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COMMENTS
ON NEWSLETTER #27
A POINT
OF VIEW SIMILAR TO MINE!
Subject: Newsletter
27
Date: Tue, 31 Jul 2001
From: Sharon
Hi there. I have been
reading your newsletters and looking at your website for a long time now.
I want to thank you so much for your views on things. It is really refreshing
to get a point of view that is similar to mine. I often get really frustrated
with Christianity, and how unrealistic it often is. I am sometimes ridiculed
by my Christian friends because I hardly ever listen to Christian music,
read Christian books all that often, or live your typical "Christian life"
if there even is one. I hardly ever listen to Christian music because
it all is too gooey and does not challenge me in the way non-Christian
music does. If you really listen to what some of the artists out there
are saying, it's pretty amazing. It is very encouraging to hear that you
are challenging others to live outside of the "Leave it to Beaver" lifestyle.
Please keep up the good work. Your newsletters always challenge me, and
encourage me to be living in a way that is not stagnant, and is constantly
questioning and seeking out the real truth.
Thank you so much.
Sharon Bentall. <>< :)
WEARING
BLINDERS
Subject: Newsletter
27
Date: Tue, 31 Jul 2001
From: Milena
I applaud you on your
insight given so generously. You don't try to make anything pretty, gift
wrap any of your messages. It's very refreshing. I agree wholeheartedly
on the Kinkade dilemma. While Kinkade paintings are beautiful, I always
felt a little uncomfortable when people referred to him as if he had painted
Christianity on his canvas'. Now I know why. I honestly don't think that
God intended us to wear blinders over our eyes to block the world around
us. That doesn't sound like witnessing to me. Neither does making Christian
music and suing if it is played on a secular radio station or MTV. Or
making a Christian video and only allowing it to be shown in church. Or
writing sermons for the lost, and only giving them to the Christian community
which you have known for most of your life. I look up to you as my teacher
and greatly enjoy hearing from you every month.
Thank you. ~Milena
KINKADE
THOUGHTS
Subject: Newsletter
27
Date: Tue, 31 Jul 2001
From: GEA
To me the light in
the windows represent Jesus since He is the light of the world. The cottages
do not represent so much the idyllic happy family home that most people
never lived in so much as they represent more to me a home our heart can
have. I think that the absence of people in his paintings exists so each
person can visualize their heart as Christ's home. Just my thoughts..
DAVID,
YOU ROCK!
Subject: Newsletter
27
Date: Tue, 31 Jul 2001
From: Leslie Grimes
Dear David: Thank
you for beginning a discussion about the Kinkade Dilemma, and for articulating
a small-mindedness that frustrates so many people and me. I hope that
you do not receive as many angry emails as you mentioned that you might
- I hope and pray that something of the truth of our short-sightedness
as Christians is revealed to us all, and that a transformation begins
to take place within the body of Christ.
Do you know of St.
Augustine's description of the sacred and the secular? He points out that
creation belongs to God, and that our human and sinful use of objects,
actions, time, thoughts, etc. makes them either holy to God or not. In
a similar way, I appreciate Mr. Kinkade's success, and his faithfulness
to making art that is beautiful by his standards. I appreciate that he
is so generous with his earnings, and appears to be committed to righteousness
before God. Yet, I fear that as you said, his art has been embraced by
the Christian sub-culture in a way that reveals our true motives and true
selves to be small and unwilling to welcome anything new or challenging.
That true self is ugly, and I would say that it shows how we are afraid
of following Christ. This is sin, and it blinds us to a life of more richness
than we could imagine for ourselves. I would propose that in embracing
Mr. Kinkade's art as the only "good art" in the world today that we are
not just dismissing any other art, but also rejecting Christ. In this
way, I see Thomas Kinkade's art being used in way that is more secular
than sacred - if you will allow me to over-simplify the issue!
I do not offer that
Jesus is exclusively modern art, but I do fear that rejecting the struggles
and the suffering of this world is in its own way dishonesty to truth,
God's truth. David presents that, based on the responses to Mr. Kinkade's
art, Christians actually want and prefer a life of retreat, of ease and
of perfect family. I do agree that this is a lot of what is happening
as Christians delight in Mr. Kinkade's paintings. I also say that if these
are the lenses that we are using to view the world, then as a committed
follower of Jesus Christ, I feel embarrassed and pitiful for the church.
What a small way to live! Christ came to release us from the trappings
of our sin and to let us know that He has prepared a place for us in heaven.
I truly believe this, and know that this may be Mr. Kinkade's purpose
in painting: to remind us of Heaven. But these paintings do reveal our
tendency to hide, rather than to "fight the good fight" (I Timothy 6:12).
