"You have to believe [the Bible], and you hate it. I don't have to believe it, and I think it's beautiful."- Leslie Burke (Bridge to Terabithia)This past weekend I watched Bridge to Terabithia, since the commercials for the movie had intrigued me. The movie is well written, though I think it is kind of dark for a kids' movie. It is really more of an older kids' movie. Also, I have some problem with the fact that the movie almost inadvertently takes a salvation-by-works point of view.
The above quote from the movie really stuck with me. The protagonist is a boy in the fifth or sixth grade named Jesse, and Leslie is his new neighbor who quickly becomes his best friend. Leslie goes with Jesse's family to church, and on the way back she issues the quote above when Jesse's little sister states that God sends people who do not believe in the Bible to Hell. This is specifically the case regarding the Crucifixion story.
The reason the quote resonates with me is that I can apply it to the way I think. I hate to have to believe anything. When someone tries to get me to believe something I want very much to disagree with that person. I can fully understand the concept of failing to see the beauty in Scripture due to being told that I have to believe a certain way about that Scripture. It would be completely believable to simply be blind to the love that is supposed to emanate from stories like that of the Crucifixion.
I wonder if many people fail to see the beauty in the Crucifixion because of the way the belief is forced on them. Is the good news of the Gospel completely dulled to many minds by the requirement to believe? Even if this is what causes some people to miss the point of the most important passages of Scripture, is there even anything that we can do about it? It is a lot to think about considering it came from a Disney movie.
3 comments:
Yes, it probably is and I don't know what to do about it.
There has to be a better approach to spreading the gospel to people who have that mind set. Forcing doesn't work.
I might have to check out this movie. I had the misfortune of seeing "The Golden Compass" last weekend. I can see why some people, particularly of those in organized religion, might be a little turned off by this movie. The story is original, but I wouldn't recommend it for children. It's like the author wanted to attack religion in a children's story.
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