If you have read the MPAA PG-13 rating for “intense epic battle sequences and warfare, sensuality, language and some smoking” and you are still asking “should I take my younger child to go see this movie,” this review is for you.
On Christmas Eve, my husband and I took all five (ages 8, 7, 6, 4, 3) of our children with us to see Avatar. We live in Japan, and the dialogue was in English with Japanese subtitles.
True to the rating, there were a few fecal matter related swearing instances, nudish blue humanoid Na’vi decked in strategically placed beads and loin-cloth size clothes, kissing and implied sex. The fibril linking between the Na’vi and the beings in their world was brilliant but erotic. The kids didn’t notice.
Children younger than 13, especially those who are acquainted with video games and sci-fi, should be fine with parental supervision.
All of my children enjoyed the movie. My six year old, who has a tough exterior, a tender heart, and kicks butt on Halo 3
While the MPAA was fretting over cigarette smoking, the strong focus on pantheism was the most malignant aspect of the movie. Today (Christmas morning here) I intend to talk with my children about praying to the spirit of the earth versus praying to the Almighty God. We have had a similar conversation over G-Rated The Lion King. Keep in mind, in a country where less than 1% of the population are Christian, my children are exposed to the worship of false gods from the moment we step outdoors. We are sensitive to this, as we should be.
The movie is gorgeous. I have never seen such CG. The creatures, plant life… the whole world of Pandora… was amazing. I am in awe of James Cameron’s ability to capture a glimpse of his genius and share with us creative plebeians. The bioluminescenct plants in the forest were so other-world beautiful, I wanted to touch them.
I cannot wait to see the pictures my children will draw for the refrigerator gallery after seeing Avatar.
While I did not experience Avatar in I-MAX with 3D glasses, I have a feeling it would have been fun. Without these enhancements, I imagine my viewing experience would compare to walking through an iridescent-on-black-velvet Ocean City, NJ, boardwalk poster shop without the UV lights.
Jake Sully, the film’s hero, is a paraplegic There’s-No-Such-Thing-As-an-Ex-Marine. His twin brother was a doctor set to work on planet Pandora as a driver for a DNA-personalized avatar. Through mind control, drivers are able to safely operate their avatars from a distant base while they interact with the Na’vi aliens in the forest. Shortly before the mission begins, Jake’s brother dies. Jake’s biochemistry was a match and, despite lack of scientific training, he is offered his brother’s job.
When Jake’s mind was reborn into his perfect new avatar body, he couldn’t contain his overwhelming joy at being able to walk again. It was very moving. (There is one other moment that grabbed me by the heart. I won’t spoil the moment, but when you hear the line, “My Jake,” remember this review!) I loved the character’s determination despite his bum legs. He kept up and never made excuses or complained. He did not allow others to treat him delicately.
I am looking forward to revisiting a dialog on with my children on disabilities, and asking them what they would do if their legs stopped working.
Cameron captured the details of the world and the characters very well. He underscored the clashes that occur between corporate interests, a private military company, and scientists on the ground who are all working on the same project for different reasons, and how each group interacts with each other and with indigenous inhabitants.
The storyline, albeit entertaining, was a recycled one. While I was distracted by the gorgeousness of the animation and the how-did-he-think-of-that creature concepts, deep down I felt like watching a sequel to Fern Gully: The Last Rainforest (1992).
FernGully is a magical rain forest inhabited by fairies. A logging company harvests trees from the forest and threatens to destroy the forest environment and the fairies’ world in the process.
One of the loggers, pure-hearted Zak, gets lost in the forest and is accidentally shrunk by one of the FernGully fairies. Fairy-sized, he can view the world from their perspective. Like Jake, Zak comes to understand the symbiotic relationship between the forest’s inhabitants and the beautiful environment around them. Things are going well between Zak and the fairies until the logging crew knocks down a huge, spiraling tree, nearly identical in appearance to a large tree at the heart of the forest in Pandora that is also destroyed. When the tree is destroyed, an ancient evil is unleashed and the fairies realize that, although Zak looks like one of them, he is still a logger. Zak must chose between his job in the human realm and helping the forest fairies he loves. Can you guess what he does?
Avatar was a movie that went well with popcorn. We enjoyed seeing it as a family, but we also enjoy the discussions that come from watching a stories unfold. Sexuality, violence, stewardship and praying to false gods are things we have talked about before, and I felt comfortable allowing my children to view instances to the degree portrayed in this film while sitting next to me.
Do I think that children should be exposed to worldviews other than their own? With supervision, absolutely. When children are young, this might mean parents sitting right next to them. As children get older, supervision could manifest itself in asking questions to keep young adults mentally engaged with the world around them.