Mr. Kinkade's work
is good for reminding us of Heaven. While he is reminding us, however,
we have embraced it as a NOW image, and forgotten the world around us
for which Christ died. I fear that these paintings, and how they have
been embraced by the Christian sub-culture (the fact that a Christian
sub-culture exists is grounds for a whole other discussion) reveals a
powerful truth about the shortsightedness of the American Church today.
While I believe that Christ sees this shortsightedness, yet also loves
us, I also believe we can offer Him more. We can offer Him an attitude
of gratefulness and of service that extends a cup of cold water to the
needy, to the unbeautiful.
I cannot say that
I am absolutely right and that lovers of Mr. Kinkade's art are wrong -
I know there is much good in those paintings, and in the desires of the
painter to honor God through making them. But it is lamentable that all
modern artists are grandly dismissed as bad artists and that many Christians
define "good art" as that which depicts life in Christ as a blind and
dishonest utopia (Mr. Kinkade's paintings). When we hide from the world
after being given the full power of God to fight sin, we are miserably
failing God. Sometimes I am afraid that I value retreat from the world
more than life in Christ. Is that really what we want? The world will
only resent us for pulling away from pain and from reality. We cripple
our testimony by not reflecting the real pain of the world Christ asks
us to love on His behalf. I do not think that generating this kind of
hate from the world is what Christ meant when He said in the beatitudes:
"Blessed are those
who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom
of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely
say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad,
because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted
the prophets who were before you" (Matthew 5: 10-12).
I fear that Mr. Kinkade's
paintings show how we are skipping the righteousness and demanding God
to "skip to the end", as Prince Humperdink demanded of the Impressive
Clergyman in The Princess Bride. Do we desire dessert, but not the meal?
Are we rejecting Christ in this way?
I think it's possible
to see Thomas Kinkade's paintings as beautiful. But I think it is also
true that they are problematic, because they have revealed the sin of
Christians, and not just the Christians who adore Kinkade's paintings.
I know we could learn from this truth being revealed, but will we change
our hearts and lives to match?
Leslie Grimes
Arlington, VA
WHAT
DILEMMA?
Subject: Newsletter
27
Date: Tue, 31 Jul 2001
From: Linda Johnson
I'm not necessarily
a Kinkade fan, nor did I especially care for the works of Norman Rockwell.
But there are many ways of being and many forms of expression. Why beat
up on Kinkade in particular? Personally, I don't care for "gaggy" Christian
art forms, from music to painting to movies - and as for TV - well, "Touched
by an Angel"? Let's not even go there. (Or if we must, let me first dose
myself with a tablespoon or two of Emetrol).
But really ... what
harm is any of this stuff? I don't have to watch "Touched by an Angel"
(thank God), and I don't have to buy Kinkade posters. Thank God we live
in a country where there's something for everyone.
MARS
HILL COMMENTARY
Subject: Newsletter
27
Date: Tue, 31 Jul 2001
From: Linda Johnson
I heard a commentary
on "Mars Hill Audio" (which features discussions of important theological,
philosophical, sociological, and aesthetic questions from a Christian
perspective) about Thomas Kinkade. The point that stuck with me most strongly
is that the brilliant light casts no shadow, so it seems to represent
grace with no price; a world without sin. And yes, a decidedly isolationist
perspective.
Linda Johnson
WORSHIP
MUSIC AND KINKADE PICTURES
Subject: Newsletter
27
Date: Tue, 31 Jul 2001
From: Doug
The Kinkade dilemma
reminds me of a similar issue. I had a radio program for awhile called
"Banquet of Praise" that "celebrated the diversity of music written for
and performed in the church." I would invite community groups to perform
on this live program, whether or not they were "Christian". It quickly
became apparent that, to most people, music for the church had to fit
one style - usually slow and based upon hymns. It was hard to get groups
to understand the wide diversity of music appropriate for worship and
to get them to play that wide diversity. Many people still have an expectation
for worship music to sound like those Kinkade pictures - sweet, sentimental,
and completely out of touch with the world around them.
I am a classical
musician - I am not involved in the contemporary Christian or rock scenes
- but I have discovered people love diversity of music in worship and
I include many styles in worship - except that I almost never use contemporary
Christian music because it tends to be superficial like the Kinkade pictures.
There are thinking groups and thinking artists out there, but they are
usually "secular" artists, not those who have presented themselves as
"Christian".
I had a friend in
North Carolina who always wanted me to play hymns slowly and gently and
fussed at me for playing with energy. I have discovered that many Christians
want a sound that is passive and wimpy - and boring!
