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with comments by David Bruce

SOME GUY, PART 3
Subject: Mithras
Date: Thu, 31 Jan 2002
From: Some Guy

Yes, hard as it may be to believe, your enjoyment of sunsets, food, life, etc. are all the result of a cosmic "accident" that took billions of years to unfold. (BTW, just to clarify, are you one of those who believes the earth is only 6,000 -or-so years old? Some believers do, some don't. I just wanted to know.) You are right the earth is ancient. However, It does have a designer. Your designer god seems to be Chance! Your faith rests in Fate or Chance. So, you do believe in God -David. Christians like to put that up as an argument, as well as "If there is no God, why don't we all just run around and kill each other, fornicate, create every kind of chaos? There is no morality without God." Absurd. Civilized society, for the most part, has learned that certain types of behavior are necessary for humanity to function. The Bible doesn't corner the market or even have any claims to originality when it comes to moral principles. Codes of behavior were large parts of nations even more primitive than Biblical Israel. Egypt, China, South America, etc. all had these same laws on the books centuries, sometimes millennia before the Old Testament. This is true. As the Celtic Christians believe the image or impression of God is in everyone, not just Christians. Romans chapter 1 teaches that the law of God is written on every heart. So I agree with you for the most part -David. Anyway, the sun would've shone, the tress would've grown, mankind (Humanity, you mean, you tend to use andocentric language that exludes woman -David) would've thrived without a belief in God. Vastly different? Sure. But the survival instinct would've carried the day. Ahh, that in born desire to survive, to live, to grow -all a part of the God image -David

According to the interpreters of scripture, yes, Jesus was 100% human, but was also 100% divine, without sin or defect, perfect. He would've been free from the emotional failures he displays quite often. Was he loving his enemies when he stormed the Temple and threw out the money changers? Yes, tough love -David And, if he were co-equal with God, he would've had a vast supply of knowledge of every nation on earth and of the infinite future, none of which he displays anywhere in the NT No he did not have knowledge that was different than any other human. To believe that Jesus used retained in any way his divinity in the incarntion has always been considered heresy in the church. In the incarnation Jesus became human. Period.

I agree with you that, in the context of the Christian myth, Jesus as anything other than human would've made the resurrection meaningless. There is just no evidence at all that he was God, other than him saying so. You can go on all day about the miracles he supposedly performed, but other contemporaries of Jesus were "healers" as well. Phillip for example. And isn't it curious that not one single person who he allegedly healed came to his defense at his trial? Are you suggesting that Jesus had a fair trial? Also, you seem to bend Jesus to your understanding in order to dismiss him. Your logic is interesting. -David

I urge everyone who happens upon this site to read the marvelous books GOD: A BIOGRAPHY and CHRIST: CRISIS IN THE LIFE OF GOD by Jack Miles. He is an absolute genius at breaking through the mysticism and finding reality. Then go out and find any book with the writings of Robert Ingress. He can be a little repetitive at times, but he was one of the ultimate free thinkers in history. Do they also bend Jesus to in order to dismiss him? -David

a walk to remember?

help me out if you can

Jeremy Lewis
Youth Minister- Plymouth Park C of C

Response -Sorry for the delay. -David

  I absolutely hated this movie. I am not that fond of war movies, but when a teen friend wanted to see it, I agreed to go, hoping for some redeeming quality like an explanation of what the conflict was about. Instead, I found myself unhappily immersed in a live video game, complete with shootings and gore, non-stop. The only "lesson" was to not abandon your fellow soldiers, and that war is about taking care of your fellow soldier. When are we going to decide that war means taking care of my fellow soldier by not running to war solutions? And that we need to be soldiers in a different kind of war, wrestling with the giants of poverty or alcoholism in your or my city? Christians who are afraid to go work or live in their inner city will go and cheer these guys for killing a bunch of people in their own city in Somalia, going about their own business, fighting to protect their territory. But face the dangers of gangs or drugs? And those are really the brothers we can't abandon, the people next to us that we really should be saving and seeing!

