God vs. The Big (or Flat) Screen. What Do You Think Of Hollywood and The Bible?

[seoulsearch]

Hey everyone,

I know of at least one other thread going that talks about the new Bible Miniseries coming up, but I was wondering how all our singles here feel about movies and/or television shows that depict our beloved Word of God.

I happen to love special effects and the instant gratification we get from glitzy scenes of miraculous wonder, but it kills me as to how much people (Christians especially) buy into it.

For example: how many times have we watched Moses make his way down to the Red Sea and dramatically call out, "LLLOOOOOOOOOOORRRRRDDDDD!!!", raise his staff high above his head and thrust it into the water, then SSSWWWOOOOSSSHHHH!!! The water instantaneously divides right in front of everyone's very eyes!!

It's amazing! It's spectacular! It's incredibly awesome to watch!

And it's also completely Biblically inaccurate. (Did you know that? I never did until I read it myself.) Genesis 14:15-22: "The Angel of the Lord, who was going up in front of the Israelite forces, moved and went behind them (in a pillar of cloud). The cloud was there in the darkness, yet it lit up the night. So neither group came near each other all night long. Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea. The Lord DROVE THE SEA BACK WITH A POWERFUL EAST WIND ALL THAT NIGHT (not in 5 seconds!!) AND TURNED THE SEA INTO DRY LAND."

I realize that people aren't going to be as tuned onto watching a divine fan blow back the waters of the Red Sea for the entire night. BUT, I also remember feeling totally shocked when I read for myself that NO, THE PARTING OF THE RED SEA WAS NOT INSTANTANEOUS!!! I was probably even thinking, "But Lord, I saw it that way on TV!!! And if it was on TV... it really was that way, right?!!"

NOT to lessen the awe-striking power of God, of course... But if they want instantaneous, how about the story of the king who claimed to be a God and was "immediately struck down by worms and died" or the story of King Belshazzar, who threw a great feast and "at that moment, the fingers of a man's hand appeared and began writing on the palace wall" (Daniel was called to interpret the writing).

I appreciate it when Hollywood puts their efforts into bringing God's Word into another dimension (visual) and while of course, would disagree with anything that goes against the principles of the Bible ("The Last Temptation of Christ", for those who remember--I never saw it but read about all the controversy), I have to say that it's always my hope that maybe productions like this might get people interested in the REAL story... Maybe watching something like this might inspire them to dust off their Bible and maybe even read a page or two... which is all to the glory of God.

What do the rest of you think?

 

[toastface_grillah]

[First!]

Now that that's out of my system... I'm pretty openminded about the History Channel's Bible miniseries (haven't heard anything bad about it), but I don't expect Hollywood to "nail it" with Biblical stories, because their priorities are different.
At heart, Hollywood producers and backers want to make money (at least to recover their investment, and then some) and heighten their own fame. Christians want to see God glorified, and want to see the gospel preached.
Also, Hollywood looks for stories with IMPACT! - stories that excite and captivate audiences and advertisers, so naturally, they'll embellish or "pump up" some details, and will prioritize the IMPACT! story over doctrine and theology. Watching the Red Sea part instantly is much more captivating than watching it recede overnight.
Re: the king struck by worms and dying: maybe we'll see it later in the Bible!

 

[zeroturbulence]

Hey everyone,

I know of at least one other thread going that talks about the new Bible Miniseries coming up, but I was wondering how all our singles here feel about movies and/or television shows that depict our beloved Word of God.

I happen to love special effects and the instant gratification we get from glitzy scenes of miraculous wonder, but it kills me as to how much people (Christians especially) buy into it.

For example: how many times have we watched Moses make his way down to the Red Sea and dramatically call out, "LLLOOOOOOOOOOORRRRRDDDDD!!!", raise his staff high above his head and thrust it into the water, then SSSWWWOOOOSSSHHHH!!! The water instantaneously divides right in front of everyone's very eyes!!

It's amazing! It's spectacular! It's incredibly awesome to watch!

And it's also completely Biblically inaccurate. (Did you know that? I never did until I read it myself.) Genesis 14:15-22: "The Angel of the Lord, who was going up in front of the Israelite forces, moved and went behind them (in a pillar of cloud). The cloud was there in the darkness, yet it lit up the night. So neither group came near each other all night long. Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea. The Lord DROVE THE SEA BACK WITH A POWERFUL EAST WIND ALL THAT NIGHT (not in 5 seconds!!) AND TURNED THE SEA INTO DRY LAND."

I realize that people aren't going to be as tuned onto watching a divine fan blow back the waters of the Red Sea for the entire night. BUT, I also remember feeling totally shocked when I read for myself that NO, THE PARTING OF THE RED SEA WAS NOT INSTANTANEOUS!!! I was probably even thinking, "But Lord, I saw it that way on TV!!! And if it was on TV... it really was that way, right?!!"

