Religion News Stories has an article on the controversy surrounding Jon McNaughton’s “One Nation Under God” painting.
McNaughton, who lives in Spanish Fork, Utah and is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, says he designed the painting to reflect his conservative views and his concern for the future of the nation if it departs from the Constitution.
“I think it’s been good for me to articulate what I believe,” said McNaughton, “I’ve done a lot of landscape paintings. Another landscape painting isn’t going to change anything.”
To be sure, others are noticing McNaughton’s work, particularly on the Internet, where “One Nation Under God” has reignited the fierce debate over religion’s role in the nation’s history. While many applaud the painting, some see it as historical revisionism at its worst. McNaughton paints famous figures whose religious views were ambiguous, such as Ben Franklin, assuming pious poses towards Jesus.
You can see the painting here.