Deconstructing deconstructionism

The problem with looking for Christian elements in modern films (or books, etc.) is trying to look for something that isn't there. Projecting your worldview into a movie (or TV show, book, etc) is dangerous, as we humans are hard-wired to find things that we recognize in what we see. I'm sure someone could find something in porn that might resonate with their worldview. When doing this with the Bible it is called 'eisegesis' and is why some people seemingly get crazy theologies out of Scripture. If anyone ever asked you "what does the verse or chapter mean to you" then you've experienced eisegesis.



In real life it is a major element of postmodernism. Basically it assumes that the author is 'dead' (for the purpose of deciding what the work really means) and throws the responsibility of deciding its meaning onto the viewer/reader/listener. Many artists now produce thematically ambiguous material as a way of tapping into the postmodern mindset and don't care what people get out of it as long as they get something out of it. This is wrong. Things mean what they are supposed to mean (especially the Bible, as defined by Itself), do not mean anything else (even if the viewer/etc. thinks it does), and if they aren't supposed to mean anything specific then they are pretty much meaningless.



Christianity deals with very human issues, like good and evil, repentance for wrongs committed, love and hate, faith, and the merit of performing good works as an outward indication of our faith. These have all been used by thousands upon thousands of pieces of art in various ways, and since they are human issues we as Christians might tend to view them and project our Christian worldview on the piece of art. Many see God and Satan as the dualistic Light/Dark sides of the Force, for example. Spiderman forgives Sandman, so the element of redemption seems relevant to us. But unless they are trying to present actual Christian elements, these are simply the pale reflections of Christianity's better points.



The heart of the Bible is the Gospel, and there has been no movie to date (that I know of, and I've seen so many that I've even forgotten some completely) that accurately conveys the true Gospel (Sin's reality; Repentance of sins; Faith in Jesus; Jesus as the Anointed Messiah, or Christ; Jesus as the only Savior; Jesus as Lord of one's life) outside of the Christian industry (and, sadly, very few within the Christian industry as well...but I'll save that for another diatribe). Without that solid base in place, any other perceived Christian element is lost in the special effects and witty banter.

Some are curious about my nickname:

Hebrews 11:1-3,6,13,14, 16

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good report. Through faith we understand that the worlds were formed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear. ...without faith it is impossible to please Him: for He that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a Rewarder of them that diligently seek Him. ...These [Abraham, Isaac and Jacob] all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country. ...But now they seek a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for He hath prepared for them a city.

1st Peter 2:11, 12

Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul; having your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation.

Fireproooooooooooooooof!

Saw the new movie last night and it was truly well-done, for an independent, shoe-string-budget, non-hollywood, overtly Christian movie. I had some minor quibbles about the pacing and plot elements, but overall it was thoroughly enjoyable AND had a great evangelistic message as well as a pro-marriage, anti-porn overtones. WonderWife also enjoyed it, and she does NOT like Christian movies almost as a rule (although she did like Facing the Giants, which I think was a major factor in her wanting to see Fireproof), although she also had minor quibbles. I think the producers chose wisely when they decided to just make the best movie possible and not try to Hollywoodize it.

Also, it came in at #4 for the weekend, with more than 6.5 Million in box office sales. Not bad, I'd say, but, then again, who am I to say? Even if it got $0, the producers did what they are supposed to do as Christians in this field, and so God will work through it either way. At least now they can make more movies. Just imagine a WELL-DONE Christian comedy, or SF epic, or fantasy, or superhero movie. Anyway, I'm adding Fireproof to my favorite movies.

Working out - physically, spiritually...

Earlier this year I decided that it was time to own up to the fact that I am a fat man. 8 years of being happily married and well fed, coupled with a desk job, had created a 240-pound behemoth terrorizing the north shore. Sure, I was still more muscular than the average 240-pounder (hey, I play SOFTBALL! That's, like, a SPORT and stuff! Not like that Nintendo Wii thing, cheaters!) but still, 240 pounds are 240 pounds, and I'd like to be playing with my kids in ten years without accidentally crushing them, so my wonderful wife (henceforth, WonderWife) got me an appointment with a personal trainer at the local gym place. Step one - so far so good.

