I surprised the youth one evening as I was speaking to them. We were taking time and sharing about favorite movies, actors, music, etc. The topic turned to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. I shared that I enjoyed the movie until the end when the director and/or writer of the movie changed the ending and I was trying to find out what social point they were trying to make through the movie to the viewing audience. I said that I cannot go and enjoy a movie, I analyze it to see what agenda they are trying to “push” on the viewers. What message is the movie sending? They were surprised and you may be too at the statement. After all, can’t a movie, a book, a play, just be entertainment and carry no hidden agenda? My answer is no.
As I write this, there seems to be an onslaught of christian themed movies. What saddens me the most is not that these movies are being made, but that people who proclaim to follow God are accepting the movies and spending hoards of money to watch them, purchase study materials, promote, etc. without testing the spirits.
Movies that claim to be straight from the Bible, or to hold true to the Biblical account often fail miserably in that task and yet people professing a belief in God defend these movies as good even though they take creative license and stray from the message of the Bible as they sway the narrative to their interpretation of the Word to support their personal view. This is what Charlie and the Chocolate Factory did to draw viewers who had seen the initial film several years ago. They said that it was closer to the book than the original and the author’s wife agreed. Well, one scene did because they did not have the technology when the original one came out to follow the book’s narrative, but the end of the movie was twisted and was nothing like the book. That’s called marketing.
What concerns me is that as these faith films become popular, that people will see the profit that can be made by such films and shows as professed followers flock blindly to watch the Bible come to life. This has happened recently as the movie Noah was promoted as a Biblical account, that it stayed close to the Bible and yet few tested the spirits. One look at the movie and one can see that the director is a vocal atheist. How can an atheist present the power of a God that they don’t believe exists? I have even heard professed followers of Jesus support and promote the film even though it is fill with Biblical error and “creative content” sharing that as we know the flaws, then we can just watch it as entertainment. Which takes me back to my conversation with the youth, is a movie just a movie, entertainment, or is there a message behind it? If we view movies just as entertainment, then whether they hold to Biblical Truth is not important. If a movie is not just entertainment, then we must seek what the message is and if it claims to be a faith film (or even if not), we must see if it is supporting, or harming, the message of God.
I just read a “review” that says even though the movie is filled with clear errors, it may generate interest and conversation about the Bible, so that is good. Shall we encourage Biblical errors to be proclaimed in the hope people will seek the Truth? Imagine a pastor in a pulpit preaching Biblical errors in hopes of generating interest and conversation about the Bible. Would they be in the pulpit long? I would hope not. Then why is this argument acceptable for movies, plays, books, etc.?
Romans 12:1-2 tells us to be discerning and to do so we must transform our minds:
I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect
If we fill our mind with Biblical error by watching and accepting movies that are filled with Biblical error, then how will we know the Truth? How will we renew our mind?
John tells us to test the spirits:
Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already. Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. They are from the world; therefore they speak from the world, and the world listens to them. We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error. (1 John 4:1-6, ESV)
John 10:1-16 shares how Jesus is the Good Shepherd and how the sheep know His voice and follow Him. I wonder how so many can flock to movies full of Biblical error and leave saying others should see it. Are they not promoting the sheep to listen to someone other than the Shepherd?
To know the Truth, one studies the Truth, not counterfeits. When one knows the Truth, they can easily spot the fake, what is not Truth.
Films and visual media have a great impact in what we understand and retain. I could write another post simply about that. I encourage you to test the spirits when “faith” films are released. Do they hold up to Scripture? If not, then what faith, or worldview, are they promoting? We all know that the movie is never the same as the book, but when the book is the Holy Bible, should we just accept the errors and creative license, or should we seek accuracy and Truth?