Tuesday, June 15, 2010

SBC resolution on Thomas Kinkade's DUI

Digging through the stacks of resolutions at this year's Southern Baptist Convention meeting in Orlando, I stumbled across this resolution, in wake of "painter" Thomas Kinkade's recent DUI arrest.

Resolution on Thomas Kinkade’s DUI and SBC memberships ownership of his paintings

WHEREAS, Southern Baptists have for many over ten years have enjoyed and trusted Thomas Kinkade’s paintings of light which have reinforced basic Christian American virtues and values; and

WHEREAS, The virtues promoted by Kinkade have contributed to the development of an industry in which Christians are willing to express their faith through the display of landscapes extolling those values with the inclusion of wonderfully lit churches, homes and schools; and

WHEREAS, in recent days, Thomas Kinkade has given the appearance that the promotion of alcohol consumption is more important than his historic commitment to traditional family values, haven taken a direction which is contrary to the prohibition of alcohol consumption by Christians; and

WHEREAS, in recent days, Thomas Kinkade has been arrested under the suspicion of driving while under the influence of alcohol in California, a notoriously liberal state in need of God’s judgment; and

WHEREAS , This and other decisions and actions represent a significant departure from a Christian family-values image, and a gratuitous insult to Baptists who have long supported Kinkade’s painting career and contributed to his corporate profits; and

WHEREAS, Boycotts are a legitimate method for communicating moral convictions; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED, We as Southern Baptist messengers meeting in annual session on June 15-17, 2010, go on record expressing our deep disappointment for these actions by Thomas Kinkade; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That we encourage Southern Baptists to give serious and prayerful reconsideration to their purchase and support of Thomas Kinkade products, and to boycott The Thomas Kinkade Company and stores if he continues alcohol consumption, including the destruction of previously owned paintings and prints; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That we encourage the Christian Life Commission to monitor Kinkade’s progress in returning to a lifestyle of tee-totaling; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That we encourage state Baptist papers and national Southern Baptist publications to assist in informing the Southern Baptist family of these issues; and

FINALLY, BE IT RESOLVED, That the Convention requests the Executive Committee to send a copy of this resolution to Thomas Kinkade and to encourage the Southern Baptist family to support this boycott with our purchasing power, letters and influence.


in case you are wondering, the text of this is very similar to the 1996 SBC Resolution to Boycott Disney

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

you've so clearly blurred the lines of reality and satire here that I initially didn't know if this is real or not.

riddle

Kellie said...

Sometimes you scare me with how good you are at being devious. Jeff does the same thing. Let's never let our children play together or the world may collapse.

Eric Reitan said...

There are rumors (mostly started by me, and primarily by way of this comment) that Kinkade was so affected by the experience of his DUI arrest that he is planning to introduce undiluted red and black into his color palette for the first time in 27 years, that he intends to use these colors without first mixing them with white (which he has never done before, even in his youth), and that he intends to apply these colors in thick, bold strokes, so that a discerning critic will be able to detect what kind of brush was used. In all other respects, his art will be unchanged (although he hopes that this addition will actually justify the appelation "art" to his work and will finally silence those non-quilters out there who have been prone to derisively call him "Thomas Kitschkade").

If this rumor is true, it may influence the SBC's deliberations (although I'm not sure in which direction).