“Lego” Bible too Graphic for Sam’s Club Parents

Posted byChaplainmikePosted inHuh?
David Dancing in His Skivvies

I never saw our kids do this with Legos. Maybe I was naive.

According to an article in the Christian Post, “Sam’s Club stores are no longer selling The Brick Bible: A New Spin on The Old Testament, which tells Bible stories through 1,400 images of toy Lego pieces, after ‘numerous concerns’ were received about some of the book’s content.”

Sam’s Clubs stores said they were responding to complaints from parents who found many of the Lego depictions of Bible stories objectionable. The Lego dioramas in the book portray nudity, sex, and violence (well, Lego nudity, sex, and violence) that many find too graphic for children.

The book’s illustrator, Brendan Powell Smith, says he was not necessarily creating a book for young children, despite the use of Lego blocks. “From the start, my goal was to create an illustrated Bible that stood out from all others – not just because it was illustrated in LEGO, but because I would be using only direct quotes of scripture to retell the stories just as the Bible tells them. I also endeavored not to water down the stories or censor them for content. If it was in the Bible, my thinking was, it was worth illustrating. That decision has meant, though, that not everyone considers The Brick Testament appropriate for all children, since the Bible is chock full of graphic violence throughout, and contains a few stories with sexual content.”

Adam & Eve Doing What Lego Couples Do

He has stated he thinks it should be up to parents whether or not they share The Brick Bible with their children.

Smith also claims that his publisher offered to remove any sexual illustrations from the book at the request of representatives from Sam’s Club and Walmart.

You can view the illustrations and access books, posters, and other materials that use his Lego art at “The Brick Testament”.

[Psst…Wait ’til you see Bathsheba. Va va va voom! Hottest Lego chick I’ve seen.]

There is a clear content notice on the site that reads:

– CONTENT NOTICE –

The Bible contains material some may consider morally objectionable and/or inappropriate for children. These labels identify stories containing:

= nudity  = sexual content  = violence   = cursing

Question: Why don’t publishers post the same notice on the covers of regular print Bibles?

 

107 thoughts on ““Lego” Bible too Graphic for Sam’s Club Parents”

  1. Quite obviously I was not “painting EVERYONE here with the same brush”, and was rather commenting on the fact that SOME would”endorse the mocking of the Scriptures because it upsets the Pharisees.”

    The point is, some of these self-appointed Pharisee hunters are more like the “Thank you that I am not like…” Pharisee than they seem to realize.

    Another point is, if I had a dollar for every time I’ve heard anybody who was concerned about anything among Christians targeted as a “Pharisee”, I would be as rich as Pat Robertson. It’s the Christian community equivalent of Godwin’s Law. At best it’s shopworn and ought to be retired.

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  2. Sam Harris vs Mark Driscoll

    Nah. Mark Driscoll vs The Village People in a tag-team smackdown.

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  3. …he also knows how to do the same to America’s perpetual outrage machine: right wing evangelicals.

    Because “Piss off the Xians” is a workable marketing strategy — been that way since “Last Temptation”. Just do something — anything — to set them off, then let them go, generating all this buzz and major-controversy publicity, all for FREE.

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  5. “Culturally associated with childhood.”

    We went through exactly the same arguments years ago in comics fandom, years ago in animation/cartoon fandom, years ago in Furry Fandom, and today with the Brony phenomenon.

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  6. Genesis gets pretty raw, doesn’t it?

    (Now to graduate from Legos to R Crumb & watch a substance closely resembling guacamole start dripping out everyone’s ears…)

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  7. I don’t think you can paint everyone here with the same brush. The different colors and different shades within the colors are numerous. Read people’s comments carefully. Sure, there are those who “would endorse the mocking of the Scriptures because it upsets the Pharisees” but I don’t think that is the majority and it certainly isn’t my position.

    And the choice isn’t in casting ourselves as either the Pharisee or Jesus. Only Jesus can be Jesus. We have only two choices open to us, the Pharisee who says “Thank you that I’m not like…” or the Publican who says “Have mercy on me a sinner.”

