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June 14th, 2013
04:05 PM ET
Superman: Flying to a church near youBy Eric Marrapodi, Co-Editor CNN Belief Blog Baltimore, Maryland (CNN) - As the new Superman movie takes flight this weekend, filmmakers are hoping the Man of Steel lands not only in theaters, but also in pulpits. Warner Bros. Studios is aggressively marketing "Man of Steel" to Christian pastors, inviting them to early screenings, creating Father’s Day discussion guides and producing special film trailers that focus on the faith-friendly angles of the movie. The movie studio even asked a theologian to provide sermon notes for pastors who want to preach about Superman on Sunday. Titled “Jesus: The Original Superhero,” the notes run nine pages. “How might the story of Superman awaken our passion for the greatest hero who ever lived and died and rose again?” the sermon notes ask. (Disclaimer: CNN, like Warner Bros., is owned by Time Warner.) Similar campaigns to corral the country's large number of Christians into the movie theater have been used for "Les Miserables," "Soul Surfer" and "The Blind Side," all of which had at least some faith angle. Baltimore pastor Quentin Scott is among dozens of ministers who received an e-mail invitation from Grace Hill Media, a Hollywood-based Christian marketing firm, to an early screening of “Man of Steel.” “There was an actual push to say `We’re putting out something that speaks to your group,' ” said Scott, one of the pastors of Shiloh Christian Community Church in Baltimore. At first, Scott said, he didn’t buy the religious pitch. Then he decided to attend a free midweek screening in Baltimore. “When I sat and listened to the movie I actually saw it was the story of Christ, and the love of God was weaved into the story," said the pastor. "It was something I was very excited about that with the consultation of our senior pastor, we could use in our congregation.” CNN Entertainment: 'Man of Steel' director Zack Snyder on Superman's Christ-like parallels Grace Hill’s sermon notes are specially designed for churches like Shiloh that integrate multimedia into their services. “Let’s take a look at the trailer for `Man of Steel,’” the notes suggest after briefly introducing the movie’s history and themes. The man behind the notes, Pepperdine University professor Craig Detweiler, has prepared similar material for films like 2009’s "The Blind Side" and "The Book of Eli" from 2010. The spiritual themes in “Man of Steel” are abundant, Detweiler said, and his notes enable Christians to thoughtfully engage with pop culture instead of shunning it. “All too often, religious communities have been defined by what they're against. With a movie like `Man of Steel,’ this is a chance to celebrate a movie that affirms faith, sacrifice and service,” Detweiler said. It will be hard for even casual Christians to miss the messianic metaphors in "Man of Steel.” The movie focuses on the origins of Superman, who was sent from the planet Krypton as an infant to save his species. He is raised by surrogate parents who help him grapple with his special powers, even though they don’t fully understand the source of his extraordinary abilities. When he turns 33, Superman must willingly sacrifice himself to save the human race. Sound familiar? If that’s not enough, as a boy Clark Kent is shown wrestling with his superpowers, and asks his earthly dad, Jonathan Kent, “Did God do this to me?” “Somewhere out there you have another father and he sent you here for a reason,” says Jonathan Kent. Even the visuals hammer home the messianic motifs. During a fight with his archenemy, General Zod, Superman plunges down to Earth, his arms outstretched as if he were being crucified. Of course, he rises again. Detweiler writes in the sermon notes, “What Jesus and Superman both give us, through their `hero’ actions but also their `human’ actions – is hope.” “I think it’s a very good thing that Hollywood is paying attention to the Christian marketplace,” said Ted Baehr, who runs Movieguide, a website that reviews family friendly films from a Christian perspective. “Where it gets sticky is when they try to manipulate the market and when Christians try to manipulate Hollywood. But here I think we have the right balance.” But other Christians are heaving a supersized sigh at the movie marketing. "Any pastor who thinks using `Man of Steel Ministry Resources' is a good Sunday morning strategy must have no concept of how high the stakes are, or very little confidence in the power of God’s word and God’s spirit," writes P.J. Wenzel, a deacon and Sunday School teacher at Dublin Baptist Church in Ohio. "As they entertain their congregants with material pumped out from Hollywood’s sewers, lives are kept in bondage, and people’s souls are neglected," according to Wenzel, who said he was e-mailed information about the movie. Scott, the Baltimore pastor, said he knows that Warner Bros. Studios has a financial incentive in pushing the film to pastors. But he said that’s fine with him. “They’re using us but in fact we’re using them,” he said. His church won't show clips from the movie this weekend because it had already planned out its service. But he plans to use them later, during meetings with the church’s men’s group. “If you give me another opportunity to talk to someone about Jesus Christ, and I can do that because of your movie, that’s a win for me, because it is about spreading the Gospel.” CNN's Erin McPike contributed to this report. soundoff (6,545 Responses)« Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 Next »
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The CNN Belief Blog covers the faith angles of the day's biggest stories, from breaking news to politics to entertainment, fostering a global conversation about the role of religion and belief in readers' lives. It's edited by CNN's Daniel Burke with contributions from Eric Marrapodi and CNN's worldwide news gathering team.  |
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This will spell the end for Warner Bros... Now I will refuse to watch this movie and many others they make
...and no one will miss you.
