Tim's Blog (Original, No?): 01/01/2006

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Why I Do Not Support, Nor Will Be Watching, End of the Spear

WARNING: THE FOLLOWING POST CONTAINS MATURE CONTENT, AS DO THE LINKS WITHIN SAID POST

For the past many months I have received via e-mail from Bearing Fruit Communications (I have no idea how I got on their e-mail list) a regular stream of updates about the now-released film, End of the Spear. Billed as the dramatic film account of the events surrounding the martyrs of five American missionaries (including Jim Elliot and Nate Saint), End of the Spear has been marketed as a Christian film that will powerfully communicate to its viewers the good news of the Gospel.

End of the Spear has generated a tremendous groundswell of support from churches and Christians across the United States. I myself have been looking forward to the film’s release due in no small part to the personal significance I attach to its story. (Growing up I was very impacted by my mother’s admiration for Elisabeth Elliot’s writings, and I had many occasions to read, watch, and discuss material related to Mrs. Elliot and to her husband’s life. The unselfish sacrifice of Jim Elliot, Nate Saint, and their fellow missionaries, and how God used them to reach the Waoroni tribe has long been a story of tremendous exhortation and encouragement to me.) My anticipation for this film’s release, however, turned to horror, disgust, and grief eight days ago.

As I was conducting an internet search on that day, I stumbled across the following link: http://www.sharperiron.org/showthread.php?s=edd29db9678334253b1b5a2887533d53&t=2244. Upon reading the article, I learned the shocking news that that the actor portraying Nate Saint in End of the Spear is Chad Allen, a sodomite activist. This revelation sickened me and precipitated my engagement in further research, as well as several e-mail and verbal communications about this issue with various friends and acquaintances during the past week. After participating in these conversations and reading Caleb’s thought-provoking post on the topic, I determined to offer my humble perspective on this disconcerting matter via the blogosphere.

This is how I see the issue: A Christian film has been made for the supposed purpose of communicating God’s Word to millions of people, both Christians and non-Christians. To do this, the film uses the powerful story of five godly men who gave their lives for the sake of witnessing to their murderers, and follows the families of these men as they forgive the murderers and go to live with and witness to them. No problem so far, right? However, in the midst of creating a film with seemingly praiseworthy goals, the filmmakers made an egregious compromise: according to Chad Allen’s official fan site, www.chadallenonline.com, End of the Spear’s filmmakers actively sought and hired an actor who they knew to be a sodomite to play the role of Nate Saint. (Every Tribe Entertainment, producer of the film, denies this and states that it became aware of Mr. Allen’s sodomite lifestyle after the actor was chosen for his role. Regardless of the exact time-table, both parties agree that Mr. Allen’s sodomite lifestyle was made known to Every Tribe Entertainment and Steve Saint, Nate Saint’s son, well before the film was completed. Authorization was given by all parties to move forward anyway. See http://www.chadallenonline.com/press/Advocate2005-missionary.htm and http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=48422.) All of a sudden, we go from what seems to be an exciting tool for ministry to a production that synergizes a Christian message of sacrifice and redemption with an obvious tolerance for “abomination” (Leviticus 18:22). Such is the crisis.

This crisis is of particular relevance because the growing acceptance of sodomy as a legitimate lifestyle is a primary cultural issue facing the church today. Variously categorized as a disease, a genetically pre-determined condition, an alternative lifestyle, a beautiful demonstration of same-sex love, etc., this abomination is daily making inroads of tolerance and even embracement into “the church.” Progressing from a misapplication of “love the sinner, hate the sin,” to “who am I to judge,” to “yes, this lifestyle is acceptable in God’s sight (this perspective is found in a growing number of more “liberally-minded” churches),” the sin of sodomy threatens to sweep our land and bring about an historical, oft-repeated cycle of cultural decay and societal disintegration (e.g., Greece; Rome; countless pagan cultures of past and present).

