To celebrate the 35th anniversary of the original release of Star Wars, an epic battle is taking place: in one corner of the ring, Po is shoving his face full of food while the Furious Five cheer him on. In the next corner, Mr. Han is giving Dre Parker a quick pep-talk. And in the third corner, Luke Skywalker readies his lightsaber while remembering all of Yoda’s advice. But it’s an unfair match up. As the bell rings to begin the fight, everyone knows that with the Force on his side, Luke Skywalker can’t lose. Nothing can beat the Force--not even the “dark side” of the Force!
If you’re like most Americans, you’ve seen Kung Fu Panda (1 or 2), the newest Karate Kid, and some or all of the Star Wars movies, so you know all of the characters in this imaginary battle. And at this point, you might be thinking, “One of these things is not like the other. What do the Force and spaceships have to do with kung fu or karate?”
In this particular case, everything! What many American moviegoers don’t know is that each of these movies comes from the same worldview, that of spiritualism. Spiritualism is the basis of most Eastern religions (Buddhism, Hinduism, Jainism, etc.), and it is the idea that “God” is not a personal being but rather an energy flow that is made up of all living things. In Karate Kid, this idea of god is referred to as “chi,” and in Star Wars it’s called (duh) “the Force.” In order to achieve the things you need to accomplish, you must come to the realization that you are part of this energy flow, then learn to harness it. And while Kung Fu Panda never specifically mentions any such “flow,” many allusions are made to this and other concepts from spiritualism (i.e. becoming “one” with the universe, letting go of the illusion of control, finding inner peace).
So, to answer the original question, the winner of our imaginary boxing match would be determined by one thing: whoever can fight the best. “The Force” would not give Luke an advantage; neither would Dre get the upper hand by harnessing “chi.” And no matter how much “inner peace” Po claims to have achieved, it would not help him to dominate his opponents. Why? Because there is no such thing as a universal energy flow! Not only is this a false view of God because it is contradictory to who God says He is, it is also a concept that has and will continue to lead people astray.
As adults, it is not hard to comprehend and discern the difference between the Force and a biblical view of God. But it’s not as easy for younger children and adolescents who have never been taught how to discern between different belief systems. So when they are surrounded by media that propagates different worldviews, it can be very hard for them to discern which ideas will bring them to a fuller understanding of God and which ideas will only ensnare and confuse them, resulting in a weaker faith in the God of the Bible.
However, the answer is not to prohibit children from viewing these movies, but rather (you guessed it!) to watch and discuss these movies with them. In fact, movies like these really make our job simpler: they provide visuals and relatable stories that make understanding difficult ideas from different worldviews much easier. Watching them can be a great segue into conversations that don’t normally arise. And in the end, you are helping your kids to refine their understanding of who God is and is not, as well as to be able to better identify other false worldviews in media, which, I think we would all agree, is a wonderful thing!
What other movies or TV shows have you seen with elements of spiritualism in them? Have you found good ways to discuss these ideas with your children? If so, let us know. And finally, how do you know when your child is ready to handle more complicated concepts like that of spiritualism? You may comment below...
No comments:
Post a Comment