In a new USA Today article, Power, Maturity Steer Christian Movement, Michael Medved examines Christian conservatives' response to the hype of 'Brokeback Mountain.'
" The publicity blitz surrounding Oscar front-runner Brokeback Mountain not only challenged stereotypes about gay relationships, it simultaneously cleared away persistent misunderstandings about the nation's Christian conservatives.
Instead of reacting with outraged calls for censorship or condemnation, the much-reviled minions of the so-called religious right have mostly ignored the movie, allowing it to collect every sort of honor with shockingly scant controversy.
. . . This doesn't mean that cultural traditionalists in the USA have abandoned their principles and suddenly embraced the much-discussed "gay cowboy movie": People who revere biblical strictures against same-sex relationships can scarcely commend a film that provides a lyrical celebration of a homosexual affair that wrecks two marriages.
Neverthe less . . . In the heartland of Evangelical America, Brokeback has generated more ho-hums than howls of protest (or hosannas).
When 'Brokeback' first premiered to the public, Exodus President Alan Chambers voiced his concerns about the movie to a few media outlets, including Good Morning America. He didn't call for a massive letter-campaign by Christians asking theaters not to show the movie. Rather, Alan understood that this movie didn't connect with the heart of most Americans and couldn't fool most people by romanticizing a homosexual affair. Public outrage and outcry simply weren't necessary.
The concern at Exodus was the intended effect of this film on people struggling with their sexual identity, particularly teenagers and young adults. Many people experience a time of confusion, pain and longing around this time of life. A young man longing for male affection and affirmation might be lured into the theater and subsequently led to think that homosexual relationships are the best way to meet his legitimate, God-given needs.
'Brokeback' promotes the lie that the homosexuality is a valid identity and a satisfying lifestyle, and that the family as God designed it is a trap that destroyed these two sheepherders' true love. But thousands and thousands of people like Alan have found exactly the opposite. So he just came out and said it when the opportunity arose (never having to seek it out himself).
"This live-and-let-live attitude, plus an uncompromising commitment to personal principle, reflects an increasing sense of power and maturity on the part of religious conservative activists. They enjoy unprecedented influence in government at all levels . . . and startling success in the world of entertainment (with huge sales for religious music, novels, radio programming and even motion pictures such as The Passion of the Christ and The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe). Rather than worrying over industry-insider awards for Brokeback, conservative Christians flocked to see the recent movie End of the Spear . . . Despite the fact that the leading actor in the film (Chad Allen) had publicly identified himself as a homosexual . . . the great majority of churches and religious organizations remained supportive of the film.
. . . Instead of railing helplessly about the degradation of secular culture and its decadent entertainment offerings, religious believers can increasingly immerse themselves in a vibrant counterculture and thriving church communities."
It looks like a lot of Christians are finally finding the kind of counter-cultural method that works. While what hooplah there was over Chad Allen's lifestyle was unfortunate, it was great to see most Christians appreciate the effort he put into his role.
I think Christianity will have more of an impact (and more of a Christ-like impact) if we can be more than just the religion of don't-do-that.
Good first post Mike. I know that when I identified as gay I thought it was my only "valid" option. Having since learned that the gay identity is a relatively new ideology it is very empowering to me to know that I don't have to buy into that identity as my only option or paradigm of belief.
I am also very grateful that folks like ourselves aren't threatened by projects like this. We confidently move forward with our lives regardless of the gay mantras being repeated through Hollywood and the activist communities.
Posted by: Randy | Wednesday, March 08, 2006 at 01:48 PM
I think its interesting that progay activists have to point to a piece of fiction as validation - not truth. Truth is, there are many thousands of us exgays out here proving them wrong about change. And many thousands of depressed and addicted gays to prove their romantic fantasy-world wrong. (Serial betrayals, violence, slanders, etc.- endemic to the gay lifestyle..)
I most was offended by the movie's title - its a takeoff on a pornographic aspect of male gay (b-back) behavior - but the naive public doesn't know it. Its all so sad. Glad to be exgay. God does change hearts. Totally. Sinful desires can and do change.
Posted by: NCBreeze | Wednesday, March 08, 2006 at 05:17 PM
Brokeback Nation
I rarely go to movies. If enough people tell me a movie is worth seeing I'll eventually go see it, or watch it on DVD. I do skim the weekly film reviews in the newspaper. So it was last winter that I ran across reviews of an obscure new film showing in a small theater in my area. This movie was said to be "a love-story which shatters the last of the old taboos." The New Yorker review which soon followed make more sense, so after some prayer and with trepidation I recently took in this 2 hour 20 minute film on a Saturday afternoon, accompanied by a good friend of mine.
