More Rumbles in the Genesis Jungle
It appears Robert Crumb’s illustrated Book of Genesis has outraged several religious groups, including the Christian Institute, which accused it of “turning the Bible into titillation.”
Well, get off the grass, people. If this man hasn’t tampered with the text (and he apparently has not), what are you complaining about? He has just spent 5 years poring over Genesis – probably a sight longer than some of you.
A spokeswoman from the Bible Society is reported as saying: “It may surprise people but the Bible does contain nudity, sex and violence. That’s because it contains real stories about real people. If, by reading the book, people are encouraged to re-engage with the Bible, then that can only be a good thing.”
Now that’s more like it.
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The book of Genesis is written as a historical record, and indeed tells it like it is including nudity, sex and violence. Illustrating this may get people to look at Genesis who otherwise would not look at it at all, but also may have the effect of it being viewed as pure entertainment like any other comic book, and not as the Word of God it claims to be. At least from what I’ve read, Robert Crumb attempted to be faithful to the text in his illustrations, but does not believe Genesis to be a miracle revelation of God, and only a collection of very powerful stories. If indeed he proceeds with his supposedly stated idea to illustrate the Koran next, we’ll see how that goes over $|