Always vigilant, ever helpful, Dr. Albert Mohler has served us again with a very insightful review of The Golden Compass. To be released on Friday, this first installment of Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials series is not just another harmless fantasy click:

“The release of a popular film with major actors that presents a message directly subversive of Christianity is something new. It is not likely to be the last.”

Dr. Mohler reviews the film by answering these questions:

• Why is this movie such a challenge?
• So, what’s the problem?
• Will viewers of the movie see all this?
• Is Pullman’s attack on Christianity exaggerated by his critics?
• Is there more to the larger story?
• What is it about Pullman and C. S. Lewis?
• So, what should Christians do?

In this review, Dr. Mohler explains the stakes:

“Philip Pullman has an agenda — an agenda about as subtle as an army tank. His agenda is nothing less than to expose what he believes is the tyranny of the Christian faith and the Christian church. His hatred of the biblical storyline is clear. He is an atheist whose most important literary project is intended to offer a moral narrative that will reverse the biblical account of the fall and provide a liberating mythology for a new secular age.”

Simply put:

“Indeed, Pullman’s His Dark Materials is intended as an answer to Lewis’s Chronicles of Narnia. What Lewis (and J. R. R. Tolkein) did for Christianity, Pullman wants to do for atheism.”

We should think thus:

“The Gospel of Jesus Christ has enemies; this we know. Christian parents must be informed about His Dark Materials and inform others. We must take the responsibility to use interest in this film to teach our own children to think biblically and to be discerning in their engagement with the media in all forms. We should arm our children to be able to talk about this project with their classmates without fear or rancor.

“Philip Pullman has an agenda, but so do we. Our agenda is the Gospel of Christ — a message infinitely more powerful than that of The Golden Compass. Pullman’s worldview of unrestricted human autonomy would be nightmarish if ever achieved. His story promises liberation but would enslave human beings to themselves and destroy all transcendent value.”

If you would like to read more, Gene Veith’s book, The Soul of the Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe has a very helpful review of Pullman’s His Dark Materials books. See chapters 10 and 11. (Chapters 8 and 9 of this book are very helpful introductions to the genre of fantasy and how Christians should think about fantasy like Narnia and Harry Potter.)

Parents, read Dr. Mohler’s entire post.

Categories: Push Back, five15 blog
1 Comment »

Any time I talk to young people about movies, TV, and music, the conversation eventually arrives at something like this: “So are you saying it is sinful for me watch _________ or listen to __________?” (Fill in favorite movie, TV show, or band.)

If it something that clearly violates the commands of God in Scripture, this question is easy. But more often, the question is oriented around debatable matters: those gray areas that might or might not be acceptable for a Christian.

In this case, we would be wise to heed the counsel of Susannah Wesley in a letter to her son John Wesley:

“Whatever weakens your reason,
whatever impairs the tenderness of your conscience,
whatever obscures your sense of God,
whatever increases the authority of your body over your mind,
whatever takes away your relish for spiritual things…
that to you is sin, no matter how innocent it is in itself.”

Categories: Push Back
No Comments »

Many people read verses like Romans 12:1-2 and think, “yeah, I hope so-and-so reads this, because they are being conformed to the world. But I’m sure glad I’m not conformed to the world.” The truth is, the question of conformity is not true/false. It is one of degree. We are all influenced by the world, pressed and squeezed into its mold. The question is how much.