New Yorker Review
BROKE BACK MOUNTAIN: In the summer of 1963, Ennis Del Mar (Heath Ledger) and Jack Twist (Jake Gyllenhaal) herd the sheep on Brokeback Mountain, in Wyoming, and fall in love. Ang Lee's movie traces the ups and downs of that love over many years, making it clear that the downs are fared to outnumber the ups. The film has a curious motion to begin with, managing to seem at once hectic and sluggish; once the heroes start to grow up, however, and thus to struggle against their feelings, the story comes painfully alive, and the performances stretch toward the tragic. There is fine support from Anne Hathaway and Michelle Wilhams as the baffled wives of the two men, but the picture belongs to Ledger, whose downcast gaze and chewed-up words bear almost unbearable testimony to a heart under siege. Any attempt to promote this as an issue movie, gripped by an agenda, feels badly misplaced; the only issue here is the oldest and most sorrowful one of all. -- Anthony Lane, 12/05/05.
The scenery is gripping--the setting in Wyoming 1963 is not culturally very far from my own growing-up years in Idaho. I know what cowboys are like. We Idahoans don't open up and share our feelings or our fears. It just isn't done. Many people I grew up among endured bad marriages, their kids grew up alone having been told that little children are to be "seen but not heard." Life was tough in a small town, and could be incredibly boring. Idaho culture as I remember it as a boy was flat. For me, I seemed to always be desperately lonely.
Right near the end of the film it suddenly occurred to me that this film was not about love in any legitimate form. It was about a total absence of real love in a culture--from start to finish. Could this movie have inadvertently portrayed our current American society more closely than I had dared to imagine?
I was overcome with pain and sadness before the movie ended--and soon I was in tears. Everyone in this film was lost--hopelessly so. I knew what the answer was. All the characters in the film, not just the lead cowboys, needed massive doses of the love that comes only from Jesus. Agape is the kind of self-giving compassionate love God designed societies to operate on. But no one in this film had any real connection to God, apparently. The tacit assumption of the film apparently was that lovelessness is the normal state of affairs--the way things have always been and always will be.
Ennis and Jack had grown up without fathers and neither had ever known a real friendship. Had raw eros not seized them and taken them captive--surely it was a strong demon--they could have become life-long friends and the whole movie would have been a different story. As it was, Ennis and Jack did not know how to love each other as brothers, and they knew nothing about loving their wives nor their children. Having never really felt acceptance and unconditional love, how could they be expected to know how to love anyone?
My movie companion, Matt, counted six subtle messages to Jesus during the film, surely not intended by the producers. Nevertheless the answer was there subliminally for those with ears to hear. I immediately knew that Jesus was in this film--but not in the way the producers intended.
My greatest pain in the movie was seeing Ennis' and Jack's children growing up on their own, unguided and unloved, just the same way their parents had grown up, only worse. Obviously the wives had suffered the devastating loss of husbands who should have been responsible fathers and husbands--established enough in Jesus to love their own wives as their own selves--the basic ground rules for marriage as spelled out in Ephesians.
I can not imagine anyone using this film to legitimize the acting out of homosexual desires. God's abiding anger--commonly called His wrath--"rests" on all who do not know Him. God hates hypocrisy. He hates divorce. Homosexual acts are personally unspeakably repugnant to Him. Yet, our Lord Jesus is kind and patient and merciful to everyone, hoping that a few will be willing to receive His love and be made whole. "Do you not know that God's kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?" Paul wrote in his letter to the Romans.
I could see that life's consequence engine was running full tilt through this all-too-real film of our great American tragedy. Sexual sin devastates individuals and families and wrecks a society. With regard to sex, love, marriage, and friendship I think our American society is just about Dead Broke right now. I wish someone would prove me wrong.
I am certain the writer of the original New Yorker (very) short story, Annie Proulx, the Screen Player writers, Larry McCurty and Dianna Ossana, the very fine director Ang Lee, the actors, the producers, all intended for the movie to convey a different set of values to their audience than what I saw in this powerful motion picture. (The sound track is very well done. I bought the CD but I can only play it when I am alone because when I listen to it, the tears all come flooding back all over again--many weeks later).
