Nicolas Cage film Left Behind

[VulcanWoman]

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?

^ not you personally. I mean in general.

Loving the story about only one Christian in the cockpit , please let that be true

Capsium, I'm not perfect, no one is, I try and be a good person, I do that because it feels the right thing to do, not because I fear the wrath of God, why would God want to make me fearful of him, to follow him through fear, that just doesn't make sense to me, I think that part of it has been manufactured by Man to gain power and money unfortunately.
Goblin, do you have anything to do with your Sister any more and if so is Religion off the topics to discussion.

Capsium, I'm not perfect, no one is, I try and be a good person, I do that because it feels the right thing to do, not because I fear the wrath of God, why would God want to make me fearful of him, to follow him through fear, that just doesn't make sense to me, I think that part of it has been manufactured by Man to gain power and money unfortunately.

Vulcan a vital part of Christian belief is acknowledging our imperfections, this is why Christ came, so we can be forgiven and redeemed. Christian belief involves putting others before self which means we do what we think is right because we think it is right, out of love, not out of self preservation / avoiding God's wrath. Christians are meant to follow Christ, who certainly did not avoid suffering or put Himself first. I hope nothing I have said suggests otherwise.

So I agree with your sentiment above, if not all of your beliefs.

I don't want to be perfect.

Nor forgiven by a god and "redeemed". Christians don't have ownership on altruism.

Your decision, goblin. I never said that Christians do have the ownership on altruism.

I don't understand why I need to be forgiven and redeemed, what have I and most people done wrong?

vilcan- I think by simply being born some would consider us to be "sinners".

It just doesn't make sense to me, that's why I don't think I could ever follow a Religion, the only one I have some respect for is Buddhism. I have felt a bit more spiritual as I get older, there are so many unanswered questions, I hope we all find out one day or not as the case maybe. Best wishes to everyone.

I don't understand why I need to be forgiven and redeemed, what have I and most people done wrong?

Just that everyone makes mistakes all the time, forgiveness just means you are not punished for them. I, personally, am pleased by being forgiven for my mistakes.

Regarding being at one with God in Heaven this requires redemption because He is perfect. So for us to be at one with Him, we are redeemed, to make this possible (according to my Christian belief).

Who would punish you?

Anyone who does not forgive me my mistakes, goblin.

Thankfully it hasn't happened too often, goblin but certainly, as a child, I was terrified of a lot of adults. Teachers used to hit us at school, even in reception class. I got hit for getting my sums wrong and not putting my shoes on quickly enough. I was petrified of asking to go to the toilet in assembly once, then was horrified when I wet myself..

So, yes, I do value forgiveness and people who show forgiveness.

But you are talking about forgiveness and redemption from god.

Slightly off the main point, but Nicolas Cage is oddly one of the best actors ever to be in so many truly terrible films. I don't know why he does them, unless he has massive debts we don't know about.

Yes, which God does, redeem and forgive.

If you have a flaw, forgiveness without redemption would just mean that flaw carries on affecting you. If you are redeemed your flaw is overcome / corrected.

If I kill a neighbours cat, it's the neighbour that may choose to forgive me.
Nothing to do with god- it wasn't his cat I killed.

That is a matter of perspective, goblin.

According to my beliefs everything belongs to God. There is also the view a person cannot own another living creature, so it is up to the cat to forgive.

Anyhow as people are flawed, you cannot rely on their forgiveness (or a cat's for that matter). God's forgiveness and redemption, though, is a comfort to me. It means we can hope in our flaws being overcome.

So say I stole my neighbour's car.

God forgives, but neighbour is still furious. That's OK is it?

I don't see humans as "flawed"- I see them as human.

goblin if God forgave and redeemed you from the particular flaw, which caused you to kill your neighbour's cat, you would understand what you did wrong and not repeat the same mistake. You would deeply regret your actions and wish you could put them right somehow (although not necessarily possible). So what function would any punishment serve?

All is not ok, if the neighbour does not forgive. But short of undoing what was done wrong, forgiveness and redemption is about as good as it gets.

goblin if you don't view humans as flawed, where does dysfunctional behaviour originate from?

I appreciate the thread has moved on somewhat but I watched that film v recently to accompany washing folding. It. Was. Diabolical.

I then read some reviews and amused myself. Even Christian sites panned it beyond the point of no return.

I can easily believe that, oven.

Yes TendonQueen Nic Cage seems to make unerringly disastrous script choices. I found myself wondering why too.

where does dysfunctional behaviour originate from?

I'm not a psychologist, but I guess it can stem from a variety of sources.

I am not sure why that is relevant.

Homo sapien is simply another primate- would you equally say that bonobo is "flawed"? He is simply being an ape, exhibiting a range of behaviours that apes do. Sometimes ape's behaviour can become dysfunctional.

Most humans, like most apes are functional most of the time.
I don't know anyone who is "flawed"- it's quite a derogatory view.

After watching the film, I read a bit about why Cage did the film and he said his Brother is a Pastor and was very excited about the idea of the film, so wanted to do it in part for him. I have enjoyed a lot of the films he's been in but I do think he takes himself too seriously and maybe a bit out of touch with reality in recent years maybe.