The Golden Compass

When Philip Pullman's The Golden Compass (book one of the His Dark Materials trilogy) hits the big screen on December 7, I will be interested to see if Hollywood neuters the book's heretical elements for the sake of broadening the film's audience and avoiding an all out war with the Vatican.

I'm guessing they will. Hollywood loves money more than it hates organized religion, and Pullman's engrossing fantasy shares the basic formula of Dan Brown's Da Vinci Code, another subversive book-turned-movie that ended up extolling the virtue of personal faith--albeit only after demeaning it for two hours.

Like Da Vinci, Compass is a quick read, a well-oiled narrative with engaging characters and unexpected plot twists in a vivid landscape populated by armored bears and gypsies. Pullman doesn't "waste" pages on dwarf songs or recipes for wild rabbit stew (a la Tolkien). You won't find him delving into messianic allegory or extended expositions on "deep magic" (a la Lewis). The self-described atheist doesn't open a can of heterodoxy until around page 270 (of 299). But when he does, he opens it wide, rewriting the Adam and Eve narrative, sanctifying original sin and casting the church as a virulent and dehumanizing force in the world. And, from what I've read in summaries of the next two books in the trilogy, this just the beginning.

Even if these elements are transferred to the movie (and I predict they won't be), I don't see the The Golden Compass emptying churches or creating a generation of skeptics and God haters. I said it about Da Vinci, and the same applies to The Golden Compass. "Movies like this can only gain traction in a nation where careful explorations of challenging concepts like the virgin birth and deity of Christ [or Adam and Eve and original sin] have been exchanged for motivational speeches [or books about "becoming a better you"]."

The Golden Compass

When Philip Pullman's The Golden Compass (book one of the His Dark Materials trilogy) hits the big screen on December 7, I will be interested to see if Hollywood neuters the book's heretical elements for the sake of broadening the film's audience and avoiding an all out war with the Vatican.

I'm guessing they will. Hollywood loves money more than it hates organized religion, and Pullman's engrossing fantasy shares the basic formula of Dan Brown's Da Vinci Code, another subversive book-turned-movie that ended up extolling the virtue of personal faith--albeit only after demeaning it for two hours.

Like Da Vinci, Compass is a quick read, a well-oiled narrative with engaging characters and unexpected plot twists in a vivid landscape populated by armored bears and gypsies. Pullman doesn't "waste" pages on dwarf songs or recipes for wild rabbit stew (a la Tolkien). You won't find him delving into messianic allegory or extended expositions on "deep magic" (a la Lewis). The self-described atheist doesn't open a can of heterodoxy until around page 270 (of 299). But when he does, he opens it wide, rewriting the Adam and Eve narrative, sanctifying original sin and casting the church as a virulent and dehumanizing force in the world. And, from what I've read in summaries of the next two books in the trilogy, this just the beginning.

Even if these elements are transferred to the movie (and I predict they won't be), I don't see the The Golden Compass emptying churches or creating a generation of skeptics and God haters. I said it about Da Vinci, and the same applies to The Golden Compass. "Movies like this can only gain traction in a nation where careful explorations of challenging concepts like the virgin birth and deity of Christ [or Adam and Eve and original sin] have been exchanged for motivational speeches [or books about "becoming a better you"]."

The War on [Some] Terror

The War on Terror is clearly a very selective war only against certain types of terror in certain places at certain times against certain people.

A 19-year-old woman is gang raped by six men and then sentenced to 200 lashes and 6 months in jail for "being in the car of an unrelated male at the time of the rape." When the woman's attorney attempted to appeal the case, he was banned from handling the case, his license to practice law revoked because he challenged the verdict and summoned by the ministry of justice to appear before a disciplinary committee.

What kind of twisted, warped "society" allows this perversion of justice? Al Qaeda in Iraq? The Taliban of Afghanistan?

I'm sure they do, but not in this instance. Instead, this incident is business as usual in Saudi Arabia, an "ally" in the war on terror and a supposedly moderating influence in the Middle East. I don't expect to hear reproachful words from any official representative of the Western nations who remain inebriated with the oil provided by this regime.