 The move also failed to deal with the big question of whether the US or the UN is doing any good by sending in soldiers to other country situations like these. I left about as ignorant about Somalia and the lives that needed saving and still do, as I am now. I think, I think, they tried to say the dictator there was a Hitler and thus the people (Nazis?) around him deserved to die, too?

I can't think of anything to recommend this movie.

Marla

Response: I can understand your discomfort. This was however, based on a true story. It was not a commentary on the ethics of the war itself. It was what it was. -David

GO SEE IT
Subject: Amalie
Date: Thu, 31 Jan 2002
From: GGH

 Everyone everywhere should hurry-up and see this movie. It is a gem. Even if you hate subtitle (like myself) It is a must see. Treat yourself and maybe you will be a treat to others as a result.

THOUGHT ON HARRY POTTER
Subject: Harry Potter AND Newsletter_30_Harry_Potter
Date: Thu, 31 Jan 2002
From: "Wendy"

Hi David,

It has been interesting, and sometimes sad, this debate over Harry Potter, between Christians.

Untill recently I have been stting on the fence regarding the Harry Potter issue, meaning that I was neither for or against it. In fact I really had no interest in Harry Potter at all, not because of any issue with the occult. I just wasn't that interested.

However as arguements and opinions became more heated, I decided instead of getting too involve, I would seek wisdom and discerment from God.

I thought God knows my heart. He knows that I am aware of the truth, that Jesus Christ in Lord and Saviour. He knows that if I read Harry Potter, I'm not going to turn my back on him, and become a witch.

It is interesting that some Christians believe it's a sin to read Harry Potter, where as others do not.

So I think the question to ask is 'What is a sin? The Bible says it is something that seperates us from God.

How do we become seperated from God? By becoming obssess with something, and spending more time with that, then with God.

In other words, if you have become obsessed with Harry Potter to the point where it has taken over your life, than yes, for you reading Harry Potter maybe a sin (because it has seperated you from God).

If however, you just occasionally read the books, but have no obsession with them, in that you have more of desire to know God, then to get your hand on the next Harry Potter book, then enjoy reading them, knowing that you know God's truth.

Now I know that some Christians, have said we shouldn't read the books at all, because it may lead to the occult.

But let me ask these questions. Do you go to McDonalds? Do you have a glass of wine with your dinner?

If your answer is yes to those questions, then I could say to you, 'Well going to McDonlads could lead to gluttony, or drinking wine may lead you into an alcohol problem.'

My point is that everyone is different, in that if some people to have a weight or drinking problem, that going to McDonalds or have wine with dinner, may not be a good idea.

The same if someone in the past has had bad experiences with things like the occult, then maybe something like Harry Potter isn't good for you.

And as for your children, well that is for the parents to discern and anyone outsiders opinions should be kept to themselves, since most parents know their own children, and what is best or isn't best for them.

I think when it all comes down to it, let's stop debating over the Harry Potter issue, and just accept that some like Harry and some don't.

Stop giving satan a foothold into this, because I tell you, he is really enjoying using Harry Potter to break Christian relationships.

And lastly, I really respect amd admire those who have been able to bring others to the Christian faith, by using Harry Potter as analogy. I bet satan wasn't expecting that.

God Bless, Wendy

DID WE SEE THE SAME FILM?
Subject: Moulin_Rouge
Date: Wed, 30 Jan 2002 03:33:45 -0800
From: "Dan Saperstein"

While I appreciate the depth of thought that went into the review of Moulin Rouge, I am afraid the author goes a bit overboard in his deconstruction of the film. Contrary to his overblown analysis (the Egyptian goddess Sati!) the spiritual content of the film is just simplistic and adolescent: the redemptive power of romantic love (often confused with sensuality and eroticism) contrasted with oppressive religious moralism. The story is overworn and the plot is threadbare and utterly predictable. No doubt, the film scores a "10" for art direction and cinematography, but the writing is so cliche that I thought the only way to enjoy the film was to accept it as "camp," i.e., an intentional spoof of the genre, right down to the choice of music ("Silly Love Songs"? "Like a Virgin"?). Alas, all I have seen about the director's intentions do not support this theory. The result is "burlesque" on film: a lot of eye candy but ultimately a waste of time and talent.
The Rev. Dan Saperstein Pullman, WA