Ah Fred, the sign of desperation: attacking someone. You're getting scared there aren't you little man? Someone is taking away your Jesus lollipop. That can be scary, but try meditating. Clear your mind and think of something peaceful like clouds, blue skies, flowers, flowing brooks...just take deep breaths and take comfort that you're alive. Don't think about h*** and you'll be ok. You won't have to hate a god that you have to fear and love at the same time. That can really mess a man up can't it Fred?
The end of Warner bros? Ha. Warner Bros. owns about 20% of all media produced in the United States. They're not going anywhere. And if you really stop watching WB movies just because they told a story with naturally christian themes, that might say a bit more about you than them.
Why are some who claim to be athesists so angry at God who gives anyone free will and the ability to do what is right if they so choose
You can't spell atheist either.
We can't be angry at your god if we don't believe in it. Why are you so determined to believe in something that doesn't exist? Why do you stake your life on a book written by men for an imperfect god that lets children starve around the world, yet answers (you hope) your very own prayers? Seriously man, the difference here comes down to IQ and really, that's not even worth arguing over.
Why do you attribute laffter and scoffing to anger? Surely atheists are more motivated by humor and pity than outrage — except when you guys start getting pushy with the laws of the land.
Believe in me or be damned. That's not free will, it's coersion.
Tell me, Rick777, WHO CHOSE TO BE BORN??????
Show me one person who chose to be born. Just one. You can't. Yet you say we are all to be punished for being born.
YOU ARE FU,CKING INSANE
@ F y "....."
That's one funny handle! ROFL
Finally, a non-believer, presumably, has the right question!
I am a born again Christian, and I always have that question!
Most seem to criticize God because when bad things happen He does not control them like robots. On the other hand when bad things aren't happening they don't want to be controlled. LOL. Not too big on alternative theories either.
Rick777,
We don't criticize "God"... and we don't hate "God", anymore than you criticize and hate "Vishnu" or "Ra" or any of the other fantasy ent'ities - or anymore than you "hate" and "criticize" Lex Luthor.
Not angry at your god!!! Why do you assume that disbelief=snger? I simply don't see evidence to support your gods existence or the existence of any other god.
To an atheist being angry at god is like being angry at the easter bunny. You can't be angry with a myth. You CAN however be angry when the people who believe in that myth keep shoving it down your throat and calling it "truth". You can also be angry with believers when they try to pass laws based on their pet myth that directly affect everyone, not just the believers.
Athiest cant explain anything except that they know everything. Science is guessnology.
At least we can atheist correctly.
Sorry. At least we can spell atheist correctly.
Oh!!! So thats why planes fly and medicine can cure!
So planes can fly and Medicine can cure??? Why all the "Ask your doctor about side effects'?
You'd better not be taking any OTC or prescription meds.
@ newsupermansux...and what is faith? Nothing. Absolutely nothing.
"[1] Athiest cant explain anything except that [2] they know everything. [3] Science is guessnology."
Sorry, 0 for 3 is a strike-out.
Driving cars and using computers is out too.
Until you need medical attention. Then,SCIENCE work's just fine and RELIGION is all forgotten.
I was gonna see this movie, but forget it now
Boooorrrrring.
I'm sure there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth at your absence.
There is actually an kind of inverse “Pascal’s Wager” that makes a lot more sense. It leads to the conclusion that any Christian should be elated that God is a myth. If he were real, there is a chance that a person will end up in hell. Now, most Christians convince themselves that they will not, but what if you’re wrong?
What if, as many, many believe, all you have to do is commit one unforgiven mortal sin like adultery or missing church on a Sunday, and you’re screwed. Now, what is the result in the Christian superst.ition? You burn forever. So, even if the chances of going to hell are small, the consequences are so overwhelmingly bad that it is a bad, bad proposition.
So, is a Christian not a lot better off knowing their God/hell choice is simple Greco-Roman mythology?
http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2013/05/11/my-take-gay-christian-is-not-an-oxymoron/comment-page-3/#comment-2337379
All Scripture Is From:
New American Standard Bible (NASB)
Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation
http://www.biblegateway.com/
colin: "So, even if the chances of going to hell are small, the consequences are so overwhelmingly bad that it is a bad, bad proposition."
