Feedback February 2006

Jesus and Narnia

I’m thankful that something as high quality and intellectually stimulating as The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe has caught my grandsons’ attention (“The Gospel According to Narnia” by Steve Rabey, December). I’m glad I can take them to a movie that causes them to think about salvation and gives them a chance to follow up with a discussion.
via e-mail
Entebbe, Uganda

It is awesome that something good such as The Chronicles of Narnia has come out of Disney. This film is a great tool to reach younger kids. It helps us explain what Jesus did for us.
via e-mail
Riverside, New Jersey

God may be using Hollywood. But I saw a report on CNN about how The Chronicles of Narnia is being marketed to churches. A Disney representative was asked if he thought C.S. Lewis wrote the Narnia book as a religious story. He said no, and he said Disney did not create this to be a religious film. Disney is only concerned about making money.
name withheld

Let’s Keep Celebrating

Stephen Strang’s “The War on Christmas” (December) was right on! I understand why many Christians feel Christmas celebrations have become materialistic. However, things such as Christmas trees and celebrating certain days are neither good nor evil in themselves; what matters is the way they are used. Let’s use Christmas celebrations to honor God.
Glen Beyeler
Sun City, Arizona

A Virtuous Lady

Thanks for your article on Nicole C. Mullen (“She’s Just Everyday People” by Chad Bonham, November). Talk about a woman who is really beautiful on the inside! Your article could not have been more timely, when the world and even the church are busy talking about total body makeover. She is a role model for young Christian women today.
Chijindu Nworgu
Baltimore, Maryland

Nicole C. Mullen is one of my favorite Christian artists. I listen to her music several times a week. I thought her voice was beautiful, but when I read the article, I was able to see that she is beautiful inside and out. We need more people like her in the world.
Jasmina Cotton
Raleigh, North Carolina

Pushing Beyond the Past

The article “Press Toward the Mark” by Judy Jacobs (December) really spoke truth into my life. I am planning to get married next month and I am still struggling with past sins. I obviously do not want to take any of these sins into my marriage. The Holy Spirit spoke to me and told me that I must “press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus” (Phil 3:13). The Lord also told me Judy was correct in everything she said. God wants me to clean up my life, forget about my past and look to Him.
name withheld
Winona Lake, Indiana

More on Farrakhan

I salute Kimberly Daniels for her bold article “Don’t be Fooled by Farrakhan” (November). Islam is encroaching relentlessly on Christianity largely because Christians have with open arms and mostly ignorance welcomed the enemies of Jesus instead of introducing them to Christ as Savior.
Katie Thomas
Kanab, Utah

Though many of the things [Farrakhan] says are true, we must not be blinded to his true colors. The “appearance” of godliness is only a disguise. The agenda has, and always will be, to establish Islam as the religion of the black man and to worship only Allah as god.
Michael Henderson
Los Angeles, California

I was a little saddened by Kimberly Daniels’ article. Though African-Americans do face injustices in America today, rather than focusing on how unfair things are-for example, that white people get away with crime and black people are punished-we should focus on the fact that no one should be committing crime at all.

It grieves me that black men are profiled and regarded with suspicion based only on the color of their skin. But the claim that “prisons have replaced plantations in America as a place of bondage for the black man” grieved me as well.
Glenda Grant
Thomaston, Georgia

As a born-again black male who is in prison, I believe that as a people we have in fact lost our way. Our focus has been distorted, and our views have caused many of us to shift blame for a lot of situations from ourselves to others. In other words, “God has been taken out of the equation.”

I believe Mrs. Daniels was right in stating that we must set our faces in prayer against Farrakhan’s idolatry because we are in a spiritual war. And yes, he is a devil! However, that devil is not a white American.
Anthony D. Clark Sr.
West Liberty, Kentucky

Fire in My Bones

You go, J. Lee Grady! Keep up the good work telling the church like it is (“We Need Tough Love,” December). Somebody has to keep the church on the straight and narrow. Thank you for being that someone.
Clyde Clymer
Amsterdam, New York

The column “We Need Tough Love” is right on. It referred mostly to Carlton Pearson’s slide into heresy, but doctrinal error is becoming so common among well-known preachers, teachers, evangelists and so on, that it’s truly a sign of the last days.
M. Galbreath
Star City, Indiana

I always enjoy reading J. Lee Grady’s column. It doesn’t cater to church politics. I am weary of church leaders compromising biblical truth for the sake of unity.
name withheld

J. Lee Grady feels the need to label Bishop Carlton Pearson a heretic. Jesus was labeled a blasphemer because He included sinners, and now Mr. Grady labels Pearson a heretic because he proclaims that God includes all sinners in salvation. Then Grady wonders why others have not jumped on his bandwagon of condemnation.
Kevin Cawley
Jackson, Missouri

My husband and I have been called to separate from a lot of ministries because we saw the wives having plastic surgery, experienced gossip among leaders and observed extravagant lifestyles. We’ve challenged our church to bring back a spirit of holiness in our personal walks with God.
Rev. Eric and Michelle Hensley
Orange, California

The message “We Need Tough Love” by J. Lee Grady should be preached from every pulpit. “’Love your brother’ does not mean ‘Always be nice.’” I wholeheartedly agree that we must confront. Too often I have seen those in authority shy away from confrontation, and their negligence leads only to greater shame, sorrow and pain.
L. Mabry
Maple Grove, Minnesota

I agree with Lee Grady when he says we need to “defend the faith from those who pervert it” and suspect that Bishop Carlton Pearson is promoting a false gospel. However, a Web banner that says “God is not a Christian” is not enough evidence to indict a person. There is a legitimate challenge to the exclusivist, conservative Christian culture that needs to be considered.
Scott Schmitt
Winter Park, Florida

I agree with most of what editor J. Lee Grady said in his column “The Devil Is Religious” (October). However, his suggestion that Pokémon and Harry Potter were not part of the devil’s ploy surprised me. I can’t help but refer to Scriptures that clearly call witchcraft sin.
LaVonya Goodwin
Omaha, Nebraska

My Turn

Charisma’s article on The Chronicles of Narnia nearly sold me on the idea that the movie was good fare for my grandchildren. I agree with the perception that there is a captivating message in the movie. But to promote this “mythical tale” as Christian seems unsound when major elements of the story do not line up with basic Christian tenets.

I do not agree that it is the same gospel found in the holy Scriptures. If nothing else is realized from a comparison of Narnia’s gospel and the biblical gospel, we should have discernment about the breath of God, the Holy Spirit. Christian teaching does not associate the “breath of God” with a lion.

Narnia supports the idea that the glory of an incorruptible God can be changed into an image of a four-footed beast. That an animal can bring life with its breath, even in a fabricated tale, has creepy notions. To imply that this is Christian spirituality gives me a chill.
Diane Valentine
Bloomington, Illinois