
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: TUESDAY, February 12, 1991                   TAG: 9102120481
SECTION: EDITORIAL                    PAGE: A-4   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

REVIEW OF SERRANO LECTURE OFFENSIVE

JEFF DeBELL's review Jan. 26 of the Andres Serrano lecture at the Roanoke Museum of Fine Arts was offensive. The fact that the museum held the exhibit and lecture was offensive. And certainly the works by Serrano are offensive to us as Christians. Fortunately, we did not view them, as we had learned of their content.

material.

Not only do Serrano's photographs show gross insensitivity and hostility to Christianity, but the museum and the National Endowment for the Arts also promote this hostility by showing and funding it. DeBell added insult to injury by calling the Serrano lecture "fun." Does he support sacrilegious hate material?

Mr. DeBell irrelevantly criticized Sen. Helms for his views against Serrano's works and called Sen. Helms' motives into question. We happen to agree with Helms' assessment that the Serrano works are vile and indecent and a desecration of Jesus. That Mr. Helms was re-elected simply shows that many others also agreed with his views.

It is sad to us that a facility in Roanoke chose to feature Serrano's works and call it art. One might just as well exhibit photographs of the atrocities committed by Saddam Hussein and call it art! As Christians, we do not view hate material as art.

It is equally disturbing that our own local newspaper gives such coverage to indecent material. As taxpayers, unfortunately, we are forced to participate through the NEA in the funding of this so-called artist. However, we are not forced to continue to support this newspaper. RALPH and CATHY NASH ROANOKE

by CNB