Movie Review: Inherit the Wind (1960)

These days, with all the seminary studying and reading to do, it is not very often that I would actually watch, much less write a review on a movie that was released in 1960. If I had the time to watch a movie, it would most likely be a newer release. Honestly, if I didn’t have to watch this movie for a History of Christianity class – and then write a review of the movie for that class - I doubt seriously that the film would have ever peaked my entertainment radar.

Nevertheless, I can say that I would recommend the 1960 Stanley Kramer film, Inherit the Wind, as an absolute must see for every Christian. It’s not that I think it is a great movie. It’s not that I think the movie has a great message. In fact, it is precisely what is wrong with the movie that makes it such a must see for Christians today. In my opinion, the movie represents absolutely everything wrong with Hollywood as it relates to their perspective of Christianity. As a Christian, it is important for us to know how we are being perceived. More importantly, it is critical that we – through our actions – do not become what non-Christians perceive us to be. If we truly behave the way this film portrays us, then we deserve every bit of the ridicule it bestows upon us.

Inherit the Wind, is a dramatic reenactment of otherwise actual events surrounding the infamous 1925 Dayton, TN Scopes Trial – otherwise known as the “Monkey Trial” - in which school teacher John T. Scopes was placed on trial for teaching the Darwinian theory of evolution. The movie is based upon a play by Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee and significantly changes a majority of the historical facts – including character names and locale - as part of the dramatization. In the movie, John T. Scopes is replaced by the character Bertram T. Cates, portrayed by Dick York. Defense lawyer Clarence Darrow is replaced by Henry Drummond and is portrayed by Spencer Tracy. Prosecutor and statesman William Jennings Bryan is replaced by Matthew Harrison Brady and is portrayed by Fredric March. Finally, journalist H.L. Menken is replaced by E.K. Hornbeck and is portrayed by Gene Kelly. In the film, the trial takes place in the small town of Hillsborough, representing Dayton TN.

From the very first note of Give Me That Old Time Religion during the opening credits, it was intuitively obvious that Stanley Kramer intends for the movie to demonize the religious fanaticism that he believes characterized the motivations of those involved in the original prosecution of John T. Scopes, if not Christianity itself. Throughout the movie, the religious element is portrayed as overly zealous, gluttonous, bigoted, uncompassionate, and small-minded. By contrast, those who supported Bert Cates are portrayed as intelligent, compassionate, and temperate. In a word, Kramer portrays Christians in a manner that appears completely pagan while he portrays most of the non-Christians, particularly Cates and Drummond, in a manner that I would describe as patently Christian.

The movie depicts the townsfolk of Hillsborough as a blood-thirsty mob that would stop at nothing to prevent new ideas from infecting their world view. On several occasions, the lynch-mob townsfolk sang spirituals whose words had been changed to cry out for the death of both Cates and Drummond. At one point, the crowd carried a burning dummy, supposedly indicating its desire to burn the two at the stake. The local pastor, Rev. Jeremiah Brown portrayed by Claude Akins, went so far as to condemn not only Cates and Drummond to hell, but also his own daughter, who happened to be engaged to Cates. On the other side of the contest, journalist E.K. Hornbeck of the Boston Herald is equally determined to destroy the reputation of Hillsborough and expose them to the world for being the bigoted hypocrites he believes them to be. Only Cates, Drummond, and Brady’s wife Sara (portrayed by Florence Eldridge) appear to have any sense of self-containment and control.

The movie’s portrayal of the trial itself is as flamboyant and one-sided as one would expect given the pre-trial anti-religious hype established by director Stanley Kramer. The trial is supposed to be one that puts the “myth” of creation against the “enlightened truth” of evolution. Necessarily, then, Matthew Brady spouts religious intolerance as if it were the religious code of the country, doing all he can to demonize the defense. Henry Drummond, on the other hand, does everything he can to introduce “truth” and “intelligence” into the trial; but every effort is thwarted by the judge (portrayed by Harry Morgan) who, while seemingly not a part of the lynch-mob, still holds their views and inserts them into the judicial process as necessary to ensure that Cates does not receive a fair trial. Not surprisingly, when the trial ends with a jury verdict against Cates but the judge only issues a sentence of a $100 fine, the religious fanatics erupt and the scene quickly degrades into anarchistic mayhem.