This incident, among others, reveals the utter failure of human governments to deal with the wickedness at the root of such institutional injustice. The problem in Saudi Arabia is a spiritual problem: national adherence to a false religion and the judicial enforcement of that religion's values through Sharia law—a marriage made in hell.

It should make anyone long for this day:

I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war. His eyes are a flame of fire, and on His head are many diadems; and He has a name written on Him which no one knows except Himself. He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen,white and clean, were following Him on white horses.From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty. - Revelation 19:11-15

The War on [Some] Terror

The War on Terror is clearly a very selective war only against certain types of terror in certain places at certain times against certain people.

A 19-year-old woman is gang raped by six men and then sentenced to 200 lashes and 6 months in jail for "being in the car of an unrelated male at the time of the rape." When the woman's attorney attempted to appeal the case, he was banned from handling the case, his license to practice law revoked because he challenged the verdict and summoned by the ministry of justice to appear before a disciplinary committee.

What kind of twisted, warped "society" allows this perversion of justice? Al Qaeda in Iraq? The Taliban of Afghanistan?

I'm sure they do, but not in this instance. Instead, this incident is business as usual in Saudi Arabia, an "ally" in the war on terror and a supposedly moderating influence in the Middle East. I don't expect to hear reproachful words from any official representative of the Western nations who remain inebriated with the oil provided by this regime.

This incident, among others, reveals the utter failure of human governments to deal with the wickedness at the root of such institutional injustice. The problem in Saudi Arabia is a spiritual problem: national adherence to a false religion and the judicial enforcement of that religion's values through Sharia law—a marriage made in hell.

It should make anyone long for this day:

I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war. His eyes are a flame of fire, and on His head are many diadems; and He has a name written on Him which no one knows except Himself. He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen,white and clean, were following Him on white horses.From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty. - Revelation 19:11-15

"The Shopocalypse Is Coming"

That's the tagline to Morgan Spurlock (of Supersize Me! fame)'s new documentary What Would Jesus Buy?, which ...

... follows Reverend Billy and the Church of Stop Shopping Gospel Choir as they go on a cross-country mission to save Christmas from the Shopocalypse: the end of mankind from consumerism, over-consumption and the fires of eternal debt!

The idea of a flamboyant televangelist (who, if it's possible, is even faker than the ones on TBN) warning his audience of the dangers of consumerism is ironic to the core. Why does it take a secular documentary film maker to point out the folly of storing up treasures "where moth and rust corrupt and where thieves break in and steal"?

Spurlock's not the only one questioning American consumerism these days. Marketplace, a business news show I listen to on NPR, is exploring the consequences of what they call the "disease of greed" in a series titled "Consumed."

Of course, the reasons Christians should consider the benefits of living a sustainable lifestyle are usually different from those of an unbeliever. As a steward of Creation, I want to conserve the natural resources God has entrusted to me. As a steward of God's money, I want to leverage the financial resources God has entrusted to me for Kingdom activity. This is a particularly weighty responsibility as I (and most likely you) am a member of the top 1 percent of the wealthiest people in the world.

"The Shopocalypse Is Coming"

That's the tagline to Morgan Spurlock (of Supersize Me! fame)'s new documentary What Would Jesus Buy?, which ...

... follows Reverend Billy and the Church of Stop Shopping Gospel Choir as they go on a cross-country mission to save Christmas from the Shopocalypse: the end of mankind from consumerism, over-consumption and the fires of eternal debt!

The idea of a flamboyant televangelist (who, if it's possible, is even faker than the ones on TBN) warning his audience of the dangers of consumerism is ironic to the core. Why does it take a secular documentary film maker to point out the folly of storing up treasures "where moth and rust corrupt and where thieves break in and steal"?

Spurlock's not the only one questioning American consumerism these days. Marketplace, a business news show I listen to on NPR, is exploring the consequences of what they call the "disease of greed" in a series titled "Consumed."

Of course, the reasons Christians should consider the benefits of living a sustainable lifestyle are usually different from those of an unbeliever. As a steward of Creation, I want to conserve the natural resources God has entrusted to me. As a steward of God's money, I want to leverage the financial resources God has entrusted to me for Kingdom activity. This is a particularly weighty responsibility as I (and most likely you) am a member of the top 1 percent of the wealthiest people in the world.

