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Original poster

Nicolas Cage film Left Behind

56 replies

VulcanWoman · 21/09/2015 12:44

Well watched this film yesterday not really knowing what it was about but found it hateful and judgemental, did anyone else watch it? It's still playing on my mind unfortunately. The innocent and true believers in Jesus only were saved, well, taken from the earth and all the so called sinners left. I can understand them showing it on the likes of TBN but main steam TV. What do you think of it?

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Original poster
VulcanWoman · 21/09/2015 12:45

*stream

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goblinhat · 22/09/2015 07:07

It's a PH? Not seen it, but sounds pretty cheesey- why did you find it particularly upsetting? Why was it "hateful and judgemental"? Towards whom?

goblinhat · 22/09/2015 07:12

"PG".

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VulcanWoman · 22/09/2015 07:41

Towards anyone that didn't believe in Jesus, God wasn't good enough apparently. I've just never seen a film on mainstream TV that was so blatantly biased towards one Religion, our way or the highway so to speak.

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JeffsanArsehole · 22/09/2015 07:48

It's a whole series of books based on Revelations where the rapture happens, then war/famine/pests/false Messiah rule the earth.

I read the books when they first came out. I think the whole point is that we are judged in a supernatural event.

goblinhat · 22/09/2015 07:50

Oh well that doesn't surprise me- I have have no patience with christians who te;; me my babies are born sinful and that we will burn in hell for our non-belief.

Or you could join me in my business venture- a Post Rapture Pet Rescue Service, run by atheists.
A network of those not saved will stay on earth to care for all the pets left behind by christians who have moved on. For a one off fee (payable in advance 0f course).

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VulcanWoman · 22/09/2015 07:58

Yes, after I watched it I read that it was a series/books previously.
I think the only reason it was shown on mainstream TV was because Nicolas Cage was in it.
How did you feel after reading the books?

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goblinhat · 22/09/2015 08:03

My sister is preparing for the rapture.

She and her family have a garage stuffed full of tinned food, candles, gas stoves, first aid supplies etc.

Any time now apparently.

LineyReborn · 22/09/2015 08:09

Is she not expecting them to be Taken Up, then, goblin?

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VulcanWoman · 22/09/2015 08:13

goblin, In the film all children and true believers in Jesus were the only ones saved, I suppose the thought was all children are innocent and know no better. There was a Muslim Man in the film that they focused on at certain points, he wasn't saved.
What sort of person would want to be part of this type of Religion where one would look down from on high at many good people(but non believers) left to burn in hell!

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goblinhat · 22/09/2015 08:42

lineyreborn- yes she is expecting to be saved, but the bible tells her that conditions on Earth will get very bad as the end times start.

Floods, disease, earthquakes, violence, the rapture will happen after a few months of the awful end times.

That's why she has the supplies.
Interestingly the Pastor of her church has offered to behead anyone who feels the end times gets too much- thus offering a quicker way to heaven. He suggests that the children are dispatched first.

capsium · 22/09/2015 08:47

Firstly remember this is a film adaptation of a fictionalised book series, loosely based on events depicted in Revelations.....not a particularly reliable source in terms of representing of what Christians believe.

Regarding the Christian notion of Salvation, as an atheist, would you want to be saved? Christians belief that a someone saved and in Heaven is at one with God. How can you be at one with God, if you do not believe in Him, do not stand for what He stands for? Would you want to be with God, at one with Him? (When you do not believe in Him, His existence.)

