When I was in college learning to be an Art Teacher, we were taught that one of the components of a good art unit, along with art history (Where did art come from?) and art production (How do you make it?), is the art aesthetic discussion (What makes it ART?). Secularism had so numbed to the brains of all of my professors that when I asked them, “Well, how do you define art?” they said, “We can’t say, but that’s what the aesthetic discussion is for.”
And I said “I’m spending all of this money to become an art teacher and you guys can’t even tell me what art is?” They uncomfortably nodded yes.
“So when people ask me ‘What do you teach?’ my answer is Well nobody really knows. REALLY?”
My professors didn’t know what to say. Apparently they never had a student who asked these questions before.
“How are we supposed to get a job with that mess?” Suffice it to say, they changed the subject and we didn’t discuss it much after that. And I have had little luck finding a job with that mess.
Atheism has made it impossible to even define the word art. Once you start pretending God isn’t there, then what foundation is left by which to define things? When there is no CREATOR who is the author of all things, all colors, shapes, beauty, balance, and truth, then… what? You want to build a definition of the good, beautiful and true on…
the Big Bang?
Evolution?
Nihilism?
That’s exactly what artists have been doing for almost 200 years. They stopped trying to walk in the footsteps of God and started following in the footsteps of “scientists.” Science-ism has decided that everything came from nothing, and then both wrote and violated the laws of physics and chemistry to bring about the universe as we know it.
No Creator. No laws. No right or wrong, up or down. No right, beautiful and true. No purpose, meaning, value, destiny.
Now paint a picture of that.
Modern art sucks because: Atheism.
There might be a link between God and art, I’m not sure. but I can define art for you. This is what they told me in art school. Art serves 3 purposes, decoration,illustration and self expression. Throughout history, the first 2 were the most important. Now, because of the huge egos of artists with no basic skill, and because of the vast number of con men in the art world, self expression is the most important. This is why modern art is so lame. Do you want to have a career in a field so corrupt it might beat the govt and church for the fakeness of it? I’m ok with not being called a professional artist.
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Greetings Luke,
The link between God and art is simple. In the Bible, the very first thing we learn about God is that he is a creator, and one of the first things we learn about mankind is that we are made in the image of God. This explains why humans are the only creature who makes art, music, language, and dance, plus works of culinary art like burritos and cake.
And to be honest, if I could get rich making poor excuses for making terrible art…. I suspect I may not hold super tight to my integrity. I may even start dressing in silly costumes and calling myself by a silly pseudonym.
If you know how I can get that job, let me know where to send my resume. And thanks for your comment.
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Can you provide a reference to a single scientist who has claimed that “everything came from nothing”?
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Greetings Amanda! I COULD provide a reference to a single scientist who has claimed that “everything came from nothing” but instead, here’s half a dozen in their own words:
thanks for your question!
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Actually, did you even watch that vid?..
The scientists you’re referring to are not claiming the universe LITERALLY came from nothing. They are speaking from a perspective of “nothing” meaning nothing supernatural.
Do you really believe that most or even many atheists literally think the universe “came from nothing”? That doesn’t even make sense. We acknowledge that the universe has an origin, but rather than simplifying it with “god”, we man up and admit that we currently don’t know the origin.
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Hello again Amanda,
Yes, I watched the vid. I made that vid. And, no, they are not meaning “Nothing supernatural.” You are inexplicably reading that into their comments. I don’t doubt that they would ALSO say nothing supernatural, but they have been saying The Universe came from LITERALLY NOTHING for decades. It’s only recently that they’ve been trying to wiggle out of the obvious problem with their religion. Just as atheism used to mean the belief that no God exists, until it became common knowledge that the position was so absurd as to be indefensible. Now people claim atheism is a mere “LACK OF BELIEF” as if this changes anything for them.
I know atheism teaches the universe came from nothing, as it can offer nothing which could bring the universe into being. I know it doesn’t make sense. It’s one of the reasons I claim that atheism is stupid- it forces one to accept MANY tenets of faith which are absurd. I don’t expect people who call themselves atheists to be stupid enough to truly embrace atheism. But that’s why I explain how stupid atheism is- so people who mistakenly think they are atheists can realize that they are not so foolish as to actually BE atheists.
You make two errors here: 1. you think atheists are still looking for the cause of the universe as if it may still be out there to find. But all of the alternatives have been discovered, and millennia ago. 2. You think claiming God created the heavens and the earth is some sort of intellectual cop out, as if it is the result of STOPPING the search instead of the actual RESULT of continuing the search until you find the rational end point.
