Does Ink Color Matter?

  I think we need to take a step back and explain to ourselves what we mean when we stamp a movie "Christian". Do we mean the producer was a professing Christian? Do we mean the story or paraphrase or symbolism is from the Bible? Do we mean there are no curse words or vulgarity? Do we mean the hero prays? Does there need to be a verse? What are our criteria? When can we put that ink down and pull back and be satisfied with what got our coveted stamp of approval?
      Professing Christianity is great; essential, even. Just because someone is the child of the universe's leading storyteller does not make him good at it. While this could be a starting point when looking to watch something with the kids, if you are looking for a good story you may have to branch out eventually.
   Taking a story or symbol from the Bible and bringing it to life is a great way to relate to an audience. How close to the original does it have to be? How do you deal with culture? See, now we are on the slippery slope of historical accuracy. Some would have you think it has to be 100% accurate to the original to be qualified. Guess what? Oral tradition, translation, and thousands of years have made execution impossible. I'm sorry. Sort of.

    It is clear we are not to misuse the name of God. Well, what counts as His name? When is it ok to say? Can we cry out to Him in anger, or can we only say Jesus when we are happy? Then we come to cussing. What words and euphemisms are appropriate at what times? Fridge is probably coming to mind, and there have been excellent discussions already based on it, so check those out. Vulgarity; how do we go about this one? If I came up to you and spoke in Latin or Greek or Russian or Icelandic or some other language none of us know, would you understand? Some things may sound familiar, but it's not how you communicate, so we can't really have a discussion. (I am not lobbying for all Christian films to become R-rated monsters to shock the public into viewing them. I am saying sometimes flowers and butterflies don't speak to the world in the way a strong word or bold image will.)

   What about The Lord's Prayer and Psalm 23? For Christians seeing the film, it may be encouraging or challenging. For the secular it's a joke.

   If you want further reading, check out what Jesus thought of the Pharisees. They took good laws and made them too complicated for the average man to be able to live up to. I bet the color of the ink mattered.

  I am not trying to give answers; I only hope I have pushed some buttons here. In our day and age, that's the only way to turn things on. Please post your arguments.