As if I didn't have enough in Christianity Today to be disgusted with, they just put in a plug for one of the more (well, two of the more!) blasphemous movies I've ever heard of, in Bruce Almighty and, now, Evan Almighty. Check this out.

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Todd K. Pedlar
member, First Congregational Church, (CCCC) Cresco, IA
http://semperubi.rtrc.net

"Many men, after a long conversion, see more of the workings of sin in their hearts than ever they did before or at their first conversion. Now, such men have not an increase of sin, but an increase of illumination and light" (Christopher Love)


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Evan Almighty sounds very blasphemous.

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The man who is disposed to think of his sin as a great calamity, rather than as a heinous crime, is not likely either to reverence God or to respect His law. - John Kennedy, 1873
Meg
Blog
Member, Intown Presbyterian Church,PCA, Portland, OR

Click to get: Board Rules -- Signature Requirements -- Suggestions?

I have read several reviews - I would avoid them like the plague.

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-JD
1Thess5:21
Ordained Deacon, PCA
Serving in the SBC
MS

Team blog: ChristianSkepticism.org | Personal:...a Longmire rambles | facebook

I had CT when I first became became a Christian, took it for about five years or so then read my First Touchstone, let CT drop and never looked back!

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~etexas~

Words like disgust and blasphemy are harsh, indeed. Did you write to CT first before “sharing” your disgust?

Have you thought about praying for brothers whose judgement you disagree with?

Have you thought about writing a more measured review of something that will attract all kinds of viewers? http://www.worldmag.com/articles/13067

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bwsmith
wife, mother and grandmother!
Severna Park Evangelical Pres. Church (PCA)

Well, the movie is blasphemous. So, harsh as it is, there is no getting around that.

CT publicly put out a favorable review - I publicly call a spade a spade. They have made a gross error in judgment, and it is no surprise, given the nature of the magazine.

How do you know I am not praying for them? You're making lots of assumptions. (i haven't but now that you mention it, I will, but it
is inappropriate for you to speculate as to whether I had held them
up in prayer for their repentance or not)

Why would I write a review that would attract any viewer to a blasphemous movie?

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Todd K. Pedlar
member, First Congregational Church, (CCCC) Cresco, IA
http://semperubi.rtrc.net

"Many men, after a long conversion, see more of the workings of sin in their hearts than ever they did before or at their first conversion. Now, such men have not an increase of sin, but an increase of illumination and light" (Christopher Love)


Click to get: Board Rules -- Signature Requirements -- Suggestions?

Someone was mentioning something about a spade?

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For the sake of the Name,

John Hill
Faith Community - Woodstock, Ga
Adopted. Husband for 12 years. Father of 5 children.
http://faithcommunitychurch.org- My home church
Rocky Top, you'll always be, home sweet home to me.

Unfortunately ... The magazine's title is accurate. They are a reflection of Christianity in today's America. I'm sure that the sermon clips and power point presentations will be all over the net based on that blasphemous movie very soon if not already.

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Dan
Member, Soaring Oaks Presbyterian (PCA)
www.soaringoaks.org
Northern California
The duty of a theologian is, not to please the ear with empty sounds, but to confirm the conscience by teaching things which are true, certain and profitable.
John Calvin, 1559

Been so long since I looked at a CT I don't know if it's blasphemous. I do know those "Almighty" movies are........I saw Bruce Almighty with my own two eyes,man afterwards Megan and I went off to pray. I felt guilt for supporting it......about wore out my Anglican Rosary that night.

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~etexas~

Todd - with all due respect to those that may still subscribe to Christianity Today, I gave up on that rag a long time ago.

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Bill Brown
Elder
Grace Baptist Church
Anne Arundel County, Maryland

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WAVA radio (105.1 FM) out of D.C./No. VA. play commercials for Bruce Almighty. It's the only station in the area where I can here MacArthur, Sproul and Zacharias. Why would a Christian station air that type of a commerical?

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Bill Brown
Elder
Grace Baptist Church
Anne Arundel County, Maryland

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You nerds. Get with the program and the world and be relevant! No one wants to hear about your stuffy, old, worn out Christianity. Be cool, be hip - oh wait I tried that already and - oops - it didn't work.

-Charles Finney

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Rev. Daniel Kok
Pastor of Grace Reformed Church (URCNA)
Leduc, Alberta CANADA
Church Blog

"there is no creature, either in heaven or on earth, who loves us more than Jesus Christ"
Belgic Confession, Article 26

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yup! I think we all tried that, Sproul (I think) said we are now in a time when Christians are ashamed to act like Christians, we no longer bear our reproach well.