By choosing a sodomite to portray Nate Saint, which Mr. Saint was a man of God who loved the Lord so much that he was willing to die so that others might receive truth, End of the Spear has done much to continue this tolerance and acceptance of sodomy. The actor chosen, Chad Allen, publicly lives a life of perversion and glories in his sin. To further confuse matters for End of the Spear viewers and for all those who read, watch, and listen to his interviews, Mr. Allen professes his own version of Christianity and without hesitation states that he has “. . . a deep-founded, faith-based belief in God. . . .” (http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0601/17/lkl.01.html). What possible biblical justification can be offered for hiring such a man for a Christian film, let alone for the playing the role he was given?

I expect a non-Christian to live his life in accordance with his worldview, which worldview is inherently anti-God and antithetical to a biblical lifestyle (although the law still holds these law-breakers to account). However, as Christians we are to hold each other to a much higher standard than we do non-Christians. God has granted to us His Holy Spirit, and far be it from us to bring dishonor to our Lord through our unbiblical actions and words. Therefore I am taking issue with the supposedly Christian, God-glorifying film End of the Spear, as its production involved blatant compromise by professing believers in order to achieve their goals, well-meaning goals though they might have been:

Mart Green, president of Every Tribe Entertainment and founder of the Mardel Christian and Educational Supply chain, called Chad Allen, the star of End of the Spear, “the best actor available to tell our story of faith and forgiveness in the best way possible.”

“Our position is we're making quality films that tell faith-based stories, so we hire the best,” according to Green.

“Chad was so exceptional that he was the only actor we hired who we didn't hire a backup for.”

“After someone told me that Chad appeared on the cover of the gay and lesbian magazine The Advocate, we just felt, ‘Hey, he's still the best actor.’ If anything, he was more concerned when he found that we found out -- not that he has been hiding his sexuality. He said, ‘If this movie does well, will you bash gays?’ We said, ‘Chad, we don't endorse your lifestyle, but we love who you are’.” – Christian Retailing, Tuesday, October 18, 2005

With these thoughts in mind, I have decided to refrain from supporting End of the Spear. The issue of Chad Allen aside, I have read from a variety of sources that the actual content of the film is lacking in its communication of a biblical message, and also presents issues of dress and modesty. However, the purpose of this blog post is more limited in scope than permits me to address those allegations. Every Tribe Entertainment’s with-knowledge hiring, or at least prior-to-film-completion with-knowledge use, of a sodomite activist to play the part of Nate Saint is reason enough for me to encourage Christians to seriously consider whether they should financially support such a work.

As we seek to reward labors that declare God's Word and faithfully demonstrate His truths, let us be careful that we do not compromise the integrity of such an endeavor by supporting labors that have not actually met these criteria. My hope is that Christians will rise up and loudly voice their displeasure, both verbally and financially, with a film that has irreparably damaged its message by straying from a biblical framework. Only thus will we encourage the making of truly Christian films.

In many respects it has pained me to write this post. As I stated earlier, the story of Jim Elliot, Nate Saint, and their fellow missionaries is dear to my heart. Theirs is a story that has been told many times over the past fifty years, and that I know can be successfully retold through a dramatic film presentation in a manner that truly glorifies God. I sincerely wish that the dramatic telling of their story through End of the Spear did not include such an obvious and dishonoring compromise as I have outlined. Yet it does, and because it does I have written accordingly. Your thoughts, whether in agreement with my words or in biblically-supported contradiction to them, are appreciated.

These are trying days, my friends. Let us prove ourselves worthy servants of our King. Let not God’s words of judgment upon Israel, written by the prophet Ezekiel, be said of us:

“And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none.” – Ezekiel 22:30

Happy Quarter-Century

To my good friend, fellow musketeer, Route 1 compadre, and co-laborer in the cause of Christ, I extend my sincere and joyful greetings on this, the 25th anniversary of his birth. May God grant you a blessed year, Mark, as He continues to perfect you for His service.

Happy birthday!

Quote of the Day

God has called me to preach His word and if I knew that all the elect had a yellow stripe painted down their backs, then I would give up preaching the gospel and go lift up shirt tails!

- Charles Spurgeon

Holmberg, E. (Host). (2004) Amazing Grace [DVD]. United States: The Apologetics Group

Happy Birthday, John!

Today my brother John celebrated his eleventh birthday, his first in Texas. I thank God for this fine young man, and I am grateful to again be living in the same home with him. May the Lord continue to grow and mature him into a godly man, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.

Happy birthday, John!