Stacy Memes: The Origin

My wife makes me laugh.  Not just a chuckle "because you're making an effort to be funny" laugh, but a legitimate, laugh out-loud, bust a gut laugh.  She does this in one of two ways:

1. One-liners
2. Facial Expressions

These giggle catalysts usually come at moments when I least expect it (delivery, aspiring stand-up comedians, it's all in the delivery).  For a while, I've been trying to think of a way to combine my wife's two hilarious talents, and then it hit me - memes.

If you've perused the internet long enough, you're probably familiar with the meme - a picture that by itself conveys a tone, but then it is labeled with some kind of witty text. Many of the meme images on the internet have become such recognized staples, they are recycled over and over again on blogs and social media with different text: Willy Wonka leaning on his arm coupled with a condesending quip, Grumpy Cat and his cynical obsersavtions, or the Dos Equis "Most Interesting Man in the World" with a realistically depressing "but when I do" statement.

All of this has inspired me to start what I hope to be a recurring segment on The Full Court Press - Stacy Memes (her maiden name is Weems, so it practically rhymes!).  This would also be a good time to give a tutorial on how to build a successful meme, which I will outline in the steps below:

The Template

Every successful meme has a base template picture.  As mentioned above, this picture needs to convey a certain tone.  This enables your witty pun to resonate quicker with the reader.  A couple notes to the aspiring photographer: 

1. Know your orientation.  In this case, we're focused on one person, so the portrait orientation would be more appropriate.  There are other memes out there that use the landscape, but those are generally capturing a wider scene
2. Normally you would want a relatively tight frame on a headshot/portrait.  However, remember that with the meme, there will be text, so you want to leave ample headroom for the set-up line and space below for the punchline.

Stacy and I did a photo shoot to capture some of her priceless facial expressions.  Here's what we came up with:

The disapproving look

The surprised look

The sarcastic/condescending look

The Joke

One time I said something to my wife, and she gave me a puzzled look.  I told her "It was only a joke,"  to which she aptly replied, "That's not a joke, jokes make me laugh!"  

The scene I just described would actually be the perfect formula for a meme, but it also serves as an example of what not to do with your meme - misplace the joke.  Remember, the base picture captures a feeling or mood, so the text should match.  A furrowed brow is probably not the best setting for an exclamatory phrase.  

After our little photo shoot, I took the pictures and added captions to Photoshop.  A quick editing tip: for your meme text, use Impact Bold with a black stroke.

Here's what we came up with (remember, these are things she has actually said to me in conversation):

And thus begins Stacy Memes.  I want to thank my wife for being such a good sport about all this.  Not many women (and even some men) would be so willing to have their picture and quotes plastered all over the interwebs to get a cheap laugh.  But then again, I'm a lucky guy.

And speaking of my little wife, she has a blog of her own coming soon... so stay tuned!  And if you're not following us on Twitter, what are you waiting for? @stavidfrisco 

He is Risen! He is Risen Indeed!

This Sunday, churches all around the world will be repeating this phrase.  It's a simple call-and-response: the pastor addresses the congregation on Easter morning with "He is risen," at which point the collective response is "He is risen indeed!"  It's a variation of an old Eastern Orthodox tradition called the Paschal Greeting, which the church used as another variation of "hello!"  The greeting was derived from Luke 24:6, which reads: "He is not here; He has risen!"

In recent years, this has become one of my favorite Easter traditions.  I anticipate the pastor's "He is risen!" with the same enthusiasm as a kid about to hear "Who lives in a pineapple under the sea?"  I always try to deliver the response with just little extra gusto than I would with many other liturgical traditions.  Why the excitement?  Aren't there like a hundred other things on Easter morning that merits more enthusiasm than the 5 seconds it takes to utter the phrase?  In years past, I probably would have agreed.  But the last few Easters I've taken a little extra time to meditate on those 7 little words.  And I want to encourage others to do the same this weekend.

So not to risk making any assumptions, we're talking about the exclamation that Jesus Christ rose from the dead.  For many, these words are empty, and to be fair, if Jesus is regarded as nothing more than a man, then the phrase would be devoid of meaning.  To the Christian, though, there is a richness that merits the exuberance in Luke 24.  Either way, the resurrection is a topic worth taking some time to think about.

