For all the shouts about lying, idolatry, etc, the movie did use lines of morality concerning good and evil. Thusly, it was borrowing from the Christian worldview, as there is no such thing as good and evil in the atheistic, secular, or materialistic worldview that permeates Hollywood. By depicting the Joker as evil and Batman as good (and Harvey Dent as just plain silly walking out of the hospital - I agree with Ken), Hollywood continues to unconciously proclaim the existence of the ultimate Law Giver.

Perhaps this is a different way to look at it.

Soli Deo Gloria
Allan

@ E.K. Farr: I didn’t address the responsibility of the creator — only the perceiver since we are the ones watching the film. The creator’s intent can definitely inform the viewers assigned value to the art, but it isn’t absolutely connected to the piece’s inherent moral value.

@ Hugh: I think Compass was more of an attack … thus the response. If we are to denounce Dark Knight on the basis of you suggest, we need to denounce every piece of fiction that doesn’t include some sort of allegory for God Himself saving man from himself — even Lord of the Rings. No more good guys and bad guys. Only bad guys and the God-figure that saves those he chooses to save.

Makes for a thin literature curriculum as stories deal with the every day experience of man having to choose right and wrong — not debating Pelagius on original sin.

The moral value of art is assigned by the perceiver. That value assigned either honors God or it doesn’t. The art itself is not inherently idolatrous but if it causes us to be be idolaters. (The statue of David is the same content as Play Girl … different medium and different values assigned by viewers.)

Guiroo, would you make the same complaint against Paul when he says “Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, that it may give grace to those who hear” in Ephesians 4:29? After all, words themselves are neither good nor bad, only the way they are interpreted.

Words express the speaker’s implicit intent to communicate. But doesn’t an artist (or filmmaker) have the same intent to communicate, but just more abstractly?

As you say though, that’s getting off topic.

But assuming there is such a thing as an “objectively pornographic” work of art, then I’d say no, its use wouldn’t be God-honoring.

But just to keep this thing more or less on the tracks, let’s agree that Batman is not pornographic.

So there is a God-honoring way for me to use pornography?

Doesn’t that run completely against the Christian worldview regarding man’s sinfulness? Shouldn’t thoughtful Christians be denouncing this movie at least as strongly as something like The Golden Compass?

Or is a story built on a lie about the sinfulness of man less problematic than a story built on a lie about the church?

“But the message of the movie is just a big lie, isn’t it?”

What is the lie?

Is there a difference between a lie and fantasy?

The Greek word for “actor” is “hypocrite”. Does this mean that every time someone acts in a play they are telling a lie because they attempt to convince the audience that they are someone other than who they really are?

I think the big “L” word (Lie) is thrown about a bit too loosely.

“Doesn’t our preference for being entertained with lies show us where our treasure really is?”

I’d like to hear what some say the lie/world view of this movie are. (Keep in mind Narnia doesn’t proclaim the name of Jesus either.)

Clearly this story resonates with people. We’ve all been misunderstood. We’ve all tried to do the right thing and found ourselves between a rock and a hard place. We grow up being taught that lying is always absolutely wrong. Well, that’s not the whole truth either. Brad Paisley says it well.

Life is never as easy as “Defeat the Germans/Japanese and the world will be at peace.” We have to deal with the nitty gritty of lying to family & neighbors about hiding Jews, deciding to drop atomic bombs or firebombing thousands of civilians, being allies with Russia only to have that lead to the Cold War … not to mention the millions of moral dilemmas that occurred on the surface level.

Nor should they try to. Hollywood and the church are not in the same business. (Hollywood’s not confused on that point BTW, but it seems many in the church today are.)

If its well done and not offensive in ways that would preclude Christians from supporting it with their time and money, I see no problem in enjoying a good movie. We just need to keep it in perspective and not look to it to do something its not intended to do.

Why waste our money and our time being entertained with this stuff? We’re always making excuses, saying we “can’t afford this” and we “don’t have time for that.” Don’t we have better things to do?

Doesn’t our preference for being entertained with lies show us where our treasure really is?