Have Christians Missed What God Is Up To With Hollywood And Noah?

I've heard a lot of protests about the movie Noah and it's quite conflicted.  I am anxious to see it and haven't yet. And so I'm writing based on what I've heard about it. And as you will see, I am more speaking to how we as Christians are behaving in response to the film.   This movie has sparked emotion from both Christians who want to work in Hollywood and those Christians who want to replace Hollywood.  It has created an even thicker divide between two people of the same faith and their perspective on how they believe God wants the faithful to make movies.

There are even those who protested and went to see God's Not Dead instead to send a message to Hollywood.  God's Not Dead is from what I've read (haven't seen it yet) a more traditional rendering of the type of films that are typical for Christian Cinema like that of Sherwood Pictures.

A lot of Christians are mad that a Hollywood filmmaker who is an atheist has an agenda to make a movie about the Bible that is one to twist it and after the reviews have come in from Christians who have seen it... guess what - they're still divided.

Some Christians understand film as art and see Noah as a film that expresses an artistic expression of the life of Noah from this atheist who appears to be not the typical "atheist" but rather someone who is wrestling with some things about the account of Noah and thus made the dream project that he has wanted to make since his early youth.  This is not your typical atheist movie - I can tell you that - even having not seen it based on everything I've heard from those who have seen it.

So as I was writing on Facebook the other day - I posted these words which I think sums things for me as to what I'm seeing from Christian leaders and Christians who just fear that this film will influence the world away from God because it is inaccurate to Scripture:

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In relation to the Noah movie.  Even if it is off base in parts of the Bible and not accurate- who is to say that God is not speaking about Noah to us now?  I wish my Christian friends would read their Bibles in context and see that God can speak and work through people who are not of the faith.  God is the God of Israel and also God of the rest of the world. Just because they haven't surrendered their life to their Creator, doesn't mean He's not doing a work in their lives and drawing them to Himself - even the atheist filmmaker Darren Aronofsky.  In the Bible, God spoke to an Egyptian Pharaoh through dreams in Genesis and in Exodus, Moses was given godly advice by his father-in-law Jethro who was a priest not of Israel but of Midian.  God spoke to the Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar as well in the book of Daniel.  He even called this "pagan" king his servant in the book of Jeremiah.  God sent Jonah a message to the Gentile Nation of Ninevah to warn them. Another foreign king funded the rebuilding of the Temple in the book of Ezra.  And the foreign king of Tyre sent building supplies to King Solomon the first time the Temple was constructed. And Jesus used an example of a Samaritan (a "pagan" half Jewish people) to exemplify what it means to love your neighbor.  It's not so cut and dry, friends, in the grand scheme of things. Let's be careful not to have spiritual foot in mouth syndrome.
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When God speaks to a person who doesn't know him - someone like a king of a pagan nation - what does it look like to that King?  Did Pharaoh have any clue that his dream about cows was from God Himself?  How did Nebuchadnezzar understand God from his dreams? How did he explain it?

And even more importantly - if a filmmaker that is an atheist has always loved the story of Noah and been fascinated by it- even if he puts his atheist spin on it, who is to say that God is not speaking about Noah right now to remind the world that we are in the end of days... like the days of Noah?  We're too busy condemning the movie than to ask: What is God up to with this film?  Why is it out there?  Merely to deceive the world?

Does God really entrust Christians to speak on this sort of level yet to the masses in such an artistic way?  I've heard this film compared to putting a cross in urine.  Really?

I've read an article by a pastor who drew a line in the sand about Christians who make films in Hollywood and was truly upset about htis because I know Chrsitains in Hollywood who love Jesus who are true people of faith.

Here's what he had to say (words in Bold I added to show what films he was linking to):

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http://mennoknight.wordpress.com/2014/03/28/a-no-holds-barred-review-of-noah-the-movie-2014/

Up until yesterday, I had heard a whole lot of hype about the Noah movie and honestly, couldn’t care less.  It’s a Hollywood production and, like The Passion of the Christ, I thought it would be an attempt by some biblically illiterate celebrities (for example - referencing Bruce Almighty) and a theologically lobotomized director/producer (for example siting James Cameron's The Lost Tomb of Jesus ) to atone for all the trash that they’ve unleashed upon the world at 24 frames per second (or now 48).  There’s a huge difference between films made by Christians (referencing Courageous by Sherwood Pictures) and films made by "Hollywood Christians" (referencing Mark Burnett's Bible Series on The History Channel) (the difference being a biblical  worldview vs. an explicitly pagan worldview hiding behind re-defined biblical terminology), and I generally ignore all the “Christian/religious” media that emerges from Hollywood.  To use a biblical term, films made by “Hollywood Christians” are generally moronic.  (For the sake of clarity, I use the phrase “Hollywood Christians” as a catchall for everyone who would self-identify as some form of “Christian”).
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He goes on to write this:

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Uh oh.

“Explicitly pagan”?

“Moronic”?

Isn’t that harsh and even arrogant language?

Am I saying that all the people who claim to be believers in Hollywood aren’t really Christians?

No.  Not at all.

