End of the Spear controversy
Today's New York Times has an article on some of the controversy surrounding the movie "End of the Spear." As I've written before, I think the film is a really good, moving film that, though religious, is not preachy.
Shortly after I published my review of the film, I got an e-mail from a reader alerting me to the controversy and suggesting that in light of that I might want to rethink my recommendation. I thought now would be a propitious time to publish my reply.
Actually, though I hadn’t seen either of the articles you linked to, I was aware of the controversy. Frankly, I don’t think it’s that big of a deal. If you really wanted to get into that sort of thing, you could have a field day with “Passion of the Christ†too. I mean, you had Mel Gibson doing a pretty explicit sex scene in Lethal Weapon 3 with a woman not his wife several years back (and don’t even get started on the cussing).
I’m not willing to condemn and say people shouldn’t see the film because of what one of the actors does in his personal life. I think homosexuality is morally wrong and a sin. Do I think that there are no gay Christians? No, I don’t.
This movie isn’t about Chad Allen. It’s about Steve Saint. It’s about the Waodani people. It’s about the power of Christ.
If they make a movie about the theology of Chad Allen, then I won’t be seeing it and I won’t be urging others to see it. The fact that Chad Allen is a homosexual shouldn’t stop you from seeing this film. This is probably the first movie in wide release that doesn’t portray Christian missionaries as a bunch of hypocritical, bloodthirsty murderers. Chad Allen is a mere quibble.
Matt
So, for the record, that's what I think. If you haven't seen this film, you should go and check it out.
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