Choosing Our Righteous Battles Wisely

I tried to articulate a similar point among family at Thanksgiving and almost got demoted to the kids' table. The reaction has been reminiscent of junior high movie outings, subject to the whims of "Plugged In" reviews (anyone?).

Great article. This movie must be stopped. I propose we shift our vigor (tempoarily) away from the homosexuals and ride this movies news-cycle so that more of our "leaders" can go on all the news programs to make sure everyone knows that Hollywood has offened us again. We must emphasize that our voice must be heard. We must get the word out to the innocent sheep among us that may be led to slaughter. We must not trust the fact that God said that He will never leave us or forsake us. We certainly should not rest in the knowledge that NOTHING can seperate us from His love. If we do all these things, we can quickly get back to the comfort and convenience of our white bread religion. I'm glad someone finally spoke up about this issue. Thanks, Ben. I definitly know now that you will be in heaven, like me and everyone else that believes just like us.

BTW- As a middle schooler PluggedIn gave me some very nice descriptions of the specific types of nudity, violence, and curse words found in all the movies I was not allowed to see. I actually looked forward to reading all the naughty things that I was never going to see.

I wonder why so many Christian young people have no idea of how to handle their freedom in Christ once they leave the home?

Any ideas?

This is beautiful.

" The Golden Compass. It is based on a fictional trilogy of children's books written by a man who holds beliefs about the universe that differ from ours. In them the characters kill a god who, though with one or two superficial resemblances to our own Judeo-Christian God, is a weak and oppressive deity, ripe for a coup and vulnerable to weapons wielded by humans."

There are many such gods in this world that need to die. And most of them resembling God. But as we already know, "The God", is not weak, or vulnerable to our puny weapons, as in the case here.

If the Author really wanted his god character to be God, would he have made him appear to be such a obvious impostor?

thank you so much for this. seriously fabulous articulation

Ahhhh this was a really good one. Not only did it have a good point, it was really well written. And the inclusion of the words "teensy" and "peewee" just made it all the better.

I would like to announce as well, on a side note, that I just found out yesterday that the seminary next to my college is having a Harry Potter party. I was thrilled.

Thank you! I can't tell you how much it bothers me that there are over 30 (I got tired of counting) facebook groups boycotting this movie. And that plugged in article-ugh! It's amazing what movies are considered "okay" because of they offer some watered-down morality, while others are lambasted because they may provoke thought.

This was a very passionate post...and I like passion. I also enjoyed the point of it all, perhaps because I am in whole hearted agreement.

Don't get too psyched about our "success" with Harry Potter, I am a fan.

It seems so sad to me that the Body of Christ comes down to, many times, an "us" verses "them" mentality. Maybe the best thing we could all work on is to seek to understand those people we tend to disagree with. Maybe those people who are against music, movies, homosexuals, etc are just doing what they believe they should. Maybe a little tolerance and understanding towards them could have the power to go a long way to the point of real exchanges and change, for both groups involved. Love, in the end, may be the most effective tool for change. It's something I definately need to work on. Thanks for the thoughts.

Ok, I agree that The Golden Compass probably shouldn't be on the front burner as far as battles go, but shouldn't we at least be slightly wary of the message this movie is sending? Should we take our kids to watch it? When do we draw the line? Am I the only one that see's a clear distinction here between this film and Harry Potter?

Wait, I can't make my mind up about this article... for some reason i detect a little bit of sarcasm here, but then I may well be wrong. Are you serious? Are there not better issues to write about? Heck, I'm going to see the dang movie tonight...
I must say, everyone is entitled to have their own opinion, but please don't condemn me for mine. Your quote has me a little skeptical too, " You may renounce God if He does not renounce you first."... I'm not so sure what you're saying but here's what I'm saying:
Jesus didn't keep himself in his little "Jewish" bubble while he was here on earth, in fact, he encouraged others to get out of that bubble. Today, just because something isn't "Christian" doesn't mean it needs condemning. Though God is the judge of all, he didn't come to earth with his holy finger and point it at the unholy, he loved them.
I must admit, I'm a little sad that this was posted....

hey! someone else finally knows what a djembe is! sorry....sidetrack....

i start to wonder, is it our job to make moral judgments for everyone else?

lets say I think a band sings morally disagreeable music, and i say "don't listen to them" to all my friends. why would I?