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  8. Words are culturally associated with all ages and, ever since the 1990’s, so are cartoons. However, Legos are still culturally associated with childhood.

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  9. Point understood – though I as an adult would not be looking for any books with Lego illustrations. But then I don’t follow adult comic books either. Point still is though – common sense…. you have every right to create a Lego Bible, but it could be mis-construed by someone looking quickly and picking it up for their kid. My mother did something similar back in the sixtees when she picked up what she thought were children’s music on 45’s for my older brother (child at the time) and didn’t realize it was a psychadelic rock band (the band was called Love and the songs were “7 and 7 is” and “My Little Red House” for you rock trivia fans out there…..)

    But again… I don’t get hung up on the latest bible crazes anyway….

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  10. So, you mean the part where he says that the Bible contains adult situations is not clearly stating that it is for adults? The use of lego models (there is no such word as legos) is a long established medium for web comics that would get all sorts of different ratings if they were films.

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  11. Children read books with words in. Therefore, anything that uses words to tell adult stories is wrong.
    Children like cartoons. Therefore adult cartoons are wrong.

    If that is the best argument, then there are no good arguments at all.

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  12. It’s too easy. Look at yourself, take a measurement, then look at those with whom you disagree with and take a measurement, then cast those with whom you disagree as the “pharisees” and yourself as “Jesus.”

    I don’t care whether the author of the Brick Bible “respects and conforms to my sensibilities”, I only care when I see Christians apparently getting off on something because it has the potential to rile up other Christians, even if the “something” in question mocks the Scriptures. I think sometimes it’s OK just to recognize that something is vulgar and coarse even if one runs the terrible risk of agreeing with someone on the “religious right.”

    Do you really think Jesus would endorse the mocking of the Scriptures because it upsets the Pharisees? I don’t.

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  13. Pingback: Wednesday Link List « Thinking Out Loud

  14. I think of fungacide…

    The thing that bothers me is not the parody intended, but the use of kid oriented toys. My kids are fanatical about Legos and if they saw this on the shelves it would be hard to explain how it isnt a kids book. Of course we have to do that with previewed Youtubes of favorite kids classics like Bugs Bunny turned skewed. We should present things Biblical when the kids are ready for them. But the whole gospel is violent, wild, because it is a reflection of the human condition (as another poster here pointed out). And as an adult I can appreciate all those grisly aspects, even in parody form…

    Thank you for a most entertaining blog post and comment section. I usually stop reading comments after 3rd or 4th poster because it has descended into trash talking but this page never does.

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  15. ha! those are fake! why, they look so, so…’plastic’ i can’t see why King David didn’t see thru that deception right from the beginning…

    oy vey…

    🙂

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  17. 1 Peter 4:15 comes to mind. In the midst of warning the reader not to be murderers, thieves or evildoers, Peter includes busybodies or meddlers (depends on translation) along with them. I checked blueletterbible.com and thayers lexicon. Thayer believed the writer is referring to those who ‘with holy, yet intemperate zeal, meddle with the affairs of the Gentiles– whether public or private, civil or sacred– in order to make them conform to the Christian standard’. Thayer may have his own theological axe he’s grinding, but he thinks Peter is warning his brothers to stay out of the gentiles’ business. After all, they’re Gentiles, and why should you expect them to conform to Christian morals?  Seems we’ve learned nothing all these years later in regards to ‘legislating morality’ to those around us, instead of living the gospel and grace. Perhaps Kurt Warner’s advice to Tim Tebow would be appropriate here.

