The dumming down of Jesus.

kisstheson · Mar 4, 2008

Of course I'm talking about South Park, some episodes on Family Guy. Saturday Night Live and the Comedy channel.

1.)There are MANY young people who don't attend church and have never read the gospel. This is the only Jesus (South Park) they see...a comical looking, spoiled, complaining brat of deity. Do such portrayals encourage young people to not take Christ seriously? Does His crucifixion lose the impact it should have on their hearts? (One episode mocked the Passion of the Christ and in another Kyle kills Christ by stabbing Him in the neck.) I would like to hear the opinions of Christian youth.

2.) How does Jesus feel about SP?

I have my own opinions. I will join in the discussion too.

NathanHocking · Mar 4, 2008

Yea I really hate it when shows mock religion, I have made a point not to watch south park!

ImperialPhantom · Mar 4, 2008

Way to miss the point of the South Park episode.

kisstheson · Mar 4, 2008

ImperialPhantom said:
Way to miss the point of the South Park episode.

Do you think Kyle should not have told Jesus he was was sorry for the crucifixion when he woke up after having nightmares of Jesus suffering on the cross? (The Passion of the Christ episode.) Do you think it was alright that Jesus asked Kyle to stab Him in the Fantastic Easter Special? Is it okay for Jesus to be angry because no one won't vote for Him in His fight against satan? Does watching SP increase your love and respect for the person of Christ?

What am I missing?

finish3d · Mar 4, 2008

ImperialPhantom said:
Way to miss the point of the South Park episode.

I'd like to know what point that would be, if any...

cherrymdsn · Mar 4, 2008

I think it does affect the way non-Christians view Christ and Christianity. I mean, the only view they are presented with is negative..

intricatic · Mar 4, 2008

Well, obviously the SP caricature of Jesus is absolutely correct. At least, if you're talking in terms of humanism and how a humanist might view Jesus.

But then again, a lot of humanists like Jesus, but hate Christians.

I think it's a shame that it'll possibly be one of the few sources of Christ in some people's lives, but I don't think there's much we can do about that other than speak the truth to people.

Mark2010 · Mar 4, 2008

South Park is a joke, but I do cringe when they start making fun of religion. Aren't there enough things they can do without trampling on what others consider sacred?

intricatic · Mar 4, 2008

Mark2010 said:
South Park is a joke, but I do cringe when they start making fun of religion. Aren't there enough things they can do without trampling on what others consider sacred?

Isn't that why the show even exists? :scratch:

Mikeb85 · Mar 4, 2008

First off, if anyone actually forms opinions based on South Park, they've got issues. The show is a joke - they make fun of stereotypes of everyone. The Jesus they're making fun of isn't the Jesus of the Bible, but rather the modern, popular image of Jesus (which is more cause for alarm than SP's parody).

Margim · Mar 4, 2008

kisstheson said:
Of course I'm talking about South Park, some episodes on Family Guy. Saturday Night Live and the Comedy channel.

1.)There are MANY young people who don't attend church and have never read the gospel. This is the only Jesus (South Park) they see...a comical looking, spoiled, complaining brat of deity. Do such portrayals encourage young people to not take Christ seriously? Does His crucifixion lose the impact it should have on their hearts? (One episode mocked the Passion of the Christ and in another Kyle kills Christ by stabbing Him in the neck.) I would like to hear the opinions of Christian youth.

2.) How does Jesus feel about SP?

I have my own opinions. I will join in the discussion too.

I think movies like the Passion of the Christ, or those pictures of a white Jesus with flowing brown hair and a gleaming robe do far more damage than comedies. Comedies are meant to be annoying and disrespectful. Those other things, which attempt to be serious, miss the point and paint incorrect popular portrayals of Jesus as truth or fact.

SonicBOOM · Mar 4, 2008

meh.... I've never liked south park, I think the show is moronic and it kills more braincells than drugs do. I don't know what to think about the south park episodes that mock Christ, except for this little piece of information. The church is FAR more blasphemious in this area than the world is and is probably the reason why the world mocks Christ so much. We give "religious answers" to people with real concerns, we present Christ as a either a complete weakling, a apathetic dictator, or simply a fool. The church is sooooooooooo blasphemious when it comes to presenting Christ and when you mix what the world teaches about Christ and confirm that with how the church teaches Christ, it's VERY easy to lose sight of who Christ really is..... I have to remind myself almost hourly who Christ is because my mind is always slipping into the false ideas that are presented to us daily. If a Christian has to remind himself daily who Christ is because of the lies we see today..... how much more for someone who doesn't even know God? Truly blaspheme is probably the worst sin in today's culture.... and not just in the world.... in the church as well. We are a bunch of blasphemous fools who somehow don't believe that God takes blasphemy seriously anymore.

SonicBOOM · Mar 4, 2008

Margim said:
I think movies like the Passion of the Christ, or those pictures of a white Jesus with flowing brown hair and a gleaming robe do far more damage than comedies. Comedies are meant to be annoying and disrespectful. Those other things, which attempt to be serious, miss the point and paint incorrect popular portrayals of Jesus as truth or fact.