The result of Inherit the Wind was to infamize what was otherwise one of the most famous and important trials of modern history. Instead of being a test-case for the separation of Church and Sate, the trial has become a symbol of religious intolerance and irrelevance. Surprisingly, despite the one-sided portrayal and liberal objectives of the movies producers, the issues covered by the Scopes Trial are incredibly important and relevant to current religious and political issues. Whereas the real trial dealt with important issues of Church and State, the movie dealt with the intolerance of religious bigotry. In stark irony, Christians today are faced with exactly the same bigotry against them coming from atheists over the issue of creation vs. evolution that Kramer portrayed as coming from Christians in Inherit the Wind. Turn about, however, is apparently not fair play. Attitudes of agnostic/atheistic “religious intolerance” and policies of separation of Church from State have made it illegal to teach creation in schools. Unfortunately, while Clarence Darrow and the American Civil Liberties Union were more than willing to stand up for the freedom of free-thinking desired by those wishing to teach evolution in schools, their successors in the area of civil liberties actively oppose the religious freedom desired by those who wish to teach creation along with evolution as two, equally held theories of the origins of the species.

It is probably impossible to find this movie unless you buy it, but if you are within my circle of influence… you can borrow mine.

The Good Shepherd

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
I shall not want for that which I require, for he meets my every need
I shall not want material possessions, for he satisfies my every desire
I shall not want for glory or power, for I have surrendered to his name

He makes me lie down in green pastures
Pastures so tender that I cannot help but lie down
Pastures so soft that they bring me true rest

He leads me beside the still waters
Not raging waters that are dangerous
Not hot stagnant pools that can make me sick
But sweet, refreshing waters of life

He restores my soul
When I am depressed, he is my restoration
When I am sad, he is my joy

He leads me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake
All my righteous acts are as filthy rags
But when he leads me into righteousness, he is glorified
He knows my name, and I follow his voice

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil, for you are with me
He will not abandon me to the wild beast like the hired hand
He will not let the thief lead me astray
He has already laid down his life for me, so I have nothing to fear

Your rod and your staff, they comfort me
I am comforted by a rod that will never allow me to go astray
By a staff that will always protect me

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You anoint my head with oil;
My cup overflows
Today he is my shepherd;
But I am also the adopted son of his Father
One day, I will be with him in glory where he will prepare a banquet for me in my honor

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life
And I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

To learn more about the Good Shepherd, click on the link below to listen to this week's sermon

I AM The Good Shepherd
http://www.box.net/shared/5nk6o0t4co

Dark Knight - A different kind of review

I went to see Dark Knight… and I loved it… like I’m sure the vast majority of the rest of the world did. It may not the best example of a movie that a Christian should see, but it was a good movie. OK... it was really good - but have you ever wondered...

Why is it that we all love Batman? Don’t get me wrong. As a kid, I used to love to pretend I was Batman. Next to the Man of Steel, he was my favorite superhero… but why? Is it because he gets to beat up on bad guys? Is it because secretly, we all want to pummel those who don’t play by the rules? When my youngest son was only one month old and my oldest son was less than four weeks from turning three, my family was mugged at gunpoint while trying to have a nice family dinner at a local Pizza Hutt. For most of his childhood, you would have thought that he WAS Batman… swinging from the bunkbeds in his Batman Underoos and Halloween cape… For a time afterwards, I myself carried a firearm... strange what being a victim of crime will do to you.

Is it because he gets to play with all those awesome toys? Remember the “original” 1989 Batman movie? Jack Nicholson’s portrayal of the Joker was epic and my favorite line was “Where does he get those wonderful toys?” A bit materialistic of us, isn’t it? Maybe it is because Batman gets to lead two lives – with one of them lived secretly behind a mask of anonymity. Let us all be honest with ourselves. From time to time, we all feel trapped in our current situation. Wouldn’t you just love the opportunity to put on a mask and be able to do just about anything you wanted for a while?

Well how about an interesting twist on Batman and a movie review of Dark Knight that’s not quite the norm? As a Christian, I wonder – in a twisted, don’t-get-me-wrong-and-misunderstand-my-intentions kind of way - if perhaps the Joker is a better example of how we should live our lives than Batman? OK, catch your breath and let me explain. Think about the Batman. Pick your favorite movie, cartoon, comic book, or even Adam West portrayal of Batman (well, come to think of it, maybe the Adam West portrayal won’t work here, but you’ll get my point in a sec…) What drives Batman? Is it justice? Is it revenge? I submit to you that Batman is so completely enslaved by the horrors and evils of his past that he has no choice but to be whom he is. He is tortured. He is bound up by his pain. He is imprisoned by the need to undo something that he has absolutely no control over. To make matters worse, he proclaims to be an agent of good, but he breaks every rule in the book. Batman doesn’t submit to the authorities- he doesn’t really even work with the authorities. In Dark Knight, he even finds himself in the position where he must be opposed to the authorities and become a fugitive himself in order to stop the Joker.