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  18. One of my “how not to” moments in kids ministry… a passage from Acts had been read the previous Sunday using the Brick Testament. One of the kids asked if there were any more bible stories done like that. I found the sight, jumped into the creation story, completely overlooking the warnings about content. As I was clicking through I was wondering how God, creation, the garden, would be depicted, what interpretive slant on Genesis might be shown (I had no idea about the creator being atheist). I forgot about all the begetting that fills the chapter. When we got to the genealogy in Gen 5 I said “we’ll stop there, too much err… having children”

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  19. again… using christian, God, prayer as a marketing technique. If they claim to be part of the club then votes will come their way. Sorry, once you play that card you better have a squeeky clean recent past ( I say recent because we all have skeletons in our closet from the remote past). Herman Cain is a prime example. Romney is being beaten up because he’s a mormon. Nobody has yet focused on Newt being a Catholic (probably because he doesn’t even register on the morality meter). Ugh, its tough to be a Republican these days… and even tougher on IMonk ; )

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  21. That’s one reason I cringe when I see the “Precious Moments Bible” on bookshelves.

    There is worse. Ever heard of “The Precious Moments Chapel”? (Now the “Precious Moments Inspirational Park, Carthage, MO”?) Apparently a Precious Moments place of Pilgrimage; the Roadside America writeup literally cannot be described (“Dead Babies! More Dead Babies!”).

    How can you do a Precious Moments scene about the story at the end of the book of Judges, where we have a Levite cutting up his concubine in twelve pieces and sending them out to the Israelites?

    An old RSV on my bookshelves has a marginal note for that story: “A Horrible Crime.” Think about it — a crime so horrible it’s still noted and recorded and spoken of over 3000 years later.

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  22. And Fundagelicals usually don’t have much of a sense of humor. Only grim outrage.

    “There can be no laughter in Islam.” — Ayatollah Khomeini

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  24. “mixing variant worlds of child play and mature subject matter.”

    That is the best argument against the Lego bible that I have heard yet. Good point.

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  25. dkmonroe- I think most here agree that this Lego bible is intended to be (and is) an insult to the Scriptures, and therefore not a good thing. But the Jesus I see in Scripture was far harsher with the ‘religious right’ of His time period than He ever was with ‘sinners’ outside the camp of faith. As Christians we spend way too much effort trying to make those outside respect and conform to our sensibilities, and not nearly enough effort trying to win their hearts to the Savior.

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  26. When I talked this posting over with an agnostic friend, he said (after a tangent with the R Crumb Book of Genesis) “Because that’s life. People do s**t like that to each other for real.”

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  28. “They want to have a book, that is positive, and uplifting and can fit into their Christian culture as they define and have created it.”

    Aslan of Narnia as their personal lap-cat, declawed, castrated, and purring on their lap, nice and sweet and safe.

    Which is really gonna help when Tash kicks in the door of their Thomas Kincade cottage.

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  29. “Because people are people, and the world is full of tricks and twistiness yet undreamed of.”
    — one of The Whole Earth Catalogs

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  30. Kyle’s Moms always have to have a Crusade to feel Important. When they win one Crusade, they have to immediately jump onto another Cause. Otherwise, they’re not IMPORTANT Any More. And the unwashed commoners won’t recognize or care about their Importance.

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  32. Personally, I’ve been amused by the positions that the young urchins in my neighborhood have rearranged my Solstice lighted reindeer into.

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  34. And why shouldn’t the contents of this book that has been used to clobber non-believers for oh, I don’t know, a millenium or so, be used to mock itself? People say the Bible is about love, and you can find some verses that support that, but a good many that don’t. People have used it to justify their cultural based prudery, yet it is full of sexual situations and imagery. It has stories of genocide (ordered by an allegedly benevolent Almighty!!!) , incest, and tales of just shocking misogyny.

    If folks want to proffer this book as a book of wisdom that can solve the world’s problems, then it should be examined in ALL its details.

    And the most virulent of the Bible bashers are those who take it literally. If they can take it literally, then why can’t those on the other side use that same tactic to ridicule it?

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  36. I agree with ChrisS… we really need to use common sense here. Is the bible graphic? Absolutely, and it deals with a lot of adult content. When presented to children though we use common sense and present those more adult themes in ideas easier digested by younger minds.

    An illusrated Bible of Legos is not directed at adults, unless itis being used as parody. If that is the purpose then clearly state it. If not then use some common sense and maturity unless the intent of the author is to shock.

