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Evangelicals have expressed a strong political agenda in recent history with involvement in Roe v. Wade, AIDS funding, and the culture wars of the 1990's. While they do hold influence in the political system and I can understand the strategy in catering to those demographics, let's be clear that culture and religion are two different things and the common attitude of cultural correctness expressed by Evangelicals and the Christian right is harmful to a healthy and diverse culture of contestation and growth. In no way should the progressives and/or the Democratic Party compromise its agendas to accommodate an organization that has made itself an enemy of culture.

"Piss Christ" is a color photograph by Andres Serrano depicting a crucifix submerged in a container of urine. After winning an award of $15,000 from the National Endowment of The Arts, it became the subject of a large controversy and served as a catalyst for the culture wars and a NEA budget cut from $180 million to $99.5 million in the early nineties. While the photograph's message is ambiguous and open to much interpretation, I personally believe there is no anti-Jesus or anti-Christian message embedded in the piece whatsoever. I will spare you an essay regarding these convictions and just say that it is quite labor intensive to get a hold of so much pristine urine in one container and that  this artistsjust simply isn't that dumb to go through all of that careful work unless there was more at stake, conceptually, than creating a sacrilegious one-liner.

Evangelicals and most of the Christian right who are so dogmatic that it makes it impossible for them to comprehend anything outside of their aesthetic and intellectual norms condemned the piece as blasphemy -- end of conversation. Really? Is it because Jesus is in urine? We all release urine from our bodies everyday -- are we all sinners for doing so? Is urine unholy and unclean? (Fun fact: Urine is sterile.)

I use this hyperbole with a full understanding of American notions regarding urine as gross à la R. Kelly sex scandal. I only want to make clear how the Christian right is unable to participate in any critique, challenge or reexamination of cultural values in America. This often leads to their misunderstanding of cultural artifacts and poses a threat to the qualities that foster the development of any kind of culture and avant-garde.

-- Robin Willis

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