Clearly you don't know what Pascal's Wager is. You've reversed it completely.
The question isn't, "Should I believe in something that could have such dire consequences for me?" The question is, "Should I avoid those consequences because they're so dire, no matter how small the chances are of suffering them?"
gnostic: to know with certainty
agnostic: to not know for certain
atheist: disbelief in god(s)
theist: belief in god
if you are anything other than agnostic followed by atheist or theist, you are lying-no one knows 100% either way
I buy your definitions, but I assert that I am a gnostic atheist with respect to ANY being for whom it is claimed that it is simultaneously omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient, and omnibenevolent, because it's possible to pit any 2 of those ultimate attributes against each other ("Can God hide?"; "Can God change his mind?", "Can God make a rock so heavy he can't lift it?"), and one of them must fail, thereby disproving the "omni-" nature of the loser. QED. Such a being CANNOT exist.
There are no gods. Everything we see is random. Everything. Nothing is magical. Prayers do not work. There is nobody there.
So fuk yoo to death forever. There are no gods and I am 100 percent fuking certain of that.
You have nothing to prove any gods at all, so you cannot say there is still some possibility of one hiding somewhere.
Give up the psychosis. Realize you are being insane. There are no gods and never were.
richard: "simultaneously omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient, and omnibenevolent, because it's possible to pit any 2 of those ultimate attributes against each other ... and one of them must fail"
Not really. It's mostly pitting omnipotent against the others.
Not to mention, you haven't shown that a god doesn't exist. You've shown that a god doesn't exist who is illogical or self contradictory.
Life Changer. Thats what it was for my brother and me many years ago. My brother was using drugs and both of us were searching for meaning. We heard the gospel message one night- that Jesus died for our sins and we could be forgiven and have eternal life by trusting in Him as Lord and Savior. We both responded, and asked the Lord to forgive our sins and come into our lives.. Wow, My brother dropped the drugs cold, and never went back to them. I was flooded with peace and joy and purpose, and haven't been the same since. PTL Jesus Lives!!! Recieve Him as Lord and Savior and you can know His peace that passes all understanding.
The credit belongs to your brother more than to jesus. Stand up for your worth.
Humanist, its obvious that the credit goes to the Lord. PTL But one has to open their eyes to see that.
Also, the farmer thanks the rooster for dawn.
Congratulations, Ron. You spend so much of your time now worshipping your imaginary god, you can't get into trouble. Never mind whether there is a god or not, if it works for you keep it up. Some people need it. Others don't.
Why are atheists reading this article if it is all hogwash? Makes me wonder. They seem awfully interested, since they always go out of their way to find stories of faith and comment on them.
Says Sheshie, as she goes out of her way to comment.
@ Sheshie
Because disterous consequences can result from the belief in hogwash, like the Schaibles kids and Stephen Fincher,
Tenn rep, says god is oppesed to food stamps.
The difference between me and your God is if I saw a child being ra.ped I would try to stop it.
"As a source of objective morality, the Bible is one of the worst books we have. It might have been the very worst, in fact — if we didn't also happen to have the Koran."
—Sam Harris, author of The End of Faith: Religion, Terror, and the Future of Reason
That just goes to show you that Sam Harris knows nothing except how to sell books.
He's clueless.
Sam Harris...a man that studied meditation with Hindu and Buddhist teachers and puts down Christianity. Okay. One more filled with criticism and no answers.
It's funny, because Superman was created by two Jewish guys.
So was God
Two more that escaped ze Final Solution! Ach! Ve must hunt zem down immediately! Schnell! Schnell!
And, like the teenage Jew who gave birth to Jesus, Joe and Jerry had probably never had s¢x either.
Anyone who believes magic is real is psychotic.
Perhaps you are referring to the "magic" that atheists believe in: that a puddle of unliving material can spawn all the life on this planet. or, that lizards can morph into birds (given enouogh time). Or, maybe it's the one about how a small dog-like critter morphed into the majestic horses we know today.
^Those atheists...they believe in the craziest things.
Oh, fred. Why are you so fucking stupid?
Maybe they'll do a movie about accidental gobs. People gobs, cat gobs, aardvark gobs, elephant gobs, snail gobs and eggplant gobs all forming from ancient gobs that even without brains decided male and female gobs were necessary.
I have found the most profound connection to the story of Jesus and the Man of Steel movie.
Both are works of fiction, and neither are very entertaining.