As an adult, how do you watch movies?
I leave you with a quote from one of my favorite books on Christians and entertainment:
Two of the most frustrating replies to hear when asking people what they thought of a move are “I liked it” or “I didn’t like it,” accompanied by an inability to explain why. With an elementary understanding of the structure of storytelling, an informed moviegoer can watch a film and enjoy the story while also engaging his or her critical faculties to understand what the movie is trying to say about the way in which we ought or ought not to live. Stories do not exist in a vacuum of meaninglessness. Movies communicate prevailing myths and cultural values. And this cultural effect is far deeper than the excesses of sex and violence. It extends to the philosophy behind the film. The way we view the world and things like right and wrong are embodied in the redemptive structure of storytelling itself. – To End All Wars screenwriter Brian Godawa from his book Hollywood Worldviews: Watching Films With Wisdom & Discernment
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Excellent review, Sarah! I’ve seen the trailer, and it does look lush with the colors and graphics. I won’t see it until it’s on dvd so I will tuck your review away until then. : ) Thx!
What false gods? So you claim to know your god is the true one. What if you find out after going up there they were right and you were wrong that would hurt!!
Meh.. I’m not worried about it. ;)
While I am glad that a parent provided a view for kids under 7, I take offense at your snarky tone about false gods. Your beliefs are your beliefs, but you should take care with the hatred you teach your children. I don’t just advocate respect with my own, I demand it. You should remember that next time you provide a review. Intolerance is ugly no matter how you try and sugar coat it.
Proudpaganmom,
Thanks for reading the Avatar review on my personal blog, taking the time to consider someone’s perspective other than your own and for your comment.
FWIW, “false gods” is not a snarky statement, it’s an absolute one.
The sin of worshiping false gods is one of those basic Ten Commandments that God gave us. He says He’s jealous and that, if I do worship a false god, that four generations from now will feel the effects of my sin:
I love the true God. Not teaching my children about Him would be disobeying Him:
I’m a little more concerned about what God thinks than I am about coming across as intolerant.
You spoke of tolerance – curious what you teach your children, especially on the topic of how to be tolerant of Christians.
God made the universe. He made earth. Why would I want to worship the life within the earth instead of the One who gave the earth life?
Sarah Joy Albrecht
Well said, Sarah!
Thanks for the review. I appreciate it. Your comments were from your faith perspective and were not the least bit snarky.
Sarah, thanks for the review. I was one of them who was wondering if I should take my 41/2 year old to the movie. May be the whole effect would be too much experience for her. I don’t want to take a risk of exploding her brain. And also if she’s gonna enjoy this ultimate in movies now, she might not be able to appreciate the others, however good they are. BTW, we are going for IMAX 3D.
Even though I’m not sure which ones are ‘False Gods’ I respect your belief especially since it was me who walked into your blog. I hope every one else who reads this understand the importance of saying what you think and believe instead of keeping every thing inside. I’d have hated you if you had come to my blog and said I worship false gods :)
Keep your honesty. It’s becoming very rare these days.
Thanks for the review Sarah, I am going to the movies today and was not sure if my kids (10 years old) should see the Chipmunks or Avatar. I think that my wife will go to one and I the other and let the kids decide on this one. Thanks again for taking the time.
Also, I appreciate your boldness on the topic of your faith. “Tolerance” or “Being tolerant” is often missunderstood from a Christian perspective as compared to others. Tolerance from the perspective of today’s society is that there is no truth so we need to accept all views and all belief systems and not judge others.
The facts are that although Christianity does promote love and compassion for your neighbor, it by no means is tolerant of other religious views and the God of Christianity is by no means tolerant of those that worship idols. If you believe that he is than you believe in a different God then that which is displayed for us in the Bible.
If all views such as Christianity and others are valid, then by definition Christianity is valid. However, the Biblical Christian world view says that not all views are valid so in fact this simply doesn’t work. In addition, there is no reason to “tolerate†someone that we agree with, we tolerate people that we have issues with. If all world views are equal and all ways point to Heaven then logically there is no need for religious tolerance in the first place.
So to the Christian, true tolerance for people is shown through being Christ like in our compassion and respect for others. At the same time holding true to the absolute truth taught by Christ that there is only one God and one Mediator between God and man and that is Christ. True tolerance is understanding that different people need revelation in different ways and that God reveals that truth in his own time and place so we are to present the truth and not hide from it as Sarah does here. She is indeed being tolerant from a Biblical perspective
Have mercy on those who doubt; save others by snatching them out of the fire; to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by flesh. Jude 1:22-23 (English standard version)
Sarah-first off great review and now feel comfortable taking my 5 year old boy to the movie.I love your direct honesty-as Christians we need to say it like it is and let those off track know we have a saviour in Jesus.I see now why God said it is easier to thread a camel through a needle than it is to get to heaven.Who knows-a simple post such as yours may plant a seed.
