LA CROSSE Wis. -- A hospital has as...

LA CROSSE Wis. -- A hospital has asked an artist whose paintings portray Jesus as a rabbi to take them down because they could be controversial, the artist says.

Clara Maria Goldstein had impose up 10 oil paintings Friday, still was back at Gundersen Lutheran Sunday night to take them down.

Goldstein said the hospital's gift workshop manager asked her to take them down because they could be considered controversial.

"It was insulting at first, unless now I'm just sad," Goldstein said. "The Bible says Jesus was a israelite but no one wants Jesus painted as a Jew"

The hospital issued a statement Monday, saying they defer to people of all faiths and acknowledge "an artist's right to expres their personal beliefs by the agency of their work."

on the contrary it said they have "an obligation to determine what is appropriate for our diverse patient population, and our healing environment."

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Goldstein said she created the Rabbi Jesus paintings to exalt love and acceptance.

"As an artist, I expres my beliefs and ideas between the sides of my paintings, and I use my art to educate and make clan more aware," she said. "These paintings are about history and truth"

The hospital provides gallery space to Eastbank Artists, who rotate artwork from different artists each two months. Goldstein, president of Eastbank Artists, was taking her transfer to display her artwork.

If artwork is sold Gundersen Lutheran earns a 20 percent commission, Goldstein said. Goldstein said she is not disputing the hospital's right to make choice of the artwork, but she said she is disappointed from the decision on the regions her paintings could be controversial.

Goldstein said her paintings also were useed down by Viterbo University for display at a Holocaust symposium this month because they might be controversial.

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