In a previous post, I referred to the account of Noah and the global flood as one of the greatest moments in the history of the world.  However, if the death and subsequent resurrection of Jesus is true, it hands down takes the cake as the single-most important event in the history of the world.  If true, "He is risen indeed!" carries incredible significance.  For the Christian, the resurrection is central to their faith, so it's important not only to know what they believe, but why they believe it.  Conversely, if one does not believe in the resurrection, they owe it to themselves to at least know exactly what they are denying and truly weigh whether or not they want to accept the alternative.  

In the next few moments, we're going to dissect the word resurrection and look at what the implications would be if in fact Jesus did rise from the dead. 

The Definition

To give us a definition of the word resurrection, I went to none other than Webster's dictionary, the gold standard of definitions.  My Webster's New World Dictionary (Pocket Books, 1995) defines a resurrection as:

1. A rising from the dead
2. Coming back into notice, use, etc
3. A revival

Now, let's see if we can flesh these points out using scripture....

A Rising from the Dead

It seems obvious, but we need to assert if rising from the dead is a big deal.  Of course it is, that's why it's a called a miracle.  If it happened every day, there wouldn't be an Easter holiday, and I wouldn't be writing this post.  The resurrection holds significance for both God and us.

First, if Jesus was the Son of God, and couldn't rise from the dead, then God is not God.  Think about it - if God is supposed to be omnipotent (all-powerful), then He should be able to overcome death.  Again, seems obvious, yet I've met so many people who claim to either believe in God, or at least an all-powerful being, yet deny every miraculous act recorded in the Bible and the possibility of the supernatural ever becoming reality.  I'm not sure where all-powerful fits into those beliefs.  If one truly believes in an omnipotent God, then everything should seem plausible for Him.

Believe it or not, we've actually gone down a rabbit trail, because the resurrection was not simply a stage for God to flex is supernatural muscles.  He could have done thousands of other things to accomplish that.  Jesus died and rose for us, and that brings us to the second significance - us.  If the Son of God couldn't rise from the grave, then it would be foolish for us to ever think we could have our own resurrection.  But through the resurrection Jesus gave man a hope of someday doing the same.  Look at 1 Corinthians 15:20-27:

But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.  For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. But each in his own turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him. Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death. For he “has put everything under his feet."

I realize that passage doesn't necessarily prove the resurrection, but remember, we're not talking about proof, we're talking about the implications.  I'll save the proof for the apologists.  What this text is saying is that before Christ, we had no hope of a life after death.  Because of sin, we weren't good enough, and because we're human, we weren't powerful enough. When Jesus rose from the dead, He essentially conquered death not only for Himself, but for us as well.  For the Christian, this is terrific news!  

Coming Back into Notice or Use

If the rising from the dead aspect of the resurrection gives us hope for the future, what does it mean for us today?  While the promise of a better, lasting life is of immeasurable value, notice we're not immediately taken there the moment we put our faith in Christ.  If God is omniscient (all-knowing) and has a perfect plan for us, then there must be a reason we continue to spend the time on earth that we do. But what is that purpose?

Have you ever heard the saying about people being too heavenly-minded that they're no earthly good?  The resurrection puts in a safe-guard to prevent that from happening.  Look at 2 Corinthians 5:14-21:

For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.

So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

Before Christ, we were sinful, and as a result, we were useless.  After the resurrection, we were given an opportunity to have the slate wiped clean.  Start over.  A new person.  We are now useful - we have a purpose!

As long as we are on this side of eternity, we have work to do.  Not necessarily our jobs (although they serve their purpose too), but touching the lives of other people.  This work carries eternal significance.  When Paul says "he has committed to us the message of reconciliation," he means that we are now walking billboards for the impact of the resurrection.  When we demonstrate the same acts of kindness, mercy and justice that Jesus showed us, we are demonstrating the love of God.

Let me say that again: we demonstrate the love of God.

Because of the resurrection, we have the opportunity and privilege to show God to other people, not just with our words, but with our actions too.

