Focus on the Family doesn't like TRANSFORMERS

I've mentioned this once or twice before on this blog. I'll do it again right now: I almost went to work for Focus on the Family.

It was several years ago. And I was a Christian still young in the faith, full of "spice and vinegar" as they say and eager to use whatever talents I have for the service of the Lord.

My my my, the myriad of ways in which we spiritually grow.

People who know me have said that my faith has come a very, very long way. But along the journey I've become a lot more disillusioned with many of the things that we perceive as "properly Christian". If we are going to follow Christ, then let us follow Christ for His sake, and not because we want a measure of political power out of the deal.

The Chris Knight of 1999 would have gladly gone to work at Focus on the Family. But the Christopher Knight of 2007 is a whole different person: one who thinks that Focus on the Family is so big a bunch of hypocrites, that real service for the Lord might be to march to Colorado Springs, set their compound ablaze and sow the ground with salt so that nothing will ever arise from the site again.

This is the kind of Christian you are dealing with here: if we call ourselves Christians, then we'd darn well better be legitimate about it. I don't take kindly to people trying to exploit the faith for their own gain.

(Don't even get me started with those loons who want to ban Harry Potter books. I'm just waiting for the right time to go unload on them.)

Well, lo and behold Focus on the Family is weighing in on Transformers via its Plugged In magazine. And I'm hearing that some parents are banning their kids from seeing the movie just on Focus on the Family's say-so. What's their beef? Among other things...

The President of the United States is depicted in a somewhat demeaning light as he asks a flight attendant, "Could you wrangle up some ding-dongs, darlin'?" In fact, many authority figures are stereotypically portrayed as either incompetent or belligerent. A policeman interrogating Sam sees the youth look at his gun and says, "You eyeballing my piece? Go for it. I will bust you up!" And a government agent holds his badge up to Sam and Mikaela, saying, "This is my do-whatever-I-like-and-get-away-with-it badge."

I must admit, the "masturbating" thing was very... inappropriate for this kind of movie. But that's about the only thing that really bothers me about Transformers. There is much more positive that outweighs the good in this movie. I thought it actually had a pretty strong pro-life message, believe it or not. I also thought that it was a movie that preached a great work ethic, and having some pride in your family's heritage. And there was a wonderful bit about the concept of self-sacrifice, that could even be called Christ-like.

But the people at Focus on the Family aren't willing to see the forest for a few pieces of rotting timber. Just another case of "we can't trust people to think for themselves so we'll think for them... in the name of Our Lord and Savior", my friends.

If you want to see another Christian's take on this movie, click here for my review of Transformers. In the meantime, don't deny yourself the enjoyment of this movie just because some starch-shirts whose sincerest prayers don't go further than for a Republican to be elected to the White House in 2008 tell you that you don't need to see this movie. See it for yourself, and if you think your kids can take it, let them see it to if they wanna.

Categories: christianity, focus on the family, moral rot, movies, review, transformers