Student Shares Pics From Art Book In His Former Christian College And The Censorship Is Beyond Ridiculous
Art students at Pensacola Christian College are, according to the college’s website, “equipped to share Christ through the visual arts, music, or dramatic performance.” Fair enough. A rather niche area of study, but each to their own, right?
Image credits: scopecreepstudio
Art history features prominently in the curriculum, as students are encouraged to gain a biblically supported understanding of the arts. What a wondrous world awaits the student! Feasting on the fruits of human imagination since the dawn of time, they will learn all about the life and times of some true icons of mankind, from Michelangelo and Da Vinci to Van Gogh, Picasso and Dali. Talk about putting the fun back into fundamentalist Christian schooling!
Image credits: scopecreepstudio
However, not is all as it seems. Denial of history is a common tactic among the more hardcore religiously-minded, and while it’s not exactly the Taliban blowing up ancient statues of Buddha in Afghanistan, feeling the need to censor the slightest hint of cleavage on the Mona Lisa is sensitivity bordering on the extreme.
Image credits: scopecreepstudio
Image credits: scopecreepstudio
How are students supposed to learn the history of art when the realities of the times are fastidiously covered up? Someone, somewhere, had the onerous task of ‘clothing’ an entire textbook’s worth of iconic figures deemed too ‘risque’ by the prudish art department, with classical genitals, boobs and bums crudely drawn over in black marker.
Image credits: scopecreepstudio
Image credits: scopecreepstudio
The results are sad for the students, whose worldview is tragically limited by the religious police, but quite hilarious for us, as we see the lengths that some Christians will go to maintain their ideological ‘purity.’
Image credits: scopecreepstudio
Image credits: scopecreepstudio
Pensacola Christian College is located in Pensacola, Florida and was founded in 1974. Their goal is to “train young men and women in higher education for a life of service to Jesus Christ,” and to “promote the cause of Christ by providing a distinctively Christian-traditional, liberal arts education that develops students spiritually, intellectually, morally, culturally, and socially.”
Image credits: scopecreepstudio
Image credits: scopecreepstudio
The school is free to teach as it chooses, but what do you think about this kind of censorship? What do you think that sheltering students from reality like this, hopes to achieve? Let us know what you think in the comments!
Image credits: scopecreepstudio
Image credits: scopecreepstudio
The Imgur user who shared the images gave their view on the bizarre textbook
While others were just baffled by it all
So, Mona Lisa aside, they've censored parts of the Sistine's Chapel. Which is in Vatican. So... Vatican is not religious enough? I'm so confused.
I live in the area and have spoken with some PCC students. Many believe that Catholics are going to hell for not following their brand of Christianity.
ah, ok, so they are just plain cuckoo. That makes more sense.
Seriously?? Oh dear, I would love to go there and make friends with them and then tell them I am a proud non-baptized atheist who enjoys making jokes about having Satan as one of my Twitter followers.
Noez Don't forget to tell them that we all turn into frogs once a year, while dancing around a penis decorated with flowers.
Question: What's the definition of a 'cult'? Answer: Any religion but your own.
Reminded me of "I'm a Catholic whore, currently enjoying congress out of wedlock with my black Jewish boyfriend who works at a military abortion clinic. So Hail Satan, and have a lovely afternoon madam."
I'm happy going to hell. God will recognize to them his!
Actually nearly all people in Michel Angelos frescoes where naked and the Vatican hired someone to dress them.
Looks like I'm going to hell than. Man, and I though being apart of my church's K of C and doing community services would help me out.
And Catholics are taught the opposite. The important thing is that none of them are correct. No God has ever existed.
@MammaG no part of your statement is true, but I believe in your right to write it.
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
@Noez... does that mean that you'd slap some bacon on the doorknob of your Muslim friends ?
This is the difference between fundamentalist christianity and Catholic Christianity. The Catholic Church teaches that God creates only good, that He created the human person and therefore the human body so these things are intrinsically good. Nudity in art is non starter for Catholics. The problem of sin only arises when a person takes the human body and distorts its use as means to their own end ie objectifying nudity in the form of pornography to derive personal pleasure. The people who have censored this book are heretics who have taken the literal word of the bible too far in a way that is too rigourous. They are what we call iconoclasts - people who set out to deliberately destroy images especially of the sacred because of a failed understanding of the intent of a single line in the bible.
A Mennonite commented earlier about how they sensor the encyclopedia, PCC strives to accommodate the most strict parents and religious beliefs. When I attended there was at least one girl I knew that was in the art program who was a Mennonite. She was only permitted to attend PCC because of their mission to provide as few opportunities for someone to objectify sexually what is in the textbooks and what is in the library. PCC is not for most people but it gives kids from super conservatives a place to get an accredited degree and have an opportunity to then ‘escape’ their parents if they choose. I know one art major who graduated that is a tattoo artist of hyper realistic tattoos.
