A believer, but a stranger, asked
me my view on Superman. Seriously, I didn't get his supposed aim to ask the
question or did he suppose that as a Christian we must never watch such movies
or we must discourage superhero stuff?
Years ago, an uncle from another
church also messaged me personally seeing me keeping Iron man in my profile
picture. He asked why I kept such demonic picture. Wait what? Demonic? Next,
there was an irritating reformed friend from India who said me that
entertainment has no space in Christian life. According to him, I was supposed
to avoid watching such movies. We weren't even talking about movies but when I
used a metaphor to express my depressed situation, he didn't get my point and
deviated the topic! There were many instances where I got heavy objection
regarding watching superhero movies. Some even asked what I do even learn from
those movies and I should indeed invest my time on some apologetics videos
rather than watching such movies! Oops!!! And this always gave me a feel like
"Oh man! what's the concern?"
Many in the church today may preach
against superhero stating that modern youths are following these worldly
characters and promoting superhuman motivation. Now this entirely depends upon
an individual how they watch such movies and analyze.
For instance,
1. Conservatives think superhero is demonic concept of
making man God notion. This criticism lies at heart of humanity is sinner and
nothing else. We aren't superhumans.
2. Some might think these movies are diverting us to world
of imagination since they are all scripted and embedded with heavy false
effects at shooting studio which is purely deceptive and has nothing to do with
reality.
3. Whereas, others like Frank Turek has published a book
showing how superhero characters are actually pointing towards God.[i] I haven’t so far got
accessed to this book but trying best to reach its reviews and certain
available contents from the internet surfing, the book explains how superheroes
are associated in understanding Gospel or retelling the great story of
redemption through movies.
4. Still others from a Biblical theological premise,
superheroes are used to show how human heart cries for an experience beyond
normal offering us a world exciting than our usual. There is something about
good vs evil magnified on a cosmic scale. There is something embedded in human
heart that longs for something beyond.[ii] Even a reputed pastor
from Nepal has the same perspective.[iii]
5. Other cases might be that human heart manifests outward
pointing towards the need of something supernatural aid, a Savior.
Hence, there are many ways to interpret and contextualize.
In my case, I feel weird why such
question comes up? what's so bad about watching superhero genre movies?
First, I don't watch much and I am always selective e.g. I
never watch Batman and so many other movies. I always watch the movie if it has
my personally endorsed superhero characters.
Second, I try to click the practical lessons from the movie.
If Christians object that I should read the Bible (only!) for such lessons then
should not I consider just getting theological education and not academic
education? Should I consider Bible (only!) is enough to learn world history,
science, economics, sociology, politics and so on? What's really the point? Even
gotquestions has to say this: There are often positive lessons to be gleaned
from superhero fiction. The genre can teach concepts such as right and wrong or
good and evil. Batman shows that you don’t have to be born with superpowers to
be a hero. Power Rangers teach teamwork. The Hulk can teach the importance of
controlling your temper so as not to be out of control when angry. Spider-Man
teaches that with great power comes great responsibility. Superman, Iron Man,
and other superheroes show us that, while no one is perfect, but you can still
make a difference in this world.[iv]
Third, I draw tangent to Biblical perspective as much as I
can. Visit another blog for these contents (Click here).
Fourth, if the issue is about adult content, violence,
ungodly concept and so on[v], there is big difference between
having knowledge of something and following it. E.g. I have knowledge of the
Bhagavad Gita doesn't mean I follow the book. The movie shows what's in the
mind of script writer or what's really happening in the world. Hence, contents
like LGBTQ, UFO, Zombie, multiverse, New Age and so on are normal. Movie
manifests what the world is going through.