Sarah,
Thank you so much for giving a review with a Christian perspective as well. It’s been a discussion for a few days now as to whether or not I would be taking my child to see this movie, and I feel a lot more comfortable taking her to see it. Were definitely going to the IMAX 3D in the area, and I’m extremely excited.
As for the negative comments made before, I applaud you upholding your belief and Faith. Righteous Indignation is a blessing we all have from God, and expressing ones faith, especially on a personal blog, is such a rarity these days that it’s comforting to see.
Thanks so much!!
Sarah, nice review.
But as a Hindu, I always think every other god/lord/beliefs are false. I guess everyone thinks the same :-)
Thanks so much for your review! Was wondering if I could take my 7 year old to this film. I have a 15 and 13 year old as well, so it’s a challenge finding movies they will all like. Your review was tremendously helpful!
Sarah,
I am a catholic who believes in God but I do have some issues with the church that has kept me away since my early twenties. Do I worship other religions Gods? No. Do I tear down other religions for being different than my own? Absolutely not! This is one of my biggest issues with my own religion, the intolerance towards others who are different or see things differently. I do not believe religion is black and white, but rather a completely different thing for each individual. In the end just having faith in something will be enough to get us all to the end of our journey. If my God is truly great he will see the greatness in a person not if they were gay, or chose another religion, or got divorced. These things are human nature and if we are correct in our faith, it was God himself who delivered us free will and with that comes choice. If he honestly thought human beings would all be the same or make the same choices he would have created them all the same. God chose to make us flawed, maybe so we could learn lessons during our time on Earth, but perhaps because being a good person was all he was really concerned with. Thanks for letting us all share some perspective on this topic. i enjoyed your review thoroughly.
Tony
Sarah,
Thanks for the review. You are a mom after my own heart!:) I feel comfortable taking my 6 year old for the movie after reading your review.
Either the Bible is the Word of God or its not. If it is, then the God of the Bible is the one true God and no one gets to Him but through Jesus Christ. If its not, then why believe in it at all? I believe that the Bible IS the Word of God and that Jesus was not a liar when He said that no one gets to the Father but by Him. I don’t think we get to pick and choose which teachings of Jesus we believe based on our idea of what God should be like. If you believe, then believe in everything He said. There’s no middle ground.
To Tony- The greatest of all things Jesus taught was that there’s no sin He wont forgive and its never too late to come back to Him. The church may have kept you away but Jesus is always ready to welcome you with open arms. He has no problem with our flaws as long as we admit them and desire to be changed.
Thank you for posting this. My son wants to see this movie but I was not sure if I should let him. At 8 years old he has probably viewed worse in some of his video games, lol. I just have one question, is there lots of blood in the movie? This is the one reason I am hesitant to let him watch it. He can not handle bloody scenes, (which at 8 is fine by me, lol) Transformers 2 was about all he can take. I know that there is warfare in the movie and Im wondering how graphic they get.
Dear Rach,
I don’t remember seeing “lots of blood”. Maybe a scratch or two, and people, Na’vi and creatures do die, but I don’t remember it being bloody.
I’ve seen Transformers and Transformers 2 – I think there was more realistic/quantity of blood in those movies than Avatar.
ALSO.. I asked my 8 yr old, a gamer, and he said “there was hardly any blood in Avatar.”
Let me know what you decide :)
Much love,
SJA
Thank you so much. This puts my mind at ease. I am going to take him to see it next week. I was going to take him this weekend, but his Dad made surprise plans for them to go to see wrestling, lol. He is going to be so excited that Im letting him watch it. I had originally told him I would watch it first (on dvd) and then if it was not to bad, he could see it. Being able to go to the theater and not watch it on the small screen is much better. I think this is a movie that will look much better up there on the big screen. :)
Thanks again Rach.
