Kabigting, Jomary D.

BSED-FIL-2B
ACTIVITY 1. ETHICS

I. Imagine a scenario in which an image of someone who is the object of religious devotion (such
as Jesus Christ or Mary, the Mother of Jesus) is place side by side with the phallic image.
Every one of us are freely to express our own feelings. either through writing a poem,
sketching or Painting an image etc. because of the privilege we called "freedom of expression"
but, Does the artist have an ethical obligation to the sensibilities of his audience? In my own
opinion definitely Yes, especially if you show that in public where peoples had different cultures
and ideologies. Some may see that as an art but some may fell disgrace and insult it. Although,
We all aware that every artist has its own techniques and preference in their every
masterpiece. But I believe every artist should also had a limits and boundaries with their works.
Artist should have an open eye and an open mindset so that he/she can downgrade others just
like here in the Philippines were 85 percent of the population is Christian. If they were shown a
disgusting interpretation about the photo of Jesus Christ. Of course, a lot Filipino where get
Mad on it. Lastly, there is nothing wrong if we broke the limitation of art however you should
consider the feeling and respects the culture of everyone. If you want to gain a respect you must
respect first.

1. Is this an ethical issue? Why or Why not?

Yes, it is an Ethical Issue because the artist doesn’t show any consideration and respect to other
culture and religion. For me, as an artist it is a must that you considered the feeling and culture
of everyone especially if you want to show that art in public. while in this image the artist relay
only in his side and his/her beliefs. As a Christian it is disrespectful and insult in my side since I
was a believer and follower of Jesus Crist.

2. Does the question of the rightness or wrongness of this depend on which religion you belong
to? Explain your answer?
Definitely Yes, As a Christian and as a believer of Jesus Crist in our part. That concept doesn’t
show any respect.

II. Look for another example of an artistic creation – a painting, poem, or song- that is a source
of either actual or potential conflict between the expression of the artist and a sensibility that
finds this offensive. Present the significant details and reasons that the conflicting sides might
have on the issue.
Kabigting, Jomary D.

BSED-FIL-2B
The photo behind is the Chris Ofili’s mixed- media painting depicting The Holy Virgin Mary.
Ofili’s oeuvre portrays Mary wearing a blue cape parted to reveal a breast made of dried and
varnished elephant dung., Mary is surrounded by angels—only here they are drawn in the shape
of genitalia. And the 8-foot-high canvas is propped on two lumps
of dried dung.
According to the New Testament Mary is the mother of Jesus. She
was an ordinary Jewish woman of Nazareth, and she was
impregnated by Gon in sinless way. For my own opinion this photo
is really offensive especially to the Christian and to the follower of
Virgin Mary not just only because of the way it is being paint but
because of the material that is used which is the Elephant Manure,
though it can lessen the trash but I don’t think it wasn’t right or
appropriate to use especially in an image of Virgin Mary ,where
Christian know her as pure-heart and sinless mother of God.

III. Look for a list down other sources wherein we find a dialogue
between ethics and the various domains of aesthetics, culture and
religion.
The Book behind is “The Aesthetics and Ethics of Faith” A
dialogue between Liberationist and Pragmatic Thought by
Christopher D. Tirres. The book is all about how, Tirres looks at
the aesthetic and ethical dimension of faith through the via crucis,
the Good Friday event, coupled with the siete palabras (seven
words) and Pesame. These rituals, prayers, and symbols have both
a sensorial as well as epistemic and imaginative quality to them,
engaging both the body and the mind. The aesthetic qualities found
in ritual produce ethical qualities, as realized in new moral
sensibilities. The aesthetic, as embodied in ritual, subverts and
collapses dichotomies of the event: the past and present, the space
of the via crucis and their community, as well as how the death of
Jesus in Mary’s weeping reminds them of the present life of the
community. The aesthetic movement of ritual opens up the
imaginative and provides the space for an ethical response. This leads to an interesting insight
that Tirres introduces through the pragmatic understanding of non-reductive empiricism (90):
aesthetics and ethics are not two distinct categories of experience that must be pieced together;
rather, human experience itself contains aesthetic and ethical qualities within it. They are already
related within experience itself.
Kabigting, Jomary D.

BSED-FIL-2B