Well, that took, what… a few minutes?
Wayne Proctor was the one to recognize that famous hat, which sits on the head of the dangerously beautiful Lena Olin in The Unbearable Lightness of Being.
So, in the next contest, the name Wayne will be in some way related to the film…
Moring’s strategy, in which he presumes to be offering us with certainty what Christ would say in response to this upcoming movie, is for me, precisely the wrong strategy.
The technique of boycott, done peacefully, even if with some vocal vigor is for me a perfectly legitimate tool on the part of Christians to utilize. Especially when it’s in relation to something that if intellectual honesty carried any weight in Hollywood circles, this movie would not have been made any more than a movie denying the existence of the Holocaust or pushing the agenda of the Flat Earth Society would have been made.
Moring also appears to be unaware of the fact that Josh McDowall has denied that he has encouraged people to see the movie. McDowall in fact is quite explicit on this point:
“5. Do not encourage families to go see the movie. You don’t have to see the movie to understand and answer the controversial issues that will be raised.”
http://www.movieguide.org/?s=articles&id=99
(Yes, I know Movieguide.org is not popular here, but I think this point needed to be clarified).
I may not have the time or energy to take part in an actual organized boycott, but I salute those whose faith motivates them to take a stance so long as they do so in a manner that is perfectly within the proper sphere of organized protest.
I’d encourage you to write to CT Movies directly and confront Mark Moring there. He’s reading the feedback and would probably respond.
As for me:
Moring didn’t say that McDowell has “encouraged” people to see the movie.
He wrote that McDowell says Christians should *consider* seeing the movie. That’s not nearly as strongly as The Orlando Sentinel put it in their interview with him. The Sentinel wrote:
But McDowell, author of “The Da Vinci Code — A Quest for Truth,” not only urges a trip to the theater, but also advises everybody to read the novel by Dan Brown.
Here’s the full story:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/02/10/AR2006021001867.html?nav=rss_metro/religion
If McDowell really thinks Mark Pinsky, one of the most respected reporters in the nation, misquoted him, why is he telling MovieGuide, instead of going to Pinsky himself?
Also, you cite McDowell’s comment that he does not encourage families to see the movie. Who ever suggested that The DaVinci Code was family fare? I didn’t see Mark Moring taking that position.
I’m curious: What in Mark’s supposal of what Christ might say rings false to you?
Well, obviously, whenever someone encourages Christians to see a movie, they are also encouraging families to see that movie. Because as we all know, “Christian” and “family” mean the exact same thing. Don’t they?
I simply take the view that it can be a dangerous thing to form a subjective view of what should or should not be a proper response to this issue by imitating what Christ would supposeddly say in that situation. In making my decision to support those who would engage in an intelligent and thoughtfully expressed boycott, my own sense of decorum would not let me state that this is how Christ would respond. I don’t think any fallible human being can make that presumption, but can only use his or her best judgment on what potentially works best to combat a problematic situation thrust upon us. In short, any Christian who decides to do it in a way different from mine, but which is sincere and thoughtfully done, has my respect and support as part of a broader effort. All of the approaches should be seen as complementing each other ultimately based on the unity of feeling felt over the dangerous ramifications of what this movie is about.
And again, I encourage you to say this to your Christian brother, Mark Moring.