It seems like all I have been hearing the last few days is talk about “a culture of death” versus “a culture of life.” Why this topic? Well, several reasons.
1) As the Oscars approach it is so evident by the movies that are being hailed as Oscar worthy seem to only promote “a culture of death.” Is that true? Many sociologists and culture critics see this as true. For example: Let’s run down a list of some of the movies real fast.
Ray: A movie about the musician Ray Charles, where most of the movie tends to focus on his heroin problem, as well as his adulteress affairs. What the movie fails to really show you is the real devastating affects his drug use and his promiscuity had on his life.
Million Dollar Baby: A movie the promotes euthenasia. If you think it doesn’t, then you aren’t giving Hollywood enough credit.
Sideways: A movie that glorifies sexuality, and promiscuity at that.
Maria Full of Grace: A movie that focuses on a woman who has to swallow drugs, and traffic them in order to raise her family.
The Aviator: Wow! Does anyone not think Howard Hughes life was a complete mess? The Aviator doesn’t show you that.
Being Julia: About aboritonist Vera Drake.
Should I go on more…….And before you point out that the Passion of the Christ was about death, let me say that the death in that movie, versus the other movies, are fundamentally different. Christ’s death brings about life. While the death that Hollywood promotes and glorifies brings about a nihilistic nothingness, more along the lines of something Albert Camus would have written.
2) What about the suicidal death of literary icon, Hunter S. Thompson last week. His story is getting more and more unusual, as the culture around us is glorifying his suicide by shooting (while on the phone with his wife), because he seemed to be a man in control, wanting to go out as he wanted. This is so in opposition of what we are seeing in the struggle of Pope John Paul II, as he struggles to bring dignity to life. Just read his 1995 encyclical, and one would see how we are in a struggle of living in a culture of life vs. death.
This is something I want to focus on more this next week. I intentionally did not cite sources in this article, as I wanted to just give an overview. But stay tuned this next week as I begin to unpack this topic more and more.
Whether its the current euthenasia of children (up to age 12) in the Netherlands; or whether its the glorifying of Hollywood on their big night, the Oscars, we live and admire a culture that totally goes against the teachings of Christ.
“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” (John 10:10)
Check out Ben Stein’s thoughts on why Hollywood is out of touch.
Does anyone find it interesting that Hollywood’s most coveted and prized possession is a golden statue, that is basically worthless, but is worshipped by everyone? “Aaron answered them, ‘Take off the gold earrings that your wives, your sons and your daughters are wearing, and bring them to me.’ So all the people took off their earrings and brought them to Aaron. He took what they handed him and made it into an idol cast in the shape of a calf, fashioning it with a tool. Then they said, ‘These are your gods, Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.'” (Exodus 32:2-4)……Hmmmmmmmmm
