Mark Driscoll thinks so. In fact, the founder of Seattle’s Mars Hill Church told his congregation last Sunday that the highest grossing movie of all time is “the most demonic, satanic film I’ve ever seen.”
If you follow local theological circles, you know Driscoll is something of a superstar among national evangelical leaders. Or at least, he’s someone to watch.
Driscoll helped build the popular Mars Hill Church into one of the most talked about evangelical mega-churches in the country, despite its home at the heart of a secular stronghold. That distinction, combined with his church’s culturally savvy but socially and theologically conservative views, gives him significant weight in religious debate.
Though his “Avatar” comments made up just a fraction of the Feb. 14 sermon, Driscoll managed to condemn the film in both religious and nonreligious terms. He denounced its “demonic paganism,” but also a message that “primitive is good and advanced is bad.” He resented its portrayal of a “false Jesus” and a “false heaven,” but also the idea of “connecting, literally, with trees and animals and beasts and birds.”
No…it was just shite.
This guy really needs to watch more films, there are FAR better satanic films out there.
LOL. Halo meets the smurfs!
I think everybody’s going to say this, but there are no Satanic references in Avatar. At all. Not even remotely. In fact, was this guy even watching the same film?
It was one of the most mawkish, heavy handed and culturally ignorant films I have ever seen. Those aspects are much worse than fictional Satanism.
The typical views of a man who\’e religion prbably wont last longer then the next millenium. From experience the problem with alot of ofset Christian relgius groups is that they refuse to move with the times and are unwilling to accept critism without lashing out. The question is why do Men like Driscoll choose to slate FICTIONAL media when there is so many more factual things in the world to discuss?
Thats Odd, because “Avatar” follows the same plot and storyline to “Pocahontus”
http://images.huffingtonpost.com/gen/130283/original.jpg
So by Mark Driscoll’s own theories, Pocahontus (or possable any native American) is demonic and satanic.
what a compleat and utter class1 grade ‘A+’ biblical bashing knob head
What a foolish man. Makes you want to be a pagan, just to be diametrically opposite to his position.
Take my country – please.
“the visuals are amazing because Satan wants you to emotionally connect with a lie”. Pot kettle black!
Obviously he hasn’t had the dubious pleasure of watching Lucifer Rising
Even Avatar was probably better (as the last Cameron film I watched was Terminator 2)
Mega church ah! The only god they worship there is not denoted by the sign of the cross but by this sign $.
I liked the plot version Bill Baily found & retweeted a while back: http://web.me.com/pascalboogaert/Site/foto3.html
Nothing satanic about Disney, surely o.0
He probably found the blue lady attractive, felt guilty – and then decided to hate it.
No! Avatar was Dances with Wolfes meets the Smurfs.
Driscoll needs to remember it’s just a film that’s all it’s not some sort of doomsday message.
IT’S JUST A FILM
Look at what people have done in the name religion. Because of a book.
Driscoll take a minute to look at the good things in life and chill.
The fact that Avatar made lots of money, being viewed by lots of people make it a definite target.
Mark Driscoll should get the fact that it’s some creative stuff made for entertainment .. it’s called a movie, so it isn’t real. But I wouldn’t expect much from a guy who spends his life preaching about a man in the sky that is watching us suffer yet receiving praise whenever something good happens.
more satanic than “the devil wears prada”?
Please don’t tar us all with the same brush… I’m a christian and thought Avatar was AMAZING a beautiful film. Reminded me about the Beauty around us and need to protect it… But also about striving against injustice…. All the things that are so important to my faith…. Mark Driscoll is only one voice among thousands of others that think differently! Can only apologise for him!!!
I would like to see a film about the Mars Hill Church and its denizens. Nothing tickles me more than the rantings of godly cranks.
Its his job to do this. He is like a politician. He is a shepherd to masses of sheep.
He is an idiot… The film promotes so many good things, and what he’s putting into aspect as bad – is truth, of good. This guy is evil.
So let me get this straight, A film promoting being more in tune with the world, how it works and not abusing whats around you is the work of the devil?. Right i’ve now seen everything.
I could just imagine what those even crazier west bro baptist lot would have to say about this movie.
What he probably doesn’t know is that judeo-christianity is based upon earlier ancient pagan religions. Do your research.
I recently saw Avatar and I quite enjoyed it. It may not be the best film I’ve ever seen, not have the strongest plot, but it mostly hangs together fine. Plus the rather stunning visuals, and seeing Sigourney Weaver as a 9ft tall blue cat alien being …
:D:D
Anyway Driscoll should step away from the communion wine a touch and learn some history. Avatar being very strongly based on some of the rather darker moments of the founding of the nation he is probably so proud of.
Jesus rules!!! Driscoll rocks!!! Idolators repent…or perish!!!
Derren Brown is satanic!!! Fact…!!!
‘If the real Jesus Christ were to stand up today/he’d be gunned down dead by the CIA’
I am so sorry for Mark Driscoll. In both meanings of that sentence. This is just the kind of judgmental, bigoted claptrap that the Jesus of the bible was trying to overturn. God help us!
Did anyone of you gys actually hear, what Driscoll said about the Avatar in the context? Cos with every thing, even with the Bible, it is the fact that words or sentences taken out of context won’t be same as they should have been.
But to jump to the film. I liked the movie. I can say that James Cameron did a fine job on creating the movie.
Though that I agree with Mark that it is satanic in number of ways: Quite frankly all movies are brainwashers and this one included slowly brainwashes you to think the way maybe James does. Or is it the writer of Pocahontas (well he didn’t write about literally connecting with nature and a lot of different more things that aren’t really relevant) the one… anyways… more you want to watch it more it makes your world view is modified.
And that change of the world view is demonic or satanic, since it diverts one from Jesus. That is basically why Mark said it is satanic. James with his film takes atheist and starts converting them to naturalists. So you can now connect with divine through nature – directly. That is bullshit. And that is demonic. That is how Satan is using movies to even change Christians’ beliefs. Just so that people wouldn’t think about Jesus.