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Mark Driscoll on Avatar

~ brandon ~ 1 Comment

Mark Driscoll: Avatar “Most Satanic Movie Ive Ever Seen” | Out of Ur | Conversations for Ministry Leaders.

Mark Driscoll takes on Avatar from a theological perspective.  Earlier, I wrote about my secular view of the movie.  As an Airman, I dislike films that depict the military as blood thirsty knuckle draggers.  Therefore, I didn’t want to see the film.

Driscoll’s view is much more significant, if true.  If he’s right than Avatar isn’t merely offensive, it is dangerous.  However, I wonder if Avatar isn’t merely reflecting the squishy spirituality of America, today.  While many have rejected the traditional concept of God, they are still left with a longing for Him.  They just don’t understand the longing.  So, as man has always done, they attempt to construct ways to fill this longing.  It may be pleasures or false religion–they are simply trying to fill the void.

Even if Driscoll is right in his assessment, I think there is hope.  The hope is this:  Avatar recognizes something is wrong with us, it just misdiagnosed the problem.  If the culture around us can agree that something is wrong, then we have a clear opportunity to share Christ.  We share the diagnosis (sin) and the cure (Christ).

More Unseriousness

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On the fan forum site “Avatar Forums,” a topic thread entitled “Ways to cope with the depression of the dream of Pandora being intangible,” has received more than 1,000 posts from people experiencing depression and fans trying to help them cope.

via Audiences experience Avatar blues – CNN.com.

So, now people are depressed and suicidal because the beauty and wonder of Pandora is not real.  What’s next, being upset because you’ll never spin webs like Spiderman?

Seriously, though, this underlines the fact that we are not built for this world.  We were created for more, for something far greater.  And we will find something to try and fill that void.  For these folks, an impossible fantasy is their void-filler.  Others turn to utopian ideals, and other, more pragmatic folks, turn to sensual pleasure.  But whatever your kick, you will look for something else, something greater.

Perhaps this is because we are fallen creatures.  Within us is an innate realization that we were made for more than this fallen world.  But we don’t want to accept the simplest conclusion:  we were made for God.  You see, if I accept this conclusion it means I am no longer master of my domain.  It means I am servant, creature and beholden to the God who made me.  It means He calls the shots, not I.  It means I must live according to His plan.

For many this is simply unthinkable, and so they reject the concept of God.  They turn, then, to the Creation and fellow creatures to try and find what they are looking for.  For me, I turn to God.  I figure if I was created by Him and for Him, then I can never realize the fulness of all that I was created for apart from Him.  Thus, satisfaction, peace, joy and all those desires of my heart can only be finally and fully found in Him.

So, why would I trade lesser pleasures in the Creation when I am offered the superior pleasures from the Creator?

“my people shall be satisfied with my goodness, declares the Lord,” Jeremiah 31:14 (ESV)

We're wired to believe

~ brandon ~ 2 Comments

I have not yet seen Avatar.  Probably won’t either.  I’m not into movies that imply we are the bad guys.  Also, the whole ‘natives were one with nature before Western European men came and ruined it all’ schtick isn’t my bag.  Yet, Jonah Goldberg uses the film to make a great point.  We are wired to believe.

We have within us a natural need to believe.  Some, as evidenced by this article, may see that as an evolutionary construct.  I believe it is hardwired into us by a Creator.  If we assume a Creator, then it makes sense He would create us to believe in Him.  Why would He do otherwise?  This, in turn, explains the human need to believe in something–anything.

My favorite illustration of this is Darwinistic Evolution.  Having rejected the idea of God, Evolutionists show no less faith in ‘science’ and ‘reason’ than I do in Jesus.  Point out holes in their knowledge or theory and you are likely going to hear, “We haven’t figured that out yet.”  Point out contradictions and they’ll suggest further research will answer the questions.  In other words, blind faith in what science may discover tomorrow justifies ignoring flaws today.

In fact, we see this in Global Warming.  When scientists at East Anglia cooked the books to support their Global Warming consensus, they did so like some pagan priest hiding his chicanery to maintain the faith of the masses.

Anyway, we will believe in something–God, science, ourselves, whatever.  The question isn’t whether or not we will believe, but what the object of that belief will be.  For me, I choose to place my faith in the author and perfecter of that faith, Jesus.

Avatar and the faith instinct — latimes.com.