A Revival

The Christian life was never meant to be solitary.  Not only is it a walk we go through with others, but we do the aforementioned good works alongside others as well. Because Jesus rose from the dead, we share the common hope of our own resurrection some day.  Look at Revelation 1:5-6:

and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth.

To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father—to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen.

Christians on earth are already members of Heaven, we're just not there yet.  That's why when Jesus said, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near” (Matthew 4:17), He wasn't just talking about Heaven.  The kingdom He describes is in the hearts and minds of those who follow Him today.

When my wife and I were planning our honeymoon (Jamaica, mon!), we saw a bunch of ads for Caribbean resorts touting themselves as "heaven on earth."  Don't get me wrong, those places are awesome, but they don't even come close to Heaven.  Rather, Heaven can be seen in the lives of those who follow Christ.  When citizens of Heaven work together for the common good in a broken world, that's how we know the Kingdom of Heaven is near.  As mentioned above, we're still on earth for a reason.  They say many hands make the work light, and that couldn't be truer with a community of Christians putting their own interests aside and working together to improve the lives of those around them.  Because of the resurrection, we have a taste of heaven on earth now.

Meditation

Today is Good Friday.  If you go to church later today, you will be reflecting on the backdrop of the resurrection - the Crucifixion.  It will likely be a somber occasion, as we are remembering a sad, dark day.  However, this gloomy picture makes Easter look that much more glorious.  Today we reflect on a day when all hope seemed to be lost.  Sunday marks a day when hope was just getting started.

Over the next 2 days, I encourage you to chew on the words "He is Risen!  He is Risen indeed!"  Think about what that implies: Jesus overcame death, therefore we can overcome death as well; we have the chance to become useful in participating in the work of God; we're part of a larger community that is working together to accomplish something bigger than ourselves.

Think about that leading up to the moment before it is your turn to respond to the pastor's charge.  If you're a Christian, try not to sound like a robot.  This statement doesn't define just what you believe, but who you are.  It's the best news you could possibly receive or share all year, so let it out!  Conversely, if Sunday is one of your bi-annual appearances at church, I encourage you to make the most of it.  Give some thought to these words, and how for those around you, they've brought the peace of knowing God, a love for their neighbor, and an indescribable joy in any circumstance.  The same could happen for you.

He is Risen!  He is Risen Indeed! 

Will the Real Bill Cowher Please Stand Up?

Time Warner Cable.  I don't like them.  Our cable and internet bill got reduced by $33 yesterday, so you'd think we'd be on good terms, but that was after I called about $7 increase in our bill which is 2 months removed from a $10 increase, and that was only one month after a $5 increase (if you're not keeping score, that's a total of $22 since the start of the year).  I was also advised to call again in September, as our "promotion" will expire and the bill will go up $23.

Our apartment complex will only let us get Time Warner (TW), so our hands are tied at the moment.  But that's not what this post is about.  As I call time and time again about a fluctuating bill, the good folks at TW pour salt on the wound with their recent ad campaign, or as I call it, the wussification of Bill Cowher.  Let's take a look*

*Apparently I can't embed Youtube videos posted by TW, no doubt just another cog in their sinister plan to further inconvenience their customers and the public at large.  So, my TW examples will be hyperlinks - but that's OK, just hit the "back" button to finish the reading and my page visits should increase!

What was that?  Who was that?  I'll tell you one thing, it wasn't Bill Cowher.  This is the face I remember from my childhood and teenage years:

Look at that scowl.  That's a face that could make a grown man cry.  That's the face that personified the 90's smash-mouth, defense-first, Pittsburgh Steelers.  Some say Cowher was overrated because he "only" won one Super Bowl.  I can think of a lot of great coaches that would like "one" Super Bowl Ring.  Ask Andy Reid.  Cowher also coached the same team for 15 years.  In today's NFL, coaches are lucky to make it to 5. For old-timers in Steelers nation, Cowher's teams were a throw-back to the 70's dynasty.  Young-bloods like me marveled at the fact that in a league that has so much personnel turnover and subsequent parody, he churned out Super Bowl contenders year after year like water.

