I hate this painting of God: time for mockery!


I do not warm to paintings of God the Father looking like an old man. Actually, I tend not to like paintings of God the Father, full stop (= period). I prefer a bit more aniconism — no images of God, thanks, except for those that God has authorized (i.e., living human beings and, obviously, Jesus the Second Adam).

So it goes without saying that I have never warmed to Michaelangelo's most famous God-painting.

So it is time to mock a little.

Not mockery of God (I have no time for that) but mockery of an in image

These images are from the magazine Paranoias.






Comments

Sue said…
With many friends at Greenbelt - I think God may be there too!
Anonymous said…
You spend a lot of time on here Robby Bob Job. Mind you you always were a wrongun, ven in your college days, having shared a house with what could only be describes, in polite circles, as a veritable nest of vipers!
Anonymous said…
Having said that I did use to enjoy our endless discissions, whilst drinking your coffee pot dry and had to actually read Sally McFague as the only way I could possibly get to sleep after so much caffeine!

I must say though, on this Saturday night, of nothing but chewing gum for the eyes on T.V., I have enjoyed reading the debates on here very much. I particularly like the imagine lyrics debate. It also shocked me that the song from the life of Brian was included with full lyrics including the 'life's a piece of doo-dah' lyric, with 'death's the final word'. I couldn't disagree more! Death is the event we all must undertake but the sting of death is taken away by salvation. Anyway it got me thinking being on here and that has to be a good thing, with any semblence of personal faith 'in the bargain bins' so to speak (my 'faith' or lack thereof). To think of theological issues or concerns has done me good tonight I think and for those posters on here, I thank you as I have really enjoyed reading. It dd remind of the time when Robin and myself used to debate things.

I enjoyed the universalism debate and am oppsed to the thinking of guys like John Hick.

One thing made me laugh the other day as I drove North out of Doncaster and it was a sign on the side of a truck with a biblical message. It was something like: "Believe on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved" Next to this there was a sign for a 'cafe 200 yards'.....what an opportunity!!
Also on a funny last note I was chatting with a school friend of mine who is a couple of years younger than me. We both used to sing the wrong words to 'Lord of the dance' song in school and we both thought Jesus was cool because he was 'The Lord of the dance settee!!"
Anonymous said…
Oops just realised I haven't commented on this particular thread.
I like Iconogaphy, particulary in the Orthodox tradition (the music of the liturgy of St John Crysostum is something to behold and it is trinitarian worship with the 'spirit proceeding from the Father'.......I am digressing).

These images are awful, in poor taste and mock the creator. I often wonder why folk always bash Christianity when all of the world's other faiths would be in an uproar if the same things were dome with images of Krishna, Shiva (for example).
Andy
Robin Parry said…
Andy

A nest of friendly vipers! Lovely to hear from you.

Sally McFague never got me to sleep — she always made me too cross (well, some of it was good but . . .)

Lord of the dance settee — ha ha! Priceless. Must remember that one.

Orthodox Iconography is less problematic than Catholic iconography in this regard because, if I understand it correctly, the Orthodox do not represent God the Father in iconography (because of the biblical prohibition on visual images of God). Catholics, however, do (as we see with this famous image from the Sistine Chapel).

So good to hear from you crazy horse!

Anonymous said…
Aye Robin you are right. God the Father i not pictured in Orthodoxy. Usually, Jesus, the saints. It is the oldest form of Christianity with the wedding ceremony influenced by Judaism. (I think my current wife and I were joined by this ceremony.....that term 'current' winds her up considerably...I will therefore continue to use it as an expression).

The only reservations I had about the Orthodox liturgy was the reverence made to the God bearer or Theotokos. It iseems a fine line between respect and worship.

Is it just my age bu I have to wear me glasses to see the please prove you're not a robot' bit on here to enter the writing. Plus my typing is shoking so I ask all for forgiveness there.Andy
Robin Parry said…
Andy

I remember your wedding (HOT day!!!) — it was great.

Sometimes it is a fine line but it is a clear line (in the theology of the Church, at least). There may well be a problem at the level of the devotion of some pious lay worshippers. That would not surprise me but I do not know.

Pax

Robin
Anonymous said…
Funnily enough your wedding day was very hot too! I was sat outside of the recpetion on the grass at somepoint as it was boiling inside.

What made me laugh was that I was sat at the side of the Church as Carol walked up the aisle and all I could hear you say was: "Claire is Andy coming" hahahahah! (oops)

Iconography for me isn't the focus for worship, but I could imagine that as some worshippers light candles before th icons, this could be a theological minefield. The ten commandments about having no graven image does spring to mind.

Andy
Jason Pratt said…
I have to say, I think several of these are quite awesome!

Besides, as Christian universalists I wouldn't think we should mock the notion of God going for the save or the rescue. {g!} (Or the slam dunk for that matter! {lol!})

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