If it were up to some our anti-art religious leaders, the Bible wouldn?t need all that literary fluff at all.  We could put our deductions on a 4 x 6 postcard, devoid of art, narrative and design, with the Ten Commandments on the front and the address of where to send your tithe on the back. 

The Bible shows off God?s love for artistic endeavors and creativity as much as it scares the heck out of the general public with the moral law.  Matter of fact ? the first people to be ?filled with the Spirit? were not apostles or prophets, but artists (Exodus35).

My ClashPoint is this: Church ? where has the brilliant art gone?  Where is the mind-blowing stuff ? y?know, the paintings, the sculpture, the architecture and the music that makes you drool your Slurpy down your shirt?  Where are the books that are weighty and transcendent, books with a shelf life of 500 years, versus the five weeks my last book had?  Where in the world is clever and tasteful Christian TV, and why do we have to wait twenty years between solid movies like Chariots of Fire and The Passion of the Christ?

I?ll tell you why ? The Church has embraced a low view of the arts.  God hasn?t changed His high view of art ? we have.  And here?s the painful reality: if the Church doesn?t shed this point of view regarding quality artistic endeavors ? if we stay removed from creativity and human expression ? then we will forever live on the peripheries of the public square, whining about Michael Moore movies.

*  Go to www.clashradio.com and check out Doug?s latest cartoon and while there listen to his latest interview with lawyer, theologian and artist Patrick Daley.