But it wasn't just his record or his longevity that made Cowher awesome, it was the way he did it.  Pacing up the sidelines with his jaw jutted out, screaming at players, refs, water boys or anything with a pulse, spit flying everywhere with each word - it was like Mike Ditka 2.0.  You thought Mike Tomlin was out of hand stepping on the field during a Ravens game last season?  Cowher almost tackled a Jacksonville Jaguar defender that blocked a would-be, game-tying field goal on Monday Night Football:

The Steelers lost that game, but Cowher won my respect.  I mean, who does that?  

Time Warner is eroding that legacy with every goofy commercial Cowher appears in.  They're not even funny.  He's always soft spoken, jaw's always retracted, and I don't see one drop of spit fly from his mouth.  Or look at this Black Friday ad.  The real Bill Cowher would be spending his Black Friday figuring out how the Steelers could set the single-season team sack record by week 13.  Or re-evaluating coin-toss calling strategy.

I think my least favorite is the one where Todd Field (according to Wiki Answers) plays a psychic and predicts everything Bill Cowher tries to tell him about Time Warner Cable. By the end of the ad, coach Cowher seems terrified of the psychic.  I couldn't find the commercial online (which is probably a good thing, unless TW is lulling us into a false sense of security, part of their devious plan to somehow brainwash us), but here's a picture of the man who supposedly played the psychic:

Really?  Coach Cowher's afraid of him?  That's not the Bill Cowher I remember.  Back in the day, he would have just taken a Time Warner pamphlet and done this (skip to the 8:50-9:20 mark):

The man shoved a Polaroid of 12 Vikings players on the field into a referee's pocket!  (if you don't follow football, teams are only allowed 11, so that would have been a Vikings penalty).  Nobody does that these days!

I don't know who we're seeing in these commercials, but it's not the real Bill Cowher.  It's merely a shell of the most awesome NFL coach of the 90's.  I'm depressed just thinking about this... I need to see some more vintage Cowher...

Before he sported the more mainstream goatee,
Cowher rocked a 'stache like a boss! 

I hope whoever was on the receiving end of this butt-chewing
had a poncho, because a lot of spit is coming!

I'm pretty sure he's about to eat this referee

Phew, that's better!

Coach, if you're reading this (because I'm sure Bill Cowher has nothing better to do than look up blogs about himself all day) - stop.  I don't know what CBS is paying you, but surely it's enough where you don't need to embarrass yourself as Time Warner's slave monkey any longer.

Time Warner, leave coach alone.  I'll give you the $33 back if you stop making commercials with Bill Cowher in them.  There's no price tag I can put on that.

Should Christians See Noah?

Spoiler alert: I haven't seen Noah yet.  If you haven't exited your browser or hit the back button yet, allow me to explain.  Noah came out this past weekend and was apparently huge at the box office.  My wife and I talked about seeing it this weekend, but our collective interest was luke-warm, and with the college basketball season hitting the home stretch, I was awarded a night of watching elite 8 games!

As far as spring movies go, Noah is NOT at the top of the list.  That honor goes to Captain America 2: the Winter Soldier.  The preview looks awesome, and if it's anything like X-Men 2, Spiderman 2, and Iron Man 2 (all my favorites of the respective trilogies), it won't let me down.  My interest in Noah is, however, much greater than Draft Day, set to release April 11.  I actually saw that almost a month ago at an early screening, and if I ever see the movie again, it will be too soon.  Although I didn't have to pay to see it, I kind of want my money back.  So Noah is safely in the middle of the pack.

You may be wondering why I'm reviewing a movie I've never seen.  That would be a great question if this were a movie review, which it's not.  With all the controversy surrounding the film (if you're not familiar, I'll catch you up to speed in a moment), I thought it would be good to reflect on what criteria I would use in evaluating even making the trip to the theater.  Since it's a "biblical" movie, I'm going to take a few minutes to explore biblical reasons to see or not see the movie.  More specifically, I'm speaking as a Christian to fellow Christians on how we can have thoughtful, civil conversation about the film.  If you're reading this and wouldn't consider yourself Christian, or even religious - keep reading.  It's good for you to see the Church isn't as perfect as we like to portray ourselves to be.  We consider ourselves brothers and sisters in Christ.  And just like most siblings, we have squabbles, sometimes even fights.  We're imperfect people trying to serve a perfect God.  We're all a work in progress, and that's OK!

