Left Behind: Not A "christian Movie." Not Even Close.

[John81]

Lahaye's books aren't worth buying, either.
He took the philosophy of Plato(4 temperaments), a famous pedophile, and peddled it to Evangelicals.
No great surprise then, that the movie is worthless. It is just greedy of gain.

Indeed, LaHayes books appear Christian on the surface but when one really looks at their content they are filled with many unbiblical ideas. Writing the books as fiction gave the authors cover for the many wrong and often dangerous elements they introduced into the series.

 

This only helped to grow and perpetuate for many an over-focus upon sensationalized end-times scenarios, fiction, fantasy and even OBsession with outright or virtual date setting, uncovering of the anti-christ, discovering the mark of the beast, and even preparing for a Christian militia war against one world government.

 

Increasing watered down was the actual Gospel, and virtually left out was any call, or even the idea of Christians living holy lives surrendered to Christ.

 

Little wonder that even the Christian films based upon the series were confusing and watered down for even more mass appeal and not wonder at all that Hollywood left Jesus out of their version while presenting an airplane disaster movie disguised as a Christian movie.

[Standing Firm In Christ]

The best films I have ever seen to date dealing with the Rapture and End Times events were Russ Daughten's "Thief in the Night" series from back in the late 70's-early 80's.

Even they had some flaws in them..., though, in my opinion, not many.

 

[Genevanpreacher]

Lahaye's books aren't worth buying, either.
He took the philosophy of Plato(4 temperaments), a famous pedophile, and peddled it to Evangelicals.
No great surprise then, that the movie is worthless. It is just greedy of gain.

 

I agree. His study bible was the 'worst', also.

Full of all kinds of nonsense, giving cross references and commentary to lead the

'fellow believer' guessing about 'why' "use the bible as a backdrop for his commentary".

There were very flawed connections between references. My brother was really into 

Lahayes series. And after quite the discussion with him, using scriptures and comparing

Lahayes 'so-called' commentary, he went home and studied it out himself, and later he confessed

that 'his big brother was right'.

[Standing Firm In Christ]

For the record, I rather enjoyed the Lahaye/Jenkins "Left Behind" series.  Albeit, I did not read them as being Scripturally sound.  I enjoyed them for the fiction they are.  I would get a book in the series, start reading, and not put it down until I read the last chapter.  Then, I waited for the next to come out.  I was intrigued by the storyline. disappointed in the artistic license it took with Scripture, and actually wondered how much better they would have been had the authors stuck to Scripture.

One of the biggest disapointments for me was seeing Rayford and Chloe allegedly getting "born again" after the rapture of the Church, when the storyline shows they rejected Christ before the Rapture.  And they didn't reject Him due to ignorance of not knowing who He was.  Irene had shared the Gospel with Rayford and Chloe prior to the Rapture.

In the books, artistic license was taken, and they were given new life in Christ when the Bible teaches they would be sent strong delusions and believe a lie because they received not a love for the truth.

So many more errors.  Too numerous to count.  But a well written fiction nonetheless.

[John81]

I know of far more people who came to Christ through the Thief in the Night movies than the Left Behind movies.

 

Read as fiction, the Left Behind books stand well. The real prOBlem with the Left Behind series is the great number of people who forgot or failed to accept they were fiction and took whatever they read in them as fact. I've encountered many end-times OBsessed people over the years who can quote left and right from the Left Behind series and they do so as if those books are the final authority.

 

Unfortunately, it's not just the Left Behind books that have ill effected many professing Christians. The Christian fiction book market has really boomed with a wide assortment of Christian romance novels, Christian historical fiction, Christian westerns, etc. For too many professing Christians, reading these books takes the place of reading the Bible and sound non-fiction Christian works. It's not uncommon to hear Christian women talking about all the Christian books they have been reading only to discover they are referring to reading several series of Christian romance novels.

[Standing Firm In Christ]

Do they insist that they know the antichrist's name and that it is Nicolae Carpathia?  LoL

[John81]

Do they insist that they know the antichrist's name and that it is Nicolae Carpathia?  LoL

I've heard some use that name as "proof" of the ethnicity of the coming anti-christ!

[Genevanpreacher]

I don't know for sure, but are there any references to 'Baptists' in the books on the end times, like Lahayes?

 

I seem to think from my 'failing' memory, that most 'christians' in movies and books that are popular, that the 'charismatics' are the only ones mentioned as believers.

Anyone else get that?

[John81]

I don't know for sure, but are there any references to 'Baptists' in the books on the end times, like Lahayes?

 

I seem to think from my 'failing' memory, that most 'christians' in movies and books that are popular, that the 'charismatics' are the only ones mentioned as believers.

Anyone else get that?

That seems to be most often the case to one degree or another. Usually specific names or denominations aren't mentioned, but the churches or gatherings of believers they show typically have what most would see as a charismatic or pentecostal leaning.

 

There are Charismatic Baptists and Pentecostal Baptists so perhaps some of those in the movies are Baptists!

[Genevanpreacher]

It bothers me that movies like this are made anyway, but to use 'false' churches to represent the 'christians' galls me.

The 'charismatic' so-called believers are the whole prOBlem with the 'christian' view, from the lost person's point of view.

Their 'truth' leads to hell.

Which, by the way, makes their 'truth' led by the devil, and his kind.

Urg!

[Genevanpreacher]

Sorry for the 'spiritual' violence.

[Salyan]

Easy there. I surely don't agree with much of the charismatic nonsense, but does that mean they teach a false gospel? It may be a case of getting saved 'in spite of' the other church teachings, but let's not ascribe what us not earned.

[John81]

I know some Charismatics who are born again, believe and share the same Bible Gospel as we. Most of the ones I know might be called a more "tame" variety of Charismatic, in that they aren't of the "wild and crazy" sort that falls on the floor and rolls around or engages in strange doings like "laughing in the Spirit" or "slaying in the Spirit".

[Genevanpreacher]

My experiences with them only point out works for salvation. That may not be every charismatic out there, but that is my experience.

And their disregard for the accuracy of the scripture and their not being able to 'keep their salvation' point to the truth of what they believe.

They have messed up the world's view of true Christianity by integrating the same type of doctrines that other false 'churches'

imbibe into what the world sees as 'christian'.

[John81]

Thankfully I've not personally encountered any such Charismatics. The Charismatics I've know all believed in salvation by grace through faith and in eternal salvation.