Outraged?

I have been receiving tons of e-mail regarding "The Golden Compass." which is evidently a movie coming out this December based on the first in a series of children's books written by a British author who is purported to be an atheist.

In the movie, which is mostly fantasy, supposedly God dies accidentally. According to some, criticism regarding the movie ranges from:

The movie is atheism for kids.
The movie is anti-religion, particularly anti-catholic.
The author despises C.S. Lewis and the Narnia series.
The watered down movie will be an enticement to buy the much more pointed books.
(http://zealfortruth.org/2007/11/boycott-the-golden-compass-movie/)

In a letter to the editor of the Hutchinson Leader, Hutchinson, Minnesota a reader said she was "totally outraged" by the movie. It struck me when I read her comment. Outraged? I have a lot of things cross my mind when I read about this movie, but I'm not sure outraged would be one of them. Actually, this becomes a case in point for where I think many Christians are on the wrong track.

To be clear, nothing I have read about the movie leads me to believe I will agree with any of it. More than that, I think it could have a negative effect on children who are impressionable by definition. But what should be our response?

First, I would be outraged if someone broke into my house, tied up my family and forced us to watch the movie. In America we don't have to vote on what we allow on our TV. There is the shutoff button. But I wouldn't be outraged regarding the movie. I would expect such a thing.

I think the big problem is how we approach the problem. I would be outraged because I am entitled to decide what gets shown at my house. I am not entitled to decide what gets shown at theaters. This is America, and I can have a voice, but my voice gets added to yours and so on. Sometimes I think we Christians get confused and think that since our views have been the majority for so long that we don't have to keep working hard in the marketplace of ideas promoting solid values. Our attitude is more one of entitlement--thus the outrage.

In America, we are free to put forth our views and opinions. Fortunately for us, we have the truth, even though how we put it forth may be more or less accurate. Our message is also very winsome in it's purest form. This is why more Muslims are coming to faith in Jesus today than ever in history. (more on that in another blog)

Our goal then is to be done with sitting on our royal entitlements and engage the culture. First, do it by training your kids. Don't send them to movies, take them. Then talk to them about the ideas the movie presented. Don't just give them a library card, look at the books they are reading and talk to them about them. In doing so with our children, we will create a bunch of kids who know what they believe, and why they believe it. Then when the do get to college, they will be much better prepared to weather the storm of so many crazy agendas.

In other words, let's face this with passionate dialogue. Acknowledge their right to make that kind of movie and use it as a teaching tool for your kids. It can serve to strengthen them.

Merely being outraged isn't enough.

Welcome to Principles and Purpose

I took a rather unscientific poll of my church once and found that one of the greatest areas of interest is the subject of purpose. I suppose that makes sense since we live in a wealthy country where our physical needs and safety aren't our greatest priority. (not that they aren't priorities at all)

Since I am a believer that a life best lived is a life lived by the right principles I thought I would create a blog that would share my musings on the subjects of principles and purpose. Even if it doesn't interest anyone else, at least it will be a way for me to coalesce my thoughts and since I do it anyway in a journal, why not make it public?

If you are reading this and think I am crazy, or you want to know more about me or my church, please visit www.rheasmill.org; or if you like, you can e-mail me at phil@rheasmill.org. First, I will be surprised that anyone actually wanted to read this stuff, and second, I would be happy to reply.

Godspeed on your journey in life. Let me sum up this post with one of my favorite verses in the Bible:

"For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus, for good works, which God prepared beforerhand that we should walk in them." Ephesians 2:10

Blessings,
Phil