Wanderman in the Wilderness

God's word applied in the world.

Bad Scientology Makes For Bad Cinema

Have you ever been really disappointed at the ending of a Sci-Fi movie? The movie seems to promise to have new answers to the question of life and meaning for human existence only to come up short at the end? Producers, directors, and good acting can carry things for a while, maybe even through several episodes, sequels, and remakes. But eventually, there is a problem…the movie, show, or series must end. And in endings, people have expectations – big ones. And they are almost always disappointed.

The problem, at its root, is that many Sci-Fi movies are made with a theological agenda that eventually falls short. For example, a recent Bloomberg article (Click to See Article) questioned why Scientology movies drawing on the writings of L. Ron Hubbard flop from the get go, ie., Battlefield Earth and After Earth. Despite major star power like John Travolta, Tom Cruise, or Will Smith, bad theology is just bad theology and doesn’t make for good cinema.

Additionally, consider disappointing endings to series like the Matrix (Buddhist inspired philosophy) that got us no closer to answers than they started. Alien inspired theological/political themes like the X-Files leave us with an empty pit of despair. Why? Because the directors, producers, and writers don’t have the answers! No matter how good the drama is and how juicy the conspiracy theory, at the end of the day, only scripture can tell us how things will end…and even then, there is only just so much information supplied.

Deuteronomy 29:29 reads, “The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever…” We must be willing to accept that God has given us the information we need to know, and no more. Whether it is how the earth will eventually be burned up (2 Peter 3) or whether it is the exact procedure for Christ’s return and the beginning of the end (1 Thessalonians 4:16), we CAN know truth. Nevertheless, there is enough of the unknown to keep conspiracy theory guesses and Sci-Fi theologians making sad attempts to “fill the gaps” and keep our minds occupied with meaningless, unanswered trivia.

Why not concentrate our time on that which is pleasing to Him who made us and supplies our every need (Matthew 6:8; Philippians 4:19)? You’ll be a lot happier and kick yourself less about the 2 hours and $20 you wasted to watch bad theology at the theater!

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