@Ksenia M Because Catholics aren't fundamentalist Christian.
Actually, to this day, a lot of the (taken from somewhere else) nude statues in the Vatican have an extra piece of marble that covers their private parts.
Not true. It was the protestants in the reformation who put fig leafs over the privates parts of statues. Read my other comment above.
David, I didn't say I knew who put them on the statues. I was there and I saw them. And that's all I said.
I am french, so youy can undestand what "La Joconde" means to me. Acquired by François 1er, five centuries ago. Doing that is... it is not stupid, it is delirious. Teaching the history of arts and denying nudity is so american. I must laugh. Do you know "L'origine du monde " in the Musée d'Orsay ?
Don’t let these Americans tell you it isn’t “so American.” This psychotic level of Christianity is purely an American thing. I’m very American. I’ve seen this kind of thing my whole life.
Dear Third Paw of Mewton, I so wish that you were right, but unfortunately, there is a sinister other side to this toxic American Christianity: they spread it as far and wide as they can. They call it (often Pentecostal) missionary work when they work hard at instilling hatred against for example homosexuals, prostitutes, drug addicts. "Englund mentions the flood of Christian missionaries to Sub-Saharan Africa over the last 40 years or so. Almost without exception, they are Christian conservatives from the South and middle US states, interested in African souls. They have been well received, preaching gospels of Christ saving souls, redemption and prosperity in conditions of the deepest poverty. US conservative values leaked into that narrative.The vitriol of homophobia has been imported from the American Right, out of context, and made, by way of religion, African."
I'm Italian.. we HAVE Vatican here... everything in our life is influenced by religion in a way that foreign people cannot understand (politics and all..) but my art books at school (even when I was a teenager) were not like that!!there was no censorship...
@monika soffronow, you are correct. At this very moment in time there is an issue regarding Steven Anderson, it has been all over our news. This person is programmed to speak at some congress here in Amsterdam, but the mayor of Amsterdam does not want him here: https://www.parool.nl/binnenland/halsema-komst-van-prediker-anderson-is-zeer-onwenselijk~a4626507/ Also there seems to be some discussion in our parliament of declaring this person to be a person non grata. As hate preaching is an offense in the Netherlands, does not matter to what religion this applies. PS: the very same person, Steven Anderson, was also kicked out of South Africa, Botswana & the UK for the exact same reason.
Monika, I am right. You just added to my point. These lunatics will spread their lies as far as they can take them. Africa gets that nonsense from us.
Mónica, don't forget South America. There are soooo many of those "preachers". It's frightening. They have so much power.
If only. I'm American, too, and educated and aware of the world enough to know it's not just an American thing. Your comment is like the previous Pope saying the pedo priest issue was an "strictly an American problem"... only to have it eventually come out some time later that it was, in fact, a world-wide problem.
@LittleFish: This ridiculous fear of nudity ind anything remotely sexual s very American. I've gathered from US-based blogs that showing bra straps is risque . That thought never even occured to me! Also, sex ed isn't really a "debate" here. The specifics, yes, and some stupid old-fashioned politicians bristle at the idea of explaining about homosexuality in schools, but no one really denies that sex ed is necessary. I learned about condoms in primary school!
@LittleFish: No one is saying that ALL Americans are like this. And I didn't think for a second that art books are commonly censored in the US. BUT people who would censor art books, protest against sex ed and want any glimpse of a nipple in TV censored are MUCH easier to find in the US than in Europe. Yeah, there's lots of perfectly reasonable people there with reasonable expectations, and it's just ""a few" maniacs. But your minority of maniacs is still larger, more vocal and overall much, much more noticeable and influential than is thinkable in most European countries.
You are correct, Dynein. Americans have a ridiculous fear of nudity, yet our tolerance for violence is off the charts. Interesting fact...I have many friends in Asia and South America, yet they have no problem showing their small children innocently taking a bath or running in the yard sans clothing. I tell them not to share such things with me, for fear of being prosecuted. Crimes against children are very real, but whereas other countries recognize actual *crimes*, American law is shoot first ask questions later. Better safe than sorry.
@LittleFish: if I remember correctly, Facebook censored a totally innocent painting depicting a breastfeeding Maria — the Vatican validated this very picture and even liked it.
With any luck they will forget how to reproduce and die out naturally.
Pascal Oudot, Please realize that those hyper-religious kooks are a very small percentage of Americans. -a loud, overbearing and obnoxious percentage, yet still a very small percent of us.
All those undetwear: Bad taste in dress style, too.
I've seen it: It is a bit hidden, so you can choose to see it or not (I did it, as it's considered art). And I've seen the Monnalisa so many times, even when there wasn't the glass protecting it. They are a bit different from a moral point of view, but hiding part of La Gioconda seems ridiculous to me.