Am I saying that if you like the movie Noah that you’re a Bad Christian?

No.  Not at all (though you probably have lack of discernment).

What I am saying is that the movies that Hollywood puts out under the guise of attracting the believing movie-goers are subtle (and sometimes not so subtle) attacks on Christians and Christianity as a whole.  Movies are a large vessel for the distribution of ideas, and spiritual warfare is ideological warfare; it’s the combat of truth and error.  Watching movies is spiritual warfare.

But before I go off on an entirely different blog post, I’ll simply say that I’ve generally thought that Hollywood puts out “Christian” movies that are so bad, they beg to be avoided by discerning believers.

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I want to post his context (and words after his judgmental statement) before saying what I'm going to say.  Even in the context of understanding what he thinks he's trying to say, he still reveals his heart and mind toward believers who try to work in Hollywood and considers it foolish.  And while I would understand if he was just against anti-Christian movies like James Cameron's film about the tomb of Jesus, I would get that and understand what he was talking about.  But he felt it important to lump that film in with films made in Hollywood by people who truly and sincerely wanted to make a statement about their faith in Hollywood.  

To give Courageous a pat on the back and basically write off Mark Burnett's The Bible, Tom Shadyac's Bruce Almighty, and Mel Gibson's PAssion of the Christt as moronic and pagan is obviously a lack of understanding as to what God is up to in Hollywood.   Secondly it is foolish to call one Hollywood and the other not Hollywood.  All the said films he referenced were distributed by Hollywood studios. Courageous is just as much a part of Hollywood as Kevin Smith's offensive anti-Christian film: Dogma is (which he also references in his article)  

So it leads me to ask this question.  If all of these filmmakers made these films due to their professing faith in the same Christ that this pastor believes in, how can he be so quick to call it spiritual warfare to watch them?   When Jesus asked certain Pharisees as to how Satan could cast out Satan when they accused him of casting out demons by the power of Satan, I ask the same question of those who are quick to judge intent without looking at the big picture.

Yes, I know.  Some of my brothers are getting mad that some are arguing - it's just a movie and it's just a book.  I get that.  Noah is based on The Bible - The Book - not just any book.  And yes, movies do have influence.  I get that, to.

But let's look at the bigger picture than even that - What is God up to right now in this atheist filmmaker's life?   Here's an article on his perspective and thoughts on researching the film: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/paul-raushenbush/noah-the-movie_b_5022132.html

Is his inaccurate film about Noah any different than the images we have in our Sunday School classrooms about a cartoonish rainbow and animals in an ark when this film supposedly reflects on the destruction and wiping out of almost the entire human race?  

When an atheist who struggles with wondering why God seems to be silent at times (as much as I've heard that's what is reflected artistically in the film) much like Ingmar Bergman did in his classic film the Seventh Seal and asks why He chooses to spare some and not others - is this not a real question that Christians are afraid to ask in their own movies?  Are we so interested in promoting Christianity in our films, that we don't want our characters to be truly flawed and question their faith... like really question it or show their darkside?  

I know a lot of Christians are mad that Noah looks like a bad guy in this film.  But according to Jewish tradition, Noah was only righteous compared to a wicked generation.  He was not of the same stock as say Abraham.  I highly recommend you read this article for that context: http://www.timesofisrael.com/hollywood-noah-is-kosher-says-celebrity-rabbi/

Do we  want to ask the hard questions?  We don't like the grey areas.  We like our films to be cut and dry.  We don't like a Noah who wants to kill a baby.  We want Noah to be the righteous man that we believe he is to be.  Could it be that the film director wonders like another Jewish man I know who asks why God would sanction the killing of women and children in the Torah (first five books of the Bible)?  We can't understand that at all and can't explain it in any rational way.  But non believers have a lot of problems with hard sayings like that of the Bible. And they won't ever go away. That's not to say that we have to have all the answers and it's not to say that God isn't still Righteous and all knowing.  We trust Him by faith. But we also should wrestle with such things. 

So what is God up to by letting this film come out at this time in history?  And What is the Spirit of God doing among the nations right now - and speaking to the countless people who are watching us condemn and criticise even fellow believers who are trying to walk by faith in Hollywood?

Are we really acting like Jesus right now?  Remember, Jesus had the most conflict with the religious leaders who were not the "sinners" of his day. He had a problem with their spiritual pride which he compared to dead man's tombs.  Be careful how you judge this film and Hollywood who made it.  Don't see it, fine.  You don't have to support it.  And you should be very outgoing to share what is not Biblical about the film.   It's really important for us, who know the truth to share what is true and what isn't.  After all, we know the Book.... and have been charged with being the stewards of it.

Let's praise God for the opportunity and open doors He has for Christians who want to make films today.  This film, Noah, whether accurate or not - is storming the box office along with God's Not Dead.  Movies about faith - our faith are financially successful and Hollywood will take notice of that.

But watch your tone toward people who don't know God.  Watch how you act toward the people of Hollywood.  Watch how you present yourself.  Your words are being watched right now and your attitude is as well.  And for goodness sake be careful how you treat your brothers who are in the faith.