Years ago I heard a pastor speak about getting his doctorate at a liberal seminary. When he wrote papers, he was required to refer to God as “She, He, It, They.”
He didn’t like this, but complied.
Then, one day he started abbreviating the list by using the first letter of each pronoun, and he was shocked by the word this spelled.
He quit the doctorate program just short of his degree and began preaching about the holiness of God.
We can't define God better than He defines Himself in Scripture.
If we find solace and comfort thinking of God as a woman, a group, or a power, we are not finding solace in the God of the Bible (Galatians 1:6-8; 2 Corinthians 11:4).
People can list the reasons God should be presented differently, but I will trust the wisdom of God and use His descriptions of Himself found in Scripture.
To present Him as anything else is to mock Him (Galatians 6:7).
For more on mocking God:
5 Lies About God's Character Promoted in The Shack
Let's Trust God to Describe Himself
I saw the movie and thought it was pretty good. I watched that movie just as I watch other movies as fiction. I didn't watch it to lead about God, Jesus, or the Holy Spirit. I didn't go to see the movie for a Bible Study or to learn about how to be or become a Christian. For me, it's just a movie. Oh and I am a true born again believer in Christ Jesus and I love God with all my heart!Just watch the movie for entertainment purposes only.
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DeleteHi Yoplay,
I read the book so I could write about it accurately (by the way, did you read the linked article and see how the god in The Shack directly contradicts the Words of Scripture?)
The Shack that I read made it clear that the characters (although called different names) were representations of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit of the Bible. I didn’t watch the movie so can’t speak about how they were presented in it.
If you read a few of the thousands of reviews of The Shack on Amazon, you’ll discover that most people who liked the book are formulating their views of God from it, many of them assuming from what was written in the book, that they can live however they want, believe whatever they want, and still be saved.
It’s interesting how fiction can shape our way of thinking. Good fiction like Uncle Tom’s Cabin helped people understand the evils of slavery. Fictional representations of God can also be a blessing when they accurately present God’s character. Pilgrim’s Progress is one of many examples.
Inaccurate presentations of God in popular fiction also have great influence by making people feel comfortable in their unbelief or sinful lifestyles, especially when God is presented as someone who never punishes sin and is not disappointed when we sin (both characteristics of the god in The Shack - presented in the article linked above using the quoted words of The Shack and comparing them with the quoted words of Scripture.)
I’ve often heard the statement that it’s “just fiction” and not meant to be taken as an accurate representation of God, yet the author has published a "Bible Study" to accompany the book and movie.
The author also speaks at Christian churches and has also authored a theology book explaining why He believes all men will be saved (whether they accept Jesus or not) – a theme presented in The Shack.
The Shack is incredibly popular and many Christians agree with you that it’s harmless and good entertainment. Your comment was not rude at all, but many of the comments I’ve had from Christians on the articles I’ve written about The Shack have been mean-spirited. Some of them I couldn’t publish because of the bad language. Some of those I could publish attack my character for writing against a book they love. Many of these Christians who support the book have told me it showed them the true meaning of grace, yet their comments are ungracious and mean-spirited, some of them accusing me of not having genuine faith because I wrote about errors in a book.
If you read the articles I’ve written about The Shack, you’ll see that I don’t attack the character of the author or of Christians who loved the book. I simply quote the book and the author and do what I believe Scripture calls us to do – point out and explain error.
Obviously, each Christian will decide for themselves what books and movies they approve. I personally cannot enjoy this book because of the way it distorts the character God.
May God give us both wisdom and discernment.