CELEBRITY BIBLE STUDY WATCH: First Nicole Kidman. And now Pamela Anderson informs us that she's reading both a book on the Sermon on the Mount and The One Year Bible. This from Biblioblog blogger Zeth, who claims he was Googling "Sermon on the Mount" when he found it. You believe that?

UPDATE (21 January): Zeth's evaluation of my attempt at humor: "... at least he tried."

Well, that's more credit than my sense of humor often gets and probably as much as it deserves.

But seriously, I'm kind of surprised by the rest of his reply. Is being a sex symbol in our society really comparable to being a cheating tax collector in a desperately poor, ancient society? And I think one widespread criticism of some types of American religiosity - their making sex such an important factor in their religion - is entirely fair. Yet Zeth writes:

If these people [Ms. Kidman and Ms. Anderson] can read the bible and interpret it in such away that justifies their activities or at least does not ask questions about them, then either the biblical text does not have any power itself, or serious questions need to be asked about the interpretations offered by American culture.

[...]

So Pamela Anderson is rightly or wrongly an international symbol of America. The fact now that she is now a bible reading symbol, even someone who may read biblical studies books, while to put it bluntly, making money from a modern form of prostitution.

Well, okay, but this seems to be doing just what both that SBL resolution and its election opponents were doing: assuming there is a "biblical" stance on political and cultural issues; assuming that the Bible has a unified message about "values"; and finding the writer's own values in the Bible, even for issues the actual texts show little interest in. One can play dueling verses here, as with anything else. Using the word "prostitution" above seems to me to be harsh and to be moving the definitional goalposts (and trivializing the plight of many actual prostitutes who are without alternatives), but for the sake of argument, note that Rahab the prostitute is a heroine in both the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament. The Bible recognizes and praises what it regards as her achievement, while never once making an issue of her profession. Her choosing the right side in the story seems to be what counts. And Jesus had only kind words for prostitutes who took an interest in his message.

Zeth, I really appreciate your blog, and I'm sorry my little joke seems to have offended you. But give Nicole and Pammy a break. Their studies will do them no harm and may do them some good. Who are we to judge?

UPDATE (23 January): More here.