Video Blog: FUNdamentalism
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A Blog dedicated towards the exchange of religious ideas through the medium of film, and the relationship of religion in film.
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2 comments:
Very interesting observations. I actually haven't seen either film. I must admit that the previews caused me to avoid watching Saved.
I really thought that the film was just doing what many films do: take an attribute that generalizes a group (i.e. the jock, the cheerleader, the nerd, the rich,stuck up prince, etc.) and blowing it out of proportion for the sake of entertainment. Most movies are not realistic. Even movies based on real-life events change some facts in order to produce a movie that people will watch.
Are they pocking fun at Christian fundamentalist? Yeah.
Is it malicious? Not necessarily.
And I think that was the point you were making.
Christian fundamentalist are too often afraid of engaging the world. To some degree, Holiness is too big a price to pay for "ministry." On the other hand, we need to get beyond our comfort-zone in order to reach the Lost.
These films can tell us a lot about what people see in us. A nerd doesn't realize that what he does is nerdy until he watched, for example, "Saved by the Bell." He saw what Screech did and realized that "wow, people think that what I do is uncool?" The same can be said for the other stereotypes mentioned.
I guess, to use your own words, Saved pushed the stereotype to the point of looking like a pharisee. A Christian who says they wont watch it because it is offensive is like the father who will not watch a TV show because the father looks like an idiot. Too often we are too proud to take criticism. That's why I think I didn't watch it.
I applaud this website. "Christian movies" have tended to be budget and cheesy. Regarding your video, I have to confess that I'm not sure I agree that both of these films are "Christian", and moreover, that they are meant to be warnings to other Christians who are not practicing what they preach. I have to admit that I have not seen either of these films, so I am rather ignorant about them. However, the trailer for "Saved" seemed abundantly anti-Christian to me.
Sadly I have met some Christians who have an anamosity toward homosexuals, more so than other types of sinners. Jesus never spewed hateful speech to sinners, no matter how depraved their sin. On the contrary, he told a certain prostitute caught in the middle of fornication to "go and sin no more." In this story, the Lord was giving a message both to the saints and the sinners. He was telling the sinners that there was mercy and forgiveness in him, IF AND ONLY IF they repented of their sins. Also, he was telling the "saints" that they must act in love and mercy to all people, no matter what their sins.
HOWEVER, Jesus WAS NOT SAYING that the woman's actions were okay and that she wasn't really a sinner. That's what's so disturbing to me about people who say Christians should be ACCEPTING to homosexual people. Just what does that mean?? Accepting in the sense that you are a fellow human being and that you deserve love and dignity as all other people do? If so, I'm all about that. But I believe that's not what is meant. What IS meant by "accepting" is that Christians should throw away the teachings in the Bible that are against homosexuality and other politically-correct attitudes and values.
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