Now think about the Joker. First of all, may I say that Heath Ledger did an outstanding job as the Joker? Personally, I think Jack Nicholson’s character is probably closer to my understanding of the original comic book Joker – especially with all his cliché lines - but Heath Ledger was utterly convincing as a demented, homicidal maniac. How equally sad that he could not distinguish reality from fantasy such that it cost him his life. Nevertheless, think about the Joker. He is so completely committed to his cause that all other concerns are meaningless in comparison. He is totally sold out to the cause of chaos and anarchy. In the 1989 film, he wants everyone to be like him. In Dark Knight, he wants to prove that everyone IS like him. Either way, nothing is going to stop him from promoting his ideals. That commitment essentially sets him free from the bonds of constraint and inhibition. In the Dark Knight, this freedom is best characterized in this quote:

The only sensible way to live in this world is without rules!

Jack Nicholson’s character put it like this in an exchange with “Boss Grissom”:

Joker: I've been dead once already. It's very liberating. You should think of it as, uh... therapy.
Grissom: Jack, listen. Maybe we can cut a deal.
Joker: Jack? Jack is dead, my friend. You can call me... Joker. And as you can see, I'm a lot happier.

Regardless of which Joker you liked better, you must agree that the Joker did not care what anyone thought about himself. The only thing that mattered was the cause.

As Christians, can we say that we are totally committed to the cause of Christ? I’m not suggesting we should go out and break the laws or get involved in acts of civil disruption or anything like that, but are we willing to do whatever it takes to follow Christ? Have we laid aside our inhibitions so that we can do the work of our Savior? I wonder if instead we, like the Batman, have trapped ourselves in the inhibitions of our past, our failures, even other people’s opinions. We don’t want anyone to call us a freak. Heath Ledger’s Joker calls Batman a “freak just like me.” I must admit that when I see Hollywood’s portrayals of Christianity, I feel the same inhibitions. Christians are always viewed as non-conforming, anti-societal freaks – not terribly unlike the Joker in that respect. Satan has conditioned us to believe that we shouldn't want to be viewed that way. Jesus, however, said that if we follow him, the world will not understand and they will hate us for it. They cannot understand him because they do not know him.

If we think about it that way, shouldn’t we instead want to be freaks – Jesus Freaks? One of my all-time favorite Christian Rock bands is the now-disbanded DC Talk. My favorite album of theirs is Jesus Freak. It speaks of complete, sold-out Christianity. They also wrote a book by the same title that was essentially a re-write of Foxe’s Book of Martyrs. Why are we so enslaved by our inhibitions when all over the world there are Christians who are giving their lives for the name of Jesus? In John 8, Jesus said

“If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."

With that freedom will come true happiness - not the Joker's psycotic ecstasy, but the real joy of knowing Jesus. So will you experience the freedom of being sold out for the cause of Christ… or continue to be enslaved and tortured by your own inner demons?

Protected by the Gate - Safety and Comfort in the Fold

In ancient times, the sheepfold was incredibly important to ensuring the safety of the flock. And the most important part of the sheepfold was the gate. It was the only way in and the only way out. It was there to keep the sheep from wandering away, but it was also there to keep theives, robbers, and prey out of the fold. Without the gate, the sheep were sure to have been lost - either by their own waywardness, by the nefarious actions of others, or by the ravenous hunger of wild animals.

In John 10, Jesus says "I am the gate for the sheep; whoever enters through me will be saved". He was not talking about initial, justifying salvation here, because the shepherd only allowed sheep in the fold - meaning that he was already talking to believers. Instead, he was talking about the progressive salvation of sanctification - going in and out of the "fold" in the course of our daily lives. In his fold we find safety. In his fold we find comfort. And we can be assured that he will not lose any of his sheep.

To hear more about this, listen to this week's sermon by clicking on the link below.

I AM THE GATE FOR THE SHEEP
http://www.box.net/shared/yut9d3xusg

So Let Your Light Shine

During the sermon on the Mount, Jesus tells his disciples to let their light shine before all men because they were the light of the world. But in John 8:12, he stands up during the Feast of Tabernacles and says "I am the Light of the World..."


