End of the Spear - cont.

[larry9179]

I know that the thread was closed, but I've got something to say about how the Church and so many pastors are missing the mark.

This movie is produced by a Christian production company. One of their production companies, Impact Productions, had a 14-year stage play that ran all over the world: Toymaker's Dream. The producer for End of the Spear said that the reason that Chad Allen got the part was because he auditioned the best. If you're making a movie, you want the best actor you can get. Chad's was not only the best audition, he was willing to live in a tent in the jungles of Panama during the filming.

Steve Saint, Rick Saint's (the pilot) son - who grew up living with his mom in the village where his father was murdered, says that he has no problem with a homosexual portraying him or his father. Rather, he hopes that while Chad was in the jungles of Panama filming this movie, that he would meet some real Christians.

Compare the Church's response to this movie to the story of Jesus eating in Matthew's house. Matthew was a tax collector. He was despised by the religious people in Jesus' day. Scripture tells us that Matthew invited his friends to the dinner to meet Jesus. Who were Matthew's friends? Other tax collectors, corrupt government officials, prostitutes (and probably some homosexuals too). The Pharisees, who weren't invited, obviously looked through the windows and saw Jesus dining with these 'sinners'. They ridiculed him and his disciples for hanging out with sinners and implied that Jesus and his disciples must also be sinners for choosing to hang out with them.

Jesus replied that He came to call the lost, not the religious people who thought they had everything already figured out. Today's Christian church is just like that of the Pharisee's. We are exclusive. We expect sinners to come to the Church for salvation and to conform to our way of eating, drinking, dressing and behaving.

Jesus was the opposite. He loved sinners and despised religious people. He went to sinners. He offered forgiveness. He offered hope. He offered inclusion.

I'm sure that Pat Robertson will take as much flack from Christians for supporting this movie as he did from unbelievers for claiming that God caused Sharon to have that stroke as punishment for giving up Israeli land. He's said some stupid things in his time, but so have hundreds of other pastors and church leaders.

You can follow the flock off the side of the cliff if you want, but I'm not blindly going over the edge. The Church needs to be more like Jesus, not less like Him. I'm going to listen to the Shepherd and not a bunch of baa'ing from people who confuse activity with a relationship with Christ. May God forgive us for being so clueless.

AMEN!!! [img]graemlins/thumbs.gif[/img] [img]graemlins/applause.gif[/img] [img]graemlins/thumbs.gif[/img]

[Songbird]

It's been my prayer every since I heard he was gay, that seeds had been planted and that he'd come to the Lord through working on this film. He's not going to come to the Lord from people banging him over the head w/the Bible. Yes, I know the Bible says it's an abomination and I HATE the sin of homosexuality--b/c it's destructive and against what God intended. I pray he sees the love of Jesus and is drawn to him through the witness and testimony of the believers that did this movie.

I feel as long as he's breathing--there's a chance for him to come to the Lord.

[guitarpreacher]

I'm curious, for those who stand against the movie because of the gay actor - (I haven't seen the movie yet, but assuming it is a faithful retelling of the missionaries story) would you feel the same if a straight actor, say Tom Cruise, was playing the lead? Obvoiusly a striaght guy, but definately not a Christian. Would that make any difference? Or what if the actor professed to be a Christian, but was part of a denom that differs greatly from the Baptist beliefs? What if he was Catholic? What I'm asking is where do you draw the line? Is it important the the actor have perfect theology, or is it important that he have the acting skills to tell the story?

If you saw the movie and didn't know the actor was gay, would it still make a difference in the story? Would you still get the point of the movie? I suspect that the over-the-top reaction by many Christians will do far more to publicize Chad Allen's lifestyle than anything Chad Allen ever says or does.

[larry9179]

I should also point out that this is the same production company that produced the documentary - Beyond the Gates, telling the same story, only this time it's more of a theatrical release.

[standingfirminChrist]

The true child of God is to take a stand against sin, not condone it.

The movie should not be seen by the christian for the simple fact that it has ungodly scenes in it.

A young Waodani girl seen nude, children nude swimming, women's breasts partially uncovered.

C'mon folks, just based on the nudity alone, another company had made a movie with it, you would be yelling about how sinful it was. But because a supposed christian movie company puts it out, there is nothing wrong with it?

Where does one draw the line?

[larry9179]

It's that type of hypocrasy that is turning our children away from Christianity. We demand that they not listen to hip-hop music with all the profanity, sexual content and glorification of violence; then we sit in front of a television every night and watch those same sins being acted out and call it entertainment.

When you say that a 'true Christian' does this or that, you put yourself in judgement, just like the Pharisees did when Jesus hung out with sinners. Their attitudes really ticked Jesus off. There are plenty of scriptures that warn against elevating ourselves, but so many Christians do what the Pharisees did: we take God's Word - and the freedom God allows and we add to it prohibitions that not only violates the freedoms found in Christ and in the process we eliminate God's grace and promote works instead. It's these sorts of works that won't save us and they're not what James was talking about when he said 'faith without works is dead'. And just as faith is worthless without works, works are worthless when we feel we have to add our standards on top of God's.

I'll tell you the truth (Jesus said that quite a bit in the Gospel of John), most Christians know nothing at all about Christ's kind of love. We're far too quick to condemn, far too prideful to allow ourselves be soiled by proximity and association with those we look down on. That's not love, that's not Jesus.

This movie is about missionaries who gave their lives in service to Christ. And for other "Christians" to boycott the movie because the actor is a sinner belittles their sacrifice and greatly displeased God. We're all sinners - there's no difference between respectable sins and reprobate sins in God's eyes. The Pharisees were respectable sinners, but they were lost while the reprobate sinners were drawn to Christ. Let's get a clue folks!

[Bunyon]

The nudity was very minor. I took my kids and did not have a problem with it. All their breast were completely covered and the young girls was undeveloped. I see more sensual things everyday at the Wal-marts or on the superbowl cheerleaders.

[standingfirminChrist]

Then I would also suggest that you stay out of Walmart and don't watch the Super Bowl.

[Boanerges]

It is so nice to see the gay media machine getting so much mileage out of those Christian dollars:

proceed with caution


http://www.afterelton.com/movies/2006/1/chadallen.html

http://www.gaychristianblog.com/

http://www.goodasyou.org/good_as_you...e_pastors.html