Theologically, my
church talks about the controversy going on between God and Satan over
control of this earth. When you think that there are spiritual battles
going on in the spirit world around us, that doesn't suggest passive music,
but suggests music full of energy, courage, conflict, challenge, etc.
The above all applies to movies as well.
A POINT
IN FACT
Subject: Newsletter
27
Date: Tue, 31 Jul 2001
From: Kit
Dear David, thanks
for your usual candid thoughts. This side of the Atlantic there are some
very good christian artists who are not at all like your Kinkade (whose
work I have never seen but can easily imagine)Chief amongst these is Sieger
Koder. I think he is Catholic rather than Evangelical but it is realistic,
moving and can be very frightening.www.cpo-online.org has some of his
work.
Blessings, Kit
WHIPLASH
FROM NODDING
Subject: Newsletter
27
Date: Tue, 31 Jul 2001
From: Gord
Right on. I was nodding
my head in agreement with your comments so much that I think I've given
myself whiplash. It hit home on so many points that my mind was running
off in all sorts of directions.
I have never felt
at home as a christian, in the "christian" sub-culture of North America.
It's plastic-saccharine world is so unappealing, that it sometimes truly
angers me and I am loathe to be lumped into that milieu. I angers me that
something so deep and so profound has been reduced (debased) into something
so trite and shallow. I try to listen and watch things that are well done
and/or thoughtful and almost without fail these will not be "christian".
As to the past that
never was: I am always amazed when people talk about how these must be
the end times, because of how bad things have gotten. I have always wondered
what has changed? What is new under the sun? When exactly was the golden
age? Seems to me, that historically people have always been people. That
things were never really much different, barring some technological changes,
that life has always included the beautiful and the ugly. One has to be
incredibly selective and blind not see that any time there was more than
enough ugliness and brutality to eliminate the possibility of a golden
era.
Well I've rambled
on enough. Thanks for the thought provoking newsletter. It is good to
know that one is not alone in thinking something is terribly amiss in
the "christian" world.
Gord
COONTZ'S
ATTEMPT AT REVISION
Subject: Newsletter
27
Date: Tue, 31 Jul 2001
From: Dave Haynes Sioux City, IA
Stephanie Coontz's
book points out many statistics that prove that American culture was not
the way someone? always used to think it was. While humans have always
been and will always be real, real sexual, one thing about "the good old
days" that cannot be argued away is that human life had greater value
and more people believed in personal responsibility. While many people
were engaging in pre-marital sex way back in the day, they weren't murdering
the evidence at a rate of 1.25 million per year. And alot of those teenaged
mothers were married before the birth of that child as couples attempted
to do what was thought to be right (it was!) in the face of their sin.
Times were different and so were our values and standards and Stephanie
Coontz's agenda cannot change the truth. Does she lie in her book? No!
Does she miss the point completely? Yes! Heather may have two mommies
now but no amount of revision can make Heather better off!
Best Regards, Dave Haynes Sioux City, IA
PRECIOUS
MAN BUT NOT AN ARTIST
Subject: Newsletter
27
kinkade/disengagement
Date: Tue, 31 Jul 2001
From: randy
Good got you..cheers..Kinkade
isn't an artist even in the broadest sense of the term and good for you
for telling it like it is. I too agree that he is a precious man,devoted
father, etc..but art? No way. disengagement...another pat on the back
for you. You are just telling it like it is. Thanks Randy
WOW!
Subject: Newsletter
27
Date: Tue, 31 Jul 2001
From: "Peg Peters"
Your piece on the
Kincade art was amazing! I am an evangelical pastor in Vancouver Canada
trying to get my people out into the real world through movies and film.
Your commentary hit the issue right on the head. Thank you so much for
articulating a real Christian vision for the 21st Century. I love it!
PS Moulin
Rouge was one of the most creative movies I have seen! thanks so much
for encouraging me in my lonely struggle amidst a Kincade-type church
Pastor Peg Peters
REVISIONIST
HISTORY OF THE POP CULTURE WORSHIPPERS
Subject: Newsletter
27
Date: Tue, 31 Jul 2001
From: David Haynes Sioux City, IA
David, While I am
unable to dispute some of the statistics you quoted from various era's
of our nations history, I am struck by a burning question in response
to your assesments: What is your ultimate point? The point of 1950's television
was not that everyone lived like the Cleavers or the Nelsons. It was that
the vast majority of us agreed that The Nelsons and the Cleavers lived
the way we should all aspire to live. There values should be our values.
That notion came under assault but hung in there in the sixties. Were
there drunk absentee fathers in the 50's? Of course! Were there single
mom's beating there brains out to make a living in the 50's? Absolutely!