The Feast of Tabernacles commemorated a time when the Israelites lived in the tents in the wilderness. A time when the pillar of cloud by day and fire by night went before the nation of Israel so that they would not lose their way. It is no accident that Jesus makes this bold statement during the Feast of Tabernacles. He was the fulfillment of the Feast of Tabernacles. He brings us out of the wilderness into the promised land.

Find out what Jesus meant when he said "I am the Light of the World..." and how it relates to his command to us to let our light shine before men by listening to today's sermon. To listen, click on the link below.

I AM the Light of the World
http://www.box.net/shared/gfqaoyqcc4

GET SMART Movie Review

OK… Peter Segal’s remake of the 1970 spy comedy, Get Smart is rated PG-13 for a reason. According to the MPAA, it is rated PG-13 for “rude humor, action violence, and language.” The enhanced rating summary is there so that you know what you are getting into if you take your small kids to the movie. With that said, Get Smart is one of the best and funniest retro-remakes I’ve seen in a long while.

Most retro-remakes are either absolute spoofs (and usually star Leslie Neilson - whom I do not like as an actor whatsoever) or essentially just make fun of the 60s/70s culture (such as with Starsky and Hutch). Get Smart, however, is truly a redo that updates the storyline for today’s culture. On top of that, its really quite funny – thanks primarily to Steve Carell and Dwayne Johnson (who can be surprisingly funny). What’s more, not all of the humor is crude – most, in fact, is not.

I used to love watching the old Don Adams reruns of the Get Smart TV series, so I really enjoyed the movie remake. Steve Carell made a convincing Maxwell Smart – more so than I expected, because I don’t typically enjoy the characters that he portrays (OK, can I say that I hate the fact that I find The Office funny?). Steve Carell’s Maxwell Smart character, however, was not nearly as bumbling as Don Adams. Yes, he was ridiculous. Yes, he was a bit of a buffoon, but it just seems to me that I remember the Don Adams character always beating the bad guys purely by coincidence (or more specifically because of Agent 99). Steve Carell’s character actually did some pretty intelligent things… well, sort of… but I won’t say anymore… no spoilers, you know.

On the other hand, I thought Anne Hathaway did not make a very convincing Agent 99. I enjoyed her portrayal nonetheless. I don’t remember “99” ever being antagonistic towards Maxwell Smart; and even though she came around towards the end of the movie, I thought their conflict was way overplayed… In the series, Agent 99 would have never turned her back… wait… no spoilers… Here's an interesting factoid: I read or heard somewhere that Anne Hathaway found out that she had pink-eye when she and Steve Carell k- (oops again, no spoilers - sorry).

If you never watched the TV series – which doesn’t even come on the obscure channels anymore (but hey, there’s always YouTube) – then you probably won’t appreciate the subtle, and not so subtle, tributes the movie gives the series. I found a good number of them, including the cascading iron doors, the phone booth that drops through the floor, the shoe phone, the cone of silence, "Hymie" the robot, the red MG Midget, and of course several of Don Adams' patented comments (of which I think there should have been more). I know there are others that I don't remember, and I'm sure I missed a few.

Bottom line, I have to say I really enjoyed the movie. You really should keep in mind that it is PG-13, and before you decide to take your kids, check out this more complete analysis of the content cautions from crosswalk.com - http://www.crosswalk.com/movies/11577733/page2/ (but beware there might be a spoiler or two in there).

Otherwise, enjoy a good, entertaining movie.

Give Us This Day

When Jesus was teaching his disciples to pray and said “Give us this day our daily bread,” the disciples understood what that meant. They understood that bread, in their culture as well as in many cultures today, was the giver of life. Many ancient cultures revered bread as a symbol of life. In less prosperous cultures, people often survive literally from day to day on bread. The importance of bread under those circumstances cannot be understated. To receive daily bread, therefore, is to receive that which you need to sustain you through today – until you once again receive that bread tomorrow. In our overweight culture, we have lost the sense of that metaphor. I admit that I am part of that culture. We typically don’t worry about what we are going to eat tomorrow because our cupboards (and refrigerators and freezers) are full.

As a result, when Jesus said in John 6:35 that “I am the bread of life,” we are at risk of underestimating the importance of the metaphor. However, Jesus Christ is the spiritual manna from heaven that I need every day in order to be spiritually satisfied. Without him, I will try to fill my cravings with all the temporary pleasures this earth has to offer – none of which will bring happiness. His is the bread that will eternally dispel my hunger and my thirst.

In this week’s sermon, we explore the fact that Jesus truly is the daily bread. To hear it, click on the link below.

