Getty/Heavy A scene from the Paris Olympics opening ceremony.
Scenes from the opening ceremony for the Paris Olympics went viral, and now Hallmark alum Candace Cameron Bure is weighing in. In a series of videos on her Instagram Story, she revealed that she doesn’t plan to boycott the Olympics, but she also believes the ceremonies were “mocking” Christian faith.
“Their interpretation of the Last Supper was disgusting,” she said in her second in a series of Instagram Story videos.
The artistic director for the opening ceremony, Thomas Jolly, has said that he did not intend to mock anyone, but rather wanted to show how diverse France is, Deadline reported.
Candace Cameron Bure Said the Ceremonies ‘Completely Blasphemed’ Her Faith
In a series of videos on her Instagram Story, Bure spoke about her close connection to the Olympics and how she felt watching the opening ceremonies. The four-hour ceremony included a series of 12 scenes that demonstrated the spirit of France, Deadline reported, including a scene showing drag queens sitting on a catwalk in a way that was similar to Leonardo da Vinci’s Last Supper.
In her first video, Bure talked about how much she loves the Olympics and how connected her family is to the games.
“I love the Olympic Games…” she started out. “My husband is a two-time Olympic medalist. So is my brother-in-law and my father-in-law is a three-time Olympic medalist. And I have many friends that have competed in games over the years. And it’s something as a kid I have always loved.”
But in her second video, she shared her true feelings about this year’s opening ceremony.
“To watch such an incredible and wonderful event … and see the opening ceremonies completely blasphemed and mock the Christian faith with their interpretation of the Last Supper was disgusting,” she said. “And it made me so sad… Trust me. It makes me mad. But I’m more sad. Because I’m sad for souls… I pray for my heart to break over what breaks God’s heart…”
Bure Said She Believes Christians Not Bothered by the Ceremony May Be Lukewarm & ‘Need to Hear the Gospel Too’
In a fourth Instagram Story video, after quoting passages from Galatians, Bure expanded on her thoughts.
“Don’t get tired of doing good,” she said. “Keep sharing the Gospel. And it’s not just for the people that openly mock God… There’s Christians out there that say, ‘Well, I’m a Christian. It didn’t really bother me.’ Those people need to hear the Gospel too.”
She added that she believes Christians who aren’t bothered by the opening ceremony are likely lukewarm in their faith, especially if they’re trying to avoid confrontation. In a fifth Instagram Story video, she shared a warning in Revelation about lukewarm people. She then went on to talk about God’s love and encouraged her viewers to read the Bible and ask God if they should feel convicted.
“This isn’t me being better than anyone else,” she said in the fifth video. “Or high and mighty. This is just a sinner who acknowledges that they’re a sinner. I’m a human being. I am not a great perfect person. But I repent of it and I want to change.”
Bure Said She Doesn’t Plan to Boycott the Olympics
Bure added in a sixth Instagram story that she has no plans to boycott the Olympics and will still be watching the competitions.
“As far as the games go, do what you want to do,” she said. “You want to boycott? Boycott the games. I’m going to watch the games. I want to support the athletes. There are a lot of great Christian athletes competing as well. But I want to cheer them on. I want to see God getting the glory. And I’m going to watch… But if you feel a conviction not to watch, then don’t.”
The Director of the Opening Ceremony Said It Wasn’t Intended to Mock, But to Celebrate Diversity
The artistic director of the Paris Olympics opening ceremony, Thomas Jolly, said in a press conference that he wasn’t intending to mock or shock people, Deadline reported.
Jolly said he wanted to capture the diversity of France.
“My will is to say we are an immense ‘we’…” Jolly said. “In France, we have the right to love each other, as we want, with whoever we want. In France, we have the right to believe and not to believe. In France, we have many rights.”
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