Photo by Dr pangloss. CC BY-SA 4.0.
Our culture finds itself today not just with skepticism about tradition, but a deliberate mocking of what was once sacred. Look no further than a recent art exhibition in Austria, titled “You shall make for yourself an image.” This display intentionally blasphemed Christianity during the Advent season before Christmas. One piece depicts a man dressed as Mary holding the baby Jesus, framing an LGBT narrative rather than a religious one. Another transforms the crucifixion into an erotically charged symbol. The most shocking work shows a naked woman cradling a “Christ” figure who died of a heroin overdose. These works are more than shocking — they are crass desecration, a sign of a culture that no longer honors goodness, transcendent truth, or objective beauty.
This desecration isn’t isolated to art exhibits — pop culture is full of movies and stories that invert traditional moral storytelling, excusing villains and diminishing heroes. Films like Wicked: For Good recast the Wicked Witch of the West as the heroine, and it’s far from the only recently reimagined classics that portray evil characters as sympathetic or misunderstood. In fact this trend has become so pervasive it reflects a crisis of creativity rather than genuine innovation!
Why does this matter? Art reflects the worldview and values of a culture. When society rejects belief in a Creator, it’s no surprise that beauty, moral standards, and truth vanish. Without a transcendent foundation, nothing is truly admirable. Likewise, no standard remains with which to restrain moral decline.
The Christian vision begins with God as the source of all meaning and goodness. Because Christ entered human history at the Incarnation, died, and rose again, life and history have ultimate purpose and hope. Christian art and storytelling matter because they don’t just provide alternatives to cultural desecration — they point people back to the Creator and all that is true, good, and beautiful. As Chuck Colson once described, living according to truth and virtue leads to real happiness and harmony.
Christian artists and storytellers have a vital calling: not merely to react against desecration of beauty, but to reflect reality and remind culture that there is meaning, goodness, and beauty grounded in God’s creation.
When America turns our back on our Christian heritage, don’t be surprised when standards are abandoned. At PhyllisSchlafly.com, we still believe in our Creator and His order and beauty! If you agree, find out more at PhyllisSchlafly.com. Thanks for listening to the Phyllis Schlafly Report.
