Obama Fails the Leadership Test - AGAIN!

Well it seems that president Obama will go down in history as the most lawless and incompetent president in our nation's history. Tonight he announced a plan to grant special legal status to five million illegal immigrants. He said that nothing has been done for decades but he's been president for six years and in his first two years the Democrats had total control of both Houses of Congress. He purposely waited until after the election because he knew that it would hurt the Democrats because the American people are overwhelmingly against letting illegal immigrants have any sort of legal status prior to those who want to come here through the proper channels. Now that the Republicans have won huge majorities in both chambers you would think he would get together with them to see if the new Congress was willing to work on it with him. However, he didn't even try.

Aronofsky's "Noah" Captures $44 Million in its Opening Weekend

Movie Review – Noah

March 31, 2014 by Allen W. Pilgrim

The movie based on the true story of “Noah” and his family and bearing the name of its protagonist, opened the fifth weekend of March 2014 as a Box Office hit, surpassing all movies, and raking in an astounding $44 million. In the realm of movies based on the Bible only “The Passion of the Christ” has surpassed that with $83 million on its opening weekend (2/25/04). While it is unlikely to reach the lifetime gross of that movie it is sure to set some records. In addition “Noah” has generated $51.1 million internationally as of this writing.

The question on most people’s minds is whether or not it is worth parting with any of your hard-earned dollars. It is my goal to give you my assessment of the film without going to either extreme of, “It’s a great movie and you need to go see it” to “What a blasphemous piece of filth, anyone who goes to see this movie is not a real Christian and is in danger of the fires of hell.” In fact, unlike my typical reaction to a movie, I will not be making a recommendation one way or the other. Instead I will give you enough information to make the decision on your own.

Over the past several months of reading reviews by people who had either not seen it or were basing their opinions on something they heard from somebody else, I made the decision to take my wife and 18-year-old son to see it. I will tell you up front that much of what you have heard is not actually correct about the movie and some if it, sadly, is true.

The script is the result of a nearly eleven year journey by Darren Aronofsky and Ari Handel researching and studying the story of the biblical flood found in Genesis 6-9. Aronofsky is the son of two conservative Jewish teachers. While it is unclear whether he believes the story is true or not, he greatly wanted to bring a fresh telling of the story to the Silver Screen.

If you are expecting to see the sugar-coated myth of a kindly old gentleman who lovingly puts two of each animal on the ark then you will be sorely disappointed. This is one of the elements of this movie that makes it so powerful. I grew up like so many of you with flannel graph cutouts of the characters and coloring pages that depicted two giraffes with their heads sticking out of the top, a couple of hippopotami and some lions on the bow, and monkeys hanging off the sides. The writers were very careful to get the exact measurement of the ark as specified in the Bible. What we see is the most accurate representation of the ark ever presented in a motion picture. The sheer size of the ark in the movie will leave one awestruck.

Likewise, if you are looking for a word-for-word retelling of the story then you will likely be one angry camper by the time you leave the theater. It should be noted that any such telling of the story would mean that you would be largely watching a silent movie and wouldn’t hear Noah’s voice until the end. It didn’t take long to find something to support the critics of this movie. The movie starts with a poorly made retelling of creation that is loosely based on the opening chapters of the Bible. Oddly the word “God” is never mentioned and instead “The Creator” is used in its place throughout the movie.

The Watchers are introduced. These are giant rock creatures that are supposedly forged of fire and made by The Creator on the Second Day which is the same day he made the heavens. “We were not stone then, but light,” one tells Noah. “Rock and mud shadowed our glow.” They resemble the enormous tree creatures known as Ents in “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy or the rock creatures in “The Neverending Story.” The Watchers do not appear in the Canon but can be found in the book of Enoch. It’s interesting that Paramount Pictures chose to keep this addition to the biblical story quiet. They did a great job because I had not even heard about them until they appeared on screen.

We then meet Noah who is portrayed by veteran actor Russell Crowe. This is one of the better choices that was made by casting. His character is believable and his very presence demands attention.

