Barnorama All Fun In The Barn
According to Pensacola Christian College’s website, art students are trained to express Christ through visual arts, music, or dramatic performances. Despite this, they are compelled to study extensively censored books. How can students grasp the true history of art when the realities of the times are meticulously concealed? Somewhere, someone undertook the arduous responsibility of censoring an entire textbook, deeming certain iconic figures too sinister for the prudish art department, with specific sections crudely obscured in black marker.
The rejection of historical truths often surfaces as a strategy among those with strong religious convictions. While it may not reach the extreme measures seen, for example, with the Taliban destroying ancient Buddha statues in Afghanistan, the inclination to censor even the slightest suggestion of cleavage on the Mona Lisa reflects a level of sensitivity that borders on the extreme.
The outcomes are disheartening for the students, whose perspectives are sadly restricted by the religious authorities. However, from our standpoint, it becomes somewhat comical as we observe the extremes to which certain Christians are willing to go in upholding their ideological purity.
Situated in Pensacola, Florida, Pensacola Christian College, established in 1974, aims to “educate young men and women in higher education for a life devoted to serving Jesus Christ.” Their mission is to “advance the cause of Christ by offering a uniquely Christian-traditional, liberal arts education that nurtures students spiritually, intellectually, morally, culturally, and socially.”