    I don’t go in for the flavor of the month bible, applied bible, or self -help bible mania anyway so this would be off my radar. I have too much statuary to distract me ; )

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  37. That’s one reason I cringe when I see the “Precious Moments Bible” on bookshelves. People assume the Bible is a nice book written by nice people about nice things where the story is, be nice. They’re confusing the Bible with VeggieTales. It shows people dont’ read it, just carry it around as a magic charm. How can you do a Precious Moments scene about the story at the end of the book of Judges, where we have a Levite cutting up his concubine in twelve pieces and sending them out to the Israelites?

    Of course, that’s one reason why I believe the Bible, it is so brutally honest about the human condition

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  38. By the way Eagle, every time you use the word “fundagelical” I picture some kind of a dessert, like a Jello Fudgsicle.

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  40. Absolutely…..this is clearly a mocking of all who claim to BELIEVE all that silly stuff, whether they are Christians or Jews. The nudity/sexual content/violence is simply a red herring to get this “art” noticed by the MSM.

    I no nothing of the author, except that he/she is a skilled Lego artist and that (s)he loathes all Judeo-Christian faiths and those that follow them.

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  41. How dare you print this…this SMUT right out here where impressionable young children can stumble across it! Please cancel my subscription to this website at once.

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  42. Visuals are not the problem. If they were, then Islam would be the ideal religion.

    Somewhere between renaissance realism and Orthodox iconic transcendence is the right balance.

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  44. I already got it figured out.

    PZ myers vs Fred Phelps

    Sam Harris vs Mark Driscoll

    Richard Dawkins vs Ray comfort

    James Dobson vs an entire new athiest family

    let the games begin..

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  45. I think this guy is off kilter. Kids who use Legos would not be getting taught about intercourse and murder. It’s just stupid. It’s mixing variant worlds of child play and mature subject matter. You might as well feed a porter house to a toddler. Just stupid and inappropriate. There. That’s my feeling.

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  46. I remember as a kid wondering of those bible action figures were somewhere between poor taste and sacrilege, though I didn’t know that word at the time.

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  48. The whole thing looks rather pre-adolescent to me. But I suppose, as long as it pokes our more conservative brothers ans sisters in the eye, it’s a good thing, right? I mean, that’s really the important thing to do in regard to the Bible.

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  52. Eagle, you have just caused a substance strongly resembling guacamole to drip out of both my ears…

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  53. Personally, I don’t think many children will be scarred by seeing “naked” lego figures on top of one another, but, that just my opinion.

    You’ve never hung out with guys whose idea of a prank is to rearrange a pile of plushies (stuffed toys) into various “compromising” positions, have you? Two plushies on a shelf, and they’ll be in the position of that Lego Adam & Eve (or worse) within the hour, left for the virgin eyes of any passers-by.

    It’s kind of like my grade-school days when any rope dangling with one end free would end up tied in a hangman’s knot within one to two hours.

    I do think, though, that it’s funny what Christians get outraged over their kids seeing. People will complain about things like this, and then they’ll go watch Die Hard 3 with their kids that evening.

    I have found that Activists (TM) are usually pro-violence and anti-sex, or anti-violence and pro-sex. You very rarely find anti both or pro both in the same person. Usually they get bent out of shape over one or the other.

    “‘Cause it’s a Great Big Stupid World…”
    — sound bumper at the end of old Internet Monk podcasts

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  54. And preached at with a Seven Day Lego Sex Challenge delivered from a bed where the pulpit would normally be.

    “Stupidity is like Hydrogen — it’s the basic building block of the Universe.”
    — Frank Zappa

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  55. I first heard of that theory (expressed indirectly) in a book on literary criticism by Gene Edward Veith.

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  58. yeah, but Lego sex seems, so, so, well…mechanical…and it looks a tad uncomfortable IMHO…

    however, i suppose it could become the next big pulpit promotion: Lego sex for married couples having, er, ‘problems’ in the bedroom. might even have a catchy phrase of prayer associated with the multi-series teaching+illustrated book handed out in a plain brown wrapper to adults only…

    whew…when will the craziness end?

    i will never be able to look at my sons’ accumulated lego pieces with quite the same innocence…

    {sigh} 😦

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  59. If he gave permission to use the photographs, I think a pretty good picture Bible could be made.

