1. I drank a pint of Arrogant Bastard Ale last Thursday. I drank it all within an hour's time. I felt it for the next three hours until I fell asleep. I didn't feel it when I woke up, though.
2. The Incredibles for the third time. Still a great movie. Oscars to this Pixar flick.
3. I saw Alexander. Simply, do not watch it!
4. Saved! It was great for the first 30-45 minutes. I enjoyed all the mockery and jokes about high school Christians and everything that is involved with them. It doesn't have anything to do really with Christianity, but more to do with the Christians. The movie did throw in some theology and philosophy and insight for us to think about. It wasn't anything good, though - in fact, it sucked. The rest of the movie moved a little slow since they had to stop commiting to the constant mockery and actually had to develop the story, which wasn't spectacular. The story wasn't terrible, but I've seen better high school teen movies. The acting was fine for the most part. I had no problems with Mandy Moore or Macaulay Culkin, and I loved Jena Malone...but that's because I think she's totally cute, so I'm bias. Terrible views on Christianity, though. Idiot. Overall, it was an entertaining watch. I laughed at all the bagging on Christians, but I questioned if I should be laughing. Oh, well. I won't go into that since it can get messy. I laughed a lot at the part where Mary started saying profanities out loud in a very tabboo manner. Super funny.
5. Hockey was fun, and I realized this weekend that I'll be back in the Bay Area in two weeks. Ew.
6. I'll say it again: Do not watch Alexander! Yes, not even at the dollar theatre!
Monday, November 29, 2004
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4 comments:
... so are you saying "Alexander" sucked? =O)
I really liked "Saved!"
They could have made a fluffy film, sort of an after-school special, but the creators decided to make it edgier with real teen issues. I still think it's a good movie. But you're right, the film's concept of Christianity is totally out of whack; which I think was intentional - seriously though, how many teenagers can fully grasp and understand the concept of Christianity and its purpose in their lives? I think most of the time kids feel that Christians alienate other Christians when they make big mistakes - that they will go to hell if they get pregnant or if they're gay, etc ... I've seen this type of behavior before and I think that's what this film wanted to show.
I didn't have a problem with the portrayal of Christians being jerks to the non-Christian or the "falling from faith" Christian or anything like that. I knew they were exagerrating and it was all intentional. I had a problem with the last part of the film where they have the traditional moral lesson or value of the movie. In this movie, it was all about as long as you believed in something or believed in yourself than you're okay in the world. The Bible is all gray in this movie, and that really bothered me. At that point the movie was being serious. They portrayed the Bible as something that can't hold all the answers to life, which is unlike Christianity. The movie wasn't mocking at that point, they really meant that part.
I hear ya Lem.
It's one thing to mock certain behaviours of Christians and leave it at that. The Simpsons does it all the time: ha ha, LOL, etc.
It's another thing to tear it down while at the same time showing that you have no coherent alternative. If you're going to criticize, be prepared to offer something better. If you can't offer anything better, at least don't offer something so ridiculously shallow ("just believe in Something.... follow your heart!") that it makes "Yes Lord Yes Lord" x 20 seem like a deeply-thought out song in comparison.
Another good thought to keep in mind when satiring the Church: you're making fun of the Bride of Christ. However imperfect my wife will be, if you make fun of her, I will not take kindly to that. A jealous God like ours is unlikely to take kindly to any sort of unhelpful derision, either.
To criticize Christianity I would first recommend two things:
1. Don't be a Christian. As Phil says, if you can offer an alternative, great. You're free to do that and be damned to hell. That freedom's been granted (or you're determined that way, anwyay).
2. Be firmly on the side of Christ: offer helpful criticisms intended not to deride, to mock, to lower the white dress of the Church into the mud. Instead, lift her out of filth, lend a helping hand, point out problems but show, always show, love. Show deepest Love for Christ and for his Bride, for whom He died most mercifully. The Church should never pretend to have value on her own terms, she knows she's fallen. The value of the church comes from the perfect sacrifice of Christ, despite her imperfections, who will perfect her in due time and celebrate a marvelous wedding feast with her.
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