Oct
30
2009
Offendedness is a Double-Edged Sword
Comedian Larry David is best known as the creator, writer, and producer of Seinfeld. He also plays a fictional version of himself on the HBO series “Curb Your Enthusiasm.” David is currently in hot water (see this and this) for a “Curb” episode that aired last Sunday in which David accidentally urinates on a painting of Jesus. A woman later sees the painting and mistakes it for a miraculous crying Jesus. She brings her mother back to the bathroom and both kneel in prayer.
Not surprisingly, Christians, and Catholics in particular it seems, do not find peeing on Jesus very funny. Deal Hudson, author and publisher of InsideCatholic.com asks “Why is it that people are allowed to publicly show that level of disrespect for Christian symbols? If the same thing was done to a symbol of any other religions — Jewish or Muslim — there’d be a huge outcry. It’s simply not a level playing field.” Hudson has demanded an apology from the show’s producers and writing team. Similarly, Bill Donahue of the Catholic League criticized the episode as crude and insulting.
Clearly, urinating on a picture of Jesus is not going to win any accolades from the Church. The episode from last Sunday sounds tasteless, wildly irreverent, and just plain stupid. It’s no wonder Christians don’t like it.
But playing the grievance game with these kind of stunts is not always a good move. For starters, it attracts more attention to the offending show. More to the point, it overlooks the fact that just about everything on television is tasteless, irreverent, and stupid. If we are going to be offended by sin, we should be disgusted by more than the occasional shock episode. We should be just as opposed to taking the Lord’s name in vain, fornication, lust-enticing sensuality, glamorized crime, voyeuristic entertainment, and all manner of worldliness. Sure, peeing on a picture Jesus is bound to get more headlines, but there are a thousand other sins that get broadcast every day and every night.
Most importantly we should be cautious about demanding apologies because offendedness is a double-edged sword. Sure, there’s a time to publicly call out trash as trash. And I’m sure there’s a double standard when it comes to mocking other religions. The majority will always makes for safer satire. But Christians make a mistake when they give into our culture’s obsession with being victims. We have the right to free speech in this country. So of course we are going to be upset with things that other people say and do. But is it surprising that Larry David thinks Jesus Christ is a joke? Do I need to be offended? God’s thinks Larry David is a joke (Psalm 2:4). Besides, when we go around asking for apologies when people mock what we value, we set ourselves up for the same demand the next time Miss California defends biblical marriage or Tim Tebow puts Bible verses under his eyes. It’s not a crime to offend people.
Now, just to be clear, the issue is different when anti-Christian trash gets paid for through taxpayer supported programs and agencies. But when junk shows up on HBO, or on any station for that matter, the best way to fight back is simply to turn off our TVs.
Come to think of it, that could solve a lot of problems.
17 Comments
Kevin, good thoughts. Your candor is appreciated.
Good thoughts Kevin.
Christians need to be reminded that we will be mocked, and reviled. Our Savior was. We are not an ‘honor religion’ where images need to be protected and protests need to be waged.
Do I think what was done was tasteless? Of course I do. Did it offend me? yes. Do I expect anything more? NO.
I pray that when Christians get ‘offended’ it will be followed by a Gospel presentation to the one offending. No one should be surprised that some think ‘peeing on an image of Jesus’ is funny. Those who do not believe daily make a mockery of His life and sacrifice on the cross by not believing and trampling His sacrifice underfoot. (Romans 5:1-11)
I remember hearing an older preacher say, “It is the choice of the offended to be offended.”
I’m not sure how far we can push that in all situations, but often we would be better off ignoring these things rather than wallowing in an artificial martyrdom of our own creation.
Good thoughts.
Actually, it doesn’t matter even if the trash is paid for through taxpayer money. Who cares? Does tv change our job as believers one bit? Does moral tv, in any form, lead to a moral society? No. Only the blood of Jesus through converted hearts. So who cares what’s on tv?
I agree with Josh. This sort of thing is artificial martyrdom and a great distraction from Satan.
I love the Lord Jesus, and I think this episode sounds very funny. It sounds like it is about Larry David’s clumsiness and the credulity of some believers, which are both perfectly fine targets for satire. Isn’t the problem that the church needs to develop a clearer way to know how to respond to satire?
