The following is a review of the movie, Soul Surfer. It’s 30 minutes long, and a lot of Christians have howled about it, (we love our bikinis) but I rather enjoyed it (I don’t look good in a bikini) and found it worth the time investment. Here is what The Homeschool Channel said about the review:
Bethany Hamilton is the latest rage for Christian evangelicals, especially with the new motion picture that tells her inspiring story. References to the Bible were not removed from the scenes, but then again neither were the girls in bikinis.
Kevin refers to the Modesty Survey conducted by Alex and Bret Harris (from the Rebelution) several years ago, as he considers the boundaries of Christian modesty. Would Mary, the mother of Jesus wear a bikini? What would Jesus say about this sort of thing?
Then we step back and look at the influence of the Bethany Hamilton’s and Miss America’s on the progress of the Gospel in the 21st century. Could George Whitfield have used a Miss America on the catwalk to inspire the first Great Awakening?
Soul Surfer – The Movie from Kevin Swanson on Vimeo.
About Wemmick Girl Saved by Grace
Thank you so much for posting this! I am so discouraged by this movie and the young guys/men who will go to see it hoping to see a good Christian film, but who will be struggling with impure thoughts the whole time! And so disturbing to think that some churches and youth groups are promoting this movie! Also…Family Christian store and K-Love! I don’t understand why people can’t see the harm this does to guys and also girls who are sent the wrong message that it’s okay for Christian girls to dress immodestly (which goes against what girls minister/churches are trying to teach girls…to cover up their bodies and not dress in a way that causes guys to notice and stumble).
Thank you for your post and your convictions!
Thank you for sharing your thoughts Melody. It is just one of many ways Christians try to blend current cultural norms with the Bible…and feel good about it. I’m so thankful for men like Kevin Swanson who take a stand for truth…and do it so well! : )
Blessings!
I found their acrimonious review a little unsettling. Their conversation was far from ‘gracious’ as they mocked and jeered at people they do not know. They have lost their credibility by acting so foolishly. Also, movie critics typically have seen the movie they are critiquing.
Soul Surfer is a movie about a young girl who endures a terrible ordeal, and instead of becoming bitter, she trusts the Lord and faces life triumphantly with one arm. It is a testimony to the world–Christian and non-Christian alike. These men have accused Bethany of ‘using’ God to accomplish her own personal desires in life. They have no way of knowing what has transpired between Bethany and her Savior.
I find it disturbing that anyone would take this beautiful story and turn it into a way to point a finger at other brothers and sisters in Christ. I agree that girls today do not wear appropriate swimwear, however, this is a true story and surfers wear swimsuits.
The point of this Hollywood movie is not to promote any certain Christian belief. It was never the intention of the producers to make God the center of the movie. It is simply the story of a young girl, what she went through, and how she overcame it. Hollywood doesn’t make movies for ‘redemptive’ value. It is simply for entertainment. When asked if a movie could be made about their daughter, the Hamiltons agreed only if their faith would be part of it.
Presenting this movie as something that is wrong and will only cause people to stumble is quite distressing.
Well, yes, they were a little tongue in cheek. Personally, I enjoy that kind of thing. If you can get past the sarcasm (they are obviously frustrated by the average modern evangelical who gets more excited about a movie that glorifies the spirit of a Christian than they do about the glory of Jesus Christ and the zeal of a holy God who is clear on the issue of covering up in order to show honor and love toward our fathers, brothers, husbands and sons…catching my breath here….) they make some great points. It’s hard to argue with the fact that the Bible is pretty black and white about nakedness. Nakedness is a sign of the corruption and moral degradation of a civilization as is evidenced by history.
The sad thing is NOT that unbelievers revel in nakedness and sing about sex. That’s to be expected.
It’s that Christians do too. I’d be more concerned about that, frankly.