Fast forward to the family on the ark. Noah and his family were never in any danger but the film deviates greatly from this premise and we see a version of Noah that believes that he and his family are to be the last of all mankind. In a family meeting he instructs each of them as to who they will bury. To make the story even more twisted Noah proclaims that if his pregnant daughter-in-law, Shem’s wife, gives birth to a girl then he will kill the baby girl immediately. This alone might cause many to refuse to see the movie. However, I would caution basing that decision on this alone as Noah struggles with what he believes is his duty throughout the film. It is a dark moment and causes great friction with his wife, played by Jennifer Connelly, and his sons who are planning on killing him if he goes through with it. This is a bizarre and unnecessary plot twist that actually detracts from the story of God’s redemptive work.

Early on in the movie Noah tells about the story of creation and a representation is shown of what he is saying. It is proceeding at a blinding fast speed and in those moments we see a deviation from the biblical story where evolution is presented. It happens so quickly but we are shown fish that change to reptiles and crawl out onto dry land and grow and change into dinosaurs. While this is not scriptural it is not a reason to avoid the movie. If we were upset about every detail in the movies we see I don’t think we would go very often.

While there is much that can be written about this movie there are a few things I want to leave you with:

THE GOOD

1. Stunning cinematography. The ark on the ocean is spectacular and portrays this aspect about as accurately as is possible. The mountains, the animals, the birds and even the ark itself are brought to life on the screen.
2. Genesis 6:5 says, “The Lord observed the extent of human wickedness on the earth.” This is a powerful aspect of the film. There is no doubt that mankind has become evil. It is a world filled with vicious assaults, corruption, obsessive lust and wickedness of every kind.
3. The flood itself is dramatic and convincing.
4. The acting is superb. The character of Ham is a bit weak and there are some odd twists with all of the family. The interactions between Noah and his wife and between the family help us see that these are real people. They are people that struggle with some of the same things we do, though I would suggest nothing in our lives compares to the utter devastation and challenges they were facing.
5. Though it is subdued it is clear that God caused the waters to recede and spared Noah, his family, and the animals.

THE BAD

1. The Watchers. While this made the movie more of an Epic film in the realm of “Lord of the Rings” it also seemed to detract from the truth of God’s protection and reminded me at times of a bad Japanese Sci-Fi.
2. God is referred to only as “The Creator.” There is no reason for this.
3. Noah is at times a maniacal, homicidal, crazy person who forgot to take his medication.
4. Methuselah, portrayed by Anthony Hopkins, is a bizarre addition and comes across as a sort of New Age mystic who searches for berries, meditates in solitude and gives Noah a hallucinogenic drink so Noah can receive a vision from The Creator. This makes it seem as if God needed some help to speak to Noah.
5. The Creator never speaks to Noah even though the Bible says, “The Lord spoke to Noah.” Instead he has these bizarre dreams (or visions) where he’s in a body of water filled with dead people.
6. It is Noah’s decision whether or not to spare the child. First, that should have never been in the movie. Second, Aronofsky could have at least had an intervention by God or one of His angels as in the Abraham and Isaac story.
7. Some very disturbing and graphic scenes that are sure to give sensitive people nightmares are woven throughout the movie. Tubal-Cain, portrayed by Ray Winstone, is about as evil as they come and when the rains come he goes around The Watchers and breaks into the ark where he becomes a stowaway. In one scene he bites the head off a lizard in the presence of Ham who has become his young apprentice. He has convinced him that his father, Noah, is wicked and must be stopped. The bloodshed and graphic violence are something that you will want to take into consideration before making a choice to see this film.

