not “Bacchanalia”:  

The name of this sequence was ‘La Cène sur la scène sur la Seine’ – which for those who don’t speak French, translates as ‘The Last Supper on the stage on the River Seine’. The pun being that Cène, Scene and Seine all sound the same in French. So we know it’s not Bacchanalia, otherwise it would have been called “Bacchanalia on the River Seine”. Instead, we know this is a portrayal of the last supper, because the title of the segment tells us so. 

Second, we now know that the artistic director, when directly questioned, addressed why Christians might be offended.  His response confirms the scene on the Seine derives from Da Vinci, not Dionysus (Greek) or Bacchus (Roman):

Also, the artistic director behind the scene, Thomas Jolly, said in the daily press conference following the opening ceremony, when asked specifically whether he had any views on why Christians might be offended by that segment, that he wanted to convey that in France “we have a right to not be worshippers”.

He did not say “you’re mistaken, because it wasn’t the last supper”, rather, he explained why it was chosen and what it was trying to portray. 

What about the “man in blue” who joined the assemble?  He was portraying Dionysus, the Greek god of wine and unrestrained pleasure.  But his presence did not deflect from, but subverted the depicted Christian symbolism:

Yes, the man in blue was Dionysus/Bacchus, but the point of the scene was to insert Dionysus into the last supper. Why?Dionysus was the god of wine. The last supper is the moment where Christ (who in Christian theology is God) gives wine and bread to his disciples, asking them to continue this practice in memory of him, as it represents the sacrifice he would make on the cross the next day. 

In ‘La Cène sur la scène sur la Seine’, what they did was swap out Jesus (as the Christian God who gives out wine as a symbol of sacrifice for salvation) with Dionysus (as the pagan God who gives out wine as a symbol of hedonistic pleasure). 

It wasn’t enough that they just depict Dionysus. They COULD have just depicted Dionysus in Bacchanalia and nobody would have cared. But the whole point of ‘La Cène sur la scène sur la Seine’ was to depict a Pagan God in the place of the Christian God, in one of the most sombre and sacred moments of the Bible. 

Make no mistake.  While many well-intentioned Christians – no doubt tired of social media conspiratorial nonsense – contended that all this was simply about paganism with no intended Christian reference, the Olympic Opening Ceremony producers one day later made the Christian connection unarguable:

Final note, in the last 24 hours, Olympics Opening Ceremonies producers have released a statement which confirms that (and this is a direct quote from said statement): 

“Thomas Jolly took inspiration from Leonardo da Vinci’s famous painting to create the setting”.^[12]

Some well-intended, yet gullible Christians had evidently been duped by paganism’s spin.  That’s Satan’s playbook – appear to Christians as an angel of light in order to deceive the brethren.^[13]  It’s a sly demonic tactic: Convince well-intentioned naive Christians to carry the devil’s polluted water in white-washed jars labeled “potable.”

In sum:

Given that the producers admit that it was the last super, the artistic director agrees that he was trying to turn it into a pagan festival as a demonstration of the right to not worship, and the title of the scene is literally “the last supper on the stage of the Seine”, I think we can put to rest this argument floating around on social media that the entire thing was Bacchanalia. It wasn’t. 

It was Dionysus portrayed in the place of Jesus in the last supper, and now that the Olympics have apologised for that, maybe we can stop pretending that Christians are imagining things or taking offence unjustly.^[14]

Don’t miss a significant worldview issue raised here:  A major shift has occurred before our eyes. The pagan ethos of perverted sexual reverie no longer exclusively dwells in dark shadows and hushed whispers – now, under bright stage lights and in living color, paganism shouts and beckons to the four corners of the globe.  Dionysus seeks to supplant Christ – in sport, art, and the broader culture.^[15]  But the church is immune from this, right?  The pews are protected, right?  Paganism stops at the church’s door jamb, correct?  Far from it.

