Tuesday, December 15, 2009

New Family-Friendly Christmas Movie Classics

When we think of Movie Classics, we think early Hollywood. But there are several newer family-friendly movies that should become Christmas Classics.

Most Biblical New Family-Friendly Christmas Movie Classic:
The Nativity Story
, 2006. The Nativity Story has no big stars, which makes it easier to imagine them as the characters they play. Keisha Castle-Hughes and Oscar Isaac are Mary and Joseph.

Value: For those who believe the Bible for its spiritual content about the birth of Jesus and/or at least its historical value, this gives a realistic portrayal of the ancient Hebrew culture. It is gritty and yet beautiful; the travel scenes are dirty and unglamorous.

The movie explores the dilemma between Joseph and Mary when they discover she is pregnant, since unwed pregnant women could be stoned to death or exiled in those days. The revelation that she is actually carrying God’s child, the Light of the World, spurs them on. The rest of the movie centers on their hard road to Bethlehem for the census, with a fresh look at how Joseph and Mary’s love might have grown during the grueling trip. Age Group: All.

A Family-Friendly Christmas Movie Re-Make that Should be Released Now:
Miracle on 34th Street, the 1994 re-make. This re-make of the 1947 original classic should have been made for 2009. In 1994, it was still appropriate in the Hollywood mainstream to explore the possibility that God does exist and is worth talking about. Elizabeth Perkins plays a store P.R. person looking for an appropriate Santa; Dylan McDermott the neighbor who loves her, and Richard Attenborough the “real” Santa and matchmaker.

Value: The courtroom scene commentary about “In God We Trust” on the dollar bill is still in the movie, just like in the original… if we can’t prove Santa isn’t real, then we can’t prove God isn’t real either. The movie illustrates that, like Santa, God can be a great source of hope in our world and shouldn’t be discounted. Age Group: All.

A TV Family-Friendly Christmas Movie that should have played the Big Screen:
The Christmas Shoes, 2002. Rob Lowe and Kimberly Williams-Paisley portray the characters from the popular song about a little boy who wants to buy red shoes as a Christmas gift for his dying mother.

Value: Lowe is a work-consumed man whose heart turns tender toward the real meaning of life, and he gives the boy the money. Get your Kleenex. Age Group: All.

(DISCLOSURE OF MATERIAL CONNECTION - cmp.ly/0 - This writer has not received any compensation for writing this content and has no material connection to the brands, topics and/or products that are mentioned herein.)
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Tuesday, December 8, 2009

Political Correctness is Blurring our Vision toward Terrorism

Political correctness has people afraid to come forward with suspicions of possible terrorist attacks. The whistleblower may be accused of "profiling" while the possible perpetrator freely continues his/their plotting. Cases in point:
-The Fort Hood attack.
-The United Nation's attempt to accept an edict from the Islamic Conference against what they call "Islamophobia."
By labeling Islamophobia, the Islamic Conference may forbid people to speak out against extreme Islamic terrorism as a form of religious intolerance. The Conference implies that Westerners "hate and fear" all Muslims, which of course isn't true. No specific mention is made to prevent hatred toward Christianity, Judaism or other religions.

Interested in reading more about extreme political correctness? Come see my articles on these topics:
"Islamophobia and its effect on other faiths" at The Underground Online Magazine.
"Pearl Harbor and today's terrorism - examining the parallels" at Examiner.

WAIT! Before you leave this site, please have a look at my book:
"What Every Christian Should Know about the Jewish People"
(see the red book cover in right-hand column here). With today's rise in anti-Semitism and anti-Christianity, here is an attempt to improve the relationship between people of Jewish and Christian faith.

Speaking out against extreme Islamic terrorism does not mean one hates or fears all Muslims. Neither should it be said that Christians hate Jewish people, but it often is. Why? Read how Israel has a right to exist and why Christians must attempt to improve the way they are perceived by Jewish people in today's world. Click on the book cover and learn how to order.
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Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Christian Leaders take "Manhattan Declaration" Stand on Issues

Evangelical Christian, Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox leaders have taken a stand for Christian values by signing the “Manhattan Declaration.” On November 20, 2009, approximately 150 leaders signed the document as an example to their denominations and others to keep defending three main biblical principles: the sanctity of human life; traditional marriage by the Bible’s definition of one man and one woman; and freedom of religious expression.

Subtitled “A Call of Christian Conscience,” the Manhattan Declaration addresses the assault in today’s society and the current American government against the above three values. The text states:
“…we are compelled today to speak out forcefully in their [the three values’] defense, and to commit ourselves to honoring them fully no matter what pressures are brought upon us and our institutions to abandon or compromise them.”

The group is not politically affiliated. The Declaration states the signers’ unconditional commitment is to Christ only, and recommends acts of civil disobedience when absolutely necessary (see the Summary of the Manhattan Declaration in the paragraph “Unjust Laws”).

The Manhattan Declaration clarifies that its followers will not comply with any edict that enables mistreatment of human life from the unborn to the elderly, including abortion, euthanasia or destruction of human embryos for research; will not bless immoral sexual partnerships, and will not be silenced on the grounds of religious objection.

The Summary ends with this succinct statement: “We will fully and ungrudgingly render to Caesar what is Caesar’s. But under no circumstances will we render to Caesar what is God’s.”

This echoes the Hebrew leader Joshua’s call to faith: "Now fear the LORD and serve him with all faithfulness... But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve...as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD" (Joshua 24:14-16, NIV, excerpts).

When the apostle Peter was given strict orders by the governing body, the Sanhedrin, to stop preaching in the name of Christ, he declared that followers of Christ must obey God, not men (Acts 5).

Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. also advocated civil (peaceful) disobedience for the Civil Rights movement and accomplished much in this manner. He believed all men were created equal, both in the Declaration of Independence and in the Gospel (Galatians 3:28-29). If all men are created equal, then Christians have the right to voice their opinion as much as anyone else.

Whom will we obey as Christians? Will we silently go along with the crowd so as not to make waves, or will we stand by the signers of the Manhattan Declaration to come out and be separate as Jesus commanded?

This article was originally published at The Underground Online Magazine with same date.
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