Red Dawn: A Review And Reflection

     I suppose, like many of you, that I have been awaiting the release of the re-make of Red Dawn with both curiosity and dread.  The original has become a cult classic, and how could Hollywood do justice to both the story and iconic actors such as Patrick Swayze, Ben Johnson, Powers Boothe and Harry Dean Stanton?  Yet, in the 28 years since Red Dawn first appeared on the screen, the premise of the movie doesn't seem quite so improbable anymore.

      Don't worry, I won't ruin the movie for you, if you haven't seen it yet.  But if you want my recommendation ... I give it two thumbs up.  Without giving anything away, let me just say that I was impressed with this version.  The producers were smart enough not to try to re-create an exact replica of the movie, but instead chose to revise the storyline just enough to make it seem new and fresh, while giving proper respect to all the things we loved about the original version.   My biggest concern, was that Patrick Swayze was so identified with the lead character, Jed, that anyone else playing that role would diminish the impact of all the character interactions.  Not so.  Chris Hemsworth not only makes the role his, but possesses the same strength and spirit as Swayze.  This new version made me feel just as proud to be an American as the original, and that's all I'm going to say about the plot and movie.
     But, the new Red Dawn left me with more doubts about how we would react than the first one did.  In 1984, I felt we were all like Jed and Mattie.  Foreign troops falling from the sky?  While it was a great movie plot, and sent a shiver down my spine, it wasn't really anything I considered as likely; after all, Ronald Reagan was President and America was feared and respected around the globe.  And if this scenario did play out, we were the sons and daughters of WWII vets, and we knew what America stood for and that she was worth fighting for.  We stood behind our nation.
     I asked PLW if he thought we would really react and fight against foreign attackers if, today, we saw parachutes in the sky.   Unfortunately, neither one of us could answer that question with any kind of confidence.  Another generation has passed since the first Red Dawn, and based on the news coverage of Black Friday alone, we seem to be all about fighting for ourselves and could care less about defending the nation.

     I absolutely think that there is a segment in this country that would die fighting to save this blessed land.  And I'm not talking about the military.  Hundreds of thousands of ordinary citizens would rise up and defend the homeland that they love and revere.   But just as many would sell out their neighbors and give up our nation's sovereignty without so much as a second thought.  Promise them a phone and rent-free space in the refugee camp, and they'll deny the Constitution all day long.
     This leads me to the questions that haunted me throughout the movie .... How many people are willing to conceive of a cause greater than themselves?  Would individuals really be willing to sacrifice their own safety and comfort to ensure that our nation remains free?  Do people even know the real meaning of freedom anymore?  By freedom, I'm talking about more than not being subjected to a foreign domination or despotic government, although that is certainly a valid definition, and present in the theme of this movie.  But, to me, freedom is much more individual;  it's not being enslaved by a system, and it is having the ability and the will to self-determine the quality of your life --- both of which the characters in the movie embody.
     But when you take into account that Americans who depend on the government for subsistence has risen from 30% at the time of the original Red Dawn in 1984, to 49.1% in the first quarter of 2011(Wall Street Journal), you have to wonder if Jed and Mattie and their friends would find enough people to rally around their cause.  With those kinds of statistics, does it appear that more of our fellow countrymen have sought to bind themselves to the system?  Do they value self-determination, or are they simply more interested in handouts?   Would this generation of Americans have any "fight" in them, or would they choose to surrender to the enemy in favor of "global unity"?  I submit to you that the answers to these questions define the character of America today.
     I pray to God in heaven that I will never see foreign troops parachuting into our cities and countryside.  And I'm one of those people (you can call me a nutcase) that can't quite dismiss the thought that Hollywood forecasts our future through subtle innuendos in their film projects.  If there's any truth to that, then maybe all is not lost.  I'm happy to report that the Wolverines are still alive and well in 2012!

Psalm 33:10-12     "The Lord foils the plans of the nations; he thwarts the purposes of the peoples. But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations. Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people he chose for his inheritance."


   

The Thinly Disguised Message Behind This Video Game

     I am going to take a huge detour today, and you're going to think that I've lost my mind.  But I saw an ad on TV last night, and it shook me to my core.  Peace-Loving Warrior and I just looked at each other and said, "Can you believe how 'In Your Face' that was?"
     What we were watching was a minute-and-a-half commercial featuring the latest version of a popular video game, Halo 4.  Let me start by saying I am not a gamer; I know very little about video games, other than it is estimated by an industry insider that a video game can make upwards of $345 million .... per year.  Approximately 60 games are released annually, so industry-wide sales are around $30 billion each year!  Microsoft announced that they have sold 55 million XBox 360 consoles over the last six years.  So that should tell you what an influence this form of entertainment has on our culture.

