The difference is that I can enjoy the new D&D movie (though alas it lacked a certain something) and still walk out aware that magic doesn't exist (alas) and it's all enjoyable rubbish. I cannot believe in something because I badly want to believe in it. Religion baflles me. Maybe when I am (intellectually) decrepit I'll be able to take sustenance in such pap/twaddle. This Christian genre is just more fantasy, no?
Lot’s of peace and love below, right? If they’re all so concerned with love, why do so many performative prayers and Jesus people promote a rabid bronze age hatred, with concomitant violence to back it up, of what other people do in their private beds?
“Take for example the new legislation that’s just been passed in Uganda, which introduces the death penalty for “aggravated homosexuality”. It’s the culmination of almost 2 decades of campaigning by an organisation called International House of Prayer. They are an organisation (American…obviously) that believes the power of prayer can change the real world through prayer.”
This is why secular society dislikes and is disgusted with aspects of religious subcultures. Repeating Old Testament bible quotes that promote an old storm god’s apparent derision of many classes of peoples human rights?
Yahweh was a derivation of an angry lightning/thunder god, more interested in punishment than love, who had a wife/consort, as most old gods did, so not even originally a monotheistic figurehead, certainly not of a love-based religion.
It doesn’t mesh with what ‘the Christians’ keep saying Jesus stood to say, so why fixate on them? Because he was Jewish and said something like ‘keep to the old laws’?
Surely, hatred and adherence to the irrational demands of a heteronormative war god weren’t included? Making movies about Jesus or compassionate pastors won’t protect the homosexuals, or the people who support them, of Uganda or any other country, not from many of Jesus’s followers.
If bible quoting Christians are so tired of being depicted in Hollywood as evil, how about campaigning against the Christian groups who promote violence and intolerance, instead of complaining about their image?
I know myths. I also know what I believe. However, the Christian virgin birth came about b/c of the Septuagint, a translation of Hebrew to Greek. Unfortunately, the words for young woman, virgin and unmarried woman, 3 diff words in Hebrew, were all translated as virgin. So, I am just saying. I know myths and I know what I believe. It’s difficult to believe in G-d in 2023.
You are sorely misunderstanding the situation. There is a good amount of Greek in Judaism. The Jewish 10 commandments are NOT the same at the Christian ones. The Torah, an ancient scroll, makes it abundantly clear that the virtues you are talking of are PRE-Christian and are Jewish! Do some research, the principles that America was founded on are indeed Jewish.
The problem we have right now in this country is due to a segment of our political leadership removing God from the town square. They believe they are God. They fear those with the humility to know that there is only one God who deserves our attention. It is likely the reason the media is lashing out at Christian’s versus the trans killer that took 6 lives in Nashville this week. Many politicians and many in the media believe they are the higher power. They are not, and they will assuredly be humbled.
Thank you for writing this. And thank you Free Press for publishing it. My husband & I went to see the movie & were taken back to the time of our own faith sparking. Raised as Christians, we had forgotten what it was to have a living faith. "Jesus Revolution" was an excellent movie. The resources they had were well & richly used. Hollywood used to tell stories of faith even if they weren't explicitly Christian. However, they are much more invested in proving how woke they can be & simply ruining the product they are throwing out for consumption. Is it any wonder that so few movies make money? Average people, the people who spend their money going to movies, don't want to see Disney's "not so secret gay agenda." They want to be entertained. Disney could learn a thing or two about what customers want & maybe they wouldn't be leaking money like a sieve & laying off thousands of employees. I doubt Hollywood will take notice, though. There's a reason people say, "Go woke, go broke."
Mmmmmm....wrong. Read the early history of Christianity in the Roman Empire. Not such a good time. And making a case that you could worship your god(s) as long as you acknowledged mine as supreme (or else) is not exactly religious plurality. The penalty for noncompliance was rather harsh...typically a tortuous form of death.
And the Jews were never fine. You might take a look at the Shema or something called the 10 commandments. You can find them in the books of B'resheet and D'varim.
X film has grossed X amount of dollars is the least interesting thing about a film. Of course there is a huge market for this kind of "art" (it may be real art, but as a Christian who passionately appreciates truly good art, I am skeptical) so making money of an explicitly Christian film doesn't say much about the quality of the film. I want art that strives for beauty and incorporates Christianity because it is a part of human life, part of our endless struggle to come to know who we are (which, according to Hamlet, is what art is for) and what we were made for, not because it is part of an agenda of evangelization. That way lies mostly bad art. And much very bad art. Christian music. Ugh! Give me "On the Waterfront," "A Hidden Life," "Brideshead Revisited," "The End of the Affair," even the possibly heretical "Silence," (a cinematic masterpiece!) any day over a "Christian"film. Disclaimer, I have not seen this film. Probably will not. I have nothing against either the writer of this piece or the people who worked to produce the film. God bless them all. I just disagree with their philosophy of film-making, and to the extent I understand it, their philosophy of art. Cheers. Bari and Nellie, thanks for your broadmindedness and commitment to journalism demonstrated by publishing such a piece.
Thanks for the list of movies to check out. I'm familiar with some of course, but look forward to checking out A Hidden Life and The End of the Affair. Will welcome other suggestions. This community certainly broadens my thinking and gives me many perspectives to consider.
I wrote a comment that did not get published. It wasn't rabid; just rational. Didn't realise this was censored.
The difference is that I can enjoy the new D&D movie (though alas it lacked a certain something) and still walk out aware that magic doesn't exist (alas) and it's all enjoyable rubbish. I cannot believe in something because I badly want to believe in it. Religion baflles me. Maybe when I am (intellectually) decrepit I'll be able to take sustenance in such pap/twaddle. This Christian genre is just more fantasy, no?