I just saw avatar and as a person who has been a ‘born-again’ christian for 6 years and now researching the history and authenticity of the bible and different religions I have been able to look at it from another angle. For me it produced many emotions regarding the ‘aliens’ which in the real case the earth people ARE the aliens – because it isnt their planet, It made me think about all the indigenous people of our planet and conjured up the feelings they must have felt when the europeans raped them of their culture and connection to the land and their way of life. (alot of it due to missionary activity). It really puts us in our place when we can see it from the other side. We always think we are better, smarter, have the right way when in an actual fact, do we? Im not so sure anymore but im still searching. OK, christians will probably just post back scripture to defend themselves and thats what i would have done when it was the only thing that could defend my view point. But to most people and im starting to see that the bible isnt actually infalliable. Alot of it has been taken from other sources – sumerian kings list, other religions and has created alot of intolerance, murder, raping (mostly from the old testament). If you are going to post scripture from the OT about teaching your kids blah blah then you are held to the OT and you should follow all the rules…dont mix cottons, lie next to a woman during her cycle blah blah but we are no longer under the law right?! oops i forgot.
You’d have sex with a woman while she’s on her period? :/
Sarah,
I just saw Avatar in the theater today. Like you foretold, I was totally blown away by the intricate CG, gorgeous scenery, vibrant colors, and altogether stunning cinematography of the film.
Although having been a helpless Sci-Fi freak since my early teens, I cannot recall another movie of this genre yet that has as effectively fired up my imagination and transported it into another world. I was totally swept away into the rich world of Pandora!
The underlying themes of the movie, however, is another matter. Granted, none of them are really new. But as a Bible-believing Christian, it is difficult for me to simply praise this amazing work of art for its on-screen magnificence (and boy was it magnificent!) and just go home. Nature-worship and demon-worship (ie. pantheism), the evils of the European conquest of the New World, the goodness of the New Age (originally Hindu, Buddhist, etc.) worldview of living in harmony with nature versus the immoral Christian worldview that nature is at odds with Adam’s race after the Fall and needs to be subdued and cultivated for the glory of God … all of these themes are more than implied throughout the entire film … from a perspective consciously opposed to Christianity.
Pantheism was pretty explicit, so I will not expand on it.
As for the analogy to the European conquest of the New World and their mass killing of it’s indigenous population for self-gain, this is a touchy matter. Let me start by admitting that there were countless unthinkably cruel, damnable acts committed by some of the Europeans groups. But let me also just point out that the Europeans that alighted in the New World were not just one big group but several, in fact quite a few. They should not be studied as one group, and they should not go down in history as one group. But the modern public tends to jumble them all together. There were the Pilgrims, the Separatists, the Puritans, the Spaniards, the Portuguese, and (primarily higher north) the French. There were Roman Catholics, Protestants, greedy gold-diggers, and those looking for the magical Fountain of Youth. There were missions sent by European lords, kings and queens for the expansion of territory and for material gain. But there were also groups that were trying to leave these very things behind for the sake of religious freedom. The latter came to the New World basically unarmed, vulnerable, but with a hope for a free future. Let me repeat: THEY ARE NOT JUST ONE BIG GROUP OF NASTY EUROPEAN, CHRISTIAN RAIDERS.
Also look at the other side of the equation. Were the American Indians simply living in sublime peace with each other and with nature, like the Navi, until the Europeans smashed into their lives? Fact, not really. With the exception of a few sincerely peaceful tribes, most of the different tribes were constantly at war with each other; the stronger mass murdering the weaker, raping, pillaging, and ritually torturing. Don’t believe me? Ask the witch doctors in the Indian Reservations even today. They have written books and they will tell you about how “other tribes” carried out these cruelties. Regular rituals included child sacrifice, burying alive, burning alive, and mutilation … a far cry from the peaceful, picturesque image portrayed by James Cameron in the Navi Home Tree.
Finally, the concept of “living in harmony with Mother Nature”, first introduced by fertility religions in all four of the main ancient civilizations (India, Mesopotamia, Egypt, and South America) and still deeply ingrained in Hinduism and Buddhism is usually at odds with the advancement of technology to some extent or other. This is because, let’s face it, technology is and always was the studying and practicing of subduing nature so that humans can survive in it, multiply in it, become productive in it, and ultimately live comfortably in it. Left unbridled, nature will never allow that to happen. Left untamed, nature tends to kill humans. So the concept may sound good but it is not exactly practical, and if observed literally usually gives a civilization plenty of trouble elevating itself above a state of living in the bushes like the Navi. Yes, many of the ancient civilizations did expand massively despite these beliefs but at that stage were no longer literally “living in harmony with Mother Nature”. They were building expansive cities, temples, and armies by then.
The Biblical belief is that nature was cursed by the sin of Adam and his race, who as punishment must fight against nature to survive in it. However, humans’ God-given task is not only to fight with and subdue nature, it is to govern it, to manage it, to care for it and help it grow into something more beautiful. Nature cannot govern itself, it needs cultivation in order to give forth its full potential in terms of both beauty and productivity. We should love nature just as much as the Navi, but that should be a means to glorify it’s Creator, not an end in itself. (Genesis 1:28 — God told Adam “Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it.”)
