Posted on 02/17/2005 3:33:01 AM PST by rightwingintelligentsia
Edited on 03/03/2005 12:59:57 PM PST by Jim Robinson. [history]
Maybe it's because I spent time last summer in Burundi, the poorer twin-sister country of Rwanda, which shares a similar history, tribal make-up, geography, culture, and terrifying undercurrent of genocide. Maybe it's because while there, I met some Anglican priests serving in Rwanda, who told personal stories of the tragedies there and their efforts to bring healing and reconciliation in the aftermath. Maybe it's because (I know some readers will be tempted to write me off after reading this sentence) I was so frustrated by last year's promotional hype surrounding Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ, and I was so frustrated by the movie itself, although I know many good people found it moving and spiritually edifying. Maybe it's because I have deep concerns about the alignment of major sectors of Christianity with "red-state Republicanism," and I worry that a kind of modernist, nationalist neo-fundamentalism is trying to claim all Christian territory as its sovereign domain.
(Excerpt) Read more at christianitytoday.com ...
There is such a group that the average Joe is a conservative (biblically orthodox) Christian but politically leaning left. I think the folks at ChristianityToday are some in this group. (Ethnic Minority i.e. non-European descent Christians is another)
Although I personally think this stand is nonsense, but just like atheists who happen to be defence hawks, free-marketers, and even upholder of traditional morality (I have seen such people, although the context is a very secular contemporaryNew Zealand), my guess the reverse is true, that there are Christians that apart from their Bible beliefs, are indistinguishable to John Kerry on most issues.
Hotel Rawanda (done in collaboration with the actual hotel manager, btw) sounds like a fine, fine movie. All people of good will would probably do well to see it. But I don't know why the author feels he has to bash Mel Gibson's movie, Republicans, and conservatives in order to make that point.
And regarding this comment "What do we make of the fact that a high percentage of the Americans who ignored the 1994 genocides (then and now) were and are churchgoers?" I certainly hope he's including our then President and Church-goer Bill Clinton. And I don't know the faith or degree of piety of Koffi Annan, but I do know that he was the head of UN peacekeeping at that time. But as is usual on the left his failure (leading to the slaughter of nearly a million innocent people) was rewarded with promotion and adulation.
So I'd like to ask this author a few questions, because quite frankly his sneering and derisive tone don't sound very Christian to me. And I doubt that Jesus sees himself as some heavenly movie critic recommending viewing choices for the faithful either.
That's why I don't like Christianity Today that much. It is still relatively biblically orthodox (i.e. ortjodox/conservative Christian) on moral and Christian matters, but on everything else you could just have read the Boston Globe.
It's kind of ironic to hear McLaren, king of postmodernism, decry its divisive results.
I found his article rather patronizing and lacking insight. Why did churches encourage their congregations to see "The Passion"? Because Christianity isn't about "being a nice guy". It's about Christ. It's about His death and resurrection. It's about Him taking the penalty for our sins. It's about our new life in Him.
Movies about people "doing the right thing" are a dime a dozen. I haven't seen Hotel Rwanda, but I've seen Schindler's List. Why not recommend that one?
And before he continues on his rant about Republicans and Red States, he might take some time to consider the party platforms. If one is going to vote, one has to pick a side. Would Jesus support abortion? Would he want our tax dollars supporting it?
Loving your neighbor doesn't mean embracing all he does. Love is an active verb, not a passive noun. If I truly love my neighbor, it will pain me to see his separation from God. I may choose to love him right where he is, but I know that he doesn't need to stay there -- and in fact, if he does stay there, he will die. I know what kind of amazing life he can have in Christ, and I desire that for him. Jesus didn't say, "Well that's okay, you just have a different viewpoint." He said, "Then neither do I condemn you. Go now and leave your life of sin."
I don't wish to judge Mr. McLaren, but I'm hearing his kind of relativism from Christians more and more. Just spend an hour over at www.relevantmagazine.com and you can see the young relativist Christian contingent at work - justifying sin at every turn. Scary.
Matt 24:12 Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved.
>> A year after Mel Gibson's movie, I found an even more Christian film—one that most Christians are ignoring... I was so frustrated by last year's promotional hype surrounding Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ, and I was so frustrated by the movie itself,... <<
Talk about disingenuous. He not only disliked "The Passion," he was frustrated by it's success. IOW, he wished it was a failure.
>> Maybe it's because I have deep concerns about the alignment of major sectors of Christianity with "red-state Republicanism," and I worry that a kind of modernist, nationalist neo-fundamentalism is trying to claim all Christian territory as its sovereign domain. <<
Wow! He loves Hotel Rwanda because it teaches against tribalism, but he hates Mel Gibson's movie because it's associated with an enemy camp. And doncha just love "modernist, nationalist, neo-fundamentalism"? Let's put aside, just for a moment, the hilarity of calling a Latin-Mass worshipper a modernist. Or calling nationalist an Australian immigrant filming an ARAMAIC-language film in Italy about a Jew with an American and Czeckoslavakian as stars. Let's just focus on the word, "neo-fundamentalism." Has "neo" become a prefix for "right-wing extremists who you should hate"?
I think you've hit it on the head. Good observation.
Then, I realize that in some ways at least, the tragic tsunami of December 26, 2004, did that.
He is out of his depth. The Passion (the real one, not the movie) is that tragedy.
It was very humorous after the election to hear the secularist pundits going on about GWB speaking "in code" to Christians. Apparently nobody but Christians and pundits can recognize Biblical phrases in a speech.
The libbies use cute little code words constantly and think it is not obvious to anyone else.
Absolutely.
It took me only a few sentences of this article to know what was going on.
I agree -- sneers and a snarky attitude.
We just got back from the movie, and it is very moving.
Anyone that sees it cannot but help noticing the non-action of those that could have helped.
I am not up to speed, on what the UN is accomplishing, in Sudan. My guess is it is another example, of little or no help.
So I conclude Bush was right to ask the UN to help in Iraq, and to then go ahead without them.
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