Lot’s of peace and love below, right? If they’re all so concerned with love, why do so many performative prayers and Jesus people promote a rabid bronze age hatred, with concomitant violence to back it up, of what other people do in their private beds?
“Take for example the new legislation that’s just been passed in Uganda, which introduces the death penalty for “aggravated homosexuality”. It’s the culmination of almost 2 decades of campaigning by an organisation called International House of Prayer. They are an organisation (American…obviously) that believes the power of prayer can change the real world through prayer.”
-From another substack:
https://malcolmrichardclark.substack.com/p/has-humza-set-off-a-prayer-bomb?utm_medium=reader2
This is why secular society dislikes and is disgusted with aspects of religious subcultures. Repeating Old Testament bible quotes that promote an old storm god’s apparent derision of many classes of peoples human rights?
Yahweh was a derivation of an angry lightning/thunder god, more interested in punishment than love, who had a wife/consort, as most old gods did, so not even originally a monotheistic figurehead, certainly not of a love-based religion.
It doesn’t mesh with what ‘the Christians’ keep saying Jesus stood to say, so why fixate on them? Because he was Jewish and said something like ‘keep to the old laws’?
Surely, hatred and adherence to the irrational demands of a heteronormative war god weren’t included? Making movies about Jesus or compassionate pastors won’t protect the homosexuals, or the people who support them, of Uganda or any other country, not from many of Jesus’s followers.
If bible quoting Christians are so tired of being depicted in Hollywood as evil, how about campaigning against the Christian groups who promote violence and intolerance, instead of complaining about their image?
This is sincere question, no snark. Why do people care about Hollywood?
I know myths. I also know what I believe. However, the Christian virgin birth came about b/c of the Septuagint, a translation of Hebrew to Greek. Unfortunately, the words for young woman, virgin and unmarried woman, 3 diff words in Hebrew, were all translated as virgin. So, I am just saying. I know myths and I know what I believe. It’s difficult to believe in G-d in 2023.
Christopher,
You are sorely misunderstanding the situation. There is a good amount of Greek in Judaism. The Jewish 10 commandments are NOT the same at the Christian ones. The Torah, an ancient scroll, makes it abundantly clear that the virtues you are talking of are PRE-Christian and are Jewish! Do some research, the principles that America was founded on are indeed Jewish.
Jesus is cool. Unfortunately, most of his "followers" and "believers" I've met are pretty shitty people.
The problem we have right now in this country is due to a segment of our political leadership removing God from the town square. They believe they are God. They fear those with the humility to know that there is only one God who deserves our attention. It is likely the reason the media is lashing out at Christian’s versus the trans killer that took 6 lives in Nashville this week. Many politicians and many in the media believe they are the higher power. They are not, and they will assuredly be humbled.
No app. Books and in person teaching.
And lastly I have and do read MY Bible and lots of interpretations in many forms for decades.
I am Jewish and have taken many, many adult Ed. classes over the years, plus I have and have read many books on these things. Short answer: yes.
Despite the overstated title, really nice article.
Thank you for writing this. And thank you Free Press for publishing it. My husband & I went to see the movie & were taken back to the time of our own faith sparking. Raised as Christians, we had forgotten what it was to have a living faith. "Jesus Revolution" was an excellent movie. The resources they had were well & richly used. Hollywood used to tell stories of faith even if they weren't explicitly Christian. However, they are much more invested in proving how woke they can be & simply ruining the product they are throwing out for consumption. Is it any wonder that so few movies make money? Average people, the people who spend their money going to movies, don't want to see Disney's "not so secret gay agenda." They want to be entertained. Disney could learn a thing or two about what customers want & maybe they wouldn't be leaking money like a sieve & laying off thousands of employees. I doubt Hollywood will take notice, though. There's a reason people say, "Go woke, go broke."
There is bollocks and there is bollocks. This is beyond both.
Mmmmmm....wrong. Read the early history of Christianity in the Roman Empire. Not such a good time. And making a case that you could worship your god(s) as long as you acknowledged mine as supreme (or else) is not exactly religious plurality. The penalty for noncompliance was rather harsh...typically a tortuous form of death.
And the Jews were never fine. You might take a look at the Shema or something called the 10 commandments. You can find them in the books of B'resheet and D'varim.
X film has grossed X amount of dollars is the least interesting thing about a film. Of course there is a huge market for this kind of "art" (it may be real art, but as a Christian who passionately appreciates truly good art, I am skeptical) so making money of an explicitly Christian film doesn't say much about the quality of the film. I want art that strives for beauty and incorporates Christianity because it is a part of human life, part of our endless struggle to come to know who we are (which, according to Hamlet, is what art is for) and what we were made for, not because it is part of an agenda of evangelization. That way lies mostly bad art. And much very bad art. Christian music. Ugh! Give me "On the Waterfront," "A Hidden Life," "Brideshead Revisited," "The End of the Affair," even the possibly heretical "Silence," (a cinematic masterpiece!) any day over a "Christian"film. Disclaimer, I have not seen this film. Probably will not. I have nothing against either the writer of this piece or the people who worked to produce the film. God bless them all. I just disagree with their philosophy of film-making, and to the extent I understand it, their philosophy of art. Cheers. Bari and Nellie, thanks for your broadmindedness and commitment to journalism demonstrated by publishing such a piece.
Thanks for the list of movies to check out. I'm familiar with some of course, but look forward to checking out A Hidden Life and The End of the Affair. Will welcome other suggestions. This community certainly broadens my thinking and gives me many perspectives to consider.