There is a flood of controversy surrounding Paramount’s new movie “Noah” opening in theaters March 31.

When I first saw the trailer I was blown away. I was looking forward to seeing “Noah” with great anticipation. I posted a link to the trailer on my Facebook page and was surprised to get negative comments concerning the movie.

In case you missed it here is some of the controversy:

  • Many Christians, Jews and Muslims have come out against the movie saying that it strays from the original text. (It’s ironic how Hollywood can unite these three groups.)
  • The director, Darren Aronofsky dropped the F-bomb in response to criticism of his movie.
  • Even Pope Francis may have entered the fray by canceling a meeting with Russell Crow, although Paramount denies this.

Here some questions I need to answer.

  • Should I go see the Noah movie?
  • If I go see it and disagree with the biblical accuracy am I supporting evil?
  • Should I take my kids to see Noah?

I am going to go see Noah on opening day and here’s why.
 
  • I don’t feel I can form an honest opinion about the movie unless I see it.
  • I expect Hollywood to stray from the text because that’s what Hollywood does. They make movies “based on true stories”. They add dialogue and drama to make it more interesting.
  • No matter how inaccurate the movie is, it will not shake my faith in the Bible.
  • I am not afraid of the debate. The debate concerning the accuracy of scripture is a healthy debate. If we are going to convince people of the accuracy of scripture, we are going to have to genuinely listen to their objections.
  • I am not surprised when a Hollywood director drops the F-bomb.

Would I take my kids to see, “Noah”?

That depends. My kids are 25 & 27 respectively. I’m pretty sure they would be up to letting their Dad to treat them to a movie. My grandson is two-years old and I would not take him to see it.

Children under the age of seven cannot separate reality from fantasy, so that is the boundary for me. If my kids were over eight-years old, I would take them to see “Noah”.

  • After watching the movie I would use it an opportunity to get them to think for themselves. There is coming a time where the faith of my children is going to be challenged. I invite the challenge. I want to be part of the discussion.
  • This is what I would do. I would read about Noah from the book of Genesis and ask my kids how the movie stood up. Was the movie biblically accurate? I would listen to their answers and their questions.
  • Then I would be transparent with my kid and let them know that I struggled with the book of Genesis when I became a Christian. I had plans to major in marine biology and become a scientist. I wasn’t sure if Adam, Eve and Noah really happened.

For me the clincher are the words of Christ in Matthew 24:37-39, “When the Son of Man returns, it will be like it was in Noah’s day.  In those days before the flood, the people were enjoying banquets and parties and weddings right up to the time Noah entered his boat. People didn’t realize what was going to happen until the flood came and swept them all away. That is the way it will be when the Son of Man comes.”

It sure sounds like Jesus believed that Noah was a real person and that the flood actually happened. If Jesus believed it, it’s good enough for me.

What about you?

Are you going to see the new “Noah” movie?

Are you going to take your kids to see it?



Copyright © Mark Harper Ministries
All rights reserved. Used by permission.