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~etexas~

Ha. Me too.

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Todd K. Pedlar
member, First Congregational Church, (CCCC) Cresco, IA
http://semperubi.rtrc.net

"Many men, after a long conversion, see more of the workings of sin in their hearts than ever they did before or at their first conversion. Now, such men have not an increase of sin, but an increase of illumination and light" (Christopher Love)


Click to get: Board Rules -- Signature Requirements -- Suggestions?

These statements say it all:

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Traci
Lynnwood OPC
Psalm 52:8-9
8 But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God: I trust in the mercy of God for ever and ever.
9 I will praise thee for ever, because thou hast done it: and I will wait on thy name; for it is good before thy saints.

So did WORLD Magazine -- and the nature of CT reflects the nature of teh church, to whom we are to be salt and light.

I didn't know -- that's why I asked.

Writing reviews of what's in the culture is a good way to think about how to express truth to confused people.

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bwsmith
wife, mother and grandmother!
Severna Park Evangelical Pres. Church (PCA)

I used to call it "Christianity Astray."

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J. B. Atken
John Knox PCA
Layman, M.A. student at Louisiana College

The good news is the subscription rates for periodicals like Modern Reformation and by Faith are going gangbusters.

I think people interested in knowing and living a biblically faithful theology recognize that Christianity Today (among others) is the periodical equivalent to an airport interfaith chapel.

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Joel Batts
Christ Presbyterian Church (PCA) - Memphis, TN

"Why wasn't God watching? Why wasn't God listening? Why wasn't God there for Georgia Lee?"
- Tom Waits
But you, O God, do see trouble and grief;you consider it to take it in hand. The victim commits himself to you; you are the helper of the fatherless. - Psalm 10:14

Since many Christians are still in denominations whose doctrines stray, it's helpful to be able to read what they are doing -- and their coverage in international events in the church is worth noting.

I am more impressed with folks who take the time to explain, and argue persuasively than those whose comments are limited to harsh words.

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bwsmith
wife, mother and grandmother!
Severna Park Evangelical Pres. Church (PCA)

Honest question: What makes the movie blasphemous? (I have not seen it...)

I'm speaking here only of Bruce Almighty, which I saw 5 minutes of on a plane once before realizing what it was (and then buried myself in, oddly enough, John Owen's Christologia)

The primary issue with the movie is that God is pictured in human form (Morgan Freeman). This is enough.

Secondly, however, the whole premise is a flippant treatment of God - that He would grant divine powers to a human being in order to make some kind of point with that person. Naturally enough, in the film, all kinds of silliness ensues when Bruce finds out what kinds of things he can do.

It is an utterly disgraceful film in both these respects - and the fact that CT and/or any other Christian publication can actually suggest that Christians should see it is very sad to me.

__________________
Todd K. Pedlar
member, First Congregational Church, (CCCC) Cresco, IA
http://semperubi.rtrc.net

"Many men, after a long conversion, see more of the workings of sin in their hearts than ever they did before or at their first conversion. Now, such men have not an increase of sin, but an increase of illumination and light" (Christopher Love)


Click to get: Board Rules -- Signature Requirements -- Suggestions?

Partial quote from the movie on an ad they play incessantly on the Christian station in Portland;
(Speaking of Noah's Flood) You wouldn't do that again. Would You do that again?"

In the movie, supposedly He does do that again, which in Scripture He said He would never do. God breaking His own covenant? Oh, well, I don't get my Covenant Theology from Hollywood. (she says smugly).

bwsmith;

One reason for the apparent harshness in regard to these issues is that many of us have tried to reason with our brethern and even pastors in the mainstream evangelical churches on these kinds of issues to no avail. There are certain kinds of evil that appear to no longer be being restrained. That's one reason I'm an amillennialist.

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The man who is disposed to think of his sin as a great calamity, rather than as a heinous crime, is not likely either to reverence God or to respect His law. - John Kennedy, 1873
Meg
Blog
Member, Intown Presbyterian Church,PCA, Portland, OR

Click to get: Board Rules -- Signature Requirements -- Suggestions?

That's easy. Its mythology. What makes it acceptable is the better acting and story line. Remember the scene where Perseus rescues Andromeda (sp?)? That was awesome.




I'm sorry. I was just trying to lighten the mood.

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J. B. Atken
John Knox PCA
Layman, M.A. student at Louisiana College