Some years ago I remember a remark by my mentor Ray Stedman about modern movies. Ray said he felt God often used totally secular films to prepare the world for what would soon we coming down the pike in real life. Ray and I were talking about Science Fiction films at the time, but Brokeback Mountain hit me dead center. I think we all live in Brokeback Nation. This film may not have been intended to be a warning message from God of impending judgment on us all--but that is what it said to me--loud and clear.
It is painful to live in a society full of likeable people one can readily identify with. It is painful to be unable to affect a change in all these lost people who bear the image of God and whose sins have already been paid for in full. If only they knew that! If only someone could go and convince them! Each could blossom and be fulfilled if only they could be put in touch with Jesus. (God is not a respecter of persons--as far as I could tell everyone depicted in this movie was desperately in need of God's compassionate love and mercy).
I thought about the actors and actresses in this film as well. The fame and financial reward of notable actors these days makes it even less likely they will ever come to know God. The parts the cast members played were well-played, but so what? Well-known actors and "stars" never seem to be able to live lives of their own. Who are they as real people? We can never know. We treat them like gods and goddesses and deities--and so they need no redemption. Will any of them ever find the fulfillment that knowing Jesus brings? "God does not desire than anyone should perish…"
Jerusalem 586 BC
There was a time in history past when God wiped out most of his chosen people Israel in the siege and destruction of Jerusalem in 586 BC. This was God judging His own people--those who professed to know Him--not the pagans. Dealing with the pagans would come later.
Jeremiah the prophet was chosen to represent God for more than 40 years while living in Jerusalem through the whole ordeal. Daniel and Ezekiel, with a tiny few survivors--a remnant--were safely carted off to Babylon in advance.
While he was in detainment camp outside Babylon, teaching and shepherding the few thousand exiled people in his care, Jeremiah was visited by The Angel of the Lord (a theophany, most likely the preincarnate Son of God). The Angel took Ezekiel in a great vision for a personal tour of the temple and the city. The time was September 592, six years before the actual fall of the city. After showing Ezekiel the idolatrous conditions in Solomon's once great Temple, the Angel of the Lord called for a recording angel to travel throughout Jerusalem and mark on the forehead every person who "sighed and groaned" over all the abominations going on there. These who wept were the protected few who would survive the coming judgment on the city.
Next the Lord called for six destroying angels who were instructed, "Pass through the city after him, and smite; your eye shall not spare, and you shall show no pity; slay old men outright, young men and maidens, little children and women, but touch no one upon whom is the mark. And begin at my sanctuary."
Josephus described the subsequent 18-month siege by Nebuchadnezzar when the city was indeed leveled and everyone slain except the few who had been invisibly marked by God's recording angel. (See http://ldolphin.org/ezekiel/ezekiel4.html for details)
God must judge sin. He allows no nation, no people, to go on living generation after generation in life styles that openly defy Him. We are all houseguests on a great Estate owned by an absent Landlord--a man who is also the Heir of everything. That the Landlord will be returning very soon to claim His inheritance, should be evident to all who will open their eyes and look around them.
Notice from the example of Jerusalem that God judges His own people first--then He judges those who have altogether refused His grace and mercy. The Apostle Peter wrote,
"For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God? Now "If the righteous one is scarcely saved, Where will the ungodly and the sinner appear?" (1 Peter 4:17-19)
Christians, in my opinion, really have no business heaping condemnation and scorn and ridicule on the sinners of this world! God does not expect moral behavior out of people who do not have the inner spiritual resources to meet His standards. People who are lost don't even know they are lost until someone acting in mercy wakes them up. The lost all around us need to be prayed for and loved and wept over by God's people.
"Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd. Then He said to His disciples, "The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. "Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest." (Matthew 9:35-38)
Words failed me after watching Brokeback Mountain. For me it was a time of tears and sorrow for the lost of my generation. I love my country and I remember the good things about life in the United States half a century ago. These better days are all almost gone now. By this film I was deeply shaken at the realization once more of the lavish doses of the unmerited, undeserved grace of God I have been given. But, it is very painful to see so many around me being left behind.
Jesus wept over Jerusalem. Should we not be weeping over our land and our people? http://ldolphin.org/, [email protected]
Posted by: Lambert | Thursday, March 16, 2006 at 05:38 PM
Hi Lambert. Thank you for taking the time and energy to share your thoughts. You have added much to the discussion.
Posted by: Randy | Friday, March 17, 2006 at 10:58 AM