Dionysus’ Pals in the Pews

Recall that Jesus tells us He’s the Good Shepard.  As such, He tends His flock, even to the point of laying down His life for it.^[16]  And, He gathers and cares for the sheep.^[17]  Why? Because the sheep need attention, tending, and protection.  Why?  Because wolves infiltrate the sheep who will then scatter and destroy them if the sheep aren’t protected.^[18]

This teaching is not some idle cute Precious Moments metaphor.  Christ in fact actively shepherds particular real-life congregations, urging them to expel error and repent from it, particularly pagan corruption.  Shortly after His Ascension, Christ puts His corrective finger upon several compromising churches in Asia Minor.  Notice the paganism embedded in these congregations.^[19]

To Ephesus:

“To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: ‘The words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks among the seven golden lampstands.

“‘I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance, and how you cannot bear with those who are evil, but have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and found them to be false. I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up for my name’s sake, and you have not grown weary. But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent. Yet this you have: you hate the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.’^[20]

To Pergamum:

 “And to the angel of the church in Pergamum write: ‘The words of him who has the sharp two-edged sword.

 “‘I know where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is. Yet you hold fast my name, and you did not deny my faith even in the days of Antipas my faithful witness, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells. But I have a few things against you: you have some there who hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, so that they might eat food sacrificed to idols and practice sexual immorality. So also you have some who hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans.  Therefore repent. If not, I will come to you soon and war against them with the sword of my mouth. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, with a new name written on the stone that no one knows except the one who receives it.’^[21]

To Thyatira:

 “And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write: ‘The words of the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and whose feet are like burnished bronze.

 “‘I know your works, your love and faith and service and patient endurance, and that your latter works exceed the first. But I have this against you, that you tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess and is teaching and seducing my servants to practice sexual immorality and to eat food sacrificed to idols. I gave her time to repent, but she refuses to repent of her sexual immorality. Behold, I will throw her onto a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her I will throw into great tribulation, unless they repent of her works and I will strike her children dead. And all the churches will know that I am he who searches mind and heart, and I will give to each of you according to your works. But to the rest of you in Thyatira, who do not hold this teaching, who have not learned what some call the deep things of Satan, to you I say, I do not lay on you any other burden. Only hold fast what you have until I come. The one who conquers and who keeps my works until the end, to him I will give authority over the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron, as when earthen pots are broken in pieces, even as I myself have received authority from my Father. And I will give him the morning star. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’^[22]

Note a few things:  First, Jesus is not indifferent to doctrine or practice in congregations.  His concern is not only for individuals but extends to those who collectively gather in His name.  His love does not allow an “anything goes” basket of warm fuzzies or feel good “niceness” just because folks as “doing church.” Rather, it’s precisely His love that provokes His congregational rebuke, a rebuke of care and concern.  

Second, He identifies the paganism at work in these congregations: (1) the teaching of the Nicolaitans; (2) the teaching of Balaam; and (3) the teaching of “that woman Jezebel.”^[23]  Heresies have histories and handles.^[24]  We need to train ourselves by consuming “solid food” to become like the “mature, . . . who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.”^[25]

Third, those erroneous teachings are not inert; they precipitate ungodly practices, as theology and ethics correlate:  sexual immorality and eating food offered to idols in these cases – these practices are either pagan per se or lead to congregational disruption and compromise.^[26]  

The big point is that paganism existed in the pews of the early church and it needed to be addressed, rejected, and expelled.  What about today?  Hasn’t the church moved beyond imbibing pagan beliefs and practices?  Unfortunately, it has not.

Pew-dwelling Pagans Today

A leading pastor/theologian in the Church of the Nazarene – an evangelical denomination in the Wesleyan holiness tradition – recently published a book^[27] with his bi-sexual daughter arguing for the affirmation and normalization of LGBTQ “identities”^[28]and practices.  Thankfully, after providing due process, the denomination expelled this unrepentant man because he harbored and promoted pagan beliefs and practices.^[29]

