The previous blog explored one of the reasons why Christians should engage in more than just surface level discussions of film and music. Here are some more reasons.
As Christians, by standing aside, and watching culture from a distance, there isn't much hope of having any impact on it at all.
If we simply protest and picket certain things we HEAR about that we don't like, it isn't going to help create a Christian voice in popular culture. In the beginning of the first chapter of Eyes Wide Open, the opening of The Last Temptation of Christ is discussed. Most of the Christians protesting never saw the film for themselves. Do you think Martin Scorsese, who has veraciously studied the history of Christ, and is somewhat of scholar of history in general, is going (to paraphrase John Mayer)change his mind from the paint on a sign? It would have been much more beneficial for a Christian professor to watch the film, and then respectfully challenge Scorsese as well as Nikos Kazantzakis on their theology in the film. I'm sure both of them would be more than happy to discuss where they are coming from. The film had many wonderful things to say about Christ that are very true, and Christians could have benefited greatly from getting a new perspective on what it means to be both fully God and fully man. There were huge theological problems in the film also, but they all merited discussion not picketing.
If we can work side by side secular movie producers, and directors, and screen-writers, and bring what we have to say from a Christian perspective to the table, instead of creating our own separate film industry just for christians, I think our culture would be much richer because of it. I don't how possible such things are, but the idea at least seems somewhat plausible.
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