Does art benefit humanity? If so, exactly how?

Beginning with your first question: does art benefit humanity? Anthropologists and Historians have discovered that any society that seriously neglects arts would not only thrive but they may eventually vanish. For instance, Sparta, despite its name that withstood the test of time, virtually nothing is left from Sparta because they did not practice art at all. Athens, on the other hand, was and still is a masterpiece of all time. When you see Parthenon, for example, it may seem like just a ruin on a hilltop, but through that ruin, you cannot stop feeling something alive and active from those days. Some sort of time travel through art... I cannot list up all the benefits that Art brings to humanity, but I can say humanity will diminish with lack of art.

Since Art can be said to "bless" humanity, I don't see why God cannot bless art. After all, love of humanity or love of God, it is 'Agape.'

ah.......God is the ultimate artist. Art is never a waste of time or effort.

Art is an expression and extension of the human spirit and soul. Not every person can understand or appreciate art.

Art can communicate history from one generation to another. Art can inspire and uplift the human spirit and soul.

Art identifies a culture and uniqueness of not only a nation but also an individual.

Being artistic is a gift. Sharing that gift is a spiritual thing.

Being an artist myself I can't imagine why you would even ask the question and connect it with Christians and or God.

can't really answer ur 2nd question b/c im no christian, but il do what i can for the first one.

art illuminates the creative and abstract dimensions of the human mind. for example, james pollock's drip paintings, who would think that is art. a two year old can do that. any person can doodle- thus everyone is an artist. some can convey art in a more interesting and appealing and fascinating way than others. for some, ppl will just think drip paintings are a waste of time and can be completed spontaneously without planning. but pollock's paintings took time and planning to design. he put effort into his masterpieces. i certainly do not understand the difference between his drip paintings and a 10 year old doodling, but art history majors do.

theres this painting i think by pablo picasso with a bunch of 5's in diferent colors, sizes and directions. that's an abstract painting, hilighting how 5 can be expressed in a hypnotic manner.

cavemen, had art to make them feel Indirectly intellectually unique. their art refelcted how mentally developed they were. the more detailed the paitings, the more finer the hand movement and brain coordiantion are, the more complex the brain is. the more uniquely intelligent the species is. so yea,

just my view.

and if anyone can explain to me, the greatness of drip paintings, please do, ive been looking at tham for 2.5 yrs and i dont' get em.

Bill, Art is never a waste of time. My own point of view is that humans seldom think what they are doing. We often do things in a habitual and basal way. Art is that expression which takes human activity, or any work of hand into a higher level. It infuses thought into any particular work, making it reach a certain potential, and in the end, even open up other possibilities. That's my view of art. I strongly endorse it because I have seen many people lead lives in the doldrums, giving themselves in to routine. Even the things they do don't inspire, because it's just that and nothing more.

To answer your second question, you might be surprised to know that even before we had our human existence, art already existed. My point is, why would God be against art, when everything around you, you see the beauty, thought and intelligence that He has put in His creation. Okay, so people may say that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I grant you people that. But there's certainly intelligence there, and a thought behind everything. This is actually art in its purest form.

So in conclusion, art shouldn't be considered a waste of time. And, as with any other occupation, you just have to make it work. Perhaps it's time to pull your creativity out from where it is currently ensconced.

Yes, art benefits humanity. It stimulates our intellect and our emotion. It is a form of communication and stimulation. Art is a wonderful thing.

I'm not religious, but I think most Christians would agree that God would encourage art. It is creating, after all, and isn't that something God does? Plus, a lot of Christian art conveys the message of holy love and whatnot, so I don't see why God would be against it. Isn't it called a "gift" when someone is talented in creativity anf artistic skill? Then wouldn't God also want that ability to be well put to use?

Might want to ask him. I'm a computer graphics artist on the side (a writer mainly, as my way to help the world), and I find that it can be useful and a waste, depending on what you do.

Look at Thomas Kinkade's paintings. Those bring light everywhere they are shown. On the other hand, things done without purpose are just for entertaining the eyes of beholders for about 2 seconds, without any merit. If you're looking to do art, there are clear ways of doing it with great benefit, and clear ways to waste the time you've been given.

I recommend, as a personal tactic, to approach all media-creation with a secular view, and not allow any of your work to be labeled Christian. That way, the benefit of your work can be like a Trojan horse that gets deep behind enemy lines, shedding light in dark territory, without risk of being shut out and ignored, like "Christian" art, which is of no benefit to the outside world, because only Christian's see it. That's how my writing is.

Just my 2 cents. Good luck with it, and try to find out what God wants. :-)

Just about any career can be blessed by God if your heart is in it. Art benefits humanity by letting people know of past generations, it tells stories from centuries ago. It gives us a feeling of connectedness with humanity throughout the centuries, at least that's what I think.

Any occupation is blessed by God !!.There is an old saying that devotion to duty(occupation) is devotion to GOD.Art is divine and the person who practices it is blessed with mental peace.Art includes Music, and without music Life becomes stale and dull.Hindus,Christians, and citizens belonging to various faiths firmly believe that God can be invoked by music.Art is a way of life and it is beyond one's comprehension even to imagine that it is a waste of time !!!

Art creates a peaceful atmosphere both for the beholder as well as the artist. That is a gift of God.

It counter balances against war rather well, even if used at times to promote war. When done personally it is good therapy, a means to communicate and recontact reality in a fresh and wholesome way. The Will is positive, the Judgment is negative.