MOVIE REVIEWS
by Eric Lee Baker
Re: Censorship
I have
occasionally (when Eric was alive) received criticism from friend and stranger alike.....
as to these reviews and on beyond that - as to my approval of
Erics' pursuit of attending these films and then reviewing
them... promoting, as they felt, the evil and `filth' they
contained. This is how I feel about that and I am including it
here both as a warning for anyone who agrees with the opinion
that we should censor our children beyond their youth,
and others.... exercising a strict control and withholding approval and/or acceptance of their choices and paths of
exploration through their experiences...... for if any feel this
way - then they should stop here and not go any further so that
they will not encounter any objectionable material themselves.
There is a time when we are to exercise the censorship control
for our children while we teach them and instill the values and
principles God has imparted within us to give to our children.
Then, there is a time to let go and allow them to make their own
choices - isn't that exactly what God has ordained?
I offer no
apology. I am not God. I have never felt, nor do I now feel,
inclined to step in and interfere where even God, Himself, has
allowed men to be in the world and form their opinions of good
and evil through examination of the world and of their own hearts
and feelings in response to it. I do not fully understand Gods'
choice to have us here, but I know that He is far wiser and
loving than any mere mortal could ever be, and so I rest in my
trust in His loving purpose for doing and allowing it all. Nor
did I ever feel the need to raise my children to lift themselves
above Him and sit upon thrones of their own....and do His job for
Him in sitting in judgment on any others
in the world around them.
In point of fact, I did not have Erics' capacity for the depth of
examination of the medias and what was being stated through
them.... but I do know, that it is a valuable instrument, like
all art, in speaking to the hearts and souls of people who
perhaps would not otherwise even comprehend the need for action
and or change that must begin within each individual and
not in seeking to criticize and condemn others instead.
We are all in the midst of evil and shutting our eyes to it -
avoiding the reality of it - going up to some high and lofty
place away from it - will not ever have the spiritual influence
upon those who most sorely need it! The world already had its'
Jonah, and God made an example of him and used him when he came
away from that attitude! Showing him that He could use him if he
would but clear away his own will and allow God to make use of
him in His own wise and powerful ways.....
For in withdrawing ourselves from it, we are also removing
ourselves as influences and examples of love...
Love, the beacon of
light that penetrates all darkness of mind and spirit!
I applauded Erics' capacity to stomach looking directly into the heart of evil itself and coming away with valuable insight and the ability to share that with others who, like me, might not have the courage or stamina to see and comprehend and then seek to make differences in the lives of those around us. We need such prophets! Few of us have the ability to be so unjudgmental in viewing or in perceiving what the intent and purpose of the various artistic talents which combine to create dramatically effective presentations to all of our senses allowing us to see through visions of eyes and minds different than our own. In so doing - we go beyond the small view we have from our own surroundings and see the greater view toward understanding humankind and then to looking to ourselves to see what we might do to benefit it.
And so I offer
no apology for any content here. It is your choice to read it or
not. But I would like to state that famous quotation here -
"All that is necessary for evil to thrive is that good men
do nothing". To that I would add, that covering our eyes and
ears and removing ourselves from awareness of evil, does nothing
to combat or counterinfluence it. If you think that these films
are responsible for influencing others to go out and reproduce
evil - then you must surely be of the opinion that evil is to be
feared and avoided at all costs to save yourself from falling
victim to its' power.......
By all means then, stay
away!
But I must ask you...... Why then, did Christ go amongst it
Himself?
And, why are we told,
1John
4:4 Ye are of God,
little children, and have overcome them:
because greater is He that is in you than he that is in the
world.
2Timothy
1:7 For God hath
not given us the spirit of fear;
but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.