    An aside, the R. Crumb Book of Genesis was a similar project that was much more successfully executed. His illustrations don’t glamorize the text, but they are interesting and add something new and creative to the text.

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  60. It’s an obvious jab at “Bible-believing Christians” and their naive understanding of the actual content of the Bible. The author is no friend of the faith, that is clear. I find it rather remarkable that he would go to this level of effort and detail to prove his point, and on the other hand, that believers would find it necessary to take offense. Perhaps if we showed a little good humor, we might even take a little of the bite out of his “malicious intent.”

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  61. Maybe the “new Atheists” and the “Hyper Calvinists” should duke it out in a MMA, World Wrestling Federation match. I mean it would be manly and all…while excluding sissys, which would have Mark Driscoll’s blessing!! 😛

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  62. Tapji keep on reading, studying, and using your mind just as you are right now. You might teach us oldies a thing or two. You are very encouraging.

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  64. “There are three GOP presidential candidates who claim to be running because God told them to.”

    Then you look at the life styles of some them and they make Bill Clinton look like an amateur. Actually God is probably holding his nose at this entire poorly performed show..

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  65. Here’s the story of Hagar – a lovely lady
    Who was bringing up a Republican voting, Young Earth Creationist believer
    His name was Ishmael, a blond hair, blue eyed, perfect little child
    The youngest one in curls

    Here’s the story of a man named David
    Who was busy with 6 boys of his own
    They were Michelle Bachmann supporters, living all together
    Yet they feared gays, working women and were all alone

    Till the one day when the lady met this fellow
    They both were listening to Rush Limbaugh over lunch
    And this group would form a Biblical, Tea Party family
    That’s why they became the James Dobson Bunch
    The James Dobson Bunch
    The James Dobson Bunch

    That’s why they became the Palin supporting, Democrat hating, deport Mexicans James Dobson Bunch!!!

    (Whew….that was harder than I thought!!!) 😉

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  66. The GOP is looking pretty crazy….i mean if pat robertson has to say their weird…then you KNOW its crazy.

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  67. Pingback: “Lego” Bible too Graphic for Sam’s Club Parents by Chaplain Mike | shelboese.org

  68. Brady Bunch Christianity….? I dunno. I found Jan’s travails anything but positive and uplifting. Maybe you’re thinking of Partridge Family Christianity.

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  69. Right on, sir.
    But why is the US culture war so darned petty? There are three GOP presidential candidates who claim to be running because God told them to. One, Cain, specifically likened his ‘calling’ to that of Moses. Frankly, I’m outraged at this nonsense, regardless of the political party such a candidate may be from. It’s hucksterism well beyond, and much more dangerous than, the selling of Legos…..yet….the outrage is about … Legos with Magic Marker faces.

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  72. “They want to have a book, that is positive, and uplifting and can fit into their Christian culture as they define and have created it.”

    Brady Bunch Christianity. It is a false gospel.

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  74. I agree. A friend of mine discovered “The Brick New Testament” a while back and pointed me to it. It is good for a laugh, but yes, I too was bothered by the “editorial choices” that basically result in misrepresentation. Very clever and, at times, funny; Still, that doesn’t excuse the malicious intent.

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  75. I don’t really have too big of an issue with this..I’m in the 11th grade so i’m used to the “new atheist” types…AND i live in a small christian community…so culture war all the time! This simply saddens me , cause i know its more fuel to the culture war fire….soon cultural strife in America is going to start looking like Hazara & Pashtun strife in Afghanistan.

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  78. Having looked more at it, I don’t have a problem with the depictions at all. They are pretty clever, for the most part. The editorial choices that went into how the stories are protrayed are the problem. There is no Gospel, and when you remove God’s love in Christ from the Bible, it has nothing to do with Christianity.