NOT to lessen the awe-striking power of God, of course... But if they want instantaneous, how about the story of the king who claimed to be a God and was "immediately struck down by worms and died" or the story of King Belshazzar, who threw a great feast and "at that moment, the fingers of a man's hand appeared and began writing on the palace wall" (Daniel was called to interpret the writing).

I appreciate it when Hollywood puts their efforts into bringing God's Word into another dimension (visual) and while of course, would disagree with anything that goes against the principles of the Bible ("The Last Temptation of Christ", for those who remember--I never saw it but read about all the controversy), I have to say that it's always my hope that maybe productions like this might get people interested in the REAL story... Maybe watching something like this might inspire them to dust off their Bible and maybe even read a page or two... which is all to the glory of God.

What do the rest of you think?

I'm sorry Kim but i don't think it matters if it took a whole night or 5 seconds.

The bible says that the sea was like "the waters being a wall to them on their right hand and on their left" (Exodus 14:22) and I think that is the thing that really strikes people's sense of awe, and not the speed in which it was accomplished. No offense, k?

 

[seoulsearch]

I'd still like to see the ratings for a show that depicts the part of the Red Sea as it really was tho... hours and hours of a wind blowing it back.

 

[Tintin]

10 hours of God directing the eastern wind to part the Red Sea? Seoul, that would be the miniseries right there!

 

[seoulsearch]

Zero--

My personal favorite rendition is probably the animated "Prince of Egypt"--even though there were so many inaccuracies (Pharoah as Moses' brother, etc.), I LOVED the scene where the people are walking through on dry land... and you see a flash of light... and the shadow of a whale and other sea creatures swimming past them in the wall of water.

LOVED, LOVED, LOVED that interpretation. I would have been in some trouble if I would have been one of the Israelites during that time... because I would have been so distracted, I would have never made it to the other side.

I would have been too busy trying to pet a whale.

P.S. Toastface--you are totally right about Hollywood just trying to make money... But I fully believe that God uses even the most worldly motives for His own purposes .

 

[zeroturbulence]

Now this has got me wondering why God took all night to do it instead of doing it instantly like on tv. Was He testing their patience? Did He really need all night to do it? (I doubt it since He created the universe in 6 days) Or was there some other reason that no one knows about? Hmmmm...

 

[rachelsedge]

I agree with toastface_grillah (such a great username, ha) in that Hollywood has way different priorities than Christians.

One of my favorite movies is the Prince of Egypt (in fact even reading your post makes me want to watch it again), but I'm aware of what parts are truth and which are speculation (or even just way out there). As Christians, we have to be able to identify what is truth and what is not, in every aspect of life, not just entertainment.

Something movies can help do is to show how those were real people with real emotions, problems, etc. I'm not saying the Bible doesn't do that, but sometimes it just goes from one verse to the next and we don't really think about what that must have been like in between those verses, so to speak. Movies can sometimes help with that.

I'm usually more irritated when in those Gospel movies, Jesus is usually depicted as fair skin, light hair, and blue eyes.

Edited: I got distracted many times (for about 10 minute, actually ) when writing that post so I didn't see your post above mine, seoulsearch, where you said some of the things I just did. Whoops.

 

[seoulsearch]

Zero--

One of the reasons why I love the story of the Exodus is because it shows such a personal, up-close side of God's personality--I love the description of the pillar of cloud leading the people by day and the pillar of fire lighting the way at night. How we all wish for such immediate, physical representations of God's presence in our own lives!!!

I love that the Bible says that during the Israelite's journey's, God cared for them "like a man carrying his son."

Maybe God took the extra time blowing the water back in order to remind the Israelites for an entire night that, "I'm here. Don't be afraid... I'm right here."

 

[seoulsearch]

Rachel--

You are so right about these kinds of visual representations showing us that these were real people facing real situations.

I saw a wax representation of the Last Supper a few years ago and what struck me is that the disciples were depicted as having different age ranges... some probably around 60... and Jesus was depicted as His Biblical age--around age 33. Now that I'm older, especially, it really struck me how it must have been for some of these men to put aside their pride, humble themselves, and put their faith in a young man half their age.

I also saw a Passion Play depicting major events in Jesus' life and in one scene, the other people around him are telling Jesus to ignore a woman who has lived a sinful life. But as He sees her, as he walks past, and as He walks away, urged by these people of how unworthy she is... He ignores what they are saying and keeps turning and looking back at her.

Eventually, He can't hold it in any longer, breaks free from His entourage, and runs back to the woman, giving her a big hug and telling her that her sins are forgiven.