The story of Jesus is both true and entertaining. It's very enjoyable to read about how Jesus had compassion on the most downtrodden people of His day and how He could confound even the most self-righteous self-proclaimed "experts."
"The story of Jesus is both true and entertaining." Well, you're half right, fred. It's entertaining at least.
@JesusFans – you keep bringing up math and logic as though they exist, as though they are innate qualities of the universe . Math and logic are not discoveries they are inventions, human inventions (a convenient way to measure) – However you want to spin that is up to you... I'm just saying.
Physicist Paul Davie had a good way of spinning it in "The Mind of God." So did von Neumann, Wigner and Peierls. Give us a break. Since you know how things didn't happen, tell us how they did.
Just go read my posts again. I never say that Math and Science is provable. However, you claim they are inventions. This is also not provable. There is no way to be sure that math is either an invention or it is real. In other words, there exist great arguments for either position. And very smart people have argued both positions very well. Just read "What is this thing called Science?" You'll know what i'm talking about. But no, my point is that an atheist should not believe that Math and Science are provable. But, my new point now, based on your comment is that You should not claim to be 100% sure that Math is an Invention. Because there is no proof of that. Only reasoning using... guess what? LOGIC. which is a BRANCH OF MATHEMATICS, the thing you are trying to claim is unprovable.
Sorry guys but you are dealing with a straight up existential and epistemological nihilist.
then dont claim that math is an invention.
Who cares. Both characters are fiction so ummmm yea sell it and let the money roll in cause that's what this is really about.
To all atheists, agnostics, and secular humanists who don't believe in the unseen eternal spirit called GOD, just think about this real carefully before you criticize our beliefs: when it's time for you to die, you'll have nowhere else to go.
The universe does not care what I want.
Atheists are aware of that. So? They accept that. Why can't *you*?
Mohammed said the same to YOU about Allah and Paradise. Are YOU convinced?
So if we criticize your beliefs, we won't get to heaven, which we don't believe exists anyway. Hm. Profound thinking there, treblemaker.
treblemaker,
This is another tired version of Pascal's Wager - thoroughly refuted since the 17th century.
- What if the real "God" is Allah, or Vishnu, or Zeus, or Quetzalcoatl, or any of the other of thousands which have been dreamed up over the centuries? Some of them are very jealous and vengeful and will relegate you to nasty places for not worshiping them. You'd better cover your butt by believing in ALL of them and fulfill their wishes and demands.
- What if the real "God" prefers those who use logic and reason and punishes you as a silly sycophant?
- What if the real "God" detests those who believe something just to cover their butts in eternity?
"Oh crap, it's Muhammad!" says the Christian a split second after their last heartbeat.
treblemaker:
[sing]
Allah, Zeus, Ra, Vishnu
Whatcha gonna do when they come for you?
please remain still as I adjust for windage and elevation......
Most of us don't waste our time thinking about it given that there is no evidence for anything more than this existence. We're too busy living the only guaranteed life we have...you might wish to try it.
Ven ve hunt down zis, zis 'treblemaker', ve vill skin him alive and use it to cover my Bible! Ja, see if ve don't!
@RichardSRussell .... you said the perfect answer.
Yes and of course implied threats of eternal agony are the best way to "get through" to us. Moron.
Tebow = Christian Superman for Jesus!
Warner will take anyone's money. I guess they figure a sucker is born every minute. Unbelievably sad.
ANY corporation will take anybody's money. They don't care where it comes from, it's still money. The only reason they pander to Christians is because they know from the abundance of available evidence what complete and utter suckers they are. There's a reason why they're referred to as a "flock".
This is American Capitalism at it's sleaziest. Do Christians believe in life on Krypton? The producers should know that I was planning to see this movie, but as an atheist, I am offended by disingenuous use of religion to make money. Religion = Money. But not my $!2.
And it makes religion look pretty sleezy too.
The 3-D effects were added in post-production (the bad way of doing it) and are nothing special.
The Imax version is notable mainly for the super surround sound, which will leave your eardrums throbbing for hours afterward.
Half of the 2.5-hour runtime is loud, fast, frenetic smash-em, bash-em fight scenes (probably involving a million casualties that never get shown on screen) that, believe it or not, actually outdoes Transformers 2 for sheer hard-to-follow mindless destruction and savägery.
In between all of that is about 75 minutes of a pretty decent movie. Get it on DVD and fast-forward thru the stuffing and padding, and you'll not only save money, you'll have a more satisfactory movie experience.