Response: This film is not a waste of time and talent. It is brilliant and the members of the Academy agree. It is Sati, the use of the elephant underscores that, please brush up on your mythology. Also, get a good book on Celtic spirituality to understand romantic love as created by God, therefore it reflects God's love and passion for us. -David

JUST SOME GUY, part 2
Subject: Mithras
Date: Tue, 29 Jan 2002
From: Just some guy

David--
Ha, that's rich! A Christian talking about logic. (Thanks for the slam -David) No, I don't think Jesus was a stupid peasant. He was at times very wise, other times self-contradicting and filled with normal emotion. In other words, HUMAN. (Jesus was 100% human -absolutely true. To be less than human would reindered Jesus meaningless -David) If he were God, and illiterate, then God is illiterate???? (No. If Jesus was human, and he was, does that make God a human? -David) . Obviously he had no knowledge or care for the long-term future of humanity. (As a human, you are right, he was just like you and I -100% human -which is the point. -David) One of his unfulfilled prophecies mentions that (paraphrasing) "There are some among you who shall not draw their last breath before the return of God's Kingdom." ( The Kingdom came on the Day of Pentecost just after the resurrection -David) This is why his followers, especially Paul, were in such a hurry to get right with God (Not true. -David). They expected Jesus to come back in their lifetimes, (True. -David) and apparently, Jesus thought so too (Not true. -David). Jesus is worthy of consideration only in the context of his effect on humanity. He is Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy, and every other story we tell ourselves to fell better. He is not the son of God, there IS no God, (There is no God? How is it that I enjoy sunsets, delicious food, and human passion? Is all this sense, desire, passion and lust for life a cosmic accident?) and the sooner society realizes this, the sooner we can focus our attention on things that really matter (family, friends, art, literature, education, progress) and not on myths meant to assuage our fears of death and the unknown. (Myth is the best vehicle of truth -David).

Oh, BTW, you wonder who would've listened if Jesus would've told everyone the earth was a sphere and not flat. Well, if they believed him when he said he was the son of the CREATOR OF THE UNIVERSE, why wouldn't they believe ANYTHING he said? (Why is important to you that Jesus needs to be a 21st century realist? Jesus came in another time and culture. He did not need to conform to your proof list in order to be Lord).

And Jesus did say to love your enemies, but that wasn't very specific, was it? (I think you are right. It was a general statement to cover all situations. Are Christians your enemies? Can you love Christians? Can you love your enemies or do you hate? And if you love your enemies, why do you jump on Jesus' words? Or do you discount Jesus so you can hate? -David) If someone had told the Knights Templar or the Grand Inquisitor to love their enemies because Jesus said so, do you think they would've stopped the years of torture and murder in Jesus' name? (No I don't think those misguided evil people would have. I agree with you on this point. These were terrible people. I am sure they are burning in Hell for their unrepented crimes against humanity in God's name. Paradoxically, God loves all people, even them. Even you . -David)

POLLOCK REVIEW
Subject: Pollock
Date: Tue, 29 Jan 2002
From: Jessica

I enjoyed your review about Pollock, but I must say the research about Reuben kadish for this movei was pathetically deplorable. I know the movie featured Pollock, but some accuracy is portraying Reuben would have been good. As a very good friend of Reuben's son, it was quite shocking to see the poetic license taken by Hollywood on this one.
Jessica

FILM CLIPS
Subject: film clips
Date: Tue, 29 Jan 2002
From: Laura

Is there a place on this website where I could find a list of film clips that would reinforce certain Biblical truths. We like to show film clips sometimes in our worship services for adult and youth and we could really use an index that could help guide us to the right clip for different spiritual topics