I try to think of God looking at me like that... running back to me despite my sins... and it always chokes me up. It's one thing to visualize in your head... It's unforgettable to see live in the flesh.

 

[DuchessAimee]

I think there are probably many reasons why God directed the East wind instead of moving the sea instantly; however, here are my two thoughts. 1) the physics of it. If the water suddenly went up and not out, what goes up, must come down. 2) Those Israelites had been through some major stuff. They were basically being hunted. God had given them some instant miracles (the clouds and fire) and some not so instant ones (the plagues and getting out of Egypt) However, the most important miracles were the one's that took some time and happened before their eyes. Such as the killing of the first born and the parting of the Red Sea. The one's that take time provoke anxiety, fear, doubt, and many other emotions. When things happen instantly we get spoiled and self entitled. I think God parted the Red Sea the way he did for the total benefit of all generations (present included) involved. Big things, good things take time. Most of all they take faith and trust.

 

[Tommy4Christ]

Hey everyone,

I know of at least one other thread going that talks about the new Bible Miniseries coming up, but I was wondering how all our singles here feel about movies and/or television shows that depict our beloved Word of God.

I happen to love special effects and the instant gratification we get from glitzy scenes of miraculous wonder, but it kills me as to how much people (Christians especially) buy into it.

For example: how many times have we watched Moses make his way down to the Red Sea and dramatically call out, "LLLOOOOOOOOOOORRRRRDDDDD!!!", raise his staff high above his head and thrust it into the water, then SSSWWWOOOOSSSHHHH!!! The water instantaneously divides right in front of everyone's very eyes!!

It's amazing! It's spectacular! It's incredibly awesome to watch!

And it's also completely Biblically inaccurate. (Did you know that? I never did until I read it myself.) Genesis 14:15-22: "The Angel of the Lord, who was going up in front of the Israelite forces, moved and went behind them (in a pillar of cloud). The cloud was there in the darkness, yet it lit up the night. So neither group came near each other all night long. Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea. The Lord DROVE THE SEA BACK WITH A POWERFUL EAST WIND ALL THAT NIGHT (not in 5 seconds!!) AND TURNED THE SEA INTO DRY LAND."

I realize that people aren't going to be as tuned onto watching a divine fan blow back the waters of the Red Sea for the entire night. BUT, I also remember feeling totally shocked when I read for myself that NO, THE PARTING OF THE RED SEA WAS NOT INSTANTANEOUS!!! I was probably even thinking, "But Lord, I saw it that way on TV!!! And if it was on TV... it really was that way, right?!!"

NOT to lessen the awe-striking power of God, of course... But if they want instantaneous, how about the story of the king who claimed to be a God and was "immediately struck down by worms and died" or the story of King Belshazzar, who threw a great feast and "at that moment, the fingers of a man's hand appeared and began writing on the palace wall" (Daniel was called to interpret the writing).

I appreciate it when Hollywood puts their efforts into bringing God's Word into another dimension (visual) and while of course, would disagree with anything that goes against the principles of the Bible ("The Last Temptation of Christ", for those who remember--I never saw it but read about all the controversy), I have to say that it's always my hope that maybe productions like this might get people interested in the REAL story... Maybe watching something like this might inspire them to dust off their Bible and maybe even read a page or two... which is all to the glory of God.

What do the rest of you think?

Your posts truly amaze me!

Hollywood is of the devil, and those who are following Jesus on the narrow road, will abstain from all appearances of evil, and have nothing to do with the works of darkness.

There is absolutely no truth what so ever coming out of Hollywood, but most of you are under the strong delusion, and have no urgency to preach the truth, such as repentance and faith proven by deeds, its all fun and games, while many souls are dying and going to hell!

I pray you are not one of these who loves the world over the truth, which is not being preached much on these forums, lets get serious about the truth, living a holy seperated life unto the Lord!