     The Halo series has become one of the most popular of this genre.  Geek.com reported that the first day release of the previous version, Halo 3, raked in a whopping $170 million in the United States alone.  Halo 3 made more money in 24 hours than other entertainment sources, including the U.S. theatrical release of “Spider Man 3″; and even more than the American release of the final “Harry Potter” book.  Now, that's saying something!
     Admittedly, I'm not of the generation that grew up with entertaining myself in front of a computer, but that kind of sales power must mean there are an awful lot of kids (and many adults!) spending too many hours addicted to imagery that creates an identification with fictional characters and fantasy worlds.  But is that all it is?
     I began to wonder after I saw the commercial for Halo 4.  Here are just some of the voiceovers describing this game.

"An Ancient Evil Awakens"

"An Ancient Hatred"

"Confined For Millenia"

"Unleashed In A Moment"

"Humanity Stands As the Greatest Threat In The Galaxy"

"The Forerunners Have Returned"

     Now, if you're not a Christian, maybe these proclamations don't raise an alarm.  But since I have just spent the last year and several months engaged in a deep study of the Book of Revelation, let me tell you that they made me sit up and take notice.  Especially when I delved into who "the Forerunners" are.

     At first glance, you think these voiceover proclamations are speaking about the Devil and ancient Evil.  But when you start looking deeper, you realize that the game promotes the ideology that Mankind is responsible for Hatred, Evil and Destruction.

     The following is a detailed description by the game maker of who this fictionalized group is:  (Warning:  you're going to have to try to think like a "gamer" and get into role-playing and seeing yourself existing in these make-believe worlds.) The Forerunners were a very advanced civilization which came into existence after overthrowing another race known to them as Precursors, who were believed to be responsible for their creation. Only one Precursor known as The Timeless One survived and was locked in a time bolt on Charum Hakkor. After becoming the dominant species in the galaxy, their empire spanned over three million fertilized and inhabited worlds. The fact that the Halos were scattered all over the galaxy hints that the Forerunner Empire covered most, if not all, of the galaxy.

     The Forerunners originated from the planet Ghibalb in the Orion complex. Their civilization was based on the Mantle, a belief that it was their responsibility to protect all life in the galaxy. They presumably monitored the evolution of all other species in the galaxy, intervening in their evolution when necessary to make sure that they followed paths of peace, free of conflict. One such interference was the transfer of power from the original human race, due to it being considered a violent species. The Forerunners themselves were a race without conflict and were at a point in their history where they had reached disarmament. This disarmament was the main factor that weakened the Forerunners against the Flood attack.

     Humans are seen as a continuous threat against the Forerunners and a war ensues.  The actual reason for the war was determined to be the Flood. To find replacements for Flood infected planets, humanity had encroached upon Forerunner controlled parts of the galaxy. The Forerunners saw humanity as a threat to their principle of Mantle and after defeating them, the Forerunners destabilized humanity and exiled it to its home world Erde-Tyrene (Earth).

     Are you getting the picture here?  If you are a student of the Bible, you can see the obvious symmetry in this imaginary scenario.  Most church-going Christians will be unaware of the stories within Scripture that depict fallen angels (who rejected God and sided with Satan) who come to earth and intermarry with human women.  It's really there!  Read Genesis 6.  This polluting of the human race results in growing wickedness until it covers the earth.  And because of this corruption of the human race, what does God do?  He brings on the Flood!  But if I am understanding this popular video game correctly, they have reversed the roles of Humanity and Evil. 

     In the Bible, the Flood is a cleansing of God's universe from evil-doers, designed to give humanity a new and pure beginning.  In the video game, Humanity is the bad guy trying to defeat the peaceful Forerunners, who just want to promote disarmament and a harmonious world.  The Forerunners realize that the Flood could return and so create an array of galaxy-sterilizing super weapons as the ultimate defense against such a threat.  The storyline is too complicated and complex to go into in this simple post, but if you want to make up your own mind, then read this wikipedia explanation.

     My whole point in deciding to write on this subject is my concern that millions of people are being led into a blind obsession with this game, in which they become so intoxicated with role-playing that they can't tell the difference between reality and fantasy.  How easy would it be for the Great Deceiver to use mind-altering games like this to convince humanity to follow him and his "false covenant"?  It certainly seems plausible that mush-minded gamers could be convinced that mankind is destroying the planet, needs to be disarmed and that the "Force" behind the Flood needs to be eradicated.

     With the increased wickedness we are seeing on the earth, I think it is a safe bet to say that more people do not see God as the center of their lives.  And with church attendance down, fewer are being exposed to His message.  The millions of people, of all ages, who get caught up in living these videos will have no foundation to counter the message being delivered from the high-definition, three-dimensional screen they've come to love so much.

     I just want to make you aware that this is a real threat to our youth, our culture, and our nation.  Please take some time and do your own research.  If I'm way off base, then I'll admit to my ignorance.  But that still small voice in my soul is telling me I'm right on target.