It I have a problem with the band i'm not going to make a huge stink. i just simply won't listen. there is a lot of music I simply don't listen to. its the music that i love that gets talked about.

i think its more positive lifting up bands that are doing well, than tearing apart bands that i think personally suck. then trying to convince everyone else of the fact.

I'm not saying "everyone is entitled to their own opinion", but rather i don't feel like one's opinion should be forcibly thrown at another.

i could say more but i'm late for a walk with a girl in a park (to be honest ;)) feel free to argue with me.

I saw The Golden Compass last night. The great tragedy of the movie is not that it tries to kill God (and fails) but that it succeeds in killing the book.

In other words, boycott this movie because it sucks.

lars and the real girl... now thats a good movie that is worth whatever the opposite of boycotting is.

what are your thoughts on "The Darjeeling Limited?"

gracias, ever since I received my first chain email I have longed to get on my own soapbox. I love these books because it is so interesting getting to figure out how other people, in this case Pullman, percieve God. Reading got me thinking about why he might see God the way he does and, if anything, it made me more confident and sure of the presence of our loving, just God. Personally, I think that Jesus, unknown to Pullman, might actually support much of the doubt that Pullman expresses. Jesus was the one upset with the religious leaders for using God to support their power trip. Where Pullman and I (and I think Christians) differ is in his conclusion of the matter. Pullman would have man destroy this week, power hungry, imposter god so that man can be free to trust himself and not try to constantly sensor themselves to try to fit within the bounds of "Christianity". He sees god as binding and as a being who seeks to keep humans from living in freedom. We believe instead that God is loving and just and that by surrendering ourselves to his will, we are not binding ourselves behind ignorance but, instead, he enables us to more fully engage reality. This to me is beautiful and Pulman's ideas just help me see more clearly how amazing and redeeming the truth of God could be to people like Pullman, who are annoyed with the church and want a God that is bigger than law.

I'm trying hard to find the "well articulated" points others are speaking of in this article. It sounds to me like the writer just wanted to take pot-shots at other Christians for trying to boycott the movie. What good does that do?

Are there any ideas offered on how to actually engage on the topics that this movie brings up? Isn't it a bit of a stretch to compare misguided Christians boycotting a movie to Christian's failure to engage in atrocities going on all over the world? Just felt like a bit of a stretch.

Apparently we've swung to the other side of the pendulum and found that license is much cooler and safer than legalism. Compartmentalization is convenient and calls for no stance at all.

Perhaps we stop throwing stones at our own, and begin engaging on deeper levels. Neither cultural posture discussed here is appropriate. This post just came off petty and completely reactive.

Cheers,
Tim

Okay, Tim-
I put your own challenge back on you. Instead of piously critiquing a light-hearted poke at Christians that take the wrong things too seriously (watch out for that mirror!) I'd like to hear your ideas of deeper level engagement. I want to give you a chance to not sound as petty and reactive as you did in your previous post. My tone is sincere here, how do you propose that we do more than you did, and start truly encouraging eachother toward a deeper less reactive relationship with God and the world around us?

The article was an amusing way to make a point. The punchline took me by surprise. Brilliant.

Looking at the comments, I think someone needs to point out the obvious.

It was a joke, and it made a good point.

My question, comment is about the basis of Christianity. Could someone please help? I think I'm a Christian, but I'm not sure. When I read the articles and blogs I get this feeling we Christians have something others don't. Is that true? What do I have that others don't possess? If your answer is Jesus, please save it. Jesus was for everyone and is for everyone. I feel I've been brainwashed into thinking I possess something I'm to give or bestow on others. Perhaps I'm supposed to mimic Jesus and convince others to do the same. That way we can loose our personality and try to be like someone else.

