The Highway Forums General Discussion Theology Discussion Forum The Passion movie and the 2nd Commandment

fellows,
I have sort of followed this discussion, but I have not kept up with it in full, so forgive me if this has been mentioned. I have concerns about the film like you all do. I am particularly bugged by the RCC overtones the movie will take in some of the plotting of the scenes (Gibson drawing from the narrative of this kook woman from the 17 hundreds). However, we need to face the facts, gentlemen: this movie ain't going away, and as much as you like it or not, you will be drawn into a discussion about this movie with either a relative, co-worker, fellow student, or who ever. Regardless of what conviction a person has about seeing the film, and most who post here are vehemently opposed to it, I do hope you all will be prepared with the truth of scripture to present to the various inquiries that this movie will produce. Granted, as I have been telling everyone who asks my opinion about a movie I haven't seen, I am not naive to think that this is the catalyst for the 3rd American Great Awakening; but, the opportunities for evangelism is going to be like shooting fish in a barrel. One of my volunteers here at GTY has a Jewish neighbor who otherwise would have no interest in Jesus Chrits, but the charges of anti-semitism leveled by the lamebrains at the JDL has stirred her interest and she actually wants to see it and has asked my volunteer friend to go with her. I told him to go armed with the scripture and the truth of what Christ did on the cross, and fill in the theological gaps the movie leaves out. Am I really suppose to tell this guy to forget what could be an opportunity of evangelism because the movie supposedly violates the 2nd commandment? I would imagine that there will be some who would reply to me with a resounding "Yes!" But, I trust the Lord can use a RCC driven film to override the errors in a movie to bring a person to Christ. I was asking my boss, Phil Johnson, about his thoughts on the movie, and he voiced the same concerns we have all voiced here; yet, he said, "I wasn't positive about the events that transpired on 9/11, but God did a mighty work in the lives of people through all of that horror." He is correct. We had hundreds of people contact our radio ministry to find some answers to what they witnessed on TV that day, and the testimonies I have read of people being saved because of what 19 Muslims did to sober them to the reality of eternity, is rather amazing.

Whether or not a person should see this movie I leave to their individual conscience before God. I think the above analogy Tom used of "I don't have to jump into a sewer to know it is a sewer" is a tad extreme; a Christian won't loose his salvation viewing this movie. But those who have convictions about seeing it, or any movie for that matter, I do hope inform themselves to some degree about what it is about, and trust the Lord in his sovereign providence to work all things out for the good of those who love God.

Fred