HelenM

Actually, what surprised me about the movie was that God was portrayed seriously and respectfully - as extremely real and present and involved in the lives of people.

I don't deny that the movie did not present Bible-believing Christianity. But that's entirely different from saying the movie was not a portrayal that God is real and to be taken seriously.

Did you see the whole movie or just hear about it/see the trailers? I'm asking because when I saw the whole movie it wasn't what I'd expected from the trailers. It was a much more 'positive' portrayal of God than I expected from them.

Helen

fatherphil

i saw the movie and thought it was a less imaginative rip off of groundhog day. it seems like you really have to be a pretty big lout to warrant God's personal intervention.

if God answered healing prayers it would have been an awesome and touching scene yet it was not shown because that would not serve the story line.

HelenM

I wouldn't say it logically follows that because God personally intervened in one lout's life, he didn't intervene therefore in the lives of people who were less loutish.

I thought it was very touching as it was when his girlfriend was praying with tears for the best for him even if that meant them not being together.

I thought that was a very good depiction of selfless prayer, even if it didn't involve sickness or catastrophe per se.

Helen

Bumble Bee Tuna

Could you imagine if they let Bruce answer the prayers for healing, peace, food, etc? What's the moral of that story?

Oh look, here's a world that's full of misery. God is omnipotent, but he doesn't do jack about it. Then one day, God gave his omnipotence to an obnoxious lout. Within days, the hungry were fed, world peace was a reality, and everyone was happy.

What message can you take from that except that an obnoxious lout does a better job than God himself? Yes, it would have been quite problematic to do the movie like that. People wouldn't really like to be reminded of how useless their God seems to be.

-B

Steven Carr

Of course! That is why Hollywood copped out. Can you imagine the furore if they had examined the questions seriously?

fatherphil

the ramifications would make for a more interesting story, but then it was never meant to be a theological study, was it.

yes the girls prayers were selfless, but the problem was she was never seeking God's will and desire for her life. she somehow wanted God to work on her own terms.

I ate Pascal's Wafer

:notworthy

Yeah, they would be answering a lot of questions if that happened. It's easy for people to assume that this is all a part of God's plan when you don't have the idea that any old lout can make the world a better place. If Jim Carey can improve things, then surely God could, right? that?

-Nick

lpetrich

???

HelenM

Could you elaborate on what part of the movie showed she wanted God to work on her own terms rather than her seeking God's will and desire for her life?

I'd say rather the opposite - when someone prays for God to do what's best for a person they love, even if that doesn't mean they end up together, then they are putting God's will and desire above their own rather than saying "God, do what I want - make sure we're together". And in the movie Bruce also learns that this is what unselfish love is - wanting the best for another person no matter what the consequences for oneself are, if that best happens.

Helen

fatherphil

if i pray for you without putting my own house in order, i am seeking God on my own terms. like the rapist looking for points by asking God's mercy for his victims.