Response: I will do it. Thanks. -David

AUSTRALIAN FILMMAKER LOVES THIS SITE
Subject: Comments
Date: Tue, 29 Jan 2002
From: Jason Wilson

I am an Australian who absolutley loves visiting this site. I am aspiring to create films that reach out and touch an individuals heart instead of bombarding them wit blatently obvious spiritual conundrums. I believe that people are more readily subjected to spiritual context when they are in the comfort of a dark cinema where no ones watching them. So therefor why not leave them with a message that would make them ponder for days after? Something that would give some joy, peace, love and uplifting. Something that reaches their hearts and not their minds. I believe it can be done.

We have so long limited God to four walls and a ceiling on a Sunday. We have limited Gods ability to use anything he wants to His greater glory. He is using the secular world right now. Musicians who arent ashamed to sing about Christs love. Directors who arent afraid to show Christs love on film. TV producers who arent afraid to make spirit filled tv programmes. Photographers who bring out the joy and grace of the Lord. Hes already out there. Why don't we just grab on...where are all the writers who have said "oh i have a fantastic idea for a movie that touches on Gods love"? If you dream the dream....God prepares the way....we can do this....we can flood the market with spiritualy filled films that gently reach the world instead of bombarding the world with war, horror, murder, crisis ect...

Have you ever thought of having a section where Christian Film makers can share ideas, rescourses ect? I know i would be apart of it!

Blessings to all who work at Hollywood Jesus. Keep up the amazing work.
Jason Wilson

Response: I will do it. Thanks. -David

AMERICAN PIE ALMOST GETS LUCKY
Subject: American Pie
Date: Mon, 28 Jan 2002
From: "David"

American Pie almost managed to "score" by communicating a powerful message in a relevant way to an anxious generation.

They took the clever strategy adapted by several contemporary prophetic movies and began by hooking the audience with jokes regarding the subject matter intended to be discussed (and, hopefully, reconsidered). Beginning by letting the audience laugh at an adolescent masturbating into a tube sock, their attention is grabbed by a series of jokes poking fun at the fact of teenage sexuality and activity. To an audience living in a pubescently sexual world, these jokes hit home more than any other subject matter, perhaps. And as such, they have the powerful potential to be turned on their heads later on in the movie--which is what American Pie almost manages to do. One of the characters gives a poignant speech to his companions at Prom (I've forgotten his name) which embodies an alternative view to all the rushed and animal sexuality portrayed in the movie. He suggests that there seems to be little logicality in killing oneself in striving towards something that may eventually end up being, existentially, rather hollow.

Were the film left at that, the impact would have been deep and lasting. By catching your audience's attention with jokes about the very evil or ignorance you are going to question, they eventually can come to see themselves in the characters as they descend into culturally sanctioned but meaningless behaviour. This technique was used to some extent in "Breakfast Club", a film which began by playing to the audience's sense of humor regarding unacceptable people and cliques within the high school social strata, and then turned this on its head as the audience joined the characters in a transformation of their relationships, eventually destroying the barriers and divisions that had separated them.

American Pie majorly wusses out, however, after the moral climax of the film. Rather than leave the message inscribed on the audience's hearts (namely, the question "is there maybe a better context for sexuality than the hormone-raging promiscuity of the high school world?"), the film wimps out and chooses to continue playing to its audiences pre-film tastes and mindsets. After doing its "moral duty" for the philosophers in the crowd, it returns to satisfy the audience with a sexual adventure for each character now that they are, supposedly, no longer obligated to rush into sex. In doing so, the movie becomes like the snivelling kid on the playground who just can't bring himself to say "no" to the bullies, sheepishly returning to hand over his lunch money each day.