Benny Hinn: American Shaman

American Shaman

The stereotypical image of a shaman is that of a painted witch doctor squatting before a smoldering fire fingering a handful of jade amulets.

Not so fast.

The Western version of the shaman wears a tailored suit and harnesses the power of modern technology. He stands before a TV camera as an expert mediator between the the audience and a complex spirit world, offering formulaic solutions to problems both banal and catastrophic. With a nose tuned for predicting disaster, he warns of the failure of following his instructions carefully. His words leave little room for mystery: A + B = C.

However, from what I hear from missionaries familiar with shamans, there is only one key difference, between him and the loinclothed witch doctors of the East: they usually do not ask for money; he always does.



This clip is from Tuesday night of TBN's Fall Fleece-a-Thon.

American Shaman

The stereotypical image of a shaman is that of a painted witch doctor squatting before a smoldering fire fingering a handful of jade amulets.

Not so fast.

The Western version of the shaman wears a tailored suit and harnesses the power of modern technology. He stands before a TV camera as an expert mediator between the the audience and a complex spirit world, offering formulaic solutions to problems both banal and catastrophic. With a nose tuned for predicting disaster, he warns of the failure of following his instructions carefully. His words leave little room for mystery: A + B = C.

However, from what I hear from missionaries familiar with shamans, there is only one key difference, between him and the loinclothed witch doctors of the East: they usually do not ask for money; he always does.



This clip is from Tuesday night of TBN's Fall Fleece-a-Thon.

Clouds w/o Water

I know John McCain is supposedly the engineer on the "Straight Talk Express," but he can't hold a candle to Jude, the apostle that wrote these words:

These men are blemishes at your love feasts, eating with you without the slightest qualm—shepherds who feed only themselves. They are clouds without rain, blown along by the wind; autumn trees, without fruit and uprooted—twice dead. They are wild waves of the sea, foaming up their shame; wandering stars, for whom blackest darkness has been reserved forever (12,13).

When I was younger and naive I used to read those words and think, Wow, there must have been some really wicked scam artists in the New Testament times. I'm glad that got sorted out in the church councils, reformation, etc.

Sadly, I was wrong. It didn't get sorted out. If you don't believe me, turn on your television. This clip from TBN's fall 2007 "fleece-a-thon" is a case study of Jude's warnings about "clouds without water"--manipulative promises of wealth, healing, children's salvation, etc. ... If you go to the phone right now.

Clouds w/o Water

I know John McCain is supposedly the engineer on the "Straight Talk Express," but he can't hold a candle to Jude, the apostle that wrote these words:

These men are blemishes at your love feasts, eating with you without the slightest qualm—shepherds who feed only themselves. They are clouds without rain, blown along by the wind; autumn trees, without fruit and uprooted—twice dead. They are wild waves of the sea, foaming up their shame; wandering stars, for whom blackest darkness has been reserved forever (12,13).

When I was younger and naive I used to read those words and think, Wow, there must have been some really wicked scam artists in the New Testament times. I'm glad that got sorted out in the church councils, reformation, etc.

Sadly, I was wrong. It didn't get sorted out. If you don't believe me, turn on your television. This clip from TBN's fall 2007 "fleece-a-thon" is a case study of Jude's warnings about "clouds without water"--manipulative promises of wealth, healing, children's salvation, etc. ... If you go to the phone right now.

"I'm not a racist."

Why is it that, in the interests of authenticity, transparency—and to salvage a career—a person will confess to all manner of sins, from porn addiction, drug abuse and infidelity to violent crime and even child abuse. But they won't admit to being a racist.

In defending his vitriolic, n-word-filled attack on a black heckler at a 2006 comedy show, Seinfeld's Michael Richards contended, "I'm not a racist."

In a recent recorded phone conversation, Dog the Bounty Hunter's Duane Chapman repeatedly used a racial slur to describe his son's girlfriend. He assures us it was taken out of context.

Whether following a police beat-down or a road-rage incident, the commonly-uttered defense "I'm not a racist" is usually thrown out to protect one from accusations of what has now become the unforgivable sin.