[...] symbols and images are, such mockery would be widely denounced. Kevin DeYoung has posted a helpful article about the double-edged sword we wield when Christians publicly denounce entertainment and media [...]
The iconoclasts of the Protestant reformation DID pee on paintings of Jesus, without compunction. They thought that paintings of Jesus were a joke too. Also, a number of years ago some Baptist took it upon himself to walk up the hill to Covenant College in Tennessee and knife all the paintings of Jesus on display. Was he like Larry?
Was Oliver Cromwell like Larry when he ripped down the Roman elements in a chapel?
So, is this a question of icons and idolatry, or another opportunity to get at Hollywood. I would think that many Protestants would actually agree with Larry David’s actions. I don’t, but maybe the issue is not as simple as it appears. “Them bad, we good”, blah, blah, blah.
And further, Muslims don’t just raise an outcry, they murder or put out a Fattwa. Remember Theo Van Gogh and Salman Rushdie?
Maybe the question to ask is how does the entertainment industry shape the minds of society (especially of the young). If no one objects to rude and offensive behavior, then might the impressionable just think that it is OK to act this way? The standard set out by our culture is one of tolerance and respect. Can we not hold the culture to their own standards?
Excellent post. I needed to be gently reminded of this. It is indeed a two-edged sword. And while I may secretly harbor thankfulness for the Catholics and Jewish groups which decry things like this (should I feel bad about this?), at the very least it does make me think about what an evangelical Christian should do or say, or not do and say, in situations like this one.
Besides, doesn’t the Word of God say something about Christian faith and a worldly reaction of hostility toward it?
To be sincere, I agree about the “two edge sword” thing, and in if we need to be offended, it should not be only for this. But I also agree to manifest our disgust on this kind of thing.
If you had not blogged about this I never would have known of it. I’m not sure it’s our obligation to be knowledgeable of everything that we think should offend us. This list would be endless. It seems to me that if someone with whom I have direct contact does something to offend, then I may speak up — or maybe I’ll just speak God’w Word to him.
Thanks for your post Kevin, it was stimulating and encouraged me to humility.
While I’m in agreement with what you write, I can’t help but wonder, as an RCA pastor, how (if at all) does Heidelberg Catechism Question 100 apply to this kind of situation. Obviously, this particular scenario is complicated by the Reformed aversion to their being paintings of Christ in the first place, but there’s plenty of other blasphemies on telly.
Obviously that might well require a nuanced answer and you’ve probably got better things to be doing (to do with your actual congregation) but if you have a moment and are so inclined I’d love to hear your thoughts on the matter.
Thanks again
Ed
Yeah, I couldn’t help but think about the issue of images of Jesus as well. Presumably David is unaware of his iconoclastic ‘forebears’.
The iconoclasts were motivated by the reverence which they saw being devoted to objects that should be directed toward God alone. They felt no compunction to treat images with reverence, after all, that was the problem.
We do need to be careful to question those who are mockers of God.
At the same time we need to be careful that our zeal is for God alone and not for objects that we choose to represent Him, outside of His express will.
Before I became a Christian I hated ignorance, rudeness, belittling of people, any unkind words spoken, or anything that hurt other people.
Now that I am a Christian, I still hate all these things, but for basically, one very good reason, it slanders MY GOD, my father, the righteous and holy one, the King of Kings and Lord of Lord’s; the great I AM.
Turn off your T.V. sets and pray to your father in heaven. He gave us His son to make it possible for us to commune with the High and Lofty One, and those conversations that we enjoy so freely, came at a very great price.
There will always be those who slander God’s character, but we do not need to partake in the defamation by being a regular spectator. Turn off the _____tube, before you become one yourself.
Sorry…I got carried away!
Love your article, Kevin!
[...] Kevin DeYoung: Offendedness is a Double-Edged Sword [...]
This is a balanced article, Kevin, well done. As Christians we need to be reminded that the world will always approach Jesus with a double standard and a disproportionate response to the Gospel. Why? Because the Gospel is genuinely and tangibly offensive to the world.
[...] many Christians and Catholics, mainly everyone who adores Jesus Christ. Kevin DeYoung, here http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/kevindeyoung/2009/10/30/offendedness-is-a-double-edged-sword/, analyzed why this was offensive, but more importantly, asks the question of why we are offended [...]