THE WHO CARES

1. It is irrelevant to me that Aronofsky has made controversial movies in the past.
2. The belief that “Hollywood is only doing this to make money.” So when Paramount came out with “Iron Man 3” last year did people make the same comment? Perhaps. The obvious answer is that of course they are doing it to make money. It should be understood that there are thousands of people involved with this movie, just look at the 10 minutes of credits, who also make a living doing this. In addition many Christians work in Hollywood and have been trying for years to get Hollywood to make more movies about biblical subjects. As it turns out, Christians make up the single biggest “special interest” group out there. Media producer and consultant Phil Cooke has a unique perspective — he’s a Christian who works in Hollywood. “Christians have to stop looking at Hollywood as the enemy, and start reaching out,” he said. “Missionaries have discovered that you don’t change minds by criticism, boycotts or threats. You change minds by developing a relationship and a sense of trust. You work from the inside.” I also like this quote by Cooke, “Hollywood isn’t a Bible school, so if our expectation is that movies they produce will be 100 percent accurate we simply have the wrong expectations.”

In the final analysis it is clear that this movie will change how you think about Noah. I am convinced that this will have a positive effect on the church because it will cause people to talk about the story and change the way we teach it. We have been teaching a sterilized version of this story for so long that we have failed to express the incredible depravity of mankind, the human side of Noah with all his fears and failures, and the amazing redemption of a God who still gives second chances.

Other Reviews that you might find useful: Link 1, Link 2, Link 3

Final Prediction for November 6, 2012 Election

My final prediction for the office of president of the United States is Mitt Romney. I believe he will win the Electoral College with 315 votes to Obama's 223 votes. I also believe Romney will win the popular vote by 4-5%. There is room in my prediction for a surprise state like Minnesota.

Republicans will pick up 5-7 seats in the House and take back the Senate with at least 51 seats. The governor's mansions will switch from Democratic to Republican in 5-6 states with McRory in North Carolina being one that will switch in a big way. Real Clear Politics has him up in the polls by 15.3 points.

It comes down to turnout in several key states. The top of the list is Ohio. While there are certainly some areas for concern it is encouraging that Mitt Romney has been attracting crowds of 30,000 or more people while Obama has had crowds of 1,500 - 4,000. That's still a significant number of people but clearly far fewer people are interested in his election this time. Part of that is the growing disatisfaction with how bad the economy is after 4 years of Obama's policies. The unemployment rate is higher than when he took office, gas prices have more than doubled, food prices are higher, the housing market has continued to be stagnant, 23 million Americans are out of work and many millions are underemployed. His policies have been a total disaster. He had promised so much and delivered so little.

People are losing confidence in our president because of his inability to tell the truth about the embassy in Benghazi, Libya. So much can be said about this but I'll save that later as this will be a huge issue after the election. The information that Hillary Clinton has will be devastating.

Another factor that has hurt the president is his constant refusal to reach across the aisle. While presidents like Ronald Reagan worked with Democrats and accomplished much, this president has been either unwilling or incapable. I think a little of both. One thing that is reassuring is that Mitt Romney worked in a state that had 85% Democrats in the legislature and yet he accomplished so much. He has promised that he will extend a hand across the aisle and work with all the people. He has also pledged that he and Paul Ryan will not spend any time blaming the previous administration.

Along those lines, many people lost a great deal of respect for the president in the first debate when he came off as petty, weak and appeared to be half asleep much of the time. Mitt Romney came across as presidential - in charge of the facts, focusing on big things, and talking in a respectful manner to the president with a passion that has excited millions. His win in that debate was so enormous that even the liberal media had to proclaim, "It just wasn't Obama's night." Although they went on to two more debates, the president never recovered from that and was arguably worse in the last debate.

Mitt Romney offers so much for this country. He believes in smaller, more limited government. That means getting the burden of taxes off the American people and encouraging businesses to invest in our economy. He believes in religious freedom and freedom in general. He will defend our gun rights. He is solidly Pro-Life and has been endorsed by nearly every major Pro-Life organization and leader. He believes in the sanctity of marriage (one man, one woman). He has even been endorsed by Billy Graham for these views. That in itself is remarkable because Billy Graham has never endorsed anyone before.

Back to the Electoral Map. I moved Nevada to Obama's column after it became apparent that this just isn't going to change. The president has spent an inordinate amount of time campaigning there and seems determined to carry this state at all costs. His persistence has paid off but his lack of attention to more critical states will result in his losing a second term.