Caleb,
Rent or purchase the documentary entitled "God Grew Tired of Us" It's the story of the Sudanese refugee "lost boys". This crew follows a group of Christian refugee's that are rescued from their camp and brought to America. Watch it and then ask yourself if we truly are better off than the rest of the world spiritiually, mentally, and emotionally. These young men are the best example of true Christians I have ever seen. You start the movie feeling sorry for these young men because they have it so bad. What emerges is the beauty of their character and you realize that there is nothing beyond a cold cup of water and a warm meal that I can offer them. They have so much more than me and you that I wish they could give or bestow it on my life. The thing is, they can't. They can only be an example of what Jesus offers ALL- true peace of mind. After this movie I feel so embarrassed for ever thinking that what I had spiritually is something worth throwing on someone else. We American Christians, more than any other nationality fit perfectly as the character that Jesus described as one who walks around with a log in their eye telling people they can help them with their splinter. Maybe we don't have it so good in America because we are so rich in material possesions, most of which we take for granted. Do you see now why Jesus said it was so hard for the rich to experience the kingdom? The rich are BLINDED by the percieved comfort and security that money and possesions offer. In fact, we are more than blinded, we are hynotized into making our life and career be about getting more comfort and security. Try this, re-read the teachings of Jesus, but everytime you see the word Pharisee, replace it with Christian. See if it fits.

I believe that you'll also find that Jesus is not looking for clones, he is simply laying out a simple way of viewing the world and interacting with people that will lead you to true peace.

Hope this offers a different perspective for you to consider from someone that feels like you...

PEACE

So much to say Caleb. I get your frustration, and that feeling you describe. You're right, Jesus is for everyone, but he is still the answer to your question. All we can give is love birthed out of gratitude for and hope in salvation. What is Jesus, if not love personified through such an incredible sacrifice for wretches like us.

Sometimes it seems like Christians feel this obligation to pound people with our dogma, but people respond so much better to love and kindness and compassion. So...if you feel you have nothing to give then you had better pursue that thing that's missing. I was raised going to church, but I didn't consider myself much of anything until the sweet day I accepted salvation, felt free and cleansed from my life of sinning and new there was more to it then the guilt I had been crushed under. Now I know I have something to give away, because I'm filled with it. Love.

Key word - Accepted. I argued with God, said I was sorry to God, beat myself up for God for 15 years. But until I stopped clinging to my anger, anxiety, shame and so on, and just accepted forgiveness, nothing ever changed in my life.

Sorry for taking so long.

this is amazing.

Nathan and Josh,

Thank you for your kindness, and genuine concern. My comment was birthed out of frustration and bordering antagonistic.

It makes sense now. I'm very happy you've found forgiveness and I want the same for myself.

Caleb

Hey Caleb,

Thanks for your kind words. In regards to your comment on forgiveness...the cool thing that I'm learning about it is that you don't have to look for it or find it anymore. All you have to do is grab it. God forgave us because of Jesus' sacrifice. Done. Lights out. Game over.

Christians like to talk about their sins being forgiven but never apply it to their current sins or future sins. We're cool with being forgiven for the sins we committed before we were Christians but for some reason we feel the need to walk around feeling guilty and sharing our "struggles" with other Christians. Forgiveness doesn't feel fair to us so we feel like we have to prove how sorry we are. I hear many Christians describe their Christian life as a �struggle� and they use battlefield terminology. Sometimes I wonder if they have forgotten that Jesus said that the battle was over. �It is finished.� We also have a hard time trusting God when he says that NOTHING can separate us from his love and that he would NEVER leave us or forsake us. We have a tendency to be pretty shortsighted, don�t we?

What�s weird is that forgiveness does not have to feel fair to be enjoyed. We are so wrapped up in feeling awful for being sinners that we don�t remember that the sin we just committed has been covered and forgiven. Didn�t Jesus say he came for the sinners and not the healthy, anyway? All of my sins, when realized and acknowledged, are simply reminders of what category I am truly in. I used to get tied up in knots about not being able to stop this or that but when I view the realization of my sins as a reminder of the forgiveness that God has supplied I am freed from the guilt almost immediately and I am also spurred on toward growth and a new understanding of the root problem that led me into a selfish spirit. This awareness and clarity allows you to stop wallowing in your mistakes and focus on personal growth.

So as far as God is concerned, you no longer have to look or work for forgiveness to find it. That�s the good news! You�ve already got it..

I know much of this sounds similar to things you�ve heard before, but I found that all of this talk was meaningless until I started to allow myself to enjoy the number 1 benefit of forgiveness�a more peaceful mind. When my mind is peaceful I have found a greater tendency to treat others better.

Be encouraged friend. The struggle to grow is the proof of the life in your soul!