Hollywood Biblical Errors

[cubanito]

I thought it might be fun to mention some of the frequent errors that Hollywood makes about the Bible.

Rather than a long list, let's post one at a time for discussion.

1- Moses NEVER asked Pharaoh to grant the Israelites freedom. Rather only to go 3 days journey into the desert to sacrifice to Jahweh, and thereafter to return back into their bondage. Actually Moses never asked Pharaoh anything, as he spoke through Aaron.

God foreknew that Pharaoh in his grief after the death of his eldest would set the Israelites free.

This is important because the Israelites sold THEMSELVES into slavery when they sold Joseph their brother and later accepted Egyptean protection during the famine. It would have been unlawful for God to have arranged for His people's captivity and then demanded their release. God respected even Egyptean law.

The highly accurate Egyptean calendar consisted of 360 ordinary days divided into 12 equivalent months. The remaining 5 or six days (depending on leap year considerations) were a national holiday wherin even slaves were allowed rest. A 3 day journey into the desert and back would have allowed just enough time to make it a LEGAL request under the Egyptean system, and not an unlawful demand for complete freedom.

JR

 

[arunma]

This isn't Hollywood per se, but I remember a made-for-TV movie called "Revelations" (yes, with a final s). They seemed to suggest that the return of Christ would occur through his being born of a woman, as with his first advent. I only watched the first three parts, so maybe they took care of this later. But even among heretics this would not be accurate, since the Bible clearly states that Christ will come seated at the right hand of God and coming on the clouds of heaven. They also had an annoying habit of starting each episode by quoting a random Bible verse set to ominous music, which in at least two cases had nothing to do with the end times.

 

[Hentenza]

How about Amazing Grace? An angel named Earl?

Oops, that's not a movie..............I can't remember movies

 

[cubanito]

I'm not so much thinking of Biblically themed stuff, which would be innumerable. Rather of what is put out on Movies OR TV as Biblical renditions yet distort the Biblical text.

Another frequent distortion, for example, is that of Solomon's Temple as some massive structure. It's actual physical dimensions were 100X33 footprint, 50 feet high. (1Kings 6:2). It's main physical splendor lay in that parts inside it were fully covered in pure gold (see v 20).

A more important distortion is to blame Eve for the fall, when the Bible makes it explicitly clear that ishe was deceived, and it was ADAM who knowingly, wilfully disobeyed. Contrary to just about ALL ancient religions, the Bible assigns the full blame of the fall to the MAN. This is an amazing fact which is never brought out.

JR

JR

 

[No Swansong]

What about the few television shows that support the idea that dead humans become angels.

 

[cubanito]

What about the few television shows that support the idea that dead humans become angels.

Remember "every time a bell rings an angel gets his wings" from it's a wonderful life?

I remember some very early silent pixs where the faint image of someone with wings leaves a dying body.

Yep, that's a frequent flyer indeed.

JR

 

[No Swansong]

One of my favorite movies.

I was referring to the one with Michael Landon and then the Touched by an Angel. (both of which I enjoyed I must say)

 

[cubanito]

I've seen advertisements for a series (on family cable TV?) for a series on a Nephilim Messiah, a human/angel hybrid who somehow is to save the world. Can't remember the name, but my how far down we've gone when the Nephilim are the good guys on the family channel!

(BTW, I myself am ambivalent on what the Nephilim were, and lean against the idea that they were human/angel hybrids at all).

JR

 

[No Swansong]

I've seen advertisements for a series (on family cable TV?) for a series on a Nephilim Messiah, a human/angel hybrid who somehow is to save the world. Can't remember the name, but my how far down we've gone when the Nephilim are the good guys on the family channel!

(BTW, I myself am ambivalent on what the Nephilim were, and lean against the idea that they were human/angel hybrids at all).

JR

I've seen those same advertisements and thought what in the world?

Of course we have movies that make Satan out to be all kinds of things. From a lovable buffoon to a hot soft hearted benevolent buddy of Christ.

 

[cubanito]

Ah yes, the show is "Fallen" (very appropiate title for this show).

http://www.tv.com/fallen/show/26904/summary.html

here's some summaries:

First aired: 7/23/2006
On Aaron's eighteenth birthday, life as he knows it changes forever. He develops unusual powers and a strange dream haunts him. A homeless man named Ezekiel, who claims to be a fallen angel, tells Aaron that he is a Nephilim, part human and part angel, and the Powers, an army of angels, are coming to destroy him.

Aaron at first cannot believe that he has been drawn into a centuries long battle between the Powers and the Fallen, a group of angels who have been banished from heaven. Soon he will have to accept the truth as inexplicable things keep happening around him, his abilities increase and strange people start following him

'Fallen' Takes Wing


By Karl J. Paloucek, Zap2it
July 11, 2006

Paul Wesley on 'Fallen'

Paul Wesley has appeared in many acclaimed prime-time series, but with his role as Aaron Corbett in ABC Family's "Fallen," he's glad for the chance to spread his wings and reach for the sky.

