tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3447917138869968443.post4175790908586427162..comments2013-11-22T14:10:10.253-08:00Comments on Tales From The Front Pew: "The Hunger Games" and the modern day Christian.Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10334899828418292814noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3447917138869968443.post-28546604686981733622012-04-20T09:14:06.937-07:002012-04-20T09:14:06.937-07:00Thanks for commenting! I am going to check out th...Thanks for commenting! I am going to check out that book!Michellehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10334899828418292814noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3447917138869968443.post-57362756638959684452012-04-18T08:34:14.858-07:002012-04-18T08:34:14.858-07:00So i just read this blog and I enjoyed it! I agree...So i just read this blog and I enjoyed it! I agree that at first, I felt bad going to see the movie, because I didn't want to give it good 'ratings' by buying a ticket. I felt like the premise was horrible and how/why would anyone want to watch a movie like that? But I do agree with your bullets points above and realize that we are (and becoming more) a culture like that, where reality TV is what we want to watch, regardless of what it is showing. We (yes, even Christians) like to watch others do immoral things, like have casual sex, hurt each other (physically and emotionally), exploit others, do anything to 'win', etc. <br /><br />It reminds me of chapter 6 in the book, Searching for God Knows What by Donald Miller. He uses the illustration of what an 'alien' would think if one would land on earth and study the culture. His end conclusion is that the alien would think that we have this 'disease' of comparing our selves to each other, to make ourselves feel better and ultimately define us. <br /><br />We are constantly looking for someone or something to tell us that who we are and that we are good enough. Miller goes on to talk about how without a Savior, we will just continue this cycle of trying to make ourselves feel that we are ok.<br /><br />I think that relates because I feel like we do that with 'reality' TV programs. We compare ourselves to the people we watch. We have become densensitized that these are real humans. (now of course some shows like Jerry Springer and such may be more staged, but it's still real issues that this messed up world has to deal with.) It does continually remind me of how broken this world really is. I just feel bad watching others 'hurt' or just waste their time and money on dumb things while others starve, for my entertainment.<br /><br />I read somewhere that Collins wrote the books, as a mix between reality TV, Survivor, and her own imagination, so I agree that it's not far off. (not to mention the children in other countries, that are forced to fight or be killed, but that's a whole other sad story.)<br /><br />Sorry my thoughts seem random, but just wanted to let you know I enjoyed your thoughts as well. :)The Welsheshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00878690753477706331noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3447917138869968443.post-24529572409228692942012-03-31T07:58:44.931-07:002012-03-31T07:58:44.931-07:00Exactly Pat. Which is why I wrote this blog. I b...Exactly Pat. Which is why I wrote this blog. I believe that it is easy to judge because it make us feel like we are "doing something Christian". I am not sure our fellow believers even know they are judging. I heard once, from a very awesome youth pastor from NJ :), that what is temptation for one, is not necessary the same sin for another. I did not stumble reading the book, nor did I cause my brother or sister to stumble. I just merely enjoyed it. <br /><br />I actually didn't feel like I was attacked. I just felt like I wanted to explain some misunderstandings with reading fiction. Before I learned more about Christ, I was a very IMMATURE Christian who judged people based on what I thought Jesus cared about. I was that person with bumper stickers about the rapture. :) I get WHY people say things, I just want to encourage them to understand more about Jesus before they proclaim what His agenda is. Ya know? I wrote the blog mostly for the controversy it has spun in our society (media), I don't think the person who said something is even on Facebook! <br /><br />However, I have read a lot of reports in the media about where we, as Christians, should stand. I feel that at times, Christians put life to non-issues. It is a waste of good energy, energy that could be used to combat other things, like preventing the plot of this story for example.<br /><br />Thanks for your comment Pat! What would a blog be if we couldn't share our opinion and maybe inform others!?!?! :)Michellehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10334899828418292814noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3447917138869968443.post-69686336565005096742012-03-30T11:26:09.330-07:002012-03-30T11:26:09.330-07:00I've thought some more about your blog, and no...I've thought some more about your blog, and now that I'm calmer, I see it was not a personal attack against you. It is sometimes hard to know where we are being too much like the world and when we are engaging culture, seeing what is there, knowing our battles, etc. <br /><br />I once heard a speaker say, "Well, you don't have to get into a cesspool to know it smells!", and in one sense, I do understand his point of view. It is difficult where to draw the line between falling into a pit and trying not to be too naive about the battle. Sometimes understanding a bit of the culture and where people are coming from really helps a lot, if you use some wisdom -- don't you think?Pat Burdettehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02499186338305951361noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3447917138869968443.post-10601261989198469382012-03-30T11:23:41.553-07:002012-03-30T11:23:41.553-07:00This comment has been removed by the author.Pat Burdettehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02499186338305951361noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3447917138869968443.post-11203830405812419392012-03-30T08:41:17.677-07:002012-03-30T08:41:17.677-07:00Maybe Christian writing could step up and show hal...Maybe Christian writing could step up and show half the creativity and excellence of Collins and then we can talk about Christian alternatives. What if people who served a God who spoke sunsets into the sky were just a tad better at creating beautiful and creative works. What if followers of the creator, who made the human body with all of it's intricacies, who designed blue jays and each creature in every complex ecosystem, who made fertilization the beautiful process it is, who wrote a drama where a savior gives everything to redeem a lost and hopeless people, what if those people actually became meaningfully creative? I would love to see a world where Christians are leading the way in creativity. Dont sweat this michelle. If the Holy Spirit was concerned about Christians watching violence, Paul would have told his people to not attend Gladiatorial combat. He never did and it was a contemporary and comparable issue. In fact, it was substantially more violent and very real. <br /> This made me so mad that i cant keep writing or i will say something awful.Addison Robertshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12805988757162781277noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3447917138869968443.post-67582184565898215852012-03-29T17:36:25.956-07:002012-03-29T17:36:25.956-07:00I don't know. And I am not counter attacking....I don't know. And I am not counter attacking. I just have heard some hype about Christians and this story, and wanted to lay out what I think the underlying theme is. <br /><br />It really made me think about how, we, as a culture, entertain ourselves.Michellehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10334899828418292814noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3447917138869968443.post-33825919433651302202012-03-29T15:23:29.563-07:002012-03-29T15:23:29.563-07:00I think the person that criticized you was wrong. ...I think the person that criticized you was wrong. World magazine had an interesting review on the movie and I think, after reading the book, it was a morality tale. No sex in the book, no swearing, no using the Lord's name in vain, no really graphic violence. The author said she is concerned about reality TV and the way we, as a culture, are becoming desensitized to violence, and that's really what this is about.<br /><br />Why do Christians always have to tear each other apart???Pat Burdettehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02499186338305951361noreply@blogger.com