And just one quick thought before closing … I am surprisingly gratified when some people accuse Christianity of “intolerance” towards other religions and views. I am amused at just how much these people cannot tolerate Christianity. A simple algebraic equation: if all religions and views tolerate each other but cannot tolerate Christianity, and if Christianity cannot tolerate other religions and views, there really are only two sides here … you’re either with Christ or against Him. If you’re with Him, you will not tolerate the compromise of your faith and belief in the truth, and you will want to proclaim this truth to as many people as you can, lovingly, peacefully, and accurately without compromise … not storm into their culture, guns blazing, and insensibly tearing everything apart like the humans did in Avatar. THAT wasn’t very Christian at all!
But I’m going to go watch Avatar again … I REALLY REALLY loved it for what it was!! This was one fantastic movie!! Hats off to James Cameron and his crew (especially to the CG team!!)
And Sarah, thanks for the insightful review. It gave the movie more background and depth. And I enjoyed it all the more because of it.
God bless!
Jun
Above anything else, the idea of “either you’re with us, or against us” that Christianity fosters has caused more death/wars/mass suffering than anything else in history. Simply thinking that because no other religion can tolerate Christianity, it is therefore okay not to tolerate any other religion is stupid, childish and hypocritical.
Also, don’t even try to justify the unrepairable damage that we are doing to our environment with a single line from Genesis. Nature CAN govern itself for all we know. It has been here for millions of years, while we have been on this earth for mere thousands. And you, Jun, have probably only been on this Earth for decades. I would guess a huge majority of the destruction of Nature does not go towards “productivity” but towards pure, commercialized greed of the first world nations.
I have absolutely no problem with Christianity, or God. I have a problem with his fan club, who corrupt their Bible to suit their purposes. For example, to give them self a God-given right wreck the planet we live on.
Jordan,
I would just encourage you to consider that the God of the Bible is very different than the God often portrayed by the “fan club”.
The neocons are sickening to me. It grosses me out that Bible verses are being referenced on machine guns. THIS twisting of scripture makes me as angry as I imagine Jesus was when things were being sold in the temple. He overturned the tables in fury.
Regarding tolerance, the Bible is very clear that we can only worship the one true God of the Bible. That was the point of my post, on my personal blog.
I think we have to define the term tolerance here.
Am I kind to my pagan, atheist and Zen Buddhist friends? Yes. I love them dearly. We share our ups and downs over dinner and/or my homebrewed beer. If they have any needs, I make it a point to respond to them. If they have a problem and they mention, they know that I will pray for them — and my non-Christian friends are not threatened by this because they know that it is how I worship, and that I am sincere. Even though my friends and I disagree with each other, and have clarified these differences at length, we’re still friends.
Do I pray at Shinto and Buddhist shrines here? No. I do visit as a tourist sometimes – they are everywhere here – but I do not bow, pray or put money in the coffers.
I believe I have a responsibility to teach my children about the God I worship. It is part of my obedience to Him. If I didn’t obey, my faith would be meaningless. With this teaching comes teaching them about praying for others, loving our enemies and being good stewards of the environment. For a family of seven, every last scrap of our garbage is either composted or recycled. We conserve water, even reusing our baths. We grow our own mushrooms and herbs and buy our produce from the local farmers. We walk or ride bicycles to the store and we hang our laundry on a line or a clothes-rack to dry, with the exception of futons or emergencies when we run to the laundromat. We do these things because we are conscious about our lifestyle and our testimony. How can Christians say they obey God and yet trash their environment? How can Christians say they love their enemies and then go shoot Iraqis for their oil? Quite simply, they can’t.
I agree with Jun’s statement : “If you’re with Him, you will not tolerate the compromise of your faith and belief in the truth, and you will want to proclaim this truth to as many people as you can, lovingly, peacefully, and accurately without compromise … not storm into their culture, guns blazing, and insensibly tearing everything apart like the humans did in Avatar. THAT wasn’t very Christian at all!”
Instead of fearing numbers of people “subduing the earth”, we should teach our children conserve. My family of seven environmentally conscious, caring individuals has a smaller carbon footprint than most families of four in the US. There is no reason why others can’t strive to for the same.
I agree — there is no place for ‘commercialized greed’ in scripture, and I emphatically beg to differ with anyone who thinks that it Christianity condones this.
Thanks for reading my post and for your comment.