It's become perfectly fashionable for a community leader to admit to all manner of indiscretions with reassurances such as "Nobody's perfect," "I made a mistake" and "I'm working through my issues with a counselor."

But I'm guessing it's going to be a while before you hear someone say something like this: "I've been dealing with ethnic prejudice for years. Bottom line is, I'm a racist, and I need help. I've been hiding this dark side of myself very well, but in a time of stress, my true colors were revealed."

In an age when public confession has become a mark of authenticity, one is more likely to hear a straightforward admission of criminal offense such as drug possession, prostitution or tax fraud than a perfectly legal social offense like racism, sexism or homophobia.

It's clear that some sins are still taboo ... and not the ones we would expect.

"I'm not a racist."

Why is it that, in the interests of authenticity, transparency—and to salvage a career—a person will confess to all manner of sins, from porn addiction, drug abuse and infidelity to violent crime and even child abuse. But they won't admit to being a racist.

In defending his vitriolic, n-word-filled attack on a black heckler at a 2006 comedy show, Seinfeld's Michael Richards contended, "I'm not a racist."

In a recent recorded phone conversation, Dog the Bounty Hunter's Duane Chapman repeatedly used a racial slur to describe his son's girlfriend. He assures us it was taken out of context.

Whether following a police beat-down or a road-rage incident, the commonly-uttered defense "I'm not a racist" is usually thrown out to protect one from accusations of what has now become the unforgivable sin.

It's become perfectly fashionable for a community leader to admit to all manner of indiscretions with reassurances such as "Nobody's perfect," "I made a mistake" and "I'm working through my issues with a counselor."

But I'm guessing it's going to be a while before you hear someone say something like this: "I've been dealing with ethnic prejudice for years. Bottom line is, I'm a racist, and I need help. I've been hiding this dark side of myself very well, but in a time of stress, my true colors were revealed."

In an age when public confession has become a mark of authenticity, one is more likely to hear a straightforward admission of criminal offense such as drug possession, prostitution or tax fraud than a perfectly legal social offense like racism, sexism or homophobia.

It's clear that some sins are still taboo ... and not the ones we would expect.

Parable of the Cathedral at Chapel Hill

Verily I say unto you, there was once two priests who were brothers, and, behold, the wife of one of the brothers was barren after bearing a daughter. And, yea, that wife and the priest sought out the wisdom of the physicians of the land, and, behold, the physicians declared that it was the priest whose seed was corrupted, and not the womb of his wife. And, lo, that wife wept and cried to the Lord with great supplication and said, "O Lord, when wilt thou grant thy maidservant a manchild, that she may delight in his ways and carry on the name of thy maidservant's husband?" And, behold, the woman's heart leapt within her as she considered the countenance of her husband and that of her husband's brother. Yea, they were as one and winsome in appearance. Thus, she purposed in her heart to discuss this matter with her husband and with her husband's brother. And, behold, not many days hence, the brother of the priest with the corrupted seed went into her, and she conceived and bore a son, and they called his name Donnie. And, lo, they covenanted together to not reveal to Donnie or to the people of the land that which they had wrought. ....

... until now.

Parable of the Cathedral at Chapel Hill

Verily I say unto you, there was once two priests who were brothers, and, behold, the wife of one of the brothers was barren after bearing a daughter. And, yea, that wife and the priest sought out the wisdom of the physicians of the land, and, behold, the physicians declared that it was the priest whose seed was corrupted, and not the womb of his wife. And, lo, that wife wept and cried to the Lord with great supplication and said, "O Lord, when wilt thou grant thy maidservant a manchild, that she may delight in his ways and carry on the name of thy maidservant's husband?" And, behold, the woman's heart leapt within her as she considered the countenance of her husband and that of her husband's brother. Yea, they were as one and winsome in appearance. Thus, she purposed in her heart to discuss this matter with her husband and with her husband's brother. And, behold, not many days hence, the brother of the priest with the corrupted seed went into her, and she conceived and bore a son, and they called his name Donnie. And, lo, they covenanted together to not reveal to Donnie or to the people of the land that which they had wrought. ....

... until now.