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  79. Here’s the problem. Many Christians, especially those of the fundagelical stripe like to pretend and believe that the Bible is a G-rated, family friendly approved book. They want to have a book, that is positive, and uplifting and can fit into their Christian culture as they define and have created it. This is how many fundagelicals operate, it’s a Christian bubble similar to the Mormon bubble. That’s how it plays out …But here is the problem…the Bible is not like that at all. The Bible can be an incredibly violent and horrific book. Especially by our cultural standards of today. In the Bible you can read about murder, child sacrifice, rape, terrorism, incest, violence, crucifixion, etc… But the Bible is not taught that way, and is treated like a breakfast buffet, that is picked and chosen. The gory and difficult stuff is seldom taught or explained. Or it can be rationalized away that leaves one scratching their head.

    Can you imagine this Lego Bible applied to the Song of Songs? Now what I would find amusing is if there are evangelicals who object to this Lego Bible as being too graphic, but who turn around and believe what Mark Driscoll has taught about oral sex. That would be hard act to swallow!! (Pun intended….)

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  80. Yep. And, perhaps, more of a sense that protesting what some guy does with his Legos just makes one look weird.

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  81. Having now flipped through some of the Brick Testament on their site I do think that they have intentionally chosen to illustrate the most sexual and/or violent parts whenever possible.

    i.e. What Bart Simpson would call “The KEWL Parts”.

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  82. Reformers didn’t like the Catholic church controlling who can translate and interpret the bible. Have protestants changed their minds?

    Only when THEY get to be the ones “in control of who can translate and interpret the Bible.” Then they’re 1000% in favor of it.

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  84. I wonder if the Bible action figures I saw in Family Christian Stores in the past could equally be pulled. You could have created action scenes depicting murder, adultery, incest, disaster, rape, etc…

    Can you imagine little Johnny taking Bible action figures and playing and imagination a child sacrifice. It would be Biblical no?

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  85. If many publishers held this standard to many Bibles they would be pulled from Christian bookstores. Plus many fundagelicals would be trying to get them pulled from school libraries. They would be viewed as pornographic and just as bad as “Heather Has 2 Mommies…” Only in the United States could such a theology system play out….

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  87. is anybody proposing a law to ban it? Having an opinion about what materials are appropriate for a giant retailer to sell and reformation era restrictions on translation and teaching are a world apart.

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  89. Pingback: “Lego” Bible too Graphic for Sam’s Club Parents | Stories of the Bible for Kids-Aggregator

  90. Reformers didn’t like the Catholic church controlling who can translate and interpret the bible. Have protestants changed their minds?

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  92. This guy knows how to manipulate Legos [e.g., Ishmael’s face on the occasion of his circumcision is considerably less serene than is Abraham’s], but he also knows how to do the same to America’s perpetual outrage machine: right wing evangelicals. Given that much of Smith’s work depicts the OT, someone tell me why orthodox Jews aren’t up in arms.

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  93. Having now flipped through some of the Brick Testament on their site I do think that they have intentionally chosen to illustrate the most sexual and/or violent parts whenever possible. I certainly feel that he’s doing this in an attempt to make the Bible and Christianity seem primitive and foolish.

    Still, the Bible certainly does contain all these things and in many ways isn’t exactly kid friendly, because real life isn’t kid friendly in many respects. I’m glad the Bible in general does “keep it real”.

    Format can be important though. I think it’s much easier for children (and adults) to ignore a bunch of words that they don’t quite understand the implications of than a clear picture of what those words are saying. I’d certainly have no problems with seeing all those same warnings on a regular Bible as they are legitimate.

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  94. The Brick Testament is done by an atheist who wants to expose what the Bible is really like. He highlights sexuality and violence to spurn fundagelicals who oppose similar content in their entertainment choices. However, he does spend quite a disproportionate time on the book of Leviticus. Where as large, key passages in scripture may be summarized in a single scene, the sexuality laws get individual scenes per every half verse or so. The irony is, of course, that much of his materials have been used as Sunday School teaching aides. Just not the part involving the elephant…
    For the next best teaching resource from an unlikely source, google the “Skeptic’s Annotated Bible.’ Another project by angry Hitchens style atheists. I used it as a go-to reference when teaching youth to make sure I addressed all the obvious points that skeptical kids posing as free-thinkers might take issue with. This online resource actually does give ratings for the bible, and categories too! Sexuality, violence, misogyny, homosexuality, contradictions, intolerance, language, and even “good stuff” are all appropriately labeled. But for print Bibles, either include the warning or remove it from everything else. The hypocrisy of it stinks to high heaven. I feel like I’m taking crazy pills.