SJA
Not a mom here, but a teen. Besides the fact that I hope your kids aren’t the annoying ones that talk in movie theaters I have something else to say:
I’m fine with your kid playing Halo 3, but I really hope you don’t let him go on Xbox LIVE to play it.
I could care less about what he hears, but there’s nothing more annoying than a kid slowing you down when you’re playing team slayer and they just keep getting killed over and over, with the result of your whole team losing. Don’t even get me started on CTF.
Jus’ sayin.
Stephanie,
Believe me, I’m annoyed by little kids playing on xBox Live, too. Don’t worry, they’re not the little pests who are ruining your game ;)
The only time they’re allowed to use xBox live is during a pre-arranged game with their uncles, who live in the US.
Thanks for reading my review :)
SJA
Thanks for your review of Avatar. My 5 1/2 yr old son wants to go. My husband has already seen it. I told my Kindergarten son if he got stars for his behavior everyday this week in school, we’d take him to the IMAX to see Avatar in 3D. He’s a Star Wars finatic and adept at video games and Nintendo DS. From you review, I think it’s ok to take him. Thanks again. Also, I enjoyed looking at all of your photos. I am a singer/songwriter and I just returned from a 2 wk Japan tour. (My second tour) Very cool place. How lucky you are to raise your kids in such a beautiful place among such respectful and gracias people.
Ja mata ne!
Shelley
A message to everyone who has posted prior to this:
1. Just about every major religion and mainstream culture takes pokes at Christianity and parodies it. Yet you don’t see Muhammad or any other non Christian religious figure mockingly portrayed in mainstream cinema and the like.
2. Excellent point that if your not with God, your against him. It couldn’t be more obvious! Take for example, Islam; despite a large portion of the Qua ran being the Old Testament….the Qua ran instructs to kill the “infidels” or “non mu slums”, if we refuse to convert, we are put to death.
This happens in too many other countries…Christians are jailed or put to death for being just what they are. Yet this doesn’t seem to happen to Buddhists, or Taoists, or Hindus….Why are Christians the target of every Lefty/Atheist/Homo?????
The Muslim way of life, and morals are the target of multiple feminist groups for the obvious belittling and mistreatment of women.
Yet Christians are still evil… How stressful is it when you have the cure for Cancer in your back pocket…but noone believes you, they call you a liar and say you just want money.
Verus puto,
First of all the Old Testament is a work of fiction. The part of the Bible that has any credit is the New Testament due to it being a diary of events.
Secondly, Jesus is also a very important part of the Muslim faith.
Thirdly, you all pray to the same God. Muslims and Christians a like just followed a different path and both had a different understanding of how this faith should be perceived and followed.
Buddhists haven’t been murdered for their faith??? Did you not see or hear what the Chinese Government have done to these people?
Muslims do not put Christians to death for what they believe, the EXTREME followers may not like you but that might have something to do with the way the biggest power on this Earth has conducted themselves, not to mention what the Ministries have done throughout the new world in the past.
Nazi Germany was Christian… ring any bells.
Yes people do poke fun at Christians, and it’s to your merit that you can take it on the chin (or so I thought).
Look I came to this blog of my own free will but to hear the bigoted comment from the above person was one step too far.
I’m not Christian (although grew up as one) and I have no love or hate for the Muslim world either. But I do believe in a higher power I just don’t feel the need to follow a book in what I feel is commonsense.
“First of all the Old Testament is a work of fiction. The part of the Bible that has any credit is the New Testament due to it being a diary of events.”
This is not true. The OT is definitely true: many other cultures have reports of a flood story strikingly similar to the Genesis account. http://www.nwcreation.net/noahlegends.html
“Secondly, Jesus is also a very important part of the Muslim faith.”
He is a prophet, but the problem with that is that if He was only a “good man” or a prophet, he would have been lying when he claimed equality with God.
“Thirdly, you all pray to the same God. Muslims and Christians a like just followed a different path and both had a different understanding of how this faith should be perceived and followed.”
We don’t pray to the same God. The god of Islam is one who says that everyone but Muslims must die–that the rest of the world are infidels. My God, the God of love, welcomes people of every nation into his family. He is a righteous God of judgment, but desires that none would perish. He allows people to choose for themselves, which means he must abide by their decisions.
“Buddhists haven’t been murdered for their faith??? Did you not see or hear what the Chinese Government have done to these people?”
I have not heard or seen what the Chinese Government has done to Buddhists. As far as I know, Buddhism is one of the most widely practiced religions in China.
“Muslims do not put Christians to death for what they believe, the EXTREME followers may not like you but that might have something to do with the way the biggest power on this Earth has conducted themselves, not to mention what the Ministries have done throughout the new world in the past.”