So I meet my trainer and he turns out to be a nice guy with a peculiar accent and a very foreign-sounding name (I'll leave his true identity out of it, if you don't mind), which is okay with me personally but gets me wondering what his religions convictions are like. Training sessions are usually quite intense, so we don't get to chit-chat much about personal things, until September rolls around and he tells me that he is fasting for Ramadan. That cleared up the "religious conviction thing" pretty quickly, and we were able to talk a bit about Islam and contrast Christianity, but I haven't been able to outline the Gospel to him yet. But we've struck up a pretty good friendship and it should be easier to both talk to him about it and get time when it will be easier to talk about it [witnessing between reps can be difficult - "So (huff), do you (puff) consider your- (huff) -self to be (puff) a good (huff) per- (puff) -son?" "What? Sorry. I was counting your reps...4 more - PUSH IT!" ]

Another thing about the gym - and maybe every gym is like this but I'm only familiar with this one - is that the yoga stuff is pushed like it's mandatory. They have signs all over the place, sometimes advertising hindu teachers' seminars, and yoga for kids (!), when no other religion is at all noticeably present. (I know some people think that yoga is just an exercise routine, but even Hindu yogis will caution that the religious aspects and the exercise aspects cannot be separated. Some believe it is akin to "meat sacrificed to idols" and should be tolerated by Christians who don't choose to practice yoga, but it's much more like sacrificing the meat to the idols, which we are definitely not supposed to do) I think I need to address the situation sometime in the near future. I've already had to talk to my 7-year-old about what it really is when he was offered the kids yoga classes. Yikes!

Lastly, I've come to sense a strangeness about the gym atmosphere. This is all stuff that I hypothetically could be doing on my own, around the hose, and getting things done, but it would be much less directed. The cost of the trainer's appointments and the time and energy sunk into each one could arguably be better spent elsewhere. I am getting results, which is better than no results, but I find myself looking toward the time when  can never go there again because of the atmosphere of physical vanity and the sense of running (or riding a bike, or climbing stairs, etc.) and never going anywhere. It seems almost metaphorical for current culture - always moving and never getting anywhere. So I feel like I need to break the cycle at some point and start something on my own to keep physically fit. It truly does tie into your mental and especially spiritual health.

This being my second post I'm sure not many people are reading it yet, but if you do and you'd like to feed back on any of these issues I'd like to hear from you. Please be advised about a few things, just so you'll know not to comment on them - I have no problem with a person who is a Muslim but I have a huge problem with the religion itself. The same thing for Hinduism and/or yoga practitioners. I have studied each very much over the past five years and have lots of resources if anyone wants more information about them. My take is that, without a truly repentant faith in Jesus Christ, everyone is lost in their sins, and that goes for many who call themselves 'Christians' as well. Also, if you are an active gym-user and get a lot out of it and find adequate time for everything else in your Christian walk, more power to you. I don't think the whole gym system is evil in and of itself, although maybe I'll elaborate on my changing feelings toward it in a future post. I'd like to hear your thoughts, though.

God Bless You

LAW
I. The biblical way of presenting the Gospel is by
   A. Using the Law (the Ten Commandments) to show a person that they cannot measure up to God, and thus
   B. Addressing the conscience – everyone knows that lying, murder, etc. (or at least one of the Commandments) are morally wrong,
        1. So you’re not arguing with them about what good and bad is (thus bypassing the intellect) and
        2. You are not playing on their emotions to get them to make a rash decision, even if it’s the “right” one.
          3. By addressing the conscience correctly, the intellect and the emotions will be addressed obliquely
    C. The Law cannot save anyone, as we all fail it, & no one can fulfill it.
   D. Its use is to show us that we are sinners.
        1. The wages of sin is eternal punishment, a righteous judgment by a Righteous Judge.
            a. This is not used as a scare tactic, but should introduce a healthy fear into the sinner

II. For Christians, the Law becomes those things that we gladly do in service of our Lord and Savior, not because it can save us.

GRACE - Once a person is humbled then we can
I. Introduce the Gospel to them-
   A. Who Jesus Christ is (God the Son)
    B. What He did on the cross
        1. What His propitiation means (appeasement; “paid the price”)
        2. What His atonement means (reinstated to harmony and unity)
    C. What God’s Grace is
    D. How to access it
       1. Repentance
            a. True conversion
        2. Faith
            a. The absolute basics of the faith
                i. An accurate understanding of Who God is;
                ii. An accurate understanding of what the Gospel is; and
                iii. An accurate understanding of what the Bible is
    E. What making Christ both their Lord and Savior entails and
    F. What effect all this will have on their life (faithful works).