Episode 7: Mere Christianity & Pay It Forward

Today, we’ll take a look at the movie, Star Trek II: Wrath of Khan, In Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan, Admiral James T. Kirk is on a two week training mission with a crew of cadets who are under the command of Captain Spock. His training exercise is interrupted when they learn that a rival of Kirk’s, Khan Noonien Singh has stolen a top-secret device called Project Genesis. The Genesis Device can either create life – or destroy it. A theme that is woven into the storyline is the bond of friendship that has been forged between Kirk, Spock and Dr. McCoy. In the end, Spock sacrifices himself to disable a nuclear bomb aboard the ship to save the Enterprise and his friends. We’ll use this movie to talk about how the prophets Jeremiah, Ezekiel and Daniel may have joined together to form a “Brotherhood of the Scroll” to preserve their ancient sacred writings as the Jews were taken captive into Babylon. To see a video version of this podcast, go to my rumble account at www.rumble.com/wisejargon.  To order Discovering Raising Daniels & Esthers At the Movies, go to www.payhip.com/davidlantz .

Today, we’ll take a look at the movie, Hunger Games, in which the nation of Panem is divided into 12 districts, ruled from the Capitol. As punishment for a failed revolt, each district is forced to select two tributes, one boy and one girl between the ages of 12 and 18, to fight to the death in the annual Hunger Games until there is only one survivor. Realizing that she is likely to die, Katniss seeks to evade the others as they hunt and kill each other.  While protecting a girl younger than herself from another district, she is forced to enter into mortal combat. We’ll use this movie to talk about the story of Daniel to encourage our children to respect others while not giving in to the temptations of our culture. To see a video version of this podcast, go to my rumble account at www.rumble.com/wisejargon. order Discovering Raising Daniels and Esthers At the Movies, go to www.payhip.com/davidlantz  .

Today, we’ll take a look at the movie, The Patriot, starring Mel Gibson as Benjamin Martin, is the story of a man with a violent past who has renounced war in order to raise his seven children. In one scene, Martin is challenged to behave according to his principles. The Colonial Commander, played by Chris Cooper, says: “If your principles dictate independence, then war is the only way. It has come to that.” In the end, even though he attempts to have peace with the British, his family is at risk. When the war becomes personal, and his son Thomas is killed, then and only then does he go to war. We’ll consider a question prompted from C.S. Lewis’ book, Mere Christianity by asking:  When confronted with choosing between personal loss vs. following Jesus, will we quote Joshua and say: As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord?" 

To see a video version of this podcast, go to my rumble account at www.rumble.com/wisejargon. order Discovering Mere Christianity at the Movies, go to www.payhip.com/davidlantz.

Today, we’ll take a look at the 1939 movie, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, in which Jefferson Smith, leader of the state's Boy Rangers, is an innocent, wide-eyed idealist who idolizes the senior senator of the state, Joseph Paine. But when Smith discovers that Sen. Paine has introduced a pork barrel bill to use the Boy Rangers camp’s land to make money for himself and his business partners, Mr. Smith attempts to expose the scam.  Senator Paine uses his power with the news media to accuse Smith of stealing money from the Boy Rangers. Risking his own reputation, he exposes Senator Paine as a charlatan.  We’ll consider this question from C.S. Lewis’ book, Mere Christianity by asking:  To create a truly Christian society, wouldn’t we want to apply the Golden Rule – to love our neighbors as ourselves?

To see a video version of this podcast, go to my rumble account at www.rumble.com/wisejargon. order Discovering Mere Christianity at the Movies, go to www.payhip.com/davidlantz  .

Today, we’ll take a look at the 1999 Disney carton, Tarzan, in which a baby is orphaned when a leopard kills his shipwrecked parents.  Raised by an ape named Kala, he is reluctantly adopted into the family of the Great Apes. Believing the apes are his family, he discovers that he’s actually human when he rescues a woman named Jane. As they fall in love, they come to see each other’s worlds with new eyes, and move from being “in love” to being committed to each other through love. We’ll consider this question from C.S. Lewis’ book, Mere Christianity by asking:  If you truly love someone, why wouldn’t you want to also live in their world?

To see a video version of this podcast, go to my rumble account at www.rumble.com/wisejargon. order Discovering Mere Christianity at the Movies, go to www.payhip.com/davidlantz.

In the movie, Forrest Gump, a man of low intelligence tells the story of his life to people waiting at a small-town bus stop. He founds Bubba Gump Shrimp Company after returning from Viet Nam in memory of his fallen friend. Forrest has a healthy measure of practical common sense. Based on his motto, "Stupid is as stupid does," Forrest Gump, while not a smart man, is far from stupid.  We’ll consider this question from C.S. Lewis’ book, Mere Christianity by asking:  What sort of quality are you stuck on – a Vice or a Virtue?

To order Discovering Mere Christianity at the Movies, go to https://payhip.com/b/dpXL

In the movie, Chronicles of Narnia – The Lion, the Witch & the Wardrobe - four children visit the mysterious country of Narnia and find themselves in enemy controlled territory. Edward, one of the children, commits a crime for which the punishment is death. Aslan, the Lion King, negotiates his release by offering to die in his place.   We’ll consider this question from his book, Mere Christianity by asking:  What does it take to be willing to stop doing things our way, and start doing things God’s way?

To order Discovering Mere Christianity at the Movies, go to https://payhip.com/b/dpXL

In the movie, Wayne’s Way II, Wayne Campbell (Mike Myers) strives to win the hand of the woman he loves, Cassandra (Tia Carrere). To do so, he even challengers her father to a martial arts fight. Endearingly hilarious, Wayne and his sidekick Garth (Dana Carvey) remind us that: “We Are Not Worthy!” C.S. Lewis considered the idea of how Jesus intercedes for us to make us Worthy in God’s eyes.  We’ll consider this question from his book, Mere Christianity by asking:  How does Jesus Make Us Righteous Before God When WE ARE NOT WORTHY?  To order Discovering Mere Christianity at the Movies, go to https://payhip.com/b/dpXL

In the movie, Pay It Forward, a social studies teacher by the name of Mr. Simonet (Kevin Spacey) assigns a project to change the world in his 7th grade Social Studies class. In response, young Trevor McKinney (Haley Joel Osment) develops a plan called "pay it forward." Pay It Forward is the story of repentance, forgiveness and restoration as a young boy sets out to change the world. C.S. Lewis tackled the issue of forgiveness in Mere Christianity by asking:  Why is the Power of Forgiveness Truly the Power to Change the World? 

To order Discovering Mere Christianity at the Movies, go to https://payhip.com/b/dpXL 

In the movie, The Return of the Jedi, Luke Skywalker has spent time with the Jedi master, Yoda, and is now able to use the power of the force to do his bidding. The young Jedi master has returned to free his friends from the clutches of the evil Jabba the Hut. Since the movie was made nearly a quarter century ago, a new religion called “Jedi” has arisen. Based on a 2001 census in England, “Jedi” has nearly 400,000 adherents in that country. C.S. Lewis tackled the question of why Evil exists in Mere Christianity by asking:  Why Do We Experience Tragedy in Our Lives?  To order Discovering Mere Christianity at the Movies, go to https://payhip.com/b/dpXL