I’ve started a series on DC Talk’s Free at Last, but we’re
going to interject a movie review here, because
It seems that the Christian movie world, much like the
Christian music world, most often runs to cliché and vague “spiritual-sounding”
lines rather than dealing with theological meat. Well, we cannot blame the film-makers
completely for that. I’m sure a movie
explaining Reformed theology would be a flop, while something that is just
vaguely “Christianish” would do fairly well.
After all, Hollywood runs to the lowest common denominator all the time,
but then Hollywood does not purport to answer to any higher authority besides
themselves, while we do.
And there is a second difference between that Christian art
should be and what Hollywood does. An
action film does not attempt to do much else besides entertain us. A feel-good romantic comedy shoots squarely
at the emotions, and so it doesn’t have to be more than ankle deep. But if we are to make a movie that hopes to
draw us closer to God, it should present a God that is distinguishable from any
generic false god the world has created.
Which brings us to Island
of Grace. There’s nothing
particularly wrong with this production, besides the acting. The script isn’t bad, the pacing and tension
fairly decent. Why, it is even “Dove Family Approved.”
The problem here is that the understanding of God is so
vague that it could quite easily be the Muslim or Mormon god that they are
talking about.
But wait. It is.
Island of Grace is
really a repackaged Mormon film called Rescued
with only a few scenes changed (I would direct you to this Mormon site for the
specific changes, though their conclusions are obviously wrong).
They have literally taken a Mormon movie, changed a couple
of lines and scenes, and called it Christian.
And it’s not the only movie they’ve double-released like that. This particular media outlet has figured out
that they can make more money with their Mormon films by changing some lines
and convincing Christians that they are talking about the true God rather than
the Mormon one.
Which isn’t a comment about them. Mormons these days tend to think that they
are Christian, and so this group probably thinks they are just helping merge
the groups. It is a comment on us. When we have accepted such drivel and think
it to be honoring to our God, we have set ourselves up to be fooled by false
ones.
If you’re wondering why I’m doing this site – this is the
reason. Our art has become so bad and
watered down that we watch a movie about a false god and think that it is about
the true one. We need to change, and we
need to demand better. I’ll say this –
God demands better, and if we are going to honor God, then we need to get to
know Him better. This site is designed
to call us out on this point and ask that we step up our game a little. No more Mormon gods in disguise – we worship
the true God.