Or consider the conservative Reformed denomination, the Presbyterian Church in America.  A few years ago, a pastor advocated for “Side B” sexuality – with its the notion of being a “Gay Christian” who remains celibate though unapologetically retaining same-sex attraction.^[30]  This became a movement they branded as “Revoice.”  Pitched as a way to minister to and include “sexual minorities,”^[31] Revoice is in reality nothing less than the sins of Jezebel being imported into the church – calling evil good and good evil.  Again, thankfully, this intrusion has been blunted and the agitating pastor, Greg Johnson, and his congregation have left the denomination^[32] – but the residual effect of the Revoice leaven remains to be seen since it is spreading and infiltrating other pockets of “nice” “non-judgmental” evangelicals.^[33]

The foregoing identifies evangelical pockets of paganism.  Naturally more mainline supposedly Christian groups (“CINOs” – “Christian in name only”) boldly embrace even more paganism and sexual deviance.  One example, consider ELCA clergy Nadia Bolz-Weber – a former stand-up comedian who revels in being pro-abortion, pro-LGBTQ, profane and potty-mouthed, sexually progressive, etc.  She literally checks every pagan box.^[34]  Examples could be multiplied.  The point is that both genuine and apostate Christian congregations harbor paganism in their pews and at the communion table.  Paganism is not simply an Olympic production; it’s a pew participant as well.

Why It Matters:  Crushing Consequences

Paganism’s pew-dwelling presence is so alarming, as we have seen, that Christ Himself and His apostles directly confront the congregations where it exists.  Why?  Because the consequences can be dire, far beyond simply engaging in yucky sexual conduct.  Note again Christ’s warning:

• To Ephesus:

Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent.^[35]

• To Pergamum:

Therefore repent. If not, I will come to you soon and war against them with the sword of my mouth.^[36]

• To Thyatira:

I gave her time to repent, but she refuses to repent of her sexual immorality. Behold, I will throw her onto a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her I will throw into great tribulation, unless they repent of her works and I will strike her children dead. And all the churches will know that I am he who searches mind and heart, and I will give to each of you according to your works.^[37]

“Gentle Jesus meek and mild” does not fool around with paganism in the churches’ pews.  He instead acts, confronts, and warns, using strong potent language:  

• “remove your lamp stand” 

• “war against them” 

• “throw her onto a sick bed” 
  
• “throw [them] into great tribulation” and 

• “strike her children dead.”

And, “looking” like a Christian, even if these nice folks do good religious stuff to their neighbors provides no safe harbor or exception, even if one prophesies or casts out demons.  Listen to Christ’s jarring words of judgment:

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’^[38]

There is no Mulligan just because one does “spiritual” work and associates with the local church.  Erick Erickson reminds us poignantly:

Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ was not betrayed by either the Sadducees or the Pharisees but by one of His hand-picked disciples.  Do not hate the Left so much that you ignore what festers on the Right.^[39]

^[1] Or, is that Brussel sprouts???

^[2] Is. 5:20

^[3] Jude 4

^[4] Gal. 2:4

^[5] Matt. 7:15

^[6] Matt 7:22, 23

^[7] Romans 1:22-25

^[8] Including a naked man painted blue who followed the drag queen sequence.  https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/olympics/2024/07/28/paris-olympic-organizers-apologize-the-last-supper/74582213007/

^[9] https://www.the-sun.com/sport/12029971/thomas-jolly-thierry-reboul-paris-olympics-ceremony/

^[10] Id., note 8

^[11] https://eu.clarionledger.com/story/news/local/2024/07/29/c-spire-pulls-advertising-opening-ceremony-olympics/74584851007/

^[12] Paris Olympics admitted opening ceremony drag show was based on ‘Last Supper’ – then tried to walk it back.  [capitalization in original] https://nypost.com/2024/07/30/sports/paris-olympics-admitted-opening-ceremony-drag-show-was-based-on-last-supper/

^[13] 2 Cor. 11:14-15 – Likewise Satan’s servants disguise themselves “as servants of righteousness”.  Where?  As we shall see, in the pews.