To illustrate the subtle power of the world to entice and lure and squeeze, Saturday night I read the chilling story of Alypius, the friend of Augustine. Alypius arrived in Rome to study law and was disgusted by the idea of gladiatorial combat. He found the violence and blood to be repulsive, and refused to even attend the games at the Coliseum. But then…

“Some of his friends and fellow-pupils on their way back from a dinner happened to meet him in the street, and despite his energetic refusal and resistance, used friendship violence to take him into the ampitheatre during the days of the cruel and murderous games. He said: ‘If you drag my body to that place and sit me down there, do not imagine you can turn my mind and my eyes to those spectacles. I shall be as one not there, and so I shall overcome both you and the games.‘ They heard him, but none the less took him with them, wanting perhaps to discover whether he could actually carry it off. When they arrived and had found seats where they could, the entire place seethed with the most monstrous delight in the cruelty. He kept his eyes shut and forbade his mind to think about such fearful evils. Would that he had blocked his ears as well! A man fell in combat. A great roar from the entire crowd struck him with such violence that he was overcome by curiosity. Supposing himself strong enough to despise whatever he saw and to conquer it, he opened his eyes… The shouting entered by his ears and forced open his eyes… As soon as he saw the blood, he at once drank in savagery and did not turn away. His eyes were riveted. He imbibed madness. Without any awareness of what was happening to him, he found delight in the murderous contest and was inebriated by bloodthirsty pleasure. He was not now the person who had come in, but just one of the crowd which he had joined, and a true member of the group which had brought him. He looked, he yelled, he was on fire, he took the madness home with him so that it urged him to return not only with those by whom he had originally been drawn there, but even more than them, taking others with him.” (Augustine, Confessions, trans. by Henry Chadwick, pp. 100-101)

Read this carefully. Read it again if you need to. If we’re humble, we’ll all see ourselves in Alypius’ sad story. Alypius didn’t understand that there is power in what we see and hear to conform us to this world. Let us be transformed instead by the renewing of our minds so that we can Push Back against the world’s squeezing influence.

Categories: Push Back, five15 blog
1 Comment »

Saturday night, we had Push Back, Part 2: Media.

Reading Romans 12:1-2 we saw that we are like Play-Doh in this: we are shaped by whatever presses on us. If we’re not careful, we’ll be conformed to this world as it squeezes us into its mold. But if we are shaped by God’s Word, we will not be conformed but transformed by the renewal of our minds: and then we will be able to truly Push Back against the pressures and influences of the world.

We saw how we must not be conformed in our desires, our thinking, or our actions. Rather we must be transformed as we are shaped by God’s Word and everything he says is good and true and right and pure. This means having a process of evaluation by which you can evaluate whether you should or should not see a movie. Because you know what happens:

• You hear about a movie. Maybe you see a preview. Your friends are excited about it. It is hyped on TV or in the paper. Should you go see it? Maybe, maybe not.
• So you check the rating. It’s PG-13. How bad could it be? Should you go see it? Maybe, maybe not.
• Then a friend tells you it was great movie. Good acting, great special effects, cool story. Should you go see it? Maybe, maybe not.

The thing is, none of these are sufficient reason to go see a movie. How do you decide what movies you should see? I want to urge you to develop a process, a process that is biblical.

If you’re a teenager, there is really only one step in this process:

1. Ask your parents. You’re under their authority. If they say (after they have evaluated it) that you can watch the movie, proceed. If not, obey God by obeying your parents.

Having said that, it is good for young people to learn discernment as well. So here is a basic process for evaluation that you can use as a starter process for yourself:

1. Pray. Start by orienting the entire process around God.
2. Get help. Start with parents. Parents, start with caregroup.
3. Parents: Get informed. Use screenit.com or pluggedinonline.com. I say that this step is for parents because the content of these reviews can be very descriptive - so much so that some of the reviews are defiling. But the summaries are helpful. Plugged In Online is published by Focus on the Family and is very helpful.
4. Ask the right questions. This is where Scripture comes in. Here are the questions, adapted from Wayne Wilson’s book, Worldly Amusements:

Does this movie or TV show promote an evil message?
An evil message presents what is bad as good. Another way to put this is to ask yourself: does this make sin look attractive? In the end, does it make me want to sin?