What's all the Hullabaloo? 

Noah is based off a biblical account of a man with the same name in Genesis chapter 6.  It's a Sunday School classic in which most people are at least familiar with the narrative: the world's bad. It's so bad, God wants to destroy it.  God finds Noah as righteous, so instead of hitting the delete key, He hit's the reset button - a global flood that wipes out everything except Noah, his family and 2 of every animal on the planet.  

Making a movie based on Noah is interesting for 2 reasons:

1. The story of Noah and his family only spans 4 chapters.  It is the cliff-note version of a very epic event.  Considering the biblical account doesn't have much dialogue, basic film elements like character development and interaction can be a challenge. And yet, we're talking about a global flood - that's big, and with the right budget, would look really cool on the big screen!
2. Most Bible or Christian-themed movies are pretty poor.  There's been a string of films in recent years that have come out with positive reviews such as Facing the Giants, Fireproof, and most recently God's Not Dead.  But much of their success is attributed to the fact that they're simply an improvement on the cheese-fest of Christian movies that came out in the 70's-90's.  Even then, they still lack major budgets and star power.  Every now and again, Hollywood throws us a bone like The Ten Commandments or The Passion of the Christ, but for the most part, it's just not in vogue.  Thus Christianity in film and media is typically left with representations like this:

At this point, all signs point to positive for Christendom, right?  Well, it gets a little sticky when we consider that the director, Darren Aronofsky, is an atheist.  Christians, on the other hand, consider the Bible to be the very word of God, and thus every account in it is true.  When an atheist (i.e. guy who doesn't believe in God) makes a biblical film, he's not trying to preserve the integrity of scripture, he's using it as material to make an epic fantasy.

But what about Christians that just enjoy good cinema?  Shouldn't they be able to enjoy the rare moment in which a biblical story gets a Hollywood budget and big name actors?  Can't this serve as a springboard for more public discussion about the Bible and Christianity?

Let's look at both sides:

Why Not To Go

As mentioned above, the director, Darren Aronofsky, is an atheist.  He has been very unapologetic in recent interviews about the fact that he was not trying to convey any truth about biblical history in his film.  He went as far to say in an interview with the Washington Post that this will be the "least biblical biblical film ever made."  That should make most Christians cringe at least a little.

I'll even admit, when I first saw the trailer a few months ago, not knowing a Noah film was in the making (much less by an atheist director), I was a little skeptical.  I felt like I was watching a trailer for something along the lines of Lord of the Rings. In other words, something meant to be epic, which meant something designed to be fantasy, which is understood as fictional.  

Christians have a responsibility to take God's Word seriously and protect its integrity.  To sit by idly and not address theatrical liberties in the film would be irresponsible.  I know people get fed up with protests from the religious right.  I get fed up with protests from the religious right.  But I always admire the conviction.  I'll probably never join a boycott of Disney films (is that still even a thing?), but I respect those who do because they are taking a stand for something.  So often we call for people to "hate the sin, love the sinner" - emphasis on loving the sinner (which I believe we should do).  However, I am beginning to wonder more and more how much we actually hate the sin.

Christians are given the charge that "just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do" (1 Peter 1:15).  Sometimes that means taking stands when we see something that isn't right. Often that leads to labels such as "close-minded" and "bigoted" (and sadly, some of us have merited that label with less than loving conduct).  But Jesus also said “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me" (Matthew 5:11).  If we're following Christ, we need to accept that sooner or later, we will run into people that hold that against us.

Why Go

Let's not forget that this film is being made by people who are good at making movies.  From what I understand, the special effects are IMAX worthy, Russell Crowe is awesome as always (my wife says he must not sing in this one!), and Aronofsky has a a solid track record of movies.  Without having seen it yet, I can admit, this could be fun to watch.  And contrary to popular belief, Christians can and do have fun.  If a Christian goes in with the understanding that what they're about to see is not biblical canon, it's OK to go enjoy 2 hours of special effects. And not only that, they might walk away with some food for thought...