The audience leaves, their underdeveloped conscience satisfied that they have been told not to get pressured into sex. And all their sexual mores and obligations remain intact; they continue to numbly accept sexual promiscuity as a sometimes humorous, sometimes beautiful, but always necessary aspect of high school life. Way to stand your ground, American Pie. (You have to love the pep-talks given by the Dad-character, though.)
-David
spooookyghost@hotmail.com

IS IS PG?
Subject: 40_Days_and_40_Nights
Date: Mon, 28 Jan 2002
From: Kcov

is this a movie with josh hartnett and it is rated pg right?

A WALK TO REMEMBER
Subject: A Walk to Remember
Date: Mon, 28 Jan 2002
From: "Cathy Anderson"

Associated Baptist press just released an article about the marketing of this movie to Christian Audiences. I'd like you take on the movie and the marketing.
Thanks,
Cathy Anderson

A MAN FOR ALL SEASONS
Subject: Spiritual Impact of a movie
Date: Mon, 28 Jan 2002
From: Blake

Greetings,
Without a doubt the biggest spiritual impact of any movie I have ever seen is "A Man For All Seasons" about the life of St. Thomas More....winner of several academy awards including best picture (1966?), and now hard to find at any video store.
Blake

GREAT MOVIE
Subject: Left_Behind
Date: Sun, 27 Jan 2002
From: Mary

The movie was great i loved it i hope you make more.
--- Mary Cundiff in Selverdal Wa

WHO SINGS THE SONG?
Subject: blair witch 2
Date: Sun, 27 Jan 2002
From: andrew

who sings the song when kim is driving the van and swerves to miss the kids, and what is the song? i heard the song before, but i cant remember who it is.

I LIKED IT!
Subject: Myth_Is_Good_Newsletter_31
Date: Sun, 27 Jan 2002
From: Darren
Organization: Lakeview Free Methodist Church

I think that Christianity HAS to be shown through myth. We humans have no idea of the immensity of God; how much bigger and "other" he is. I am thankful for Lewis, Tolkien, and so many others that have led the way. My own spirituality would have died without people like them.

Response: Amen! I totally agree! -David

JEREMY -FEEL VERY KINDRED
Subject: Powder
Date: Sat, 26 Jan 2002
From: Jim Karmann

Jeremy
Hi my name is Jeremy. I felt very kindred to the problems and dilemmas faced by the other Jeremy in the movie Powder. What I see reflected in this movie is the acceptance of the future Christ in his evolutionary form. In the Age of the Son Jesus had discovered how to use the power of the creator to manifest psychical powers. Since the ascension of the Christ on the cross that whole psychic energy moved out of the body of the ascended Christ and into the earth itself in the Age of the Holy Spirit. I believe that this movie reflects the appearance of the New Age Christ as a matter of evolution rather than incarnation. We are to accept the Age of the Holy Spirit in the form of the collective Messiah not as a manifestation of all that is not human but all that embodies the best qualities of humanity itself. I also think we should understand Powders situation as a higher evolutionary intelligence who only wanted to be alone in his basement reading books and creating architectural models of higher dimensional forms. I realized that Jeremy had a world of architectural creations which shows his powers of creativity in the structure he built from the forks and spoons in the cafeteria. I myself have this connection to the heavenly dimensions. I build models and draw blueprints of creational architectures from higher dimensions. I relate to Powders desire to be alone in his basement buisy with design. But I do think that the Messiah of our age is not about incarnation as it was in the age of Jesus but instead is about the evolution of human intelligence and the evolution of the human creative condition. I see sept. 11th as the final transition of the Christ consciousness from an historical human condition to the condition establishing the New Age. It was about the past, about terrorists who want their Christ to be an image of the historic Christ and not accepting the evolution of human intelligence in the Age of the Holy Spirit.
Thank You

BEING THERE
Subject: being there
Date: Sat, 26 Jan 2002
From: Julie

a while back i saw this movie called Being There. It stars Peter Sellers and was made in 1979. at the end Peter Sellers walks out onto this pond and sticks his umbrella down. as if he were walking on water. i was wondering, what is your take on this, what do you think the director is trying to say? thank- you for taking the time to read my letter and i hope you can find and answer.
Julie

Response: He was thinking about Jesus. -David

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