Fifth, I use references from movie scenes to help audience
understand Biblical themes. I use them in memes to illustrate theological
points. That's something like illustrating or contextualizing method.[vi] (Click here) For
instance, gotquestions has used examples of superheroes in its content ‘Was
Goliath one of the Nephilim?’ to clarify the point that giant warriors after
the flood were also called Nephilim in the way social heroes are given titles
as real Superheroes (E.g. Superheroes posters were used to honour doctors and
nurses during pandemic Covid-19 situation).[vii]
So, what's my view of Superman as
if a friend asked. Simply, nothing. It is just a fictional character but an
ideal superhero. I might fall to either of third, fourth or fifth class Christians
as I previously explained. I have many friends in Christian circle with
varieties of views and I have no issue at all! I just said to one of many, since
I understood the Gospel, I also understood this fictional character. Am I
equating it with Jesus? Am I making these character my Idol or Icon? No! But it’s
unfortunate that people lack understanding literary device! Can we watch such
movies as a Christian? I already made a video on it (Click here). Finally, to
say, I don't wish to promote superhero stuff here, hence I wish to end this
article. Phil. 4:8 might be a good verse for application or the way Paul taught
on 1 Cor. 8!
Thanks!
Reference:
1 Corinthians 12:1-11 Experience
of the Gifts of the Holy Spirit - Bhojraj Bhatta, 2013. Accessed September 28,
2022. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W0UcGEGw4Qg.
How
Superhero Movies Reveal God: A Conversation with Frank Turek, 2022. Accessed September 28,
2022. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lbJUpqozSlA.
“Is
It Wrong for a Christian to Be a Fan of Superhero Fiction?” GotQuestions.Org.
Accessed October 13, 2022. https://www.gotquestions.org/superhero-fiction.html.
“Michael
Jones on Instagram: ‘What Do We Make of Scriptures That Reference Other Texts
or Authors? 📜.’” Instagram. Accessed September 28, 2022.
https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cix796MJI9K/.
“MyDefence/Apology
on Instagram: ‘Supernatural: What the Bible Teaches about the Unseen World—and
Why It Matters — Dr. Michael S. Heiser, (p.17-19). @drmshphd_official
@nakedbible @drennalynn So I’ve Been Studying Lately the Supernatural Worldview
of the Bible, and the Unseen Realm. It Really Is an Enlightening Content, Which
It Has Changed My Views on Certain Things about the Bible and Specific Passages
within It. The Bible Contains a Lot of Weird Stuff. It Does. If You Don’t Think
the Virgin Birth or the Hypostatic Union Is Weird, Theres a Lot More. And It’s
There for a Reason. The Reason Why It’s Weird to Us Is Because We Live in a
Modern, 21st Century World, Post Enlightenment and Scientific Era, in Which Our
Minds and the Way We Think Have Been Shaped by These. When You Read a Passage
in the Bible, It Seems Weird to Us, but to a First Century Jew, an Ancient
Israelite or Any Ancient near Eastern Person Would Have Known Exactly What That
“Weird” Passage Meant. This Is When We Have to Understand That While the Bible
Is Written for Us, It’s for Our Benefit and Personal Application, It Was NOT
WRITTEN TO US. It Was Written to Somebody Else. What They Wrote to Their
Audience Is Weird to Us Because We’re Thousands of Years Removed. And One of
Those “Weird” Things That We Often Brush off Is the Supernatural Worldview of
the Bible. In Order to Understand It, We Have to Remove Our Filters—Church
Tradition, Western Mindset, 21st Century Thinking Etc. and Have the First
Century Jew and Ancient Israelite Living in Our Heads. There’s Far More to the
Supernatural Worldview of the Bible. It’s Not Just about God, Angels and
Demons, and That’s It, End of Story. There’s More to It than Meets the Eye. And
That Is What Heiser Does in the Unseen Realm and the Supernatural. Let Us
Tackle the Weird Stuff in the Bible, Because It’s There for a Reason. Let Us
Not Protect People from the Bible, and Those Weird Passages. It’s There for a
Reason. Let Us Not Throw Anything Away from the Word of God, Part of That Is
the Supernatural Element of the Bible. Once You Started to Look Closely, You
Will Realise That There Is a Lot to See, in the Unseen Realm. You Will Never
Read the Bible the Same Way Again.’” Instagram. Accessed September 28,
2022. https://www.instagram.com/p/CWQMkEYlQlq/.
