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'Noah’ and ‘God’s Not Dead’: Graceless and clueless
Washington Post ^ | 04/02/2014 | Michael Gerson

Posted on 04/01/2014 7:18:41 PM PDT by SeekAndFind

Part of this year’s Lenten discipline for many religious people has been to see two bad religious movies, “Noah” and “God’s Not Dead.” Both left me longing for the comparative moral simplicity and integrity of “The Wolf of Wall Street.”

In “Noah,” the main character is a brooding, misanthropic vegan. One hopes that Russell Crowe, a fine actor, does not end up being typecast a la Charlton Heston. There just aren’t many parts for brooding, misanthropic vegans. The movie itself consists of tedium punctuated by anachronism, sanctimony and animated rock people. It contains just enough spiritual pretention to make you wonder afterward if you have missed something important. You haven’t. The movie’s guiding philosophy — civilization bad, nature good — is as complex as the one in Disney’s “Pocahontas.” With worse music and more cannibalism.

[SNIP]

The main problem with “God’s Not Dead” is not its cosmology or ethics but its anthropology. It assumes that human beings are made out of cardboard. Academics are arrogant and cruel. Liberal bloggers are preening and snarky (well, maybe the movie has a point here). Unbelievers disbelieve because of personal demons. It is characterization by caricature.

And it raises a sobering question: Do evangelicals actually view their neighbors this way, as moral types and apologetic tools? Not in my experience. Most evangelical leaders and laymen I know would recognize that the line between good and evil (to paraphrase Solzhenitsyn) runs not between groups but within every heart — and that grace often moves in subversive and unpredictable ways. In general, evangelical lives are better than their art.

(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...


TOPICS: History; Religion; TV/Movies
KEYWORDS: godsnotdead; movies; noah; noahthemovie
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1 posted on 04/01/2014 7:18:41 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
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To: SeekAndFind

I guess Gerson hasn’t been on a college campus lately.


2 posted on 04/01/2014 7:22:27 PM PDT by DLfromthedesert (She accomplished nothing: should have stayed at home and baked cookies)
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To: SeekAndFind

Well, there’s always Marvel.


3 posted on 04/01/2014 7:23:09 PM PDT by DannyTN ( .)
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To: SeekAndFind

As I noted elsewhere...Jesus came to Save Man...not entertain him.

Movies about Our Struggles and Victories seem a better idea.


4 posted on 04/01/2014 7:28:46 PM PDT by MeshugeMikey ( "Never, never, never give up". Winston Churchill)
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To: DLfromthedesert

RE: I guess Gerson hasn’t been on a college campus lately.

For Mr. Gerson’s edification:

Vanderbilt Professor: ‘Christian Organizations Are Under Attack’ on U.S. Campuses

http://cnsnews.com/blog/stephen-gutowski/vanderbilt-professor-christian-organizations-are-under-attack-us-campuses

Calif. Professor Charged With Attacking Pro-Life Activist

http://www.christianpost.com/news/calif-professor-charged-with-attacking-pro-life-activist-116629/

Pro-life teen defiant after alleged attack by feminist professor

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2014/03/13/teen-abortion-protester-defiant-after-alleged-attack-by-feminist-professor/

Court rules university violated conservative professor’s freedom of speech

http://winteryknight.wordpress.com/2014/03/21/court-rules-university-violated-conservative-professors-freedom-of-speech/


5 posted on 04/01/2014 7:30:15 PM PDT by SeekAndFind (uestion)
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To: SeekAndFind

I don’t think that Godless is a good evangelism vessel. It’s true the characters are very one dimensional, but I was entertained. It was nice to see for once the liberals being the ones wearing horns and the conservatives wearing a halo in a movie.


6 posted on 04/01/2014 7:36:24 PM PDT by MNDude
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To: SeekAndFind

How shall I say this politely? This guys kind of an A-hole isn’t he? Oh and yeah Heston was definitely typecast, I can’t recall ever seeing him do anything but a biblical character in a movie! Russell Crow can only aspire to the abilities of Heston.


7 posted on 04/01/2014 7:41:16 PM PDT by Mastador1 (I'll take a bad dog over a good politician any day!)
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To: Mastador1

RE: I can’t recall ever seeing him do anything but a biblical character in a movie!

How about Planet of the Apes, Soylent Green and Earthquake?


8 posted on 04/01/2014 7:45:41 PM PDT by SeekAndFind (uestion)
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To: SeekAndFind

Gerson is the clueless one.
“Neo-Noah” is Gaia worship, purposely heretical.
And “God’s Not Dead” was made for the average Christian who’s demoralized by the growing attacks from our progressive secular culture. It’s not meant for brooding navel-gazing elitists like Gerson.