The two-hour film, which premieres Sunday, July 23, is based on the popular young-adult books by Thomas E. Sniegoski and focuses on 18-year-old Aaron, who with the help of the homeless but extraordinarily insightful Zeke (Tom Skerritt), begins to discover that he's part angel. He also finds out that he and his family are earmarked for destruction by full angels. Fernanda Andrade, Alex Ferris, Chelah Horsdal ("Stargate: SG-1"), Lisa Lackey ("Flipper"), Russell Porter ("Urban Rush") and Rick Worthy ("Star Trek: Enterprise") also star.

"Aaron is trying to find himself," Wesley explains. "He's an orphan, doesn't know his real parents; he's an outcast, and when all of this stuff happens, it just adds to the turmoil."

Wesley might not be an orphan, but he still relates well to some of Aaron's experiences. "I went to four or five different high schools, and I never quite fit in with a specific group," he says. "And I do have a very close relationship with my parents. I know that family is a big thing in this story; everything he's doing is to save his family."

After playing a roster of dark characters in various series, Wesley finally finds himself playing the good guy, and he's glad for the opportunity. "Aaron is brooding; he does have a chip on his shoulder, but he is not the antagonist. He is the hero. And it's really nice to play somebody with a good heart."
Aaron is truly lost within self he has two strong natures colliding his human side and his angel side, The angels helping him are not in to much of a rush to answer his many questions. and this is frustrating to say the least I like the history and myth the show is not lacking this. I find myself wanting the powers to stop their hunting. It seems the powers and the fallen have been abandoned by God none of them seem to get to talk to him much. I can not wait for tomorrow nights episode to see how this story plot is going to come together.
Posted Aug 4, 2007 8:07 pm PST

Desmalia will be so thrilled to know this latest exemplar of the fallen nature of man (turning the Nephilim into the Messiah) is filmed in Vancouver. Yes indeed,

JR

 

[desmalia]

Yes, well not surprising. We've had shows like the Dead Zone and Supernatural filiming out this way too.

 

[KarrieTex]

Oh my how about The Seventh Sign with Demi Moore.

The whole things is OFF.

 

[cubanito]

The seventh sign: A Gnostic Lindsay on steroid...

 

[KarrieTex]

OHHH that was bad....LOL

on a serious note I do feel sorry for her about this much

an iota

 

[cubanito]

My oldest daughter is always leaving grateful notes and trying to get me some thoughtful little gift. So about 2 years ago she went to Blockbuster's video to rent some Bible-themed movie for "her daddy."

So she came home with an HBO series: "Angels in America."

in the words of one our most lighthearted members: "Wow...just wow."

The basic plot is that hermaprhodite Angels devised HIV as a way of destroying God's greatest creation: the homosexual man. It only goes down from there.

Well my poor daughter ran back to Blockbuster and got me some other video---except they put the wrong one in the box (maybe they were annoyed with her complaint). When I sit to watch it with her: "Dorm Daze -- Hot Teen Bodies Will Dizzy You"

My poor Natalie, that was the last time she tried renting me a DVD without asking me first.

JR

 

[KarrieTex]

Oh my poor thing bless her heart.

She will laugh at this one day

 

[KitsapGirl]

Almost every angel you see in picutres, as figurines, and portrayed as humanoids is a female, or a cute cuddly babe.

I've never read about an angel looking pretty, or cute...usually the first thing out of their mouths is "do not fear". The angels I see in the stores & on TV would never frighten me.

 

[cubanito]

Hippos find it so difficult to disagree pleasantly...

I find that whatever other errors, sometimes the portrayals of angels in Hollywood do attempt to show "non-cuddly" angels.

Figurines and a lot of the classical painters do portray these "cherubs" as pudgy toddlers, and angels as effete "humanoids." But much out of Hollywood, even in comedy, do portray something of the power of angels.

JR

 

[KitsapGirl]

Hippos find it so difficult to disagree pleasantly...

I find that whatever other errors, sometimes the portrayals of angels in Hollywood do attempt to show "non-cuddly" angels.

Figurines and a lot of the classical painters do portray these "cherubs" as pudgy toddlers, and angels as effete "humanoids." But much out of Hollywood, even in comedy, do portray something of the power of angels.

JR

I disagree. Touched by an Angel, Wings of Desire, Date with an Angel, to name a few.

Until I was taught about what angels are, I thought they were powerful, beautiful women with wings, or cute cuddly chubbie babies with wings.

 

[cubanito]

Yes, but then you've the Angels in films such as "Prophecy", "Constantine", "Dogma" and of course the old Bible-based Holywood movies where power and even ruthlesness was evident. I do not say the portrayal is accurate, but they are not always "cuddly."

JR