Jesus – the Christian incarnation of God – been much abused since the middle of the 20th century, when trippy-hippie philosophers proclaimed him “dead.” Holiday marketers began ripping references to God’s son from the public discourse. Nativity scenes and Ten Commandment scrolls seem quaintly out of step with today’s politically correct doctrine.
In schools, “God Damn You” is more readily tolerated than “God Bless You.” A centuries-old doctrine of prayer in the school has been relentlessly trampled by Courts drunk with the new wine pressed from the vineyard of secular righteousness.
When I was in high school, it was fashionable to teach “The Bible as Literature.” I believed then that the nomenclature was a convenient invention to sidestep an inane Supreme Court decree.
In retrospect, however, reducing the Bible to mere “literature” cheapens it. Yes, writers of scripture are placed alongside Shakespeare, Flaubert and Dostoevsky – but also tripists like Vonnegut, Baudelaire, Roth, Chaucer, Ginsberg, Kerouac, Koontz and Krantz.
In short, the pedantic proprietors of academe – landed lords of literacy – condemned The Ten Commandments to cohabitation with The Seven Words You Can’t Say on TV, and let the chips fall where they may.
More than 9 of 10 Americans believe in God – mostly in the Judeo-Christian tradition. Writers should avail themselves of the tradition of Christian allusion unabashedly, where appropriate. To ignore it, while fashionable, ignores a wealth of cultural richness dysobviated by Cultural Correctness.
Next: Your two cents worth
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