A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to see the movie Star Wars. Frankly, it amazes me the extent to which the movie – sequel to previous versions – has captured the interest and imagination of so many people. Most enjoy the movie for little more than its entertainment value and are unaware of its underlying themes and symbolism. In his blog (Dec. 22, 2015), Dr. Peter Jones puts it this way:
As millions of people stream, perhaps naively, into theaters this weekend… most of them will be unaware of the worldview that gives this saga its structure and coherence… In spite of the fun elements we all enjoy, the message of the film is self-consciously pagan.
Jones gives several specific examples of pagan concepts in the movie:
- Morality is what you make it. The force is either good or evil, depending on how you tap into it via your emotions. There is no objective distinction between good and evil.
- Existence creates itself. Obi-Wan Kenobi says: “The Force is an energy field created by all living things. There is no Creator/creature distinction.
- Spirituality is found within, not revealed from the outside. Luke Skywalker must trust his feelings, empty his mind of questions, and “feel the force flowing through him,” in order to create his own truth.
- According to Yoda, death is eternal sleep.
This Star Wars saga is pure fantasy and certainly doesn’t square with biblical truth. However, it wrestles with some issues that theologians, philosophers and religious leaders have recognized from the beginning of time. Both good and evil exist in the universe and conflict with each other.
In terms of the biblical conflict between good and evil, please check out Principle #4 in Genesis (pg. 7) in my Life Essentials Study Bible: Since Satan’s goal is to deceive us; we should consistently focus on God’s truthful message in His Word.
Yes, I enjoyed the movie. However, we should always evaluate entertainment experiences against a backdrop of the Word of God in order to spiritually separate the wheat from the chaff. And, of course, there are some movies that are nothing but “chaff”- and we should avoid them in order to avoid being impacted by the world (1 John 2:15).