Leave it to the Huffington Post to say it better than I did! If you're interested in the sanitizing of the Christian experience, this article is worth a quick read.
I think I have to agree and disagree with the article a bit.
I do agree that pulling the movie was a huge mistake. So many Christians try to live so far from the world that they have no idea how other people really live- and thus can't reach them. They surround themselves with things that proclaim their Christianity in a way that shouts 'look at me- how good I am!' instead of 'look at how good He is- what things he has done!' I saw it so often when I worked at FCS- people wanted to be seen shopping there. I also had to deal with folks that said books or music shouldn't be there because of pictures, style, or sometimes content. (Apparently some folks think a 'raggamuffin' is a type of demon? I had a very angry guy telling me we shouldn't be selling The Ragamuffin Gospel because of just the one word. I encouraged him to read it. Not sure he came back...)
But there is 'Christian' art that is good, that would be 'high art' it's just not marketed like the trite stuff. Mis as a Christian novel, sure- the themes of mercy and justice are strong and poignant. Dostoevsky though... not so much. Ever heard of George MacDonald? He was contemporary with Sir Walter Scott- and very much the same style. (<3 both) But his are often very pointedly Christian. (preachy sometimes, but..) Real people in in real and sometimes very ugly situations. But his books are mostly out-of- print now.
I remember a couple years before I left FCS, there was a contemporary band, that although marginally Christian, asked for their music to be taken off our shelves. They didn't want the 'Christian' label to stifle them.
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I think I have to agree and disagree with the article a bit.
I do agree that pulling the movie was a huge mistake. So many Christians try to live so far from the world that they have no idea how other people really live- and thus can't reach them. They surround themselves with things that proclaim their Christianity in a way that shouts 'look at me- how good I am!' instead of 'look at how good He is- what things he has done!' I saw it so often when I worked at FCS- people wanted to be seen shopping there. I also had to deal with folks that said books or music shouldn't be there because of pictures, style, or sometimes content. (Apparently some folks think a 'raggamuffin' is a type of demon? I had a very angry guy telling me we shouldn't be selling The Ragamuffin Gospel because of just the one word. I encouraged him to read it. Not sure he came back...)
But there is 'Christian' art that is good, that would be 'high art' it's just not marketed like the trite stuff. Mis as a Christian novel, sure- the themes of mercy and justice are strong and poignant. Dostoevsky though... not so much. Ever heard of George MacDonald? He was contemporary with Sir Walter Scott- and very much the same style. (<3 both) But his are often very pointedly Christian. (preachy sometimes, but..) Real people in in real and sometimes very ugly situations. But his books are mostly out-of- print now.
I remember a couple years before I left FCS, there was a contemporary band, that although marginally Christian, asked for their music to be taken off our shelves. They didn't want the 'Christian' label to stifle them.
Just something I've though a lot about...
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