God is angry with the wicked every day!
Psa 7:9 O let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end, but establish the just. For the righteous God tries the minds and hearts.
Psa 7:10 My defense is from God, who saves the upright in heart.
Psa 7:11 God judges the righteous, and God is angry with the wicked every day.
Psa 7:12 If he does not turn, (Repent) He (God) will sharpen His sword; He has bent His bow and made it ready.
It seem many who profess Christ today love to ignore the strong warnings coming from the few who love them enough to give them the harsh truth!
But they are a prisoner of their own choosing, as they cling to their beloved false doctrines, that declare them saved and secure while they still wallow in sins of the flesh, mocking God who is waiting patiently for now for them to repent! 2 Peter 3-9.
They tell other lost souls its ok, they do the same thing, no one is perfect, we all sin everyday in thought, word and deed, God doesn’t care because it’s His job to clean them up and make them holy!
They argue in favor of sin and unrighteousness ever time the righteous call them out on their sins, which to them is just a struggle as they fall into lust, adultery, drunkenness, fornication, and out bursts of hate and anger!
They fail to realize God is angry with the wicked every day, He has nothing for the false converts who brag daily they are the chief of sinners, and that God winks at their sin and disobedience, why they cry out to God for help, when their life in an unrepentant mess!
So remember the wicked are not just the serial killers, bank robbers, murderers, etc., but may be you, IF you think you can sin like the devil, serving two masters, and think that Jesus came to cloak you in His righteousness, so you are now forever secure no matter what you do, then you need a strong wakeup call!
Gal 6:7 Do not be deceived, God is not mocked. For whatever a man sows, that he also will reap.
Gal 6:8 For he sowing to his flesh will reap corruption from the flesh. But he sowing to the Spirit will reap life everlasting from the Spirit!
Zep 1:17 And I will bring distress on men, so that they shall walk with the blind, because they have sinned against God. And their blood shall be poured out as dust, and their flesh as dung.
These are just a few strong warnings coming from the word of God, testing His creation, as they mock His truth; test His patients, while they think they are being blessed!
Psa 5:5 The foolish shall not stand in Your sight. You hate all doers of iniquity.
Psa 5:6 You shall destroy those who speak lies; God will despise the bloody and deceitful man.
Does this sound like a God who doesn’t care if you continue to sin willfully against Him? Does this sound like a God that turns His back on your rebellion and disobedience towards Him? And does this sound like a God who has declared you righteous even while you commit vile acts of sin against Him, calling it a struggle, and not what it is which is a high crime against God!
Tommy 3-11-12

​

 

[seoulsearch]

No Tommy, it's YOUR posts that truly amaze ME.

That and the fact that you NEVER answer people who confront you.

 

[Hal51]

Wow! thank you Jesus for my sister in Christ seoulsearch. Yes you are truly a daughter of Jesus, I say that because you have a desire for the word of God, and when you hear it you know it.

 

[toastface_grillah]

I'd still like to see the ratings for a show that depicts the part of the Red Sea as it really was tho... hours and hours of a wind blowing it back.

It's not as exciting as something ripped from Scripture, but there was a great show about firewood in Norway a couple weeks ago. For the first 4 hours, they had a firewood celebrity talk about his new book, and about optimal stacking methods, and the following 8 hours just showed a crackling fire with a woman's hands putting in a fresh log every now and then. It was the second highest rated show in the country. No kidding.

 

[zeroturbulence]

Well, I just watched the first part of that new Bible miniseries on the History channel. I was disappointed with a few things about it. It kind of keeps to scripture ok but it leaves soooooooo much out and there was something they added to one story which really bothered me.

For example, Genesis went by in like 30 seconds lol. They did a good job with the 7 days of creation, but then they cut short Adam and Eve's story. They just showed a skinny little snake in a tree and them taking a bite of an apple and then they cut right to Cain slaying Abel and didn't even mention that they were Adam and Eve's offspring. God was completely left out of the Garden of Eden story! Then later on they showed the angels who destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah as martial artists with swords killing all the inhabitants of the city. I was like WHAT?!! They were even dressed in armor which looked a bit like roman soldier armor . Also, the actor who plays Moses is much too chubby to have been living in the desert for many years and the actor who plays Abraham looks like he's in his late 30's. Abraham was supposed to be old. The voice they use for God too doesn't sound powerful or bold to me. It just sounds like an average male voice.

I guess all that is minor, but I really had high hopes for this Bible series. :/

 

[Ritter]

My major qualm with the miniseries is something that made me laugh initially: the Ark of the Covenant.

It is not in the Holy of Holies guarded by the tribe of Levi, no its just kind of hangin out like the Jeep in that 66th anniversary commercial.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h4pMoh1wBKk

Great commercial.

 

[zeroturbulence]

I haven't gotten to that part yet. Don't give it away!!

just kidding of course

 

[NukePooch]

I'd still like to see the ratings for a show that depicts the part of the Red Sea as it really was tho... hours and hours of a wind blowing it back.

10 hours of God directing the eastern wind to part the Red Sea? Seoul, that would be the miniseries right there!

Of course you know the perfect network to put this epic show on, don't you?

 

[DuchessAimee]

It's not as exciting as something ripped from Scripture, but there was a great show about firewood in Norway a couple weeks ago. For the first 4 hours, they had a firewood celebrity talk about his new book, and about optimal stacking methods, and the following 8 hours just showed a crackling fire with a woman's hands putting in a fresh log every now and then. It was the second highest rated show in the country. No kidding.

People are weird. Apparently Norwegians top that list.