La Gioconda
If God created the human body why do they have to cover it up?
Something about a talking snake and a magic fruit.
Oh, of course, but why ugly black shapes? Surely pretty, environmentally friendly fig leaves would have sufficed.
Some people can't tell the difference between appreciating the body and sexualizing it. (I'm christian and this censoring is hilariously stupid)
It's cold outside
Or mosquitoes
Adam and Eve sinned by eating fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Which God told them not to. He said they could have fruit from any other tree besides that specific one. The devil talked Eve into eating it and she talked Adam into eating it. Once they sinned they were no longer innocent and realized they were naked. They made clothing for themselves and hid from God because they were ashamed.
Another brainwashed individual trying to make sense through a fairy tale story. Get some help please
Well, it's to do with sex. Which is a dirty, disgusting, sinful thing that you must only do to someone you really love.
No. We believe sex is a beautiful wonderful thing that God created. But people appreciate it best in the bounds of marriage. If it was dirty and disgusting, why would God create orgasms so people can enjoy it? It's just that there's taboo around talking about it.
Sex is disgusting? Your mindset and your maliciousness is disgusting. Get some help
So, Mona Lisa aside, they've censored parts of the Sistine's Chapel. Which is in Vatican. So... Vatican is not religious enough? I'm so confused.
I live in the area and have spoken with some PCC students. Many believe that Catholics are going to hell for not following their brand of Christianity.
ah, ok, so they are just plain cuckoo. That makes more sense.
Seriously?? Oh dear, I would love to go there and make friends with them and then tell them I am a proud non-baptized atheist who enjoys making jokes about having Satan as one of my Twitter followers.
Noez Don't forget to tell them that we all turn into frogs once a year, while dancing around a penis decorated with flowers.
Question: What's the definition of a 'cult'? Answer: Any religion but your own.
Reminded me of "I'm a Catholic whore, currently enjoying congress out of wedlock with my black Jewish boyfriend who works at a military abortion clinic. So Hail Satan, and have a lovely afternoon madam."
I'm happy going to hell. God will recognize to them his!
Actually nearly all people in Michel Angelos frescoes where naked and the Vatican hired someone to dress them.
Looks like I'm going to hell than. Man, and I though being apart of my church's K of C and doing community services would help me out.
And Catholics are taught the opposite. The important thing is that none of them are correct. No God has ever existed.
@MammaG no part of your statement is true, but I believe in your right to write it.
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
@Noez... does that mean that you'd slap some bacon on the doorknob of your Muslim friends ?
This is the difference between fundamentalist christianity and Catholic Christianity. The Catholic Church teaches that God creates only good, that He created the human person and therefore the human body so these things are intrinsically good. Nudity in art is non starter for Catholics. The problem of sin only arises when a person takes the human body and distorts its use as means to their own end ie objectifying nudity in the form of pornography to derive personal pleasure. The people who have censored this book are heretics who have taken the literal word of the bible too far in a way that is too rigourous. They are what we call iconoclasts - people who set out to deliberately destroy images especially of the sacred because of a failed understanding of the intent of a single line in the bible.
A Mennonite commented earlier about how they sensor the encyclopedia, PCC strives to accommodate the most strict parents and religious beliefs. When I attended there was at least one girl I knew that was in the art program who was a Mennonite. She was only permitted to attend PCC because of their mission to provide as few opportunities for someone to objectify sexually what is in the textbooks and what is in the library. PCC is not for most people but it gives kids from super conservatives a place to get an accredited degree and have an opportunity to then ‘escape’ their parents if they choose. I know one art major who graduated that is a tattoo artist of hyper realistic tattoos.
@Ksenia M Because Catholics aren't fundamentalist Christian.
Actually, to this day, a lot of the (taken from somewhere else) nude statues in the Vatican have an extra piece of marble that covers their private parts.
Not true. It was the protestants in the reformation who put fig leafs over the privates parts of statues. Read my other comment above.
David, I didn't say I knew who put them on the statues. I was there and I saw them. And that's all I said.
I am french, so youy can undestand what "La Joconde" means to me. Acquired by François 1er, five centuries ago. Doing that is... it is not stupid, it is delirious. Teaching the history of arts and denying nudity is so american. I must laugh. Do you know "L'origine du monde " in the Musée d'Orsay ?
Don’t let these Americans tell you it isn’t “so American.” This psychotic level of Christianity is purely an American thing. I’m very American. I’ve seen this kind of thing my whole life.
