Christian Reflection and Prayer

Mistaking Porn for Art: It’s Time to
Teach Real Beauty

by Rebecca Hagelin

This week I had the privilege of speaking
to a group of some 100 high school students
who had gathered in Washington, D.C., for
a conference. I challenged them to take the
lead in restoring the moral compass of our
culture, to focus on the importance of sound
marriage and families before they begin their
own, and to stand up to the pornography
industry that is creating addicts out of many
of them.

It was so encouraging to hear their thunderous
applause and realize how much they understood
and appreciated the challenge. But then one
young man walked to the microphone and
stunned all of us when he said that today's
pornography is something to be enjoyed and
celebrated.

This young man (oddly enough, named "Isaac")
was so confused by the steady diet of porn his
generation has been consuming, that he thinks
of it as "art" and equates it to "beauty." His
statements revealed that he is deeply lost and
hurting and that, although he has bought the lies
of the porn industry, he isn't entirely satisfied by
his mental purchase. I refused to respond with
a quick retort as my own heart broke for him.

Instead, I suggested that we chat for a few
hours, and that part of the discussion would
include stories from those whose marriages have
been destroyed by porn use, from those who
suffer addiction, and from those who have been
cruelly victimized in other ways by the powerful
pornography industry.

Sadly, Isaac represents millions like him who
have been raised in a coarse pop culture--one
defined and shaped by the devaluation of human
beings.

Isaac's tragically warped view of art and beauty
brought to mind a recent email exchange with my
dear friend, mentor, and artist, Dee Jepsen, about
her desire to share her passion for art with young
people.  I reflected on her words:

"In today's culture, children are too often surrounded
by degrading, violent and twisted images. Pop culture
frequently produces distortions in art, blinding an
entire generation about the differences between
beauty and ugliness. The principle of treating others
with respect and high value is now regularly ridiculed.
The civil rights movement brought us so far — but
we are losing much ground as we now regularly create
and disseminate images that reduce human beings to
objects to be used. This has produced a coarsening
of our culture. What used to be considered wrong is
now right, and what used to be right is considered
wrong. What is a kid to believe? How are children to
learn to live wholesome, fulfilling and productive lives
in the midst of such cultural chaos?"

I don't know if it's too late for young Isaac to see beauty
again — or even perhaps for the first time. But it's not
too late for your own kids.

As Dee has always done, she didn't just raise
questions, she also shared wise solutions. Dee offers
great advice for how you can begin to create an
appreciation in the hearts of your own children for things
that are lovely and just; "We adults need to surround
ourselves and our children with things of beauty that
celebrate life. This is especially important in the formative
years. Learning to celebrate the beauty of God's creation
as a youngster will affect how children view and treat
others. There are many things we can do to inspire
children to love truth and beauty, and one of them is
through teaching them about fine art, and how they can
learn to create art, too."

For parents searching for practical ways to combat
the crassness of culture, consider purchasinging Dee's
new instructional watercolor book, "Color Harmonies:
Paint Watercolors Filled With Light." She co-authored
it with renowned watercolor artist, Rose Edin, whose
paintings are full of color and light. It's available in many
bookstores and at Amazon.com.

I can't think of a better summer activity than teaching your
children to explore the world of uplifting art and how to
become artists themselves. The best use of the book
is to go through it together. The techniques are
challenging enough for adults, yet the sweeping concepts
are beneficial for people of all ages.

After all, in today's dark and crass culture, who doesn't
need a reminder to search for truth and beauty?

© 2010 Rebecca Hagelin

Visit Rebecca Hagelin at http://www.howtosaveyourfamily.com