In reply to: https://abitoforange.com/2018/01/08/modern-art-sucks-because-atheism-is-stupid/

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.

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 actually 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.