I think the passion was surprisingly accurate to be honest. It touched alot of lives and so far I see no negative impact except for little political differences that people have.

kisstheson · Mar 4, 2008

Masked_Chris said:
meh.... I've never liked south park, I think the show is moronic and it kills more braincells than drugs do. I don't know what to think about the south park episodes that mock Christ, except for this little piece of information. The church is FAR more blasphemious in this area than the world is and is probably the reason why the world mocks Christ so much. We give "religious answers" to people with real concerns, we present Christ as a either a complete weakling, a apathetic dictator, or simply a fool. The church is sooooooooooo blasphemious when it comes to presenting Christ and when you mix what the world teaches about Christ and confirm that with how the church teaches Christ, it's VERY easy to lose sight of who Christ really is..... I have to remind myself almost hourly who Christ is because my mind is always slipping into the false ideas that are presented to us daily. If a Christian has to remind himself daily who Christ is because of the lies we see today..... how much more for someone who doesn't even know God? Truly blaspheme is probably the worst sin in today's culture.... and not just in the world.... in the church as well. We are a bunch of blasphemous fools who somehow don't believe that God takes blasphemy seriously anymore.

Good points chris.

kisstheson · Mar 4, 2008

Mikeb85 said:
First off, if anyone actually forms opinions based on South Park, they've got issues. The show is a joke - they make fun of stereotypes of everyone. The Jesus they're making fun of isn't the Jesus of the Bible, but rather the modern, popular image of Jesus (which is more cause for alarm than SP's parody).[/quote]

If these images of jesus are alarmimg and thus misrepresenting the savior why are christians entertained by them?

kisstheson · Mar 4, 2008

Margim said:
I think movies like the Passion of the Christ, or those pictures of a white Jesus with flowing brown hair and a gleaming robe do far more damage than comedies. Comedies are meant to be annoying and disrespectful. Those other things, which attempt to be serious, miss the point and paint incorrect popular portrayals of Jesus as truth or fact.

Gibson's "jesus" was the most semetic looking Christ ever portayed on film.

SonicBOOM · Mar 4, 2008

Mikeb85 said:
First off, if anyone actually forms opinions based on South Park, they've got issues. The show is a joke - they make fun of stereotypes of everyone. The Jesus they're making fun of isn't the Jesus of the Bible, but rather the modern, popular image of Jesus (which is more cause for alarm than SP's parody).

but here's where the problem comes in.... the world doesn't know the difference... Where does the line draw? When is comedy simply comedy? And when is comedy merely blasphemous? I know the world will tell us that it's just humor..... but when are Christians supposed to be listening to the world? Christ's very name is sacred and is to be held in high honor. Blaspheme is a sin and needs to be treated like one. The less we are entertained by sin and the more we oppose sin, the more we will become sensitive to sin and the more our hearts will break and become tender instead of calloused. The world is a very messed up, sensual, foolish place. Why do Christians feel the need to follow suit?

kisstheson · Mar 4, 2008

"Blaspheme is a sin and needs to be treated like one. The less we are entertained by sin and the more we oppose sin, the more we will become sensitive to sin and the more our hearts will break and become tender instead of calloused. The world is a very messed up, sensual, foolish place. Why do Christians feel the need to follow suit?"

This is my question as well chris.

Mikeb85 · Mar 4, 2008

kisstheson said:
"Blaspheme is a sin and needs to be treated like one. The less we are entertained by sin and the more we oppose sin, the more we will become sensitive to sin and the more our hearts will break and become tender instead of calloused. The world is a very messed up, sensual, foolish place. Why do Christians feel the need to follow suit?"

This is my question as well chris.

Those who aren't Christians, who don't know Jesus, aren't making fun of Jesus our Lord. They're making fun of the way some modern Christians portray Jesus. Yes it's blasphemous, but if Christians give them reason to do such, then why point the finger instead of changing ourselves?

Christians are dumbing down Christ to the point of removing His divinity (a heresy which can be seen on these forums), preaching values which are contrary to the faith, and not living in a way which witnesses our belief in Jesus...

These shows aren't the cause of the problem, just a symptom of it.

Should we be entertained by these portrayals? Absolutely not. We should be alarmed that this is what the world thinks, and rather than blame them for thinking this, we should fix ourselves to better witness Christ and the faith to the world...

Margim · Mar 4, 2008

Masked_Chris said:
I think the passion was surprisingly accurate to be honest. It touched alot of lives and so far I see no negative impact except for little political differences that people have.

Nah, the Passion was full of extra-Biblical stuff (the snake in the garden, demonic children taunting Judas, the facial imprint on the cloth), and glorified violence. How is it that the whole Gospel of John, for example, can be presented in the same amount of time that the Passion went on for?

The world that was created (Jesus as semetic, aramaic language, etc) was great, but the glorification of violence and suffering over the things that make the Jesus story amazing - his life, his healing, his resurrection... that was unbalanced to the extreme.

kisstheson said:
Gibson's "jesus" was the most semetic looking Christ ever portayed on film.

I never said it wasn't. I was using two examples - the Passion as an example of an unbalanced portrayal of Jesus Christ as a person, and those other pictures as popularly inaccurate physical image of Jesus.

Give me the Life of Brian any day.

The dumming down of Jesus.

Contributor

Active Member

ImperialPhantom

Guest

Contributor

When I wake up to find, your Glory Defined...

Newbie

...a dinosaur... or something...

Well-Known Member

...a dinosaur... or something...

Mikeb85

Guest

Just thinking...

SonicBOOM

Guest

SonicBOOM

Guest

Contributor

Contributor

Contributor

SonicBOOM

Guest

Contributor

Mikeb85

Guest

Just thinking...

Similar threads