Silence (movie)

[tstor]

If you have not seen the movie Silence yet, I absolutely recommend it. I will give the brief description provided by IMDB:

In the 17th century, two Portuguese Jesuit priests travel to Japan in an attempt to locate their mentor, who is rumored to have committed apostasy, and to propagate Catholicism.
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Apparently it is based on a fictional book by the same title, but the three Portuguese priests were real and these events (or something similar) actually did occur. It was a very moving film and almost brought me to tears at times. Easily the best movie I have seen in a long time.

Trailer:

 

[~Anastasia~]

I saw that recently.

Both good and bad aspects to it. Overall I'm glad I watched it though. Some was very hard to watch.

 

[Namenotallowed]

My house mate surprised me with that last night. It's well done.

 

[CCHIPSS]

I just watched the film yesterday.

If we ourselves face persecution, the bible is very clear. Die for Christ.

But the situation really changes when it is someone else that is getting persecuted. That we must either deny Jesus or this other person will get killed. So it isn't just our own lives anymore, but someone(s) else's lives. In these case, what would the love of Jesus require of us?

There are many good points bought up about this in the movie. If we keep our faith and the other person dies, is that really out of love for God? Or is it due to pride and selfish reasons, because we are not playing with just our own live but someone else's live. Can we really be the judge of the life and death of someone else?

Or if we deny our faith to save this other person, is this considered a loving act to God? Or will God see this as a betrayal?

I personally believe there is such a thing as "lying out of love". So we lie to defend someone else's safety. That is just like those German hiding Jews in their basement and lied to the Nazi's about it. Similarly I think it would be ok to deny Jesus when someone else's live is at stake. But I think this is debatable.

 

[~Anastasia~]

I just watched the film yesterday.

If we ourselves face persecution, the bible is very clear. Die for Christ.

But the situation really changes when it is someone else that is getting persecuted. That we must either deny Jesus or this other person will get killed. So it isn't just our own lives anymore, but someone(s) else's lives. In these case, what would the love of Jesus require of us?

There are many good points bought up about this in the movie. If we keep our faith and the other person dies, is that really out of love for God? Or is it due to pride and selfish reasons, because we are not playing with just our own live but someone else's live. Can we really be the judge of the life and death of someone else?

Or if we deny our faith to save this other person, is this considered a loving act to God? Or will God see this as a betrayal?

I personally believe there is such a thing as "lying out of love". So we lie to defend someone else's safety. That is just like those German hiding Jews in their basement and lied to the Nazi's about it. Similarly I think it would be ok to deny Jesus when someone else's live is at stake. But I think this is debatable.

Some of these kinds of thoughts were the ones going through my mind when I watched it.

I would never have thought of the idea that denying Christ could potentially be an act of love for someone else. I'm still on the fence. It was a deluberate temptation given him. But on the other hand, it would take VERY close discernment to know if pride was the real culprit.

I couldn't judge someone else in that case. I'm not sure if I could judge myself, at least not before it happens. It could also be confused by WHO is being saved from torment, and what that person means to the one asked to deny. A mother would naturally be more tempted to deny in order to save her children, but then isn't that potentially less out of true unselfish love for their good, and possibly due to her own feelings of love.

But we cannot forget, that this life is temorary. All die. Putting oneself in either position, and asking if it is worth denying Christ to save life, that has to be taken into account.

It's difficult to imagine a justification for denying Christ. This movie comes closer than I would have thought possible.