What is Heaven, without God? The meaning of Heaven, apart from God becomes something different, altered. It would be a different sort of place. Valhalla, for example, is a different type of place to Heaven. Valhalla is a place of drinking and fighting - it reflects the Norse culture. What sort of afterlife would you like to have, if any?

capsium · 22/09/2015 08:51

And goblin I do not think your sister's church's beliefs are representative of the majority of what Christians believe, at all.

goblinhat · 22/09/2015 08:59

Neither are yours Capsium- does that invalidate them?

capsium · 22/09/2015 09:08

I am not sure, goblin - I don't know your sister. I would hope at least some of her beliefs are valuable, for the sake of herself and those around her, if nothing else. I certainly do not condone the actions stemming from the beliefs of her church, as you have described. However, I was not talking about the validity of belief just how representative that belief was of what Christians believe.

capsium · 22/09/2015 09:13

Or were you asking if my beliefs are valid? Do you not think I have a belief which represents Christian belief? (I know we have had conversations before on these boards)

All I can say is I believe they are, otherwise I would not believe them! You tell me, how do you validate beliefs?

madhairday · 22/09/2015 09:18

I saw some of this film the other night when I was bored and browsing netflix; it was probably one of the worst films ever made, from cheesy musical score to bad lighting to a terrible, stilted script. Even cage couldn't save it.

Now I've read the books, mainly out of curiosity about rapture theology which seems to be a whole way of belief loosely based around a few verses of thessalonians and revelation (so loosely based that any serious theologian can surely not hold with it.) The books were pretty bad, passable as fiction thrillers in Da Vinci Code esque genre. The film was actually nothing like the book, which opened with the 'rapture' sequence rather than leading to it through desperately tedious plane journey scenes, then led to much more of the aftermath.

I'd agree op that the film made God seem awful. Scenes of mothers searching for disappeared babies, chaos caused by folks being raptured so leaving accidents in their wake, and the terrible characterisation of those left behind as being either naughty sinners or nice Muslim fellows.

Not how I would describe the God I love...

I think it should win an anti-Oscar. You should all watch it for the hilarity value (though I must admit to ditching it in disgust part way through. )

I'm a christian, but have no time for this or for goblinhats sister's kind of church. Are they really talking about beheading? Have they read the 10 commandments recently? Ugh times a million...

steppemum · 22/09/2015 09:29

the books/films are representative of a very particular way of interpreting revelation. It is very common in the US, much less so here.

I personally do not interpret revelation that way, but I guess the point of the film is that there is then a second chance for those left behind, once they have worked out what is going on, to turn to God.

I was once told that one of the US airlines would only have one Christian in the cockpit at a time, in case the rapture happened, the non Christian could fly the plane. I found that quite funny TBH.

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VulcanWoman · 22/09/2015 15:37

Thanks for all your replies. Yes Steppemum, it does seem to be more of an American/recent idea.
Mad, I agree it does deserve an anti-Oscar.
Goblin, I hope your Sister gets out of that Church.
Capsium, If there is a God I don't think he would forsake a good person whatever their belief or not as the case maybe, if he did, I wouldn't want to be there anyway, whether I believed or not.

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capsium · 22/09/2015 16:10

Vulcan I don't believe God forsakes people (good or bad) either.

It is more a question of how well they can handle being with God, from my perspective. If they didn't regard God as good, they would not see being with God in Heaven in the same way IYSWIM as someone who loves God. If they cannot accept forgiveness or acknowledge their wrongdoing / thinking, this would torment them in God's presence, I would imagine.

TPel · 22/09/2015 16:19

I'm more and more amazed at what some people believe.

goblinhat · 22/09/2015 16:37

vulcan- my sister is a pastor in that church, and has been a member for 40 years.

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VulcanWoman · 22/09/2015 17:10

Capsian, surely if someone was in the presence of God they would believe and except, yes, a lot of people would have many questions. What wrongdoing/thinking do you mean? Breaking the ten commandments or other things/sins.
Goblin, sounds like your Sister is in for the duration.

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goblinhat · 22/09/2015 17:14

vulca- yes in for the duration, teaches at a christian school, has raised two of her own children as fundamentalists, and now has 4 grandchildren who are of the same faith, attends the same church and school.

capsium · 22/09/2015 17:16

Vulcan anything wrong. If you cannot accept forgiveness or accept that you could be wrong being in the presence of all an knowing perfect being would be uncomfortable to say the least. Like with people who cannot forgive themselves for their own mistakes.

And yes, I hope they would believe and accept.