So, unless you have been hibernating over the last year or so, you have most likely, definitely heard of this movie called Deadpool. If you have been on the internet at all in the last week you have most likely heard about the movie and the tremendous amount of money it has made. In fact, you have probably heard your Christian friends praising it (I know I have).
As a diehard superhero movie geek (particularly Marvel) I really, really wanted to see this film. However many months ago, when it was announced that the film would be rated “R”, I was deeply disappointed. I was not ready to give up on it, though, because I figured I could face some language (I hear it at work every day) and maybe the other stuff (nudity, sex, crude humor) wouldn’t be THAT bad.
Guess what? It was THAT bad. Maybe worse. As a Christian, I could not bring myself to watch it. I just couldn’t. But I wanted to. Like really, really badly! But I didn’t and still don’t plan to. Now… hang on for the feather ruffling, vein popping statement I am about to make. I am about to make people mad, I know, but I think this is important.
Ready for it?
If you posted about how much you loved Deadpool then you have NO right to complain about the decline of Christian morals, the unChristianity of Trump supporters, or the lack of Christian movies.
Yep. I went there.
I don’t know about you but I consistently hear about how “America is declining”, “we are the next Sodom and Gomorra”, “how can Christians vote for a man like Trump”, yada yada yada. Those same people, however, are lauding Deadpool as an amazing movie. “It isn’t THAT bad”, “best movie ever”, and comments like this coming from the mouths or social media accounts of Christians.
We cannot claim to be for Christian values if we watch, and recommend, a film that features explicit and complete nudity, sodomy, horrific language, and plenteous crude humor. This is textbook hypocrisy! No wonder the world accuses us of being hypocrites when we so blatantly publish it on social media! The Bible says, “You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.” (Mathew 7:5). How many have the Deadpool log in their eye while they are trying to pull the “Trump speck’ out of their brother’s eye?
That’s not all, though! We cannot claim to be grieved by the state of our world and the Christians in it if we are contributing to the delinquency of it! Mathew 6:24 says, ““No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.” Catch that? You cannot be in love with the world (in this case Deadpool) and the things of God! They are on opposite teams. To support one means you are cheering against the other!
How many Christians went to see Risen this last weekend? It grossed just shy of $12 million in its opening weekend. In case you haven’t read my review, it was amazing! There was action, humor, great character development, and a great story! You know what, though? Christians seem more interested in seeing profane, nasty, and pornographic Deadpool. I wonder how much Risen would have made if every Christian who saw Deadpool would have seen it instead. $25 million? $50 million? More?
We cannot complain about a lack of good Christian movies when we choose the world’s absolute worst (in terms of worldliness) over a great, unique Christian film! “You cannot serve two masters…” We make choices every day. Those choices have consequences and they show our true values. If you yell on Facebook about how evil Trump is, or how our country is becoming like Sodom and Gomorrah, but then you recommend Deadpool to your friends then you have chosen. One of the consequences of your choice is less Christian films (they can’t make enough money) and more “R” rated movies (Wolverine 3 will now be “R” and Batman vs Superman will get an “R” cut). Another consequence is a decline in Christian morals and less credibility as a witness.
So, long story short, I do not believe any Christian has a right to protest the moral decadence of Donald Trump and his supporters, whine about the world’s hostility towards Christians, or bemoan the fact that there are so few Christian films if these same Christians are watching and recommending a film like Deadpool. We need to live all out for Christ or not at all. That is what God wants! Revelation 3:15-16, “‘I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot. So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth.’”
We are called to be hot or cold because we are supposed to be the salt of the earth, however, tasteless salt is completely useless. “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men.” (Mathew 5:13).
Are you living salty?
As a diehard superhero movie geek (particularly Marvel) I really, really wanted to see this film. However many months ago, when it was announced that the film would be rated “R”, I was deeply disappointed. I was not ready to give up on it, though, because I figured I could face some language (I hear it at work every day) and maybe the other stuff (nudity, sex, crude humor) wouldn’t be THAT bad.
Guess what? It was THAT bad. Maybe worse. As a Christian, I could not bring myself to watch it. I just couldn’t. But I wanted to. Like really, really badly! But I didn’t and still don’t plan to. Now… hang on for the feather ruffling, vein popping statement I am about to make. I am about to make people mad, I know, but I think this is important.
Ready for it?
If you posted about how much you loved Deadpool then you have NO right to complain about the decline of Christian morals, the unChristianity of Trump supporters, or the lack of Christian movies.
Yep. I went there.
I don’t know about you but I consistently hear about how “America is declining”, “we are the next Sodom and Gomorra”, “how can Christians vote for a man like Trump”, yada yada yada. Those same people, however, are lauding Deadpool as an amazing movie. “It isn’t THAT bad”, “best movie ever”, and comments like this coming from the mouths or social media accounts of Christians.
We cannot claim to be for Christian values if we watch, and recommend, a film that features explicit and complete nudity, sodomy, horrific language, and plenteous crude humor. This is textbook hypocrisy! No wonder the world accuses us of being hypocrites when we so blatantly publish it on social media! The Bible says, “You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.” (Mathew 7:5). How many have the Deadpool log in their eye while they are trying to pull the “Trump speck’ out of their brother’s eye?
That’s not all, though! We cannot claim to be grieved by the state of our world and the Christians in it if we are contributing to the delinquency of it! Mathew 6:24 says, ““No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.” Catch that? You cannot be in love with the world (in this case Deadpool) and the things of God! They are on opposite teams. To support one means you are cheering against the other!
How many Christians went to see Risen this last weekend? It grossed just shy of $12 million in its opening weekend. In case you haven’t read my review, it was amazing! There was action, humor, great character development, and a great story! You know what, though? Christians seem more interested in seeing profane, nasty, and pornographic Deadpool. I wonder how much Risen would have made if every Christian who saw Deadpool would have seen it instead. $25 million? $50 million? More?
We cannot complain about a lack of good Christian movies when we choose the world’s absolute worst (in terms of worldliness) over a great, unique Christian film! “You cannot serve two masters…” We make choices every day. Those choices have consequences and they show our true values. If you yell on Facebook about how evil Trump is, or how our country is becoming like Sodom and Gomorrah, but then you recommend Deadpool to your friends then you have chosen. One of the consequences of your choice is less Christian films (they can’t make enough money) and more “R” rated movies (Wolverine 3 will now be “R” and Batman vs Superman will get an “R” cut). Another consequence is a decline in Christian morals and less credibility as a witness.
So, long story short, I do not believe any Christian has a right to protest the moral decadence of Donald Trump and his supporters, whine about the world’s hostility towards Christians, or bemoan the fact that there are so few Christian films if these same Christians are watching and recommending a film like Deadpool. We need to live all out for Christ or not at all. That is what God wants! Revelation 3:15-16, “‘I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot. So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth.’”
We are called to be hot or cold because we are supposed to be the salt of the earth, however, tasteless salt is completely useless. “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men.” (Mathew 5:13).
Are you living salty?
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