[Natural Law]

"The idea that Catholics or the Catholic church take credit for the talent of the great painters is the height of arrogance."

Regardless of your own antipathy toward the Church denying the Church's role in forming the inspiration and providing the incentive and opportunity for the artistic masters of the Renaissance is unfounded.

[smvoice]

I find this very interesting. Do you think the Renaissance period was any more beautiful or masterful than say the seven wonders of the ancient world? Was it more inspiring than the architecture of the ancient Romans or the Greeks? Or Babylon? Have any of those, including the Renaissance period been any more masterful than the awe-inspiring works of modern man? Pictures taken of the earth from the moon? The unbelievable Body Works, showing the workings of the human and animal world from the inside?

I say all this because there are artistic masters in every age. But what I don't find is God directing men to paint frescos or ceilings or buildings with pictures supposedly depicting Jesus Christ. Or Peter. Or Paul. Or angels. God has directed and given instructions for two items: The Ark and the Jewish Temple. The rest is man's reaching out to God. The opposite of God's reaching out to man. This world is about God reconciling man to Himself through the finished work of Jesus Christ. Everything else, no matter how "inspiring" or "masterful" takes away from His Word of reconciliation. Meant to please the eye and feed the senses, but void of truth.