Thoughtful observers of the current state of our nation, regardless of political ideology agree on this point – There is an atmosphere of bitter anger permeating the country. Of course, politicians and partisan pundits blame "the others" of being the angry ones.

What has led to this hostility? I believe the answer is complex-— I believe just about everything in our society has become politicized and polarized: the air we breathe, the climate, our beliefs and traditions, education, news, sports, skin color, gender and national origins.

We just celebrated April Fool’s Day, but let me propose something for you to think about that is not a joke…Hell will be full of believers.

"Believer" is an inadequate term to describe Christians because it doesn’t indicate the essence of a true Christian which is a "follower" of Jesus Christ. I believe in Satan, but I don't follow Him. James 2:19 says that demons “believe and tremble” at Jesus, but they don’t follow Him. Satan knows Jesus. He lived with Jesus in Heaven. He spoke to Him…and tempted Him. Satan is absolutely a “believer” in Jesus, but he’s not a “follower”.

Abide: “to accept without objection” – “to continue in a Place (Webster’s 7^th Collegiate Dictionary)

Genesis 13:13 “But the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the Lord exceedingly.” In studying the scripture there is a principle called “The Law of First Mention.” Genesis 13:13 is the first mention of the word sinner(s) in the Bible. It references those abiding in the ancient city of Sodom. Sodom was one of the “cities of the plain” located somewhere around the Dead Sea. The city was infamous for its pagan worship and its depravity. Zondervan Bible Dictionary (M.C. Tenney) notes its name became synonymous with “vice, infamy, injustice, and judgement”.

Following the ouster of prayer in public schools in the 1960’s I don’t recall when secular forces began their quest to remove manger scenes from the public square. In their ignorant intolerance they used Thomas Jefferson’s * (whom they now decry!) letter of January 1, 1802 to the Danbury Baptist Association of Danbury Connecticut containing the phrase “a wall of separation between church and state” reassuring the Baptist that the government hands were tied from interfering with or in any way controlling the affairs or decisions of the churches in America. They used the wall phrase as a shoehorn into the constitution to turn freedom of religion into freedom from religion (note Thomas Jefferson never signed the constitution nor was he present at the constitutional conventions of 1787).

This is the first of a series of articles which come out of the experience of an artist whose work is in conflict with the dominant culture. Most of my paintings are of allegorical figures often inspired by the Renaissance and Romantic periods. Much of the great art of the past reflected, despite the Fall, humanity was still created in the image of God and therefore has great worth. But contemporary culture hardly reflects this exalted view of humanity, rather the subtext seems more like B.F. Skinner’s “To man qua man we readily say good riddance”. This diminished view of humanity runs through fine art as well as popular culture. It is most apparent in the culture’s morbid preoccupation with horror, the symbols of death certainly don’t reflect a reverence for life. I seem to be alone in recognizing the significance of these disturbing symbols in contemporary culture.

On October 9, we celebrated Columbus Day in America.  Well, most of us did.

The Los Angeles City Council voted recently to eliminate Columbus Day from the city calendar because Christopher Columbus mistreated Native Americans.  It saddened me to think that we may one day have a country with no holidays.  I asked myself, “What is the purpose of a holiday anyway?”  My answer—to remember a significant person or event so that we can never forget the extraordinary distinction and always maintain a heart of gratitude for it.