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Posted on Mon, Mar 09, 2009 at 11:33 p.m. EST

BEST OF

AUG 2007-JULy 2008

RECOMMENDATION:  *** 3/5 rating
WATCH THE MOVIE WITH CAUTION

CONTENT REVIEW:
'Incendiary' has a STRONG SEX SCENE OF GRAPHIC NUDITY around the 20:45-24:10 mark. It is a scene that can be totally avoided as I was able to do because you can anticipate when something is going to happen. It addresses issues such as love, lust, betrayal, trust, terrorism, and redemption.

Language:
Language in the movie was used less than 10 times.

Violence:
Gun violence was seen once.
Bomb violence was briefly seen.

Sex:
There was a STRONG SEX SCENE OF GRAPHIC NUDITY.

Alcohol:
Alcohol was used atleast 5 times in the movie.

Cigarettes:
Cigarettes were used atleast 3 times in the movie.

WHAT I DID NOT LIKE ABOUT THE MOVIE:

SPOILER ALERT I:

As a follower of Christ, the graphic nudity in the movie was the main problem for me. I had to put my head down for almost 4 minutes when I suspected a nudity scene was going to occur. Nudity is not something condoned in Scripture and this movie does not come of as a family friendly movie or a movie to watch comfortably with a Christian community.

BIBLICAL INSIGHTS:
"Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves. Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the LORD God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the LORD God among the trees of the garden. But the LORD God called to the man, "Where are you?"  He answered, "I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid." And he said, "Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?" (Genesis 3:7-11, NIV)

It is important to remember here that Adam and Eve were not hiding from each other. There is nothing wrong for a husband-wife to see each other in birthday clothes but it is not right for others to see them except God for God sees all of us whether we are in birthday clothes or not.

Adam and Eve did not want God to see them in their nakedness after their sin was exposed so they hid from God. They both realized the shame of their nakedness. Even in the confines of marriage, they were ashamed of their nakedness when they realized God would see them as they are. For their own non-shame, God took the initiative and gave them a better clothing than fig leaves.

 "The LORD God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them." (Genesis 3:21, NIV)

When God made 'garments of skin', that became the first sacrifice and first killing that God had to do in the Garden of Eden, to cloth Adam and Eve. This was to foreshadow what Christ would do when He became the ultimate sacrificial Lamb to cloth us in our nakedness of sin that has been exposed and only Christ's cleansing blood can cover over it and cloth us.

The themes of sin are so prevalent in the movie starting with not only adultery, bombings, selfish ambition, but nudity.

"And do not go up to my altar on steps, lest your nakedness be exposed on it." (Exodus 20:26, NIV)

God does not want people to look at others nakedness when it is not in the confines of marriage, etc. 'Incendiary' violates that principle by exposing the nakedness of certain characters.

The men designated by name took the prisoners, and from the plunder they clothed all who were naked. (2 Chronicles 28:15, NIV)

Here too we see that nakedness is something the Israelites did not want their enemies to even be exposed in shame. It is God who put it on their hearts to cloth the naked too though they were enemies of God.

"Behind your doors and your doorposts you have put your pagan symbols. Forsaking me, you uncovered your bed, you climbed into it and opened it wide; you made a pact with those whose beds you love, and you looked on their nakedness." (Isaiah 57:8, NIV)

This verse should put to rest when Christians try to reason and tell themselves it is ok to watch  movies with nudity in them. It is not okay. God is not pleased with those who looked on their nakedness.

"This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Because you poured out your wealth and exposed your nakedness in your promiscuity with your lovers,.." (Ezekiel 16:36a, NIV)

"Woe to him who gives drink to his neighbors, pouring it from the wineskin till they are drunk, so that he can gaze on their naked bodies." (Habakkuk 2:15, NIV)

God does not want us to gaze on other people's naked bodies which the movie portrays in all its scenes of fornication.

Scripture is clear about staying away from pornography and this movie does not adhere to that principle.

SPOILER ALERT II:
I did not like the betrayal and adultery scene in the movie because it was a betrayal of love giving into lust.

"Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a man commits are outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body. Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body." (1 Corinthians 6:18-20, NIV)

SPOILER ALERT III:
I did not like that hundreds of people had to die in the hopes of saving thousands of lives especially since the government knew it was going to happen and still let it happen not to tip the terrorists off and catch them in a grander act. It is one thing for hundreds of people to agree to sacrifice themselves to save thousands of people but that has to be a choice and not forced upon them. It is not up to any one individual to decide to kill hundreds to save thousands.

What Jesus did to save humanity, by sacrificing Himself, was an act of free choice unlike what happened in the movie. Jesus did that so those that would come to Him would be saved from the deadly virus known as sin.

"Jesus replied, "The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds." (John 12:23-24, NIV)

Jesus was foreshadowing what He would do to save humanity. Jesus was the 'kernel of wheat' and out of that seed came all who would one day believe in Him for all He had done out of free choice. Jesus chose to die for humanity and it was not forced upon Jesus to die. 

WHAT I LIKED ABOUT THE MOVIE:

SPOILER ALERT IV:
I loved the love the mother had for her child and the happiness and joy she brought to her child. It reminds me of my own mommy who always try to give us joy and happiness. The mother was unbelievably affectionate towards the child and the child loved it.

SPOILER ALERT V:
I loved how the mother was willing to give up her life to save the life of the terrorist's son, when she could have been vengeful and allowed the kid to die.

"Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," says the Lord. On the contrary: "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head." Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good." (Romans 12:17-21, NIV)

SPOILER ALERT VI:
Even though the mother sinned by having an illicit sexual affair with a neighbor and while she was having that affair, her son and husband died in a bombing, we see her find redemption in the end. Because of the affair, she was full of guilt and could not forgive herself. At one point she was about to commit suicide when she felt something near her stomach. At that point she realized that she was pregnant and later gave birth to a boy. She was blessed with another boy to take the place of the boy she had lost. The infant cannot replace completely her first son but something good came out of something so bad.

"But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him! For if, when we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation." (Romans 5:8-11, NIV)

That reminded me of God's gracious kindness and love towards us. While we were yet sinners filled with guilt, Christ came to die for our sins and redeem us, buying us by His blood. Because of the pain and agony Jesus endured for our sake, we became saved. He did that while we were still in sin. The woman being pregnant again showed God's mercy and kindness even though she did not deserve it. It reminded me of God's restoration in our own lives when we mess up. We don't have to live in guilt forever for Christ came to take away that guilt.

This is not to say that we do not pay consequences for our actions because it is possible that we will so why take the risk. The woman paid a lot for her mistake but she was also restored. Praise the Lord!

QUESTIONS TO PONDER:

1. What would make a mother love her child so deeply without reservations?

2. Why do people decide to have extra-marital affairs and what was the consequence in this movie?

3. Why should you not watch scenes in a movie that depict explicit nudity or sexuality?

4. If you were put in a position to save thousands of people's lives if you allowed hundreds of people's lives to die, will you do it, why or why not? What do you think the Bible has to say about this scenario?

5. What is the Bible's stance on SITUATIONAL ETHICS and can SITUATIONAL ETHICS ever be right or wrong, what do you think? Should a loving response of saving thousands of lives precede the moral absolute of 'Thou shall not murder', why or why not?

6. What stuck out to you in the movie the most and why? What lessons can you take away from it?

7. What does the movie tell about your own life and what character can you identify with, why or why not? What does Jesus Christ want to do for your life?

Express Your View

.Click picture to read my dad's memoriam:

Nov 01, 1941 - Dec 17, 2007

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