Saturday, December 20, 2008

The Postmodern Bible . . .


. . . reminded me I could share Christ with my friends by sending The Kristo's E-Cards. As Hopkins so eloquently wrote, "Glory be to God for dappled things . . ."

What's next? (Nevermind.)

2 comments:

  1. WWMD?

    (What Would McLuhan Do?)

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  2. That's inspired, Art; it's also a very good point to ponder. Thus, I emailed his first-born, Eric, to ask him what he thought MM would do or think about this (among other elements we've been examining as well as the Mexican cover of the current Playboy (which I will post if anyone would like to see it).

    IMO, given his feelings concerning wars in general and Christ in particular, I think he'd prolly view this kind of Art/efact (or, Art/ifact) akin to pornography (or, at the least, obscenely blasphemous).

    MM, as you know more keenly than most, extremely conservative in his views, would explain the existence of WMD as an inevitability since, he did say that violence would dominate our social life in ways we could barely begin to comprehend; thus, because he converted to Catholicism (under Chesterton's influence), I think he would vehemently and vociferously condamn it outright as an outragifying POS.

    He rarely swore, though; so, I guess he'd call it a POT, POG, POW, or POP; and, really, it is a piece of trash, garbage, work, or propaganda. What do you think he'd do or what his view would be?

    There are a couple of things he said, in the Playboy interview, especially, that apply directly to this kind of item. I'll go see if I can locate 'em . . . BRB . . .

    "At the speed of light, policies and political parties yield place to charismatic images." (And, I have no doubt he was concurrently punning on the "Charismatics."

    "It is the weak and confused who worship the pseudosimplicities of brutal directness."

    "Television brought the brutality of war into the comfort of the living room. Vietnam was lost in the living rooms of America—not on the battlefields of Vietnam."

    "I am a Christian according to my conscience in belief . . . in purpose and wish; not of course by the orthodox standard. But I am content, and have a feeling of trust and safety . . . The Machiavellian mind and the merchant mind are at one in their simple faith in the power of segmental division to rule all — in the dichotomy of power and morals and of money and morals."

    I've provided a link to the interview because, like all great poetry, as Em. D. said, it takes the top of your head off. His perceptive consideration of violence, however, is especially astonishing, considering he left this planet to begin his life in His glorious Elsewhere in 1980.

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