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  95. As far as the books “usefulness”, that’s not the point at all. The guy who does this isn’t a Christian. I believe he’s actually an atheist. He purposefully picks the more outrageous scenes to depict. The thing is, though, they are in there.

    Personally, I don’t think many children will be scarred by seeing “naked” lego figures on top of one another, but, that just my opinion. Whether or not a store wants to sell it or not is up to the owners. I have no issue with that. I do think, though, that it’s funny what Christians get outraged over their kids seeing. People will complain about things like this, and then they’ll go watch Die Hard 3 with their kids that evening.

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  96. Didn’t read the entire post here before clicking the link to go see what the guy did. I giggled maniacally for twenty minutes, desperately trying not to let my guffaws out at work!

    On further reflection, though, I have to say it’s a pretty poor illustration of the Bible because it basically just takes the “action” parts and depicts them, but leaves them divorced from everything else that is going on which puts the “action” parts in context, allowing readers to understand what’s going on.

    As it is, it’s sensationalized and functionally useless for learning anything useful from the Bible.

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  97. That is an impressive flamewar.

    The book should have been pulled because it’s an atheist diatribe against Christianity. When you name your sections things like “God Makes Promises He Won’t Keep” and “God Kills a Baby” you are obviously pushing an anti-Christian agenda. Of course, lots of Christians who don’t get Law and Gospel make similarly boneheaded interpretations of the Old Testament.

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  98. That’s because written words force the brain into a more abstract level of thinking; pictures (and graven images) trigger the “Monkey See, Monkey Do” reaction common to all sight-oriented primates, no higher brain functions needed. (op cit Beavis & Butthead)

    This has been speculated to be a biological/neurological reason behind the “No Graven Images” commandment in the wisdom of Torah; to force a “transcendance of the animal” beyond normal animal functions.

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  99. Pingback: “Lego” Bible too Graphic for Sam's Club Parents | internetmonk.com | Stories of the Bible for Kids-Aggregator

  101. If God had wanted people to have sex, He would have created them naked and told them to be fruitful and multiply.

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  102. Why don’t publishers post the same notice on the covers of regular print Bibles?

    There’s no need, the vast majority of Bibles go unread.

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  103. maybe there was a reason the Bible compiled from ‘written’ accounts rather than illustrations?

    i do think the method used to communicate concepts were considered when the Almighty decided to reveal Himself to specific individuals. seems there was no attempt from the earliest recorded events of someone illustrating the encounter they had or of the revelation they received…

    trying to illustrate selected events with whatever medium used still leaves much to be desired. and i would think the motive of the artist must be considered when such illustrations are done & promoted…

    Lego Bible reenactments? corny to be sure & with what redeeming value? maybe i am an early Scrooge, but i would not consider this appropriate for any sane individual regardless of age+maturity level…

    😦

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  105. My objection was going to be the King David part with the Lego girls in bikinis, since I thought they were an extraneous element introduced by the creator of the scenes, then I read through and saw the verse quoted accurately as “in front of the slavegirls”, so yeah – he’s right there.

    Sex and violence and murder and intrigue and war crimes and all the rest of it – yup, that’s the Bible!

    🙂

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  107. 1) I remember someone doing similar animated segments on that tabloid Bible archaeology show The Naked Archaeologist.

    2) Anybody remember R Crumb’s Illustrated Book of Genesis a while ago here at IMonk? Same thing, except with Legos…

    3) Check the comments thread (i.e. flamewar) on the Christian Post link. It’s Dawkins New Atheists vs the Church Ladies on WWE! Culture War Without End, Amen….

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