I once heard renown pastor John Guest say that "common grace allows us to plunder truth from any source" (Camp-of-the-Woods, Summer 2008)  This was right after citing a line from a Beatles song to open one of his sermons.  I think that's the inspiration behind Christian movie-reviewers that have celebrated the fact that this film still finds a way to explore the theme of God's justice vs. His mercy.  That's huge.  Even if Aronofsky wasn't interested in glorifying a God he doesn't believe in, he still couldn't avoid it.  Regardless of intent, God can work through anything, just like Joseph said to his brothers who conspired against him: "You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives" (Genesis 50:20).

I think the bigger picture is that people are talking about something in the Bible, which is a lot better than not talking about the Bible at all.  Christians should view Noah as an opportunity to have conversations that matter with other people.

And the Verdict is...

If it doesn't look like I've picked a side, I have - I choose the side of grace.  Let's look at 1 Corinthians 8:4-13 - 

So then, about eating food sacrificed to idols: We know that an idol is nothing at all in the world and that there is no God but one. For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as indeed there are many “gods” and many “lords”), yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live.

But not everyone knows this. Some people are still so accustomed to idols that when they eat such food they think of it as having been sacrificed to an idol, and since their conscience is weak, it is defiled. But food does not bring us near to God; we are no worse if we do not eat, and no better if we do.

Be careful, however, that the exercise of your freedom does not become a stumbling block to the weak. For if anyone with a weak conscience sees you who have this knowledge eating in an idol’s temple, won’t he be emboldened to eat what has been sacrificed to idols? So this weak brother, for whom Christ died, is destroyed by your knowledge. When you sin against your brothers in this way and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ. Therefore, if what I eat causes my brother to fall into sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause him to fall.

Huh?  Ummmm... what exactly does this have to do with Noah?  Glad you asked.  

First, the context.  Throughout the Roman empire, it was common for meat sacrificed to a pagan god or idol to be later sold in the marketplace.  The first century church was started primarily by converted Jews.  As many people are aware, Jewish custom has strict dietary laws - clean food vs unclean food.  These Jewish Christians learned that because of Christ, that diet was no longer necessary.  Because God is the creator, nothing He made is "unclean" (Acts 10:15).  Therefore, it became accepted that it was OK to purchase and eat meat that was used in idol worship.  After all, they were false gods, so there really weren't any spiritual "cooties" to taint the meat.  On the other hand, when Gentiles began to be converted to Christianity, many of them were turning from a life of worshiping false gods.  In their new life in Christ, they were desperately trying to distance themselves from anything that had to do with idol worship - including eating meat sacrificed to idols.  Paul was imploring those who were OK with eating that meat to avoid doing so in front of Gentile converts.  It wasn't because it was wrong to have the meat, it was out of respect from their fellow Christian trying to get closer to God.

Now the principle.  Obviously, we don't have the option of purchasing meat sacrificed to Satan at our local Kroger (although if my Kroger card got me a discount, I'd probably take it!).  But if we replace the words "eat meat" with "watch Noah," I think we can learn an important lesson.  If someone is offended at the idea of going to see Noah, the best thing for them to do is not see it.  If it's going to be a stumbling block in their relationship with God, they don't need the movie.  In turn though, it's important for them to realize that this is an opportunity to get worthwhile conversations started, and they're not helping anyone by condemning the movie. Conversely, if a Christian wants to see Noah, they are free to do so.  Enjoy it, but please keep a biblical grid in front of it to sort fact from fiction.  Furthermore, if a neighbor in church doesn't want to see it, don't try to convince them their boycott is silly - just respect their decision.

Will I see it?  Maybe.  Captain America comes out this weekend, so first things first.  But I might see it, maybe even enjoy it, and I'm free to do both.  If I don't see it, I don't think I'm missing anything either.  I have the original version on my book shelf, and I can read it as many times as I want.  I'll probably walk away more edified too.