9 posted on 04/01/2014 7:45:48 PM PDT by marjiwoj
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To: SeekAndFind
I saw "Noah" this past weekend. GARBAGE.
Russell Crowe and Anthony Hopkins were great as always.
The special effects of the flood made the movie.

This is my THIRD comment on the movie from the THIRD posting of the movie.

10 posted on 04/01/2014 7:46:30 PM PDT by cloudmountain
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To: SeekAndFind
The main problem with “God’s Not Dead” is not its cosmology or ethics but its anthropology. It assumes that human beings are made out of cardboard. Academics are arrogant and cruel. Liberal bloggers are preening and snarky (well, maybe the movie has a point here). Unbelievers disbelieve because of personal demons. It is characterization by caricature.

Sorry, I'm not seeing the problem here.

Liberals ARE caricatures of human beings. That's what they DO - and they spend a lot of time and effort perfecting their craft. I think it's pretty condescending to deny their life's work.

11 posted on 04/01/2014 7:50:20 PM PDT by Talisker (One who commands, must obey.)
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To: SeekAndFind
How about Planet of the Apes, Soylent Green and Earthquake?

Iam so sorry, I thought that my comment so screamed out SARCASTIC that I didn't tag it. I humbly apologize and will endeavor to refrain from making said error in the future. Your humble servant, Captain Obvious. Sometimes drugs are good, other times this is what happens, who knew!

12 posted on 04/01/2014 7:55:55 PM PDT by Mastador1 (I'll take a bad dog over a good politician any day!)
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To: SeekAndFind

In regards to the movie “Noah” — what people need to realize is the studio and the director made a liberal, leftist, ‘green’, global warming and enviro-whacko PROPAGANDA HIT PIECE against the foundations of Christianity and the Bible — and instead, sneaking in their enviro-whacko IDEOLOGY as the basis of the movie!

Dennis Prager, in the following Freeper posting, explains what is going on, in our culture. This movie NOAH is a prime example of how that works.

Judaism, Christianity, Environmentalism
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3139589/posts

ALSO ... if someone wants to see the list of articles on a Free Republic search, you can use this, too ...
http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/noahthemovie/index


13 posted on 04/01/2014 8:08:07 PM PDT by Star Traveler (Remember to keep the Messiah of Israel in the One-World Government that we look forward to coming)
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To: cloudmountain

I saw it, too. Aside from the controversies, the film was just plain silly. The only endearing characters were the rock angels.


14 posted on 04/01/2014 8:11:40 PM PDT by llmc1
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To: llmc1
The only endearing characters were the rock angels.

They were endearing, weren't they?
I wonder whose "brain child" they were. Silliest thing I ever saw.
At least now we know how that huge ark was build with...ROCKIN' labor!!

15 posted on 04/01/2014 8:15:25 PM PDT by cloudmountain
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To: SeekAndFind

Gerson’s avoidance of the intellectual message of God’s Not Dead is blatant. The apologetic content of this movie will be deeply threatening to atheist ideology.

As for its quality, the movie is quality production with the potential to engage both mind and heart.


16 posted on 04/01/2014 8:23:34 PM PDT by reasonisfaith ("...because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved." (2 Thessalonians))
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To: cloudmountain

“ROCKIN’ labor!!”

Ha! : )


17 posted on 04/01/2014 8:30:21 PM PDT by llmc1
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To: SeekAndFind

I like the idea of Russell Crow shoveling $#)¡ 24/7 for forty days through an 18” window.
But not enough to buy a ticket.


18 posted on 04/01/2014 8:42:29 PM PDT by tumblindice (Are all Democrats inveterate, habitual liars?)
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To: tumblindice

LOL. My evangelist friend called me the other night. Says he: “Have you seen that Noah movie?” “no” “well, don’t. It’s blasphemous. When I left the theater I felt like I ought to get down on my knees and ask God to forgive me for sitting through that monstrosity.” Anyway it was funny in his deep Southern accent. I won’t be seeing the movie.


19 posted on 04/01/2014 8:49:46 PM PDT by WVNan
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To: WVNan

But it might be worth $8.00 to see the expression on his face when God drops by, seven days before it starts raining, and says,
“Remember what I said about two of every animal? Sure you do. Now I’m going to need *seven* each of the ‘clean’ animals. I like clean animals, and I’m particularly partial to Polar bears, brontosaurs, blue whales and Wooley mammoth.
“OK, hup, hup, hup!”


20 posted on 04/01/2014 9:12:38 PM PDT by tumblindice (Are all Democrats inveterate, habitual liars?)
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