Defacing of Bible: Art???

[Bryn Mawr]

Definitely not art but I think it was more thoughtless than a deliberate insult - the "artist" did not consider what sort of comments might be written. Those writing the trash are the ones doing the insulting.

Given that, I find defacing any book offensive, the scriptures (of any religion) doubly so.

Also, it would be worth asking why people from a Christian background should feel the need to deface the Bible?

[Chookie]

Originally Posted by gmc

If Christians want to burn copies of the theory of evolution by all means let them. It won't make the words on the pages any less valuable.

I wouldn't actually insult someone's religious beliefs. However, if those same believers take anyone not sharing their beliefs and expressing the opinion that it is a load of bunkum as an insult then I'm afraid that is their problem.

Well said. I'm in complete agreement.

[along-for-the-ride]

At what point in history did it become "allright" to be disrespectful? There is no religion or institution or government or culture that is without it's faults.........they were all formed by human beings......who are indeed fallible. But all these "things" deserve a certain amount of respect.

Art is in the eye of the beholder. If there is no appreciative audience, there is no art. JMO

[Chookie]

Originally Posted by Bryn Mawr

Also, it would be worth asking why people from a Christian background should feel the need to deface the Bible?

It may be a reaction to a childhood of enforced belief in a religion (any religion) in which the dogmas aren't supported by the evidence.

[gmc]

Originally Posted by Bryn Mawr

Definitely not art but I think it was more thoughtless than a deliberate insult - the "artist" did not consider what sort of comments might be written. Those writing the trash are the ones doing the insulting.

Given that, I find defacing any book offensive, the scriptures (of any religion) doubly so.

Also, it would be worth asking why people from a Christian background should feel the need to deface the Bible?

good point actually. It looks like he didn't set the exhibit up to provoke the kind of response that they actually got.

The exhibit, Untitled 2009, was proposed by the Metropolitan Community Church, which said that the idea was to reclaim the Bible as a sacred text. But to the horror of many Christians, including the community church, visitors have daubed its pages with comments such as “This is all sexist pish, so disregard it all.” A contributor wrote on the first page of Genesis: “I am Bi, Female & Proud. I want no god who is disappointed in this.”

I suppose many devout Christians have made life hellish for those around them. The phrase trust me I'm a priest never used to have sexual connotations did it. and Presbyterian church has it's fair share of bigoted hypocrites as well-love thy neighbour except for those sorts of people. Misogynistic, homophobic, bigoted christians eh-if only they followed the teaching of the late JC and didn't judge.

[OpenMind]

Art is just another form of expression. It can be used to convey an emotion or to invoke an emotional reaction.
Yet, what happened to this Bible, put on display for people to identify themselves with it, is clearly not what the exhibitors expected. There again, it doesn't appear to me that the people that wrote the abusive and obscene remarks in the exhibited Bible were churchgoers or followers of any particular religion or faith.
I wouldn't blame the exhibitors for what they attempted to do just that it was the wrong place to do it. I would think that any visitors who might have wanted to add something to 'write themselves back into the Bible' would have been put off by a single offensive comment.

[Bill Sikes]

Originally Posted by gmc

Misogynistic, homophobic, bigoted christians eh-if only they followed the teaching of the late JC and didn't judge.

And what a judgement *that* is. Why is it that every time anyone mentions religion, you're up 'n' at em, especially Christians, but also others, as shown in this thread. You've a real thing about it, haven't you. I'm beginning to wonder whether you were chased around the belfry by a priest, and tolled off.

[fuzzywuzzy]

What an interesting topic thanks MiKeinie
when did it become okay to be disrespectful.? I remember that books were burned all over Europe during the Nazi regeme. I remember when books records and photographs of elvis and the beatles were burned in America during the 50's and 60's. The Taliban made Afghanies burn their own family photos and banned people from having them. you cannot take the Bible into Islamic states, even Christians holding a bible are looked upon as "a bit diferent" if they regulary hold onto or read the bible. some see the bible as evidence that blacks are inferior and used it to excuse slavery. Men have held the bible in their pockets during war when they kill their human brothers.

There's a lot of hate surrounding that book

What this art on one level means to me. People all around the world put the bible down accuse religions of horrendous things (some actually have a point ) We make jokes and stupid jokes about priests and nuns (usually from the homosexual world)

but we all (okay not all of us but most without thinking of it), SWEAR ON THE BIBLE.

Art is what the individual makes of it. the artist has a message but whether or not the individual sees that message is irrellevent.

I'll have another look and come up with some other completely different point or meaning to the art.

[fuzzywuzzy]

This says it all.

YouTube - The Chasers - Do Americans Agree That Bible is True?

[OpenMind]

Originally Posted by fuzzywuzzy

What an interesting topic thanks MiKeinie
when did it become okay to be disrespectful.? I remember that books were burned all over Europe during the Nazi regeme. I remember when books records and photographs of elvis and the beatles were burned in America during the 50's and 60's. The Taliban made Afghanies burn their own family photos and banned people from having them. you cannot take the Bible into Islamic states, even Christians holding a bible are looked upon as "a bit diferent" if they regulary hold onto or read the bible. some see the bible as evidence that blacks are inferior and used it to excuse slavery. Men have held the bible in their pockets during war when they kill their human brothers.

There's a lot of hate surrounding that book

What this art on one level means to me. People all around the world put the bible down accuse religions of horrendous things (some actually have a point ) We make jokes and stupid jokes about priests and nuns (usually from the homosexual world)

but we all (okay not all of us but most without thinking of it), SWEAR ON THE BIBLE.

Art is what the individual makes of it. the artist has a message but whether or not the individual sees that message is irrellevent.

I'll have another look and come up with some other completely different point or meaning to the art.

I must find the reference. Unfortunately, I've not been able to sort through my books yet. The first printed copies of the Bible made avaiilable for the public by a theologian academic by the name of Potter were burned by the church ministers on the basis that it was too sacred for the common folk to have their own copies.