My grandma was one of them. Were there teenage mothers (lots of teenagers
got married back in the day!) and out of wedlock births? You bet! But
as a culture we pretty much all agreed that those life choices SUCKED!!!!
Now in our modern and enlightened age we have convinced ourselves that
any life choice or cultural reality is as good and desireable as the next.
BULL-loney!! Besides technology, all American culture has gottten better
at is LYING TO ITSELF - patting itself on the head - affirming itself
with all the intellectual gravitas of a Stuart Smalley."I'm good enough,
I'm smart enough and doggone it, our culture is great!"
Your comments on the
art of Thomas Kinkade are insightful and for the most part right on. However,
to buy into the Leftist cultural elite's argument that America was never
good is choose to overlook the truth. The goodness of America resides
in what our standards are or have been at any given time in our history.
There has always been sin and always will be. AMerica used to have much
more lofty standards and when we did, we were great! Now we suck! Everything
is okay. Nothing is evil accept the attempt to maintain standards of morality;
you know making absolute statements like "Fornication is wrong" or "Abortion
is murder" because that might make someone feel bad and that in the end
is the worst sin in America today.
David Haynes Sioux City, IA
THANK
YOU FOR YOUR WORDS!
Subject: Newsletter
27
Date: Tue, 31 Jul 2001
From: Douglas
David - Thank you
for your well thought out and researched words about "hiding from culture."
All too often Christians take on the "not of the world" mentality and
it seems contrary to the Gospel. Christians hide behind the safe confines
of Christian music, Christian films, and Christian TV. I am always far
more touched by non-Christian music that address faith questions. I am
challenged far more by non-Christian films that probe Christian issues.
If Christ were physically present today where would he most likely visit
first... a Christian Family Center filled with the Cleavers or a Harley
Bar filled with the rebels of society?
WARM
AND COZY GAG REFLEX
Subject: Newsletter
27
Date: Tue, 31 Jul 2001
From: Mike_Bernard
David i am sure you
will probably get a lot of mail from Cristians screaming bloody murder
and asking for your head on a platter for the things you wrote about Thomas
Kindade. let me be the first one to say that i agree with you 150%. you
hit the nail right on the head with your comments about his art and movies
in general. i echo your thoughts completely regarding the way Christians
view this world. why does everything created in the name of Christianity
have to be watered down? why is all the art and movies produced filled
with quaint pleasent images that make us feel warm and cozy all over (actually
it envokes a gag reflex in me)? that stuff isnt real. I believe that it
actually does a disservice to spreading the gospel. non-Christians see
that and run from the church. they dont want to be associated with medoicre
things or in some cases even complete and utter crap. we as Chistians
need to be a little more like the non-Christians of the world if we have
any chance of witnessing to them. the church in America suffers from too
much close-mindedness, too much reliance on tradition and the way things
have always been, and not enough of a passion to really reach the unsaved.
Bob Dylan said it best when he pened the lines "people are crazy and times
have changed". it is just as true today as it was in the 60's when he
first wrote it. until more people allow their minds expand and take off
their worldly blinders the church will loose more and more potential believers
each and every day. maybe the church should heed Lawrence Fishburns advice
in The Matrix and "Take the red pill and see how deep the rabit hole goes"
not continue to live in a fairy tale state. keep up the good work. i love
your website and your insight on American culture, especially concerning
religion, is dead on. you have at least one person behind you!!!!
Mike Bernard
MY
DIMES WORTH
Subject: Newsletter
27
Date: Tue, 31 Jul 2001
From: Chrissy
Dear David- I would
like to commend on what you said about Christians in today's world. As
you know I am a Catholic-and a Christian. I feel there is too much violence
on television and not even quality family programming. I think that if
a television show or a movie shows a lot of blood, then it will be a bigger
hit whereas a television show or movie shows something that is respectful
to today's society it doesn't get great reviews. I recently saw America's
Sweethearts and I must say from a critical point of view the movie stunk.
It wasn't a comedy though it was supposed to be and it talks about two
people who wanted to get married but were seeing other people in the process.
Maybe I went off the subject a bit-but I feel like you said that there
is no such thing as a good movie or television program. I used to watch
the program "Higher Ground" on the Fox Family Channel. It has since gone
off the air because it talked about real life issues within the family.
It had no violence no blood no sex. It just discussed family life. Well
that is my dimes worth of your recent newsletter. Take care and God Bless.
Best Wishes- Chrissy
BUNCH
OF BULL
Subject:
Newsletter 27
Date: Mon, 30 Jul 2001
From: frankie
Bunch of Bull. Your
are readfing things into the art that isn't there. Leave the man alone,
must everything good, and theres not a lot of it , be attacked today?
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