Jesus Says “I AM” – The bread of Life
http://www.box.net/shared/30w0gw1kw0

Know that you know...part 2

Yesterday I had to participate in what could only be classified as a "pastorly" activity. As shephed, it happens and you must respond to it. One of the sheep needed counseling. Last Sunday, one of the sweet little old ladies in the assisted living center "congregation" where I serve as Volunteer Pastor came up to me after the service and requested a counseling appointment. This is not that big a deal. I'm not a counselor, but I can listen to her and, if necessary, share with her whatever biblical insight that the Holy Spirit brings to mind. The problem is this: Every pastor knows that he is not the most spiritually mature person in his congregation. There is always that one person (usually a sweet little old lady) whom everyone knows is so close to God that if she says "jump" - then everyone, including the pastor, jumps. This was that little old lady. So yesterday I stopped by her suite at the center for a little visit.

After the pleasantries, she says "last week, you said in your sermon that the church is full of unsaved people..." (this sermon: http://www.box.net/shared/97n81zxssg )

Oh no... she's going to tell me how wrong I am and that perhaps I was too harsh or even mean-spirited... get prepared to jump.

"Yes," I replied... and I went on to clarify how my remarks were a commentary on what Jesus said in Matthew 7 and that I believed he meant that there are many in the church who believe they are saved but really are not.

"I want to make sure I really am saved," she said.

WHAT? ARE YOU KIDDING ME? SURELY YOU ARE KIDDING ME? IF ANYONE IN THIS LITTLE CONGREGATION IS SAVED, IT IS YOU... OK, I didn't say that, but I was thinking it. You have to understand. Each Sunday, when I show up at Hearthstone, I always look forward to seeing this lady. The reason is simple. When I see her, I see Jesus. You know what I mean? There are just some people who so reflect the light of Jesus that it evident beyond evident. I want to be that person. I'm not. She is. So no matter how poorly my Sunday morning may have been to that point, her disposition and reflection of Christ is always such an encouragement to me that it almost always helps put me in a great frame of mind for worship. So, despite my thoughts, that is not what I said... What I did say though was this...

"What makes you think you are not saved?"

She went on to talk about her doubts and for the next 30 minutes or so we had a very interesting diatribe about "knowing that you know that you know." She shared her salvation experiences and struggles. I shared mine. She shared her doubts. I shared mine. We discussed the plan of salvation, which she knew in her head, believed in her heart, and for which she placed her faith for salvation. She told me how she shared her doubts with her kids (one of whom is a full time missionary) and how their response was "MOTHER, Don't be rediculous - you're the most saved person I know!"

DUH - That's what I said... not really... just another unspoken thought.

The reality, though, was that she didn't have peace. Her doubts were crippling her. At that point, I shared with her that there were two different types of "doubt" that enter our minds. The first (which really isn't doubt in the truest sense of the word) is the conviction of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit works in us to convict us of our sin and to draw us to God, convincing us of our need for salvation. The second (which really is doubt in the truest sense of the word) is a tool that Satan uses to try to defeat us and make us ineffective Christians. The first makes us think "I am a sinner and I need God." The second makes us think either "God could never accept me" (if you are not already saved) or (if you are saved) "My faith is not enough, so I'm not really saved." I was more than confident that she was experiencing the latter, but only she could come to that conclusion for herself.

The time came in the conversation for me to remind her what Jesus said in Matthew 7:21

Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.

I reminded her that the evidence of our salvation is the fruit in our lives and the fact that we live lives that are obedient to Christ. So I asked her:

"If you look back on your life, would you say that (in general) it has been characterized by obedience to Christ?" It was a risky move on my part, because it was sort of sounding like I was asking her about her good works and whether she deserved salvation as a result... but I was working an angle...

She responded by giving me a short synopsis of her spiritual journey and how she believed she had been obedient and then said the following:

"Not once, though, did I ever think these things were earning me salvation. I didn't do them to be saved. I know that Jesus paid the price for my sin and that is the only way I can be saved. I did them because I wanted to serve Jesus and be obedient."

Eureka. I couldn't have said it any better myself. She didn't live a life of obedience to earn God's favor; she lived a life of obedience because she loved God. We are not saved by our actions. We do not do good works to earn God's favor. Nothing we can do can satisfy our sin debt.... BUT... when we fully place our trust in Him, he changes us inside. We develop a growing desire to serve Him more and more. We become obedient because we love Him, have made him LORD, and have submitted our will to His will.

"And that's how you know..."