You should be getting an email soon from Christian conservative groups decrying the film The Ten which critics claim “degrades and insults God and His laws.” The movie, directed by David Wain of Wet Hot American Summer, includes ten different stories, each depicting one of “the ten.”
Wain explains, “The Ten Commandments have been a cornerstone of our society for nearly one hundred years.” (Uh, more like four thousand years, David!) He continues, “If you’ve ever taken a Sunday off, or if you’ve ever stopped yourself from murdering someone, then you yourself have been following the Ten Commandments without even knowing it.”
I’m reminded of Dr. Wilbur Williams’ comment in Old Testament class. “You can’t break the Ten Commandments. They will break you if you disobey them.” So, I’m not worried about a film causing any harm to “the ten.” The best way to defend them is for Christians to live them out—which a Barna survey reveals they are not! Now, that is what truly “degrades and insults God.”
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July 31, 2007 at 11:49
Sounds like a poor man’s version of Polish director Krzysztof Kieślowski’s 10-film series, The Decalogue. I’ve only seen 2 of the 10 films, but they were both amazing.
July 31, 2007 at 12:51
I highly recommend ‘The Decalogue’ as well. That series is one of the most beautiful films I’ve ever seen. (It’s not for the fainthearted, though; it is a distinctly existential take on morality.)
Nearly 100 years? What is Mr. Wain thinking?
July 31, 2007 at 14:25
Isn’t it amazing that Christ explained the significance of most of the commandments during his ministry? When he mentioned that adultery wasn’t just the act of it, but the desire and lust of just looking at a woman (or man—for you ladies) lustfully. Or when he said, that if we hate our brother we are committing murder? (Mat 5:21, 1 John 3:15). And how our love to God is defined with how we love our neighbor. The fact is, we all fall short of the 10 commandments. That’s where the grace of God shines and reveals to us the constant need of forgiveness.
Romans 8:2 – “because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.” AMEN!
August 1, 2007 at 03:23
What impresses me about ‘the ten’ commandments is the everlasting actuality of them. So if they are eternal, they must be REAL!
August 1, 2007 at 07:41
Can someone explain to me why Conservative Christian groups would decry the worldliness of a film made by the director of “Wet Hot American Summer?” I haven’t seen that particular movie, but I know better than to think that the director of that film is suddenly going to start making movies that exemplify the need to take the Bible seriously.
Why do they feel the need to police non-believers? Where in the Bible are we told that that is our job? Maybe they have so little faith in believers that they don’t trust us to think for ourselves. It makes me want to see the movie. Is that wrong? I’m sure it’s a sign of rebelliousness in me that I should be praying about.
August 1, 2007 at 09:27
Ditto on pretty much everything said above. When are these conservative Christian groups going to realize that the only thing they accomplish when they decry films in this manner is to provide the film with some extra free publicity?
August 7, 2007 at 03:00
April, love your comments.
Christ used parables to find common ground and illustrate points with people he was talking to. Movies are our cultural connections just like parables were then. Seeing movies and taling about them with our friends, both believers and nonbelievers, provides us with common ground and some great metaphors. Somehow I visualize guys like Jesus and Paul speaking to the cultural conditions that would cause someone to want to make this film while I visualize the Pharisees as the ones who would start a media campaign against it.
I think of Jesus’ summary of the ten commandments: “love God which all your heart, mind & soul and love your neighbor as yourself” and wonder how we can address that with people who see this movie. I guess instead of taking it as an affront we can see it as an opportunity since what is meant for evil God can turn to good.
August 14, 2007 at 03:03
Surely we need to police ourselves rather? Revelation 22:11 is clear “Let the evildoer still do evil, and the filthy still be filthy, and the righteous still do right, and the holy still be holy.” But surely we must maintain holiness? Then we have to take a look at the worldly activities and be warned. This is quite biblical: “Abstain from all appearance of evil.” (1 Thess 5:22)
To be honest I think I am on the wrong website. I am a fundamentalist… albeit a new one. Comments like “Seeing movies and tal[k]ing about them with our friends, both believers and nonbelievers, provides us with common ground and some great metaphors.” greatly disturb me. How do you witness to someone caught up in adultery? Do you need to watch a movie about that to know it’s wrong? What about a person given up to lustful desires? How many times must evil be glorified in what we watch to tell Christians to stop?
It seems like making friends with the world. Do we really need to watch the movie to talk to people who have seen it? I do not advocate sending around petitions or boycotting the movie, but as Christians should we pay the money God allows us to earn to spend it on that which clearly insults His name and His commands? If they made a movie about how horrible your parents (specifically) were, cussing them and ridiculing them, would you pay good money to go and see it?