Job 11:11-12       "Surely he recognizes deceivers; and when he sees evil, does he not take notice?  But the witless can no more become wise than a wild donkey’s colt can be born human."

     

   

The Battle For American Values

     In today's post I want to do a comparison study of two new TV shows that will be airing this Fall.  I don't normally care about the culture of television, because I find it often promoting a lifestyle that does not reflect my values.   But this week, the entertainment headlines have been quite surprising, and I hope they reflect a growing trend.  Might it be possible that average, everyday Americans, who have a profound belief in God, have finally gotten tired of having alternative lifestyles, Michael Moore America-bashing documentaries, and anti-Christian rants crammed down our throats?  It is certainly encouraging to see that there are still network executives that are willing to stand for something other than hollow, pointless reality shows and a far-left version of American society.

     Case in point:  The New Normal.  I'm sure you can guess what this new TV comedy is all about, just from its name.  In case you need a little help, it is about a gay couple and the woman they hire to become the surrogate mother of their baby.  An NBC affiliate in Utah has banned the show from their Fall season, citing its inappropriateness and "crude dialogue, explicit content and offensive characterizations."   I did not feel it was fair to make a statement on the show without knowing its content.  So I watched the pilot episode, and I have to say that not only is the show un-funny, but it is a blatant misrepresentation of conservative stereotypes.  The writers took every chance they could to slam their perception of Christian conservatives, using terminology like "far-right Christian extremists"; "secret operative for the Republican Party", and "take your racist views back to the past or the South".
     They use the ultra-liberal, and I have to say very angry, Ellen Barkin, to portray every cliché of what Hollywood thinks we are like.  She ridicules gays, is a racist, a bigot, and is pretty much a detestable, horrid person.  I'm sure it's a role she loves to play; it allows her to show who she thinks we are.  And that's pretty plain based on her recent comment that she "hopes Hurricane Isaac drowns everyone at the RNC."   This role allows her to spew her venom in prime time.
     The writers go out of their way to make sure we understand that, in their own words, "the abnormal is now the new normal."  The only caring, loving people are the gay men and the single mom who accepts them and hires on as their surrogate baby-mama.  And if you don't fit in that category, then you're just like the ugly Ellen Barkin character, who is the matriarch of three generations of women who had children out of wedlock, children in loveless marriages, and children born "by accident", which is supposed to represent failures of the traditional family.  Need I say more?  And never mind the explicit language, actions, and innuendos.  And NBC wanted to air this show during family viewing time?  I respect Utah station KSL-TV for having the guts to say, "enough is enough."  And I am not ashamed to say that The New Normal does not represent my views, and I still stand by the make-up of the traditional family.  I will never judge nor condemn others for their choices, but neither will I compromise my Christian values.

     Now let's do a 180-degree turn and take a look at a new TV show on the Game Channel, called The American Bible Challenge.  This show combines elements of faith and fun while contestants play to win money for their favorite charities.  Each segment of this family-friendly show pits three teams against each in a Bible-trivia contest to see which team contributes $20,000 to their chosen charity.  But this show isn't just some boring, sappy Christian version of Jeopardy.  It offers emotional testimonies from the contestants as they share their personal stories.  The premiere episode featured Ron Milton, an Iraq War veteran and Purple Heart recipient, who told the audience that although he grew up in a Christian home, after joining the Army at 18, he strayed from his childhood faith.  One day, a friend invited him to a Bible Study and it made a profound impact on him.  But first he had to deploy to the war zone in Iraq.  "I spent a year seeing the worst in humanity," Milton explained. "And when you understand who Christ is, the worldview Christianity gives you, it gives you answers for why the world is so screwed up. It gives you answers for how the world can be fixed. And when you view your experiences in a war zone through those lenses, then it just makes more sense."   And he didn't need a script-writer to compose this for him.
     This dialogue is worth tuning in for.   There is no hateful or critical diatribes; no "in-your-face" touches or over-the-top stereotypes.  Just honest and real people giving and receiving charity for those that need a helping hand.  This is something we "extremist" conservative Christians are pretty good at.  And we don't need the government mandating that we do it.  The organizations that received that much needed help during the first episode were Minnie's Food Pantry, providing food for families in need; City Crossroads, a San Francisco-based nonprofit that works with low income families and multi-ethnic youth; and Samaritan's Purse, a non-denominational evangelical Christian humanitarian organization that works worldwide to assist people in physical need alongside their Christian missionary work.
     I know I may sound a little old-fashioned, but I'm tired of being subjected to "edgy" shows that some Hollywood executive has deemed "relevant".  They have determined our culture long enough.  It's time we take it back, and shows like The American Bible Challenge, are a good start.

2 Corinthians 10:12        "We do not dare to classify or compare ourselves with some who commend themselves. When they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are not wise. "