Vilifying Christianity

 

There is a concerted effort in media to depict Christianity in its darkest light. To paint the church as a cruel Inquisition and Witches as heroines like in Salem series.  In most media Christians are very one dimensional bigots or idiots seen as  delusional like in The Fault in Our Stars or Easy A. The Christian films by Dove and Pureflix do not really help in making a rebuttal to caricatures of Christians, for most of their characters are wooden and plagued by low budgets. 

The Chosen remains the sole exception in the sea of ridicule of Christianity, and it is getting rocky with backlash itself. The trope that Christians are dopes, and the church is repressive and out of touch is peddled in most films and shows, even though the same is not done to Jews, Buddhists, Hindus, New Ageists, Neo Pagans, Occult, and etc; in contrast there is a new Holocaust movie like every month, and plenty of films peddling New Age, and Pagan beliefs. 

What is ironic is claiming Christians are dumb and repressive is contrary to reality, it was Christians who invented universities, who made innovations in art, who developed complex philosophies like Just War (St. Augustine), who secularists quote with edited words, “the best intentions, some of worst things imaginable have been done with the best intentions,” (Alan Grant, Jurassic Park III) who is quoting St. Bernard of Clairvaux,”the best intentions pave the way to hell.”  It is Christians who landed on The Moon, it was two Methodists who changed our culture, Steve Jobs with the iPod and iPhone, and George Lucas with Star Wars. They may not have stayed devout, but they were trained in Christian thinking and look at what they wrought that effected our world! 

And yet Hollywood keeps painting Christians as backward. Its interesting that the highly successful Call The Midwife Series has 7.6 Million viewers. The series remains popular for its warmth and lovable characters while dealing with difficult subject matter. One of the reasons I think its successful is Christianity is depicted in a positive light, the Anglican Nuns of Nonnatus House are sweet, cleaver, and great examples of Jesus. Sister Monica Joan is a very learned Nun who quotes Plato to St Paul and even obscure scholars, she even solves a case of illness by knowledge of ancient medicine of the Greeks she has read. This is a refreshing break from the Christians are stupid trope of Hollywood. In The Crown Series, Prince Philip, the late Queen Elizabeth II’s husband after meeting the Apollo 11 astronauts discovers while meeting with clergy he needs a spiritual awakening, that the lunar landing is not able to feed his need for transcendence, and so he with The Clergy forms a Society of St. George, where laymen and clergy can have honest and deep discussions about faith, theology, doubt, and etc. 

It is easy to be discouraged by the propaganda. The mockery of Christianity and peddling of occult and any belief system not centered on Christ. But this is the hoax of Hollywood that wants to convince the world disciples of Christ are dimwitted, and only shows the dark side of church history while covering up the dark histories of other religions. This vilification is religious in its fervor, even Satanic, “so that we would not be outwitted by Satan; for we are not ignorant of his designs.” (2 Corinthians 2:11). For indeed, his designs are in film and music, as he leads the word astray, “The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him.” (Revelation 12:9). Do not be lead astray by his propaganda. Instead believe in Jesus and trust in His Words and the words of His Apostles. Amen.