Go to:
https://abitoforangeacademy.wordpress.com/2017/04/03/the-existence-of-god/
and watch the videos on Fine tuning and the kalaam cosmological argument, and you will see (if you are willing and capable) that science, logic, and reason all point where they MUST- to the Bible.
Atheism forces you to look at the Mona Lisa and search for a natural- non Da Vinci explanation. Looking at a work of art and pretending against all reason that it made itself with no artist is not “Manning up.” It’s foolishness, no matter how long you search. Keep searching. Keep asking questions. You can know the truth, and the truth will set you free.
Thanks for your comments.
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Your point is extremely flawed. Art doesn’t come from God, it comes from imagination. Now I admit that modern art isn’t that good, but I’m not in any position to critique anyone’s art style, and neither are you. Art is supposed to tell a story, have a meaning. What that meaning is, is up to the artist entirely. So no, there isn’t one true, explicit definition of art, because it varies from person to person. Saying atheism is making art bad is extremely foolish because it means that you are just a very closed minded person and you don’t open yourself up to the possibilities. Maybe I’m biased because I don’t necessarily think that the existence of God is likely, but directly blaming bad art on atheism is, to be blunt, dumb.
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Greetings Carley,
Your comment is extremely flawed. I write these blog posts to communicate- to tell a story and have a meaning. What that meaning is, is up to me entirely. Criticizing my posts is extremely foolish because it means that you are just a very closed minded person and you don’t open yourself up to the possibilities. YOU are not in any position to critique MY blog posts.
Are you going to apologize now? Have I shown you that you should NEVER offer a negative opinion about my writings ever again?
Has it occurred to you that I simply said to you what you said to me?
It should have. I think it was kind of obvious.
The point is, you have agreed with me fundamentally, but you don’t yet see it. Let me show you:
You said, “there isn’t one true, explicit definition of art, because it varies from person to person.”
What you THINK you have said is that we AS ARTISTS have the freedom and power to decide what art is. It sounds empowering and uplifting. But what you said is “there isn’t one true, explicit definition of art…”
No definition of art is TRUE.
Which means ALL definitions of art are merely lies we tell ourselves.
On atheism there is no foundation for beauty, or goodness, and also no foundation for ugliness or evil. These are – on atheism- lies we choose to tell ourselves. Rape is no better or worse than medicine. We choose to believe that rape is wrong and medicine is good, but on Atheism nothing CAN be good or bad.
When the West was Christian, art intended to communicate TRUTH, and it was intended to be BEAUTIFUL. Much of it was born out of the desire to communicate the beautiful truth of the Gospel- that God loves us and Jesus died for us. But when the West began to be poisoned by atheism, the desire to communicate beauty and truth died too because the belief in beauty and truth and goodness died. Art became intentionally meaningless- from color field paintings or abstract expressionism which didn’t represent or communicate anything, to the Nihilistic plays of Samuel Becket, such as Waiting for Godot. “Art” was made which was INTENDED to be ugly, and which was intended to convey MEANINGLESSNESS. And that work tends to suck a lot. It is the expression of atheism, just as Nazi Germany and racism and suicide are. And they are all rooted in atheism- a rejection not of religion, but of the one true God.
Yes, you are biased, but everyone is. And yes, your view point is colored falsely by your distance from God. God is like the sun- we may not see Him directly, but by Him we can see everything else. If you can see the green of the grass and the blue of the sky, you know the sun is up there shining, even if it might be hidden behind a cloud. Similarly, if you can see that there is beauty and truth and goodness, then you already know that the God of the Bible is up there shining the light of truth on our world, on our hearts. Pretending he is not is just as foolish as pretending the sun does not exist. I would suggest you start there: https://abitoforangeacademy.wordpress.com/2017/04/03/the-existence-of-god/
Have the honesty and courage to follow the arguments where they lead, and you will find Jesus.
I think you could make a good case that I have presented an oversimplified position. Surely there are bad artists who believe in God but suck at painting or film making. Surely there are more causes to Nazi Germany or suicide that simply godlessness. But while my position is oversimplified, it is true, and defensible. Atheism cannot lead to good art anymore than it can lead to goodness, because on atheism neither goodness nor art can even be defined, let alone attained. But we know goodness and art and truth exist, and so we know Atheism is false.
Which means God exists.
Which means, it would be worth the time and effort to get to know him.
Don’t stop seeking until you find Him. #JesusLovesYou
And thanks for your comments and questions.
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