Thomas Kinkade: Angel of Light Part 2

This is a bit of old news about Kinkade. It's from the LA Times, Aug. 29 2006:

The FBI is investigating allegations that self-styled "Painter of Light" Thomas Kinkade and some of his top executives fraudulently induced investors to open galleries and then ruined them financially, former dealers contacted by federal agents said. Investigators are focusing on issues raised in civil litigation by at least six former Thomas Kinkade Signature Gallery owners, people who have been contacted by the FBI said.

The ex-owners allege in arbitration claims that, among other things, the artist known for his dreamily luminous landscapes and street scenes used his Christian faith to persuade them to invest in the independently owned stores, which sell only Kinkade's work."They really knew how to bait the hook," said one former dealer who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the case. "They certainly used the Christian hook."Kinkade has denied the allegations in the civil litigation.

He-Man Jesus

Traditionally, the church has understood Jesus to have been "unlovely" based on certain passages in Isaiah, etc. Nevertheless, to me, it does seem plausible that he would have had muscle mass sufficient to meet the demands of his occupation--that of a carpenter (or stone mason, as some have hypothesized). That may indeed be plausible, but this is ridiculous. This is from Purgatorio (see sidebar for link).

The Evolution of a Worshipper

I found this cartoon at Texanglican's blog. It's a simple, yet apt, illustration of the change many have undergone in their discipleship. There are more at cartoonchurch.com.

Dr. Gene Scott: Pastor, Scholar, Cigar Aficionado

(I am posting this mostly for the benefit of my wife who has never had the pleasure of viewing a Gene Scott television show.) Just thought I would post a little something on one of the true televangelists ever to grace a T.V. screen: Gene Scott. He's was a "pastoral teacher," scholar (with a Ph.D. in education), philanthropist, vineyard owner and lover of fine wines...well, you can read the rest here.

I'm not selling forty-pound Bibles, or water from Jordan, or 4,000 plastic crosses made by the Japanese and sold to Arabs. I don't send out 'healing cloths' or tear up my shirt. I say: what's what I've done worth? Whatever the meal I've fed you is worth, pay up. I'm not trying to save anybody. I think if you reject Christianity, you should do it intelligently.

-- Gene Scott (1929-2005)

In Case You Thought the Days of Heavy Metal Christian Glamrock Were Over...

Stryper's been making a comeback (perhaps this is really old news but it's new to me)...

Is that Oz Fox second from right? or on the right?

Please read about their history here. Seriously, please do.

Thomas Kinkade: Angel of Light

This post is especially for my wife. She has questions about Kinkade's art (as we all should). I'm convinced that Kinkade is delusional. This article from the LA Times proves it. If you read it, pay careful attention to his justification of public urination and the comments by adoring fans claiming that he is a contemporary Leonardo da Vinci, etc. In fact, here's just a sample. When Kinkade was acccused of acting inappropriately toward another woman at one of his signing parties, he had this to say:

"But you've got to remember," he said, "I'm the idol to these women who are there. They sell my work every day, you know. They're enamored with any attention I would give them. I don't know what kind of flirting they were trying to do with me. I don't recall what was going on that night."

I am not intending to smear Kinkade's name but something must be said. Who says things like the quotation above? This man should be exposed for what he is and held accountable not only for mocking the Church and the name of Christ but for his megalomania and lame, unimaginative art!

Jesus is My Homeboy

Alright, this has already been posted as an entry at http://purgatorio1.com. My apologies to Marc of purgatorio. But, I had to post this for those who don't know about purgatorio.com. If you grew up, or are familiar with, Christian pop culture, you will find Marc's blog to be quite the entertaining site. Here's something I found on purgatorio that is sure to have a lot of pull with our teens (tongue firmly in cheek): http://teenagejesus.com/jesus.htm. Is he with a harlot or a mime? What up, J.C.!

From teenagejesus.com: Who was teenage Jesus?
The bible says nothing about Jesus from the time he was 13 until he was 28. Its pretty clear, though, that Jesus experienced the same challenges that any child would face while growing up.

DeGarmo and Key, Crumbacher, White Heart...

I found this photo and thought of my friend Dave S. who, whenever we try to name the most obscure Christian rock bands we knew as kids, he always, with fondness, remembers Crumbacher. This seems to be from a sort of farewell/reunion concert given in California. Whoa.