I must beg to differ. Christians are killed every single day for believing in Christ. In Africa, Asia, even the U.S. A Muslim girl who converted to Christianity ran away from home in Ohio because her father was literally going to kill her. An immigration attorney I know deals with Christian asylum cases–if they go home to Africa, or Asia, (especially in Liberia, Pakistan, India, etc) they will get killed because they are Christians. Who is killing them? Muslims, who must kill all infidels. http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,541540,00.html
“Nazi Germany was Christian… ring any bells.”
There was no possible way that the Nazis were Christians. No way. Christians reverence Judaism–that’s where our faith came from! There’s no way Christians in their right minds would kill God’s chosen people! First off, it would make God very sad and angry, which we don’t want to happen, because we love Him. Secondly, who would really want to incite the wrath of God on himself because he messed with the Jews?
“Yes people do poke fun at Christians, and it’s to your merit that you can take it on the chin (or so I thought).”
Why must Christians take it on the chin, while athiests around the world can cry foul if they want to take one comment the wrong way? If tolerance is your gospel, then be tolerant of everyone–even the Christians!
“Look I came to this blog of my own free will but to hear the bigoted comment from the above person was one step too far.”
The U.S. and certainly the blogosphere is still open to free speech.
“I’m not Christian (although grew up as one) and I have no love or hate for the Muslim world either. But I do believe in a higher power I just don’t feel the need to follow a book in what I feel is commonsense.”
What is common sense without the Bible? What makes sense outside of Jesus?
I hope you visit the sites I posted and gain a wider view of the claims you failed to back up in your post.
HH
P.S. Sarah: Hey, how’s the family? M is in Russia and everyone else is at home. I’m finishing up the semester at college and will be joining them soon.
Nafahamu,
I always appreciate thoughtful comments, even if I disagree with them.
You presented many points as fact, btw, but did nothing to back them them. Perhaps you can explain the metaphysics of what it means to be a Christian country.
I don’t agree with Noam Chomsky in all that he writes, but I do appreciate this quote: “If we don’t believe in freedom of expression for people we despise, we don’t believe in it at all.”
Freedom of expression is important to me, and so I don’t get freaked out when people disagree.
My job is to present truth. It is not my job to make people believe. Sure, it makes me sad it people reject God. But, I have no control over their hearts. I’m at peace with this and I’m not going to scream and shout over hurt feelings, especially towards people I’ve never met on the Internet.
I would like to point something out about your argument, though, if I may. You are accusing others of being bigoted, yet you completely insult me, the post author, by saying that the Holy writings of my God contained in the Old Testament are fiction. How do you rationalize that it’s okay to call others bigots when you bash Christians like this?
Just wondering.
Sarah Joy Albrecht
Dear Sarah,
Thank you for your thoughtful comments. Unfortunately, I am convinced that the bigoted reactions shown by a few of the non-Christians here are a foreshadowing of things to come.
I have been thinking a great deal lately about how to prepare children raised in a Christian environment (including private school, thank God for scholarships!) for what I believe will soon be a world where everything is ok except Jesus Christ. I don’t know how to prepare little ones to endure such suffering on account of their faith, but what I can do is to teach them to make measured, thoughtful, faithful, rational choices and then be unyielding about the truth — both God’s will for us and his compassion for us.
Thank you for your excellent example of how to do it right. God bless you.
KittyRib
Sarah,
Do you call the holy writings of Islam fiction? If so, why do you take such offense at calling the holy writings of Christianity fiction? Have you ever stood outside of Christianity and questioned your beliefs?
Just because someone says it’s so doesn’t make it so. I hope someday you’ll find the courage to assess the evaluations of others from an intellectual standpoint. The call to faith always implies that one has no proof. I have found that the truth does set one free…
Heather
This is not true. The OT is definitely true: many other cultures have reports of a flood story strikingly similar to the Genesis account. http://www.nwcreation.net/noahlegends.html
– First off I refuse to read any rubbish from a Creationist website. Read a National Geographic or at least read some scientific books if you want to understand the creation of our Universe.
He is a prophet, but the problem with that is that if He was only a “good man†or a prophet, he would have been lying when he claimed equality with God.
– Jesus Himself never claimed to be the Son of God, or claimed equality with God and if He did it certainly wasn’t documented in the Bible. Although I’m not saying he wasn’t either, I’m only answering with regards to how Muslims saw Him, as a Prophet and still a very important person.
We don’t pray to the same God. The god of Islam is one who says that everyone but Muslims must die–that the rest of the world are infidels. My God, the God of love, welcomes people of every nation into his family. He is a righteous God of judgment, but desires that none would perish. He allows people to choose for themselves, which means he must abide by their decisions.