Do you not realize that if everyone became an atheist – it does not nullify God's existence nor somehow diminish his Authority to reign over us all. Nor does the ideology of "ignoring his presence, will diminish his powers". Does not work. The big boom theory either. If we think about the "birth process" of a human, and reverse the process for thousands of years, we would eventually return to the FIRST mother of us all. If you can fathom that truth for a minute and explain why are people born from a human? And who was the first human to start the process. I think that should give you some type of idea, that SOMEONE who help write the greatest book ever, knew a little bit of what they were talking about. Atheists are full of resentment and are professional theological critics – pros at questions and comments, but as dense as a God-made rock when it comes to answer-even though the existence of God is IMPOSSIBLE to deny – except verbally. No insult – just truth.
Wow. hopelessly biblewashed.
You are correct, Sleazy. Becoming an atheist no more nullifies God's existence than it nullifies the existence of, say, Mount Rushmore or unicorns. That's because the existence or non-existence of anything is determined by EVIDENCE, not opinion.
Speaking of evidence, got any?
@ATHY
Agreed Where to start?
Believing in god does not prove his existence.
How are people born from a human? Because they're not born from cats?
The evolution of humans was a process, not an event.
Obviously the writer new nothing about evolution or science.
Theology is easy to criticize because it is inconsistant. Not even a worthy subject of study since all it's efforts go into studying something that very likely does not exist.
"Theology is but the ignorance of natural causes reduced to a system.... [It] has for its object only things incomprehensible. Contrary to all other sciences, it treats only of what cannot fall under our senses. Hobbes calls it "the kingdom of darkness". It is a country in which everything is generated by laws contrary to those which men can recognize in the world they inhabit. In this marvellous region, light is no more than darkness; evidence is doubtful or false; impossibilities are credible; reason is a deceitful guide; and good sense becomes madness. This science is called theology, and this theology is a continual insult to the reason of man...."
—Baron D'Holbach (1723-1789)
@SleazyMyNeazy – that's an interesting notion, "if everyone became an atheist would it dminish god"? Apparrently it would, since your god seems to never do things for itself, such that you christians and islmas are always having to does his murder and raping and rule-enforcement for him.
Kim Clark,
Defensively or offensively offended are we to be? One can never tell. Got to ask though. Which is your cat's meow?
@SleazyMyNeazy – that's an interesting notion, "if everyone became an atheist would it dminish god"? Apparrently it would, since your god seems to never do things for itself, such that you christians and islmas are always having to does his murder and raping and rule-enforcement for him. so ... yes.
The evidence is in every breath you take and in every beat of your heart – which can not be stopped by any man on his own free atheistic terms. Try it. If God says that breath comes from him, why then to you foretake of his generosity? Seriously. However, because of his grace and goodness, HE allows you and forces you to breath and your heart to beat until HE choses to stop it, or allow it to be stopped. However, you "the big, bad and bold" cannot blow the longest breath, without gasping for more of God, nor stop that heart that He gave to you. In spite of your arrogance, what grace and mercy HE has. That is your evidence! God, with justified audacity and authority has claimed patent of your life and you have never had any control of your existence, can't explain it either, but dare deny that which he has proclaimed. So with submission of my evidence that my and your God is real – I dare you to stop breathing or terminate your heartbeat without outside interference. EXACTLY – and I rest YOUR case and worthless cause.
Sleazy:
(1) Point loaded pistol at head.
(2) Pull trigger.
(3) Take a deep breath.
(4) Explain how it was GOD who wouldn't let you.
Test
Having trouble posting?
Do you want the list of handy hints about the word filter?
Helpful: no, I know how to get around the shitty world filters. Thanks for asking, though; I appreciate it.
CNN is playing around with their site, though, and I was having problems posting on another blog of theirs.
You're welcome. Good luck.
I got this.
When you say, "I'm a Christian."
What I hear is: "I was raised by christian parents to have blind faith in a fairytale that was written by people long ago in a book that I have never fully read."
And yes, I (Agnostickids) have read the bible from start to finish. Many times. That's why I'm not a christian.
You read the Bible as though it were a fiction novel. Those of us who believe in the unseen eternal spirit known as God have a response similar to yours. Atheism or Agnosticism: Tragedy for the intelligent, trash for the believers! You confuse religion (man's ideas) with faith (God's message). You obviously have no faith in what lies beyond your short time on earth. Good luck. And may the force be with you.
"You read the Bible as though it were a fiction novel." It is a fiction novel.
If the Bible weren't fiction, Jesus would by now have used his omnipotent powers to insert holographic videos of himself working miracles in every copy in existence. Yet you never, ever see an actual picture of Jesus. Why is that? Surely it can't have anything to do with such a trivial detail as film being 1800 years in the future?