I had dropped New Mexico about a month ago as one that seems out of reach for Mitt Romney.

How about Pennsylvania? Will Mitt really win there? I believe he will. Here are my reasons: incredibly high enthusiasm which is seen in huge rallies, winning in the early voting, and a great ground game that will come in handy on election day. It is crucial to get out the vote to win this and it's not only possible but likely. I like what Hugh Hewitt said, "If Pennsylvania goes for Romney by 8:00 PM - it's over!"

I am also more confident of a Wisconsin win for Romney at this point.

The bottom line is that even if Mitt Romney doesn't win Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, he still wins the presidency. He could even lose Colorado; though he won't. If he fails to carry Ohio, which is increasingly unlikely, he will need Wisconsin or Pennsylvania.

Mitt Romney is set to be the 45th president of the United States. I am so confident that on November 1st we spent $10.30 to send a Certified letter with Restricted Delivery and Return Receipt to President Mitt Romney to be delivered on January 20, 2013. :-)

In Defense of President George W. Bush

Actually president Bush was an excellent president who, in spite of the worst attack on American soil and other challenges, rose to the challenge.

He had historically low unemployment, booming housing market, lower deficits than most presidents and 1/3 of the current president, and many other great economic indicators.

The real problem began when the House and Senate went to the Democrats in 2006. They started in with all kinds of policies that have harmed this nation. I admit that Bush should have vetoed more but I am proud of him for refusing to sign their final budget. It was that budget that Obama signed into law in 2009 and since then unemployment has only gotten worse, the average pay has gone down, health insurance has skyrocketed under Obamacare, the housing market is a disaster, gas prices have more than doubled, food prices have increased drastically and every economic indicator shows that it will be a long time before we get out of this mess.

So let's stop with the blame Bush bit because it is boring, bizarre and beneath the dignity of any sane person.

Vote!

Please vote! It's amazing that Pennsylvania and Michigan are now within Romney's grasp. Even here in ultra-liberal Oregon it's looking very close. There's been a huge drop in Obama's numbers here and if everyone would vote then maybe we can flip Oregon. At the very least let's get those numbers up in the popular vote and don't waste your vote on a candidate who has zero chance of winning or making any difference.

America is Giving Obama his Pink Slip!

Mitt Romney is going to win this election in a landslide. I conservatively have him with an Electoral College win of 321 and Obama with 217. Romney will get 4-5% of the popular vote.

Romney has been successful at everything he's done. He and his investment group helped create or save Staples, Domino's, Sealy, Brookstone, Weather Channel, Burger King, Warner Music Group, Home Depot and more. This has resulted in tens of thousands of new jobs here in America, far more than president Obama has created; net total of around 114,000 with true unemployment at 14.7%.

Romney saved the Winter Olympics and worked there for three years at no pay. He would not accept any pay as governor of Mass. There is much more that can be said.

Obama has been a disaster for this country and that's why we will be giving him a pink slip.

Republicans and War!

One of the things I hear often from Democrats and/or Liberals in general is that Republicans are war mongers. Is that true? Do Republicans really want to go to war? Are we just hoping we can get Mitt Romney in office so we can go to war with Iran?

Republicans despise war and believe that the best way to prevent it is through strength. Ronald Reagan proved how well that works by ending the Cold War without firing a single shot. To be fair it was a combination of Reagan working with Margaret Thatcher and the influence of Pope John Paul II that brought about this historic event. One of the major results of this was the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the fall of the Berlin Wall. Today many countries from the former Soviet Union are friends with America and have been a positive influence in the world.

And let's remember this important fact: It was Democrats who got us into WWI, WWII, Korea and Vietnam.

George Bush was most famous for the War on Terror which included two fronts: Iraq and Afghanistan. Notable Democrats who voted to go to war include: Hillary Clinton, Joe Biden, John Kerry, John Edwards and even Diane Feinstein. They were right to do so but this bit about Republicans being war mongers is a pathetic argument.

WE WANT PEACE!