The book is not a direct response to the Playboy magazine; rather, it engages the whole philosophy of the playboy. My original intent for buying the book was to be funny. The book seemed like a ridiculous Christian response to an ancient idea. However, from the first page, I was captivated. Dr. Banowsky illuminates so many false lies that still permeate our society. He philosophically criticizes the pleasure seeking way of life. But it is more than a response, it's a call for action. This book has challenged me to reevaluate what I believe. It has also provided answers to questions I have been asking or others have asked me. Unlike some Christian criticisms of our culture, Banowsky does his best to provide alternate solutions to popular thinking. Instead of bashing Hefner, he attempts to show the flaws of his thinking and point out more healthy solutions to Hefner's philosophy. It's a shame that his book is no longer in print (at least I don't think it is).
As stated before, Banowsky, through his analytical and concise thinking, clearly states many ideas that I have had but have been unable to state clearly. For example, the other day I got into a debate about whether Christians should have images of Christ. It never really bothered me that the image of Christ was inside churches; however, that mindset has changed. In the last year or so, I have really been thinking about idolatry and false conceptions we have of Christ. I strongly oppose churches have images of Christ. I do not think that the image itself is sin, but our response to the image can be deceivingly sinful. Many Christians may respond, "We are not worshiping the image, so how can it be sinful?" It's an important question; however, the second commandment prohibits the creation of idols or images. But does the passage only refer to worshiping idols? Can't we create an image of Christ without worshiping it? My response is "Can we really separate the two?" No image of Christ can fully depict the holiness and humanity of Jesus. The fact that we can identify a picture of Christ means that we have a presupposition as to what Christ looks like. Even though we don't worship the image itself, we have created an image in our head that we worship without even thinking about it. As I was trying to argue my position, my friend kept saying, "We are a visual people. We need to see a picture." My other friend argued, "If your child ask who Christ is you want to show them a picture." I could show a picture of Santa Claus and that does not prove or disprove his validity. Secondly, didn't Christ say, "Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed" (John 20:29). Anyway, I just ended up frustrating myself because I couldn't clearly articulate what I wanted to say. Then this morning I finished Banowsky's book. He wrote something very relevant to the discussion I was having with my friends.
If we are to survive, as a society with any real excellence, what we must have is a new moral revolution and the person to lead it is Jesus. Our greatest difficulty is that modern man confuses Jesus with visions of stained-glass windows and high pulpits. Our necessary task is to help our contemporaries go beyond the the popular caricature and to examine the claims of One who is honest enough to tell it as it is and whose ability to unify a man's life is not lessened by the intervening years.Amen. If you find a copy of It's a Playboy World by Bill Banowsky, then I suggest buying it.
"Gentle Jesus, meek and mild," is an absurd way to describe a Man who was listed by the authorities as a public danger. He exploded in violent anger at the sight of exploitation or smug hypocrisy, and deliberately walked to His own death despite the urgent pleas of His closest friends. Nothing is more at odds with reality than the average artists' conception of Jesus hanging on the wall of the average church library. His admirers have done almost as much to distort His reputation as His critics. 115
Christian Eriksson