• Sometimes this is obvious: an action movie that glorifies stealing and making a quick and flashy getaway in a special-effects filled car chase.
• Maybe the hero is bent on taking revenge and the movie leads you to the point that you are cheering him on as he kills his rival.
• Maybe it is more subtle: a romantic comedy that through humorous scenes and a delightful soundtrack leaves us happy for the couple that ends up in sexual sin outside of marriage. Maybe it celebrates sexual immorality, divorce or adultery.

If the movie is positioning us, the audience, to say that what is bad is good, what is evil is desirable, what is sinful is acceptable, then we need to draw a line. It is because of this line of reasoning that I’ve been willing to see some R movies but refused to watch some PG movies.

Does this movie or TV show use an evil method?
An evil method uses sinful actions of real actors to communicate a story. This is when the actors are made to behave in ways that are sinful or immoral.

• Sex and nudity scenes, foul language that takes the Lord’s name in vain, those actors had to sin to make that movie. How can we endorse that and enjoy that as entertainment? In what sense is that loving our neighbor?

It is good to have actual verses from your Bible to compare these movies to. Here is a starter list for your consideration:

• The glory of God: 1 Corinthians 10:31; Philippians 4:8
• Honoring God: Psalm 101:1-4
• Words: Ephesians 4:29; Ephesians 5:4
• Sexual immorality: 1 Corinthians 6:18-20; Ephesians 5:1-3
• Using your time: Ephesians 5:15-16

Of course there are many more!   How many can you come up with?  If you have a favorite, let us know in the comments.

As you evaluate, remember Romans 12:1 - that all of this is because of the mercies of God. The gospel transforms the way we live, even affecting the movies and TV we watch and the music we listen to.

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

Categories: Push Back
1 Comment »

Saturday night, we started Push Back, a series of messages from Romans 12:1-2 about how to not be conformed to this world but transformed.We learned that Play-Doh was invented in 1956, and in 51 years of production, more than 900 million pounds have been produced. That’s as much as 2000 Statues of Liberty!

More important, we learned that Romans 12:1-2 and everything that follows it (Romans 12-16) is built on Romans 1-11: an very long and detailed explanation of the gospel.   In other words, whatever practical stuff we get in to during the Push Back series (dating, Facebook, piercings, etc.), we need to make sure that we start from the finished work of Jesus Christ on the Cross.  His life, death, and resurrection provide the motive and power for how we live.

Further, we learned that we are to be the walking dead: a strange word picture that Paul calls, “living sacrifices.” He means that we are called to be dead - to sin, to the world, to our old way of life - and alive to God in Christ Jesus. Like an ancient Israelite sacrificing his best animal, we are called to give up those things we hold most dear to make Christ the one we love the most.

We do that when we Push Back. Most teenagers I know like being non-conformists; as Christians, we just need to be sure that we are non-conformists about the right things. Don’t conform to this world! Don’t play along, don’t blend in! Don’t be like Play-Doh, constantly reshaped as it is squeezed by the world around it.

Instead, we Push Back when we are transformed by the renewing of our minds. That means having Scripture shape all we think, say, and do. We’ll learn more over the next couple months as learn how to Push Back as we think and live biblically with the internet, our music and movies, dating, appearance, and more.

In the meantime, we came up with a list of some of the ways the world is pushing us into its mold. Here is a sampling:

• God
• Church
• Parents
• Movies/TV/Music
• Privacy
• Dating
• Appearance
• Manhood & womanhood
• Money
• Sports
• Stuff
• Time
• Education

We are being tempted to conform to the world in every one of these areas. What are some of the ways we can Push Back?

Here are some questions for further discussion:

• What is the connection between the gospel (Romans 1-11) and Christian behavior (Romans 12-16)?
• What is a living sacrifice?
• What are some of the ways you are being conformed to this world?
• What are some of the ways the world tries to lure you into conformity?
• How has God “renewed your mind” in the last year?  What is one area in which your thinking has become more Biblical?

Categories: Push Back, five15 blog
No Comments »

Coming to five15 on Saturday night:

Categories: Announcements, Push Back, five15 blog
13 Comments »