Wednesday, September 10, 2014

True or false?

More specifically, is the Bible true?  Or is it just a bunch of old and somewhat interesting stories?  Are some stores true and the rest fabricated? 

Mr. Sexy and I rented the new movie, Noah, over the weekend.  It was different than I expected in some ways.  It was better in others.  I'm glad I knew to start the movie with an open mind of someone else's interpretation of the Noah's Ark story. I understand the need/desire to change details or fill in the gaps in order to make a film a blockbuster. 

There are three main things I walked away with after watching. 

1. Some of the details were obviously not in line with the original story.  Other details, well, who knows?  It's sometimes fun to let our imaginations put the pieces together. 

2. Noah and his family were human.  Disgustingly human, even.  You will have to see the movie yourself to see why I use the term, "disgustingly human." 

3. Hollywood's version of Bible stories will generally not be shown to my kids until they know the true story well enough to know the difference between truth and imagination. 

This then begs the question, is the story of Noah true at all?  If not, what about the rest of the stories? Can we decided that some stories are too far fetched but the others could possibly have happened? 

I grew up with all the famous Bible stories and characters. Eventually I got to a point when I had to decide if it was true or not. Jonah being swallowed by a whale and surviving?  Two of every single animal on a boat with the one "perfect" family left while everyone else was essentially murdered?  A father ready to murder his own son?  Incest? Even now, as I make this list, I am thinking of how much the world hasn't changed.  The problems, at their core, remain the same. 

I have decided that the Bible is true from beginning to end with everything in the middle. I have not yet been able to justify that Noah's story would be made up and Jesus' story was not. I have to believe all of it or none of it.  When I tried to pick what I wanted to believe as truth, I tried to disregard what I didn't want to hear. But in the end, I couldn't justify that kind of faith.  In fact, that wasn't faith at all. 

The Bible is complicated.  The stories are difficult to understand. I still struggle with the "why's." Some of the stories I would rather not know because I can't imagine what it would have been like.  But it's all part of history.  It's God's story to us, for us and about us. 

I have been enjoying Hollywood's portrayal of the stories I grew up with and I hope the trend continues. As imperfect as their portrayals might be, I enjoy seeing "perfect" Bible story characters I have heard about my whole life becoming human and therefore, more relate-able. 

8 comments:

  1. My husband and I just could not believe the movie Noah. I was like, "what the heck did I just see?" and what with those Rock monsters? And, aren't you short 2 wives on the Ark? The bible very clearly states how many entered - and who - and how many left the Ark after the flood receded. Those are kinda major points. And to make the bad guy hide aboard AND one of Noah's son's not tell AND feed him? Oh my goodness.. I have to stop. I expected some artistic license, but those were all kind of major points for me. Russel Crowe was amazing, but he was not the Noah I grew up with at all.
    As for what is true story, allegory and parable in the Bible - I try not to get too caught up in all that and forget what the Lesson is. We aren't supposed to know everything perfectly clear right now -- that's why the Tree of Knowledge was Forbidden Fruit. And here we are, all those years later; still trying to know as much as God.

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    1. I understand the frustrations about the movie. And even though it wasn't accurate, I enjoyed seeing a Noah that I didn't grow up with. The Noah and family that I learned about were almost picture perfect people. At least, that was the portrayal. That's not accurate at all. They were human and sinners and made tons of mistakes like we do today.

      So even though the movie had weird things, the question is: Did it take away from the main point of the story? Hmmmm After some thought I think, no. But others may have a different opinion. :)

      You should check out this article:

      http://www.slate.com/blogs/browbeat/2014/03/28/noah_movie_biblical_accuracy_how_the_darren_aronofsky_movie_departs_from.html?wpsrc=sh_all_dt_tw_top

      It goes through what was made up and what was taken directly from the Bible. It wasn't anything shocking but I enjoyed the read.

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  2. Yes that is it exactly! Complicated. Hard to believe. Difficult to understand. Yet, we have to hold on to something so I want to believe....

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  3. I think you're right in that the Bible does, indeed, have some very complicated and twisted stories. Some of them are mysteries. But then again, if God didn't leave some mystery and awe then He would just be a normal human being.

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  4. We haven't seen this one yet, but will likely rent it soon. While there is so much I don't understand/can't explain I do believe the truth of God's whole word. I look forward to some aha moments in heaven : )

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