^[14] https://x.com/yankees_28th/status/1817903712880247138  

^[15] And, the Olympic embrace of paganism travels beyond the ceremonial: the LGBTQ trans agenda – pagan because it embraces androgyny and disregards creational distinctions – demands that men posing as women be permitted to “compete” against women – with dangerous and unacceptable outcomes:  https://www.foxnews.com/sports/olympic-boxer-deemed-have-male-chromosomes-wins-fight-46-seconds-opponent-left-tears-after-hard-hits

^[16] John 10:11

^[17] John 10:13, 14

^[18] John 10:12

^[19] I am quoting the entire context of Jesus’ address to these congregations to emphasize both His care and concern for them and the danger that paganism presents – IN Christian congregations.

^[20] Rev. 2:1-7; while this congregation had not yet embraced the Nicolaitan heresy, it’s plain that that heresy had been present and pressuring the congregation.

^[21] Rev. 2:12-17

^[22] Rev. 2:18-29

^[23] These heresies, with names unfamiliar to our 21^st century ears, produce ungodly conduct.  Despite these discrete names, they essentially constitute the same doctrinal error.  See, Kenneth L. Gentry, The Divorce of Israel – A Redemptive Historical Interpretation of Revelation (2024), 398-424

^[24] For a general treatment of the errors confronting the early church see, C. Fitzsimmons Allison, The Cruelty of Heresy:  An Affirmation of Christian Orthodoxy (1993)

^[25] Heb. 5:14

^[26] Rom. 1:26, 27; and 1 Cor. 8:1-13

^[27] Thomas Jay Oord, and Alexa Oord, Editor, Why the Church of the Nazarene Should be Fully LGTBQ+ Affirming (2023). 

^[28] The notion that persons made in God’s image should be categorized by their sexual desire or conduct lacks scriptural support – the only biblical “identity” is whether the person is “in Christ” or “in Adam.”    Paul needed to create words to depict the sexually deviant conduct he discusses, words often translated “homosexual” but in fact refer to particular types of conduct – dominant or submissive sodomy participants respectively:  arsenokoitai and malokoi.  See, James, B. DeYoung, Homosexuality (2000), 154.  The term “homosexual” itself appeared quite recently in intellectual history, first used in a letter penned in 1868 by Austrian psychologist Karl-Maria Kertbeny. https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/homosexuality/

^[29] Thankfully, the Church leaders examined Oord and his beliefs; this resulted in him being defrocked as a pastor/theologian and excommunicated from the denomination.  https://religionnews.com/2024/07/28/church-of-the-nazarene-expels-queer-affirming-theologian/

^[30] Make no mistake:  evil desires are themselves sinful:  Matt. 15:19 (“For out of the heart come evil thoughts”); and Col. 3:5 (“Put to death therefore [,] . . . evil desire”).  Harboring and then affirming same-sex attraction as Revoice and Side B folks advocate, even if remaining celibate, remains sinful – Christ redeems the entirety of our fallenness, including desires.

^[31] https://www.revoice.org/about.  Notice the analytic sleight-of-hand here.  The label “sexual minority” shifts from the qualitativeto the quantitative – however, only the former is a relevant moral category.  In other words being “a minority” does not alter the ethical status of the practitioner.  To illustrate:  Being a tiny remnant of serial killers (“homicidal minorities”) does not make murder or the murderer moral.  And, focusing on sexual “identity” leads to bizarre nomenclature: “Janelle [a Revoice staffer] is a proud Bsian (Side B & Asian) and late bloomer bisexual.” https://www.revoice.org/janelle-look

^[32] A Needful Departure – Greg Johnson and Memorial Presbyterian have left the PCA, https://gospelreformation.net/a-needful-departure/

^[33] Consider the proliferation of Revoice chapters springing up across the nation. https://www.revoice.org/local-chapters?utm_term=celibate%20gay%20christians&gad_source=1

^[34] https://nadiabolzweber.com/

^[35] Rev. 2:5

^[36] Rev. 2:16

^[37] Rev. 2:21-23

^[38] Matt 7:21-23

^[39] Erick Erickson, You Shall be as Gods – Pagans, Progressives, and the Rise of the Woke Gnostic Left (2024), 129

^[40] Romans 8:37