Dear Third Paw of Mewton, I so wish that you were right, but unfortunately, there is a sinister other side to this toxic American Christianity: they spread it as far and wide as they can. They call it (often Pentecostal) missionary work when they work hard at instilling hatred against for example homosexuals, prostitutes, drug addicts. "Englund mentions the flood of Christian missionaries to Sub-Saharan Africa over the last 40 years or so. Almost without exception, they are Christian conservatives from the South and middle US states, interested in African souls. They have been well received, preaching gospels of Christ saving souls, redemption and prosperity in conditions of the deepest poverty. US conservative values leaked into that narrative.The vitriol of homophobia has been imported from the American Right, out of context, and made, by way of religion, African."
I'm Italian.. we HAVE Vatican here... everything in our life is influenced by religion in a way that foreign people cannot understand (politics and all..) but my art books at school (even when I was a teenager) were not like that!!there was no censorship...
@monika soffronow, you are correct. At this very moment in time there is an issue regarding Steven Anderson, it has been all over our news. This person is programmed to speak at some congress here in Amsterdam, but the mayor of Amsterdam does not want him here: https://www.parool.nl/binnenland/halsema-komst-van-prediker-anderson-is-zeer-onwenselijk~a4626507/ Also there seems to be some discussion in our parliament of declaring this person to be a person non grata. As hate preaching is an offense in the Netherlands, does not matter to what religion this applies. PS: the very same person, Steven Anderson, was also kicked out of South Africa, Botswana & the UK for the exact same reason.
Monika, I am right. You just added to my point. These lunatics will spread their lies as far as they can take them. Africa gets that nonsense from us.
Mónica, don't forget South America. There are soooo many of those "preachers". It's frightening. They have so much power.
If only. I'm American, too, and educated and aware of the world enough to know it's not just an American thing. Your comment is like the previous Pope saying the pedo priest issue was an "strictly an American problem"... only to have it eventually come out some time later that it was, in fact, a world-wide problem.
@LittleFish: This ridiculous fear of nudity ind anything remotely sexual s very American. I've gathered from US-based blogs that showing bra straps is risque . That thought never even occured to me! Also, sex ed isn't really a "debate" here. The specifics, yes, and some stupid old-fashioned politicians bristle at the idea of explaining about homosexuality in schools, but no one really denies that sex ed is necessary. I learned about condoms in primary school!
@LittleFish: No one is saying that ALL Americans are like this. And I didn't think for a second that art books are commonly censored in the US. BUT people who would censor art books, protest against sex ed and want any glimpse of a nipple in TV censored are MUCH easier to find in the US than in Europe. Yeah, there's lots of perfectly reasonable people there with reasonable expectations, and it's just ""a few" maniacs. But your minority of maniacs is still larger, more vocal and overall much, much more noticeable and influential than is thinkable in most European countries.
You are correct, Dynein. Americans have a ridiculous fear of nudity, yet our tolerance for violence is off the charts. Interesting fact...I have many friends in Asia and South America, yet they have no problem showing their small children innocently taking a bath or running in the yard sans clothing. I tell them not to share such things with me, for fear of being prosecuted. Crimes against children are very real, but whereas other countries recognize actual *crimes*, American law is shoot first ask questions later. Better safe than sorry.
@LittleFish: if I remember correctly, Facebook censored a totally innocent painting depicting a breastfeeding Maria — the Vatican validated this very picture and even liked it.
With any luck they will forget how to reproduce and die out naturally.
Pascal Oudot, Please realize that those hyper-religious kooks are a very small percentage of Americans. -a loud, overbearing and obnoxious percentage, yet still a very small percent of us.
All those undetwear: Bad taste in dress style, too.
I've seen it: It is a bit hidden, so you can choose to see it or not (I did it, as it's considered art). And I've seen the Monnalisa so many times, even when there wasn't the glass protecting it. They are a bit different from a moral point of view, but hiding part of La Gioconda seems ridiculous to me.
La Gioconda
If God created the human body why do they have to cover it up?
Something about a talking snake and a magic fruit.
Oh, of course, but why ugly black shapes? Surely pretty, environmentally friendly fig leaves would have sufficed.
Some people can't tell the difference between appreciating the body and sexualizing it. (I'm christian and this censoring is hilariously stupid)
It's cold outside
Or mosquitoes
Adam and Eve sinned by eating fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Which God told them not to. He said they could have fruit from any other tree besides that specific one. The devil talked Eve into eating it and she talked Adam into eating it. Once they sinned they were no longer innocent and realized they were naked. They made clothing for themselves and hid from God because they were ashamed.
Another brainwashed individual trying to make sense through a fairy tale story. Get some help please
Well, it's to do with sex. Which is a dirty, disgusting, sinful thing that you must only do to someone you really love.
No. We believe sex is a beautiful wonderful thing that God created. But people appreciate it best in the bounds of marriage. If it was dirty and disgusting, why would God create orgasms so people can enjoy it? It's just that there's taboo around talking about it.
Sex is disgusting? Your mindset and your maliciousness is disgusting. Get some help