I love me some Mark Driscoll I really do but I am just not sure what to think of this. Maybe I am just dumb or oblivious. I just didn’t take Avatar too serious. It was pleasing to the eyes but all it seemed like to me was Pochahontas and Ferngully on an unlimited budget. Let me know your thoughts.
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Some people would probably argue that Pocahontas and Ferngully are also demonic and rooted in paganism… I haven’t seen Avatar, but somehow I doubt that it is quite as overtly demonic as Driscoll makes it seem. I think it is what you make it to be. On the other hand, maybe Driscoll does have a point. Maybe the paganism in the movie is subtle enough that you don’t quite pick up on it the first time around. What’s funny is that for a while I didn’t even know what Avatar was about. All I heard was how visually stunning the movie is and nobody seemed to really care about the actual story.
I get the impression that Driscoll likes to be divisive. Seems like he has a history of this. I haven’t seen the movie, so I have no opinion about it really, but I doubt it is, as one of his tweets noted, “Pure Paganism.” But then again, a tweet that said “I’m concerned about the pagan undertones in the movie Avatar, is anyone else?” would not incite as many people. Of course, depending on what other movies he has seen, Avatar might actually be “the most demonic, satanic film [he has] ever seen.” I doubt it though.
I haven’t seen Avatar, so I can ‘t speak directly to his assessment of that movie.
However, I thought that Driscoll does make some great points regarding how Christians should relate to culture!
It seems to me that there is a fine line between not taking some things “too seriously” on the one hand and not throwing wisdom and discernment out the window on the other.
Sounds like someone seems to have missed several, several points of the movie.
Wow… really? He sounds ridiculous. I don’t mean to sound mean, but really how many people are walking out of that movie thinking “oh wow, i wonder if thats how creation works”. I think satan is a really cleaver, but if that’s what he’s using to deceive people then he’s got to get back to the drawing board.
I really used to like Marks sermons and listen to them all the time. Does it seem to anyone else that he is just kinda gone off the deep end. I mean the guy is clearly full of wisdom and that is not to be ignored. But I have just kinda felt turned off by his preaching lately. Let me know what you think.
I loved Avatar. And not only because it had great visuals. It does have some good and interesting points about spirituality. I personally did not like how Mark immediately discredited that everything is connected by some sort of energy. I find it hard to believe that our God would not have everything that he created connected in some way. I’m not saying that I believe a magical tree is the main source of this energy, but I do believe that God created everything in the Universe to work in unity together. I think that it’s pretentious for him to say that we are not somehow interconnected to the other living things around us. God created everything so why should we place limitations on what He did or how He did it?
Who’s to say that their “God” isn’t our God, but called by a different name? Do we really know enough about God to make that judgement and to make the claim that “this absolutely can not be God”?
When I watched the movie, I did not see the main character as a Jesus-figure. Looking back, I can see how it could be *twisted* to portray it, but I don’t think that was the author/director’s intent. And if I, a Christ-follower, did not see it this way, will other people who do not know Jesus make this connection?
Wouldn’t some people think of Star Wars as demonic? Harry Potter? Lord of the Rings?
As a Christian I get annoyed when people make a big “what to do” about movies. Not because they are wrong but because of the double standard. Christians get miffed when the media talks bad about the “Passion of the Christ” but have no problem getting up in arms about a silly movie like Avatar. Priorities people..
Why not get upset about the latest thrasher movie or the newest “lets have women show their TaTa’s every 5 seconds” flick? Or why not worry more about the movie that promotes drug use and sex as everyday things? Those movies do 10 times as much destruction to the minds of people than Avatar…
I didn’t take it that seriously, but that’s also my personality.
I thought it was just an unoriginal, anti government, new agey movie with incredible special effects.
My main question was, was it me or is Driscoll wearing makeup in this clip?
I love the Avatar 3D film, particularly the story line, not solely it brings a totally new feelings however eye opening ideas of humanity. I heard the New Avatar 2 is comming soon, can’t wait to see it again…!