“Was
Goliath One of the Nephilim?” GotQuestions.Org. Accessed October 13,
2022. https://www.gotquestions.org/Goliath-Nephilim.html.
[i] How
Superhero Movies Reveal God: A Conversation with Frank Turek,
2022, accessed September 28, 2022, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lbJUpqozSlA.
[ii] “MyDefence/Apology
on Instagram: ‘Supernatural: What the Bible Teaches about the Unseen World—and
Why It Matters — Dr. Michael S. Heiser, (p.17-19). @drmshphd_official
@nakedbible @drennalynn So I’ve Been Studying Lately the Supernatural Worldview
of the Bible, and the Unseen Realm. It Really Is an Enlightening Content, Which
It Has Changed My Views on Certain Things about the Bible and Specific Passages
within It. The Bible Contains a Lot of Weird Stuff. It Does. If You Don’t Think
the Virgin Birth or the Hypostatic Union Is Weird, Theres a Lot More. And It’s
There for a Reason. The Reason Why It’s Weird to Us Is Because We Live in a
Modern, 21st Century World, Post Enlightenment and Scientific Era, in Which Our
Minds and the Way We Think Have Been Shaped by These. When You Read a Passage
in the Bible, It Seems Weird to Us, but to a First Century Jew, an Ancient
Israelite or Any Ancient near Eastern Person Would Have Known Exactly What That
“Weird” Passage Meant. This Is When We Have to Understand That While the Bible
Is Written for Us, It’s for Our Benefit and Personal Application, It Was NOT
WRITTEN TO US. It Was Written to Somebody Else. What They Wrote to Their
Audience Is Weird to Us Because We’re Thousands of Years Removed. And One of
Those “Weird” Things That We Often Brush off Is the Supernatural Worldview of
the Bible. In Order to Understand It, We Have to Remove Our Filters—Church
Tradition, Western Mindset, 21st Century Thinking Etc. and Have the First
Century Jew and Ancient Israelite Living in Our Heads. There’s Far More to the
Supernatural Worldview of the Bible. It’s Not Just about God, Angels and
Demons, and That’s It, End of Story. There’s More to It than Meets the Eye. And
That Is What Heiser Does in the Unseen Realm and the Supernatural. Let Us
Tackle the Weird Stuff in the Bible, Because It’s There for a Reason. Let Us
Not Protect People from the Bible, and Those Weird Passages. It’s There for a
Reason. Let Us Not Throw Anything Away from the Word of God, Part of That Is
the Supernatural Element of the Bible. Once You Started to Look Closely, You Will
Realise That There Is a Lot to See, in the Unseen Realm. You Will Never Read
the Bible the Same Way Again.,’” Instagram, accessed September 28, 2022,
https://www.instagram.com/p/CWQMkEYlQlq/.
[iii] 1
Corinthians 12:1-11 Experience of the Gifts of the Holy Spirit - Bhojraj Bhatta,
2013, accessed September 28, 2022, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W0UcGEGw4Qg.
[iv] “Is It
Wrong for a Christian to Be a Fan of Superhero Fiction?,” GotQuestions.Org,
accessed October 13, 2022, https://www.gotquestions.org/superhero-fiction.html.
[v] Ibid.
[vi] “Michael
Jones on Instagram: ‘What Do We Make of Scriptures That Reference Other Texts
or Authors? 📜,’” Instagram, accessed September 28, 2022,
https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cix796MJI9K/.
[vii] “Was
Goliath One of the Nephilim?,” GotQuestions.Org, accessed October 13,
2022, https://www.gotquestions.org/Goliath-Nephilim.html.
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