"Utah values" promised at 2034 Winter Olympics after Paris opening ceremony draws religious criticism
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Members of Team France are seen on a boat waving their flags along the River Seine during the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 on July 26. Photo: Bai Yu/CHINASPORTS/VCG via Getty Images
Conservative Utah officials loudly decried what they saw as blasphemous parodies of Christian imagery at Friday's opening ceremony for the Paris Olympics — even though organizers say that's not what the performance depicted.
Why it matters: The reaction from Utah leaders could provide a glimpse into how the 2034 Winter Olympics will play out in Salt Lake City, global headquarters of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Driving the news: Gov. Spencer Cox, U.S. Sen. Mike Lee and multiple state lawmakers lambasted the opening ceremony, mostly for a scene they said mocked Leonardo da Vinci's "The Last Supper."
- A group of drag queens posed around a table where a cloche lifted to show a man, painted blue, on a plate with fruit and flowers.
The other side: Olympic organizers say it wasn't a portrayal of the New Testament scene, but apologized if people found it offensive.
- It was instead an "interpretation of the Greek God Dionysus makes us aware of the absurdity of violence between human beings," the committee posted on X.
Even art historians remain at odds this weekend over possible religious inferences in Paris' ceremony, per the New York Times.
- Sasha Grishin, an art historian and Australian National University professor emeritus, called it "so typical of 'The Last Supper' iconography."
- Yes, but: The performance featured about 17 drag queens, lacking the key symbol of Jesus' 12 disciples, Louise Marshall, a Renaissance art expert and a lecturer at the University of Sydney, told the Times.
What they're saying: Several Utah officials promised that France's "blatant mockery" would prompt Utah's Olympic organizers to showcase "very different" themes.
- "We look forward to our opening and closing ceremonies showing the best of Utah and our values, including our breathtaking scenery, family values, heritage, and the inspiration of sport," Utah House Speaker Mike Schultz posted on X.
- "As a state and nation we believe in God and there is no chance of Utah doing anything remotely similar to what France did," state Rep. Kera Birkeland (R-Morgan) added.
Christina Boggess, a member of Utah's elected State Board of Education, also complained that a mechanical horse that appeared running across the River Seine during Friday's ceremony was "Satanic."
- She reposted allegations that it depicted the fourth, "pale horse" of the apocalypse described in the Bible's Book of Revelation.
Reality check: The Olympic organizers said the rider was a military officer of the French Gendarmerie.
- The horsemen in the book of Revelation do not describe Satan, but rather the power of God during the predicted end times.
Between the lines: Utah is known for its religiosity, which wields significant influence over public and private life.
Flashback: In 2002, then-church president Gordon B. Hinckley instructed members not to proselytize during the Winter Games in Salt Lake.
- Organizers made a concerted effort to stop the event from becoming the "Mormon Olympics" — or "Molympics."
- Spectators worried that the Games would become a venue for religious evangelism and visitors would be subject to church rules.