Originally Posted by JediG60racer
Wow, just wow. All I can say is that preacher did an incredible disservice to all followers of Christ by making those statements about Star Wars. I question his theological education in making remarks of that nature.
I'm a pastor, been serving in ministry for 15 years. I've acted as youth pastor, music pastor, outreach pastor, teaching pastor, police chaplain, navy chaplain, marriage and family counselor, college/career pastor, young adults pastor, young marrieds pastor, connections pastor (lengthy boring description for that).
And I've been president of one of the most active Star Wars fan clubs in the nation, served in that capacity for 4 years. It's a movie with a lot of fans, myself included. Entertainment. If that preacher only entertains himself by sitting in a room by himself praying, then maybe he has a foot to stand on as far as condemning other people's methods of entertainment. Maybe. But if he so much as watches a football game or any sporting event, or watches TV, or reads books other than the Bible, than he has no place to make such remarks, for all of those fall into the same category he just placed Star Wars into.
All that to say, as far as orthodox Christian beliefs go, the Bible speaks very clearly that believing in Christ revolves in FREEDOM from having to follow rules (Galations 5:1) and there are plenty of guidelines about how one is supposed to not judge other people, but love other people. Matt 22 pretty much sums up the whole of the Bible and the main guidelines to follow: love God and love people. Period. If you do those things, then everything else falls into place.
1 Cor 6:12 does say that all things are permissible but not all things are beneficial -- Star Wars has been beneficial, not otherwise. It's brought me into friendships and relationships I would otherwise not have the pleasure of, and opened avenues for ministry in people's lives for me as a pastor. When I look at Jesus' example of how he lived, the person whose example I'm supposed to follow, I see that he hung out with all the people that the religiously self righteous people said not to. So I can say without any hesitation that with Star Wars fans, now that a religiously self righteous person has said to avoid, is exactly where Christ would want me to be spending time.
And yeah, you probably want to go find another church if that sort of teaching is run of the mill there. Christianity is about freedom and living life abundantly, not about rules and regulations and do-nots. Lots of good, authentic churches out there where it's okay to be a real person and be imperfect. I encourage you to find one.
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