– The Quran does not state that all who are not Muslim must die or are infidels, a very much misunderstood idea by non Muslims. Don’t believe what extremists say… The Quran as Well as the Bible can and will be misunderstood and both have contradictions.


I have not heard or seen what the Chinese Government has done to Buddhists. As far as I know, Buddhism is one of the most widely practiced religions in China.
– Ever heard of the “Great Anti-Buddhist Persecution†in China? Not to mention that it’s still outlawed to practice or show any signs of Tibetan Buddhism in China (There are many forms of Buddhism).
I must beg to differ. Christians are killed every single day for believing in Christ. In Africa, Asia, even the U.S. A Muslim girl who converted to Christianity ran away from home in Ohio because her father was literally going to kill her. An immigration attorney I know deals with Christian asylum cases–if they go home to Africa, or Asia, (especially in Liberia, Pakistan, India, etc) they will get killed because they are Christians. Who is killing them? Muslims, who must kill all infidels. http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,541540,00.html
– In India??? Muslims fled to Pakistan from India many years ago and granted self rule. Family converts are a different matter and unfortunately a sad but true fact in today’s world I do agree. But this happens on both sides in all faiths, you cannot just point the finger at Muslims and especially Muslims in general. As per the Infidels quote, please read above.
There was no possible way that the Nazis were Christians. No way. Christians reverence Judaism–that’s where our faith came from! There’s no way Christians in their right minds would kill God’s chosen people! First off, it would make God very sad and angry, which we don’t want to happen, because we love Him. Secondly, who would really want to incite the wrath of God on himself because he messed with the Jews?
– Unfortunately there were plenty that practiced Christianity and even though the wires were very crossed with relation to Hitler himself, it seemed he would flit between Christian beliefs and Non-Christian beliefs, depending on what text you read and when it was written.
Why must Christians take it on the chin, while athiests around the world can cry foul if they want to take one comment the wrong way? If tolerance is your gospel, then be tolerant of everyone–even the Christians!

– I’m not saying you have to take it on the chin, I just feel that the fact that you can is a positive point. I am tolerant of Christians, I just don’t have the same views is all, does that make me intolerant?
The U.S. and certainly the blogosphere is still open to free speech.
– That it can, I was pointing out why I felt the need to comment.

What is common sense without the Bible? What makes sense outside of Jesus?
– So you are telling me those who are born in to families or villages where Christianity has not reached have no common sense?
http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2009/12/hadza/finkel-text
I hope you visit the sites I posted and gain a wider view of the claims you failed to back up in your post.
– Most of my comments are easily googled, you can read them from non biased sources if you like. My understanding comes from many sources to try and get a balanced view.
To SJA
I would like to point something out about your argument, though, if I may. You are accusing others of being bigoted, yet you completely insult me, the post author, by saying that the Holy writings of my God contained in the Old Testament are fiction. How do you rationalize that it’s okay to call others bigots when you bash Christians like this?
– I am not bashing Christians, I’m just stating that I personally do not believe in many aspects if not all aspects of the Old Testament. In my view – and it’s only my opinion, what makes a Christian a Christian is the belief in Christ and His teachings. These are stated in the New Testament and are a diary of events. The Old Testament is from the Tanakh, known as the Hebrew Bible but with different variations. So what really separates you as Christians is the New Testament. I’ve not said a bad word against the New Testament and I’m not bashing Christians, if it comes across like that I do apologize.
I do not believe in the way certain religions are practiced but I do respect that others do. I don’t have to believe in their Bibles or Holy books, but I respect that others do. If it gives people pleasure and helps them become a better person, that’s great. If people believe the second coming has come in the form of Haile Selassie or some guy in Russia and it gets them closer to God then that is also fine, but don’t feel threatened if people disagree or have no belief. If there is a God I’m sure there is only one and if that is the case then no matter what version of the Bible, Tanakh or Quarn we live by I feel the only important thing is that we do what is right and love each other as we want to be loved ourselves and to do no one harm.
Absolutely NOT!!!! I started watching it with my twin 9 yr. olds and after 2 G. D.’s, bitch, crap, bullshit and ass being said w/in the first 15 minutes…I turned it off. I could not believe it! How said that those words were used throughout the movie when it was really so unnecessary. If you’re o.k. with your kids hearing those words over and over again then go see the movie, but don’t say you weren’t warned!!!
This is true. The film contains the same casual swearing one would find on evening sitcoms, but not as bad as what you’d hear at the mall.