90 thoughts on “Rip-Offs Of Things They Claim To Hate”

  3. I made it through 7 minutes. I was hoping that would be horrific on an artistic & technical level. I thought they did pretty good on those levels. It’s a shame talented people are wasting their talents defending idiotic positions like 1611 KJV & anti-CCM. Also the obsession with Blood always amazed me. Even the Old Testament which you can find much more obsession with blood than in the New Testament (IMO), doesn’t delight in blood blood blood like these guys do.

    1. BTW I made it 7 mins in before I was “when is this thing going to END”, and saw I wasn’t quite half way done before quitting.

      I can’t imagine the audacity they have to impune family time. Biblical instruction is clear, your priorities are to be to your spouse & family first, and the church/other second. Apparently these people are the IFB who think it’s OK to preach the opposite.

    2. I lasted three minutes, ten seconds before I realized it was likely to last the rest of the day.

      Are IFB Fundies even supposed to be watching movies like “Batman”?

      And do they have copyright permission on that music they’re using?

  4. probably the most awful thing in the world along these lines (christian adaptations of secular entertainment) is this band Apologetix – look up “the real sin savior” (parody of Eminem’s “the real slim shady”) or “enter samson” (parody of Metallica’s “enter sandman”) if you want to be embarrassed for other people.

    this Batchristian video uses the same concept and is just as horrifyingly, awkwardly embarrassing.

    1. I’m glad I’m not the only one to think they’re rubbish (one of my friends is a fan). They’re obviously not without musical talent, so why not write some decent original material instead of massacring other people’s songs?

  5. “Bat droppings”?? Why not just say guano and be done with it. If it means the same thing then what’s the difference?

    The Adam West Batman would have been a lot more suitable. Also, shouldn’t this Robin have had a Luchador mask?

    1. In the fifties and sixties there was a luchador called Santo, (Saint,) who wore a white mask and always fought against the forces of evil. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santo He appeared in over fifty low budget Mexican movies. (There are good movies, regular movies, bad movies, and then Mexican movies…)

      I loved their use of Spanish (God’s language.) It looks simple, but it is really hard to write dialogue like that, that does not need translation.

    2. “Santo” is also the protaganist of many, many fotonovelas (comic books).

      It was incredibly bizarre to have the Robin character saying in Spanish that the King James Version is the only authentic word of God. So Spanish-speaking people are supposed to read the KJV????
      That’s about like saying you can only read the real Qur’an in Danish.

    3. WOW! How did I miss that!

      I guess I’m so used to making allowances for you poor KJV1611 folks who have never experienced God’s Version Reina Valera. (1569)

  6. sad to think that faith has been reduced to a host of you dont do this, and skits that are a church basement version of saturday night live. we wonder why other faiths and atheists and hate our asses. Sad to think at the very least one of the greatest philosophers of all time and at the most my Lord has been reduced to this. “faith is talk on on a cereal box. religion- a smile on a dog.” edie brickell. do they think someone will be fooled by the fake become interested and saved by gawad? what utter bull shit.

    1. I hesitate to write this because I don’t speak for atheists and only speak for myself as an agnostic, but no one hates you for what you believe. If what you believe brings you peace in your life and the fellowship you have in your faith provides you with the happiness that mine does (yes, I still go to church), then I can’t be anything other than happy for you. It’s when someone forces their belief as THE belief and demonizes anyone that does not adhere, up to and including not allowing them to express their rejection of said beliefs — that’s when it becomes offensive.

      I don’t comment on many of the posts here where SFL points out websites or the films, songs, or skits. I believe those folks are doing the best in their belief, and I won’t mock that. Where it’s open to mockery, in my opinion, is when it’s presented as The Way It Should Be For Everyone, or when duplicity or hypocrisy runs rampant.

      1. Actually, there is an increasingly vocal camp of atheists who maintain that religion is an evil and destructive “delusion” and that religious people are brainwashed at best and wicked schemers at worst. See, for example, Richard Dawkins and Christopher Hitchens. They believe that religion should be strongly discouraged, if not banned.

        I suspect that most atheists are not of this view, but that group is certainly out there, and has been making a lot of noise lately.

        Fundamentalist atheists annoy me almost as much as Fundamentalist religious folk do.

        1. I agree with you Big Gary, but the “screaming edge” of atheism doesn’t speak for the bulk of non-believers any more than Jack Schaap speaks for all believers. Pointing out the exception is not a good argument. In my opinion, only, the new atheist movement is just a backlash to the increasing push of the evangelical movement to insist that their values become everyone’s laws.

          Despite what’s screamed from the pulpits, no one is coming to take your Bibles. Just don’t tell me I have to read the 1611 KJV. 🙂

        3. Sigh. How can I separate from you when you insist on being kind and reasonable??? (Actually, you made my day.) Too bad there’s not a big ‘ol hug emoticon.

        4. Big Gary, I don’t see why or how you don’t like fundamentalist atheists. Since the vast majority of us on here came from fundy backgrounds, we’ve seen firsthand how destruction this theory of a “god” is and how evil religion is. I would think that the majority of people on this site, from our backgrounds, would be the most passionate about getting rid of god and religion from all aspects of education, government and society in general. We’ve seen the destruction that christianity causes.
          On the other hand, if a person grew up in an agnostic household, free from religion, then I could see how they could be ambivalent about religion in general. Those people have an excuse (sort of) to have a blase, “take it or leave it” attitude. They have not been exposed to the dangers of christianity and the belief in a god that we former fundies have.

          I’m surprised at your hostile attitude towards fundamentalist atheists. Why do you give christianity a free pass and not show it for the evil that it is? I would think after being on this board that you would have seen how destructive christianity and religion in general is.

        5. Master Williams, I’m not sure you understand what I mean by “Fundamentalist atheists.” I don’t mean atheists who used to be Fundamentalist Christians (not necessarily, that is).
          The people I’m calling “Fundamentalist atheists” are the atheists who are just as doctinaire, closed-minded, prejudiced, and intellectually dishonest about religion as Fundamentalist religious people often are.

          If all you’ve seen of religion is the wacked-out, totalitarian, Fundamentalist version of it, I can see why you would come out of that believing that religion is inherently false and counterproductive (and it breaks my heart to realize that for many people, that IS all they know about Christianity or religion). But that’s not the only kind of religion there is, or the only kind of Christianity (or Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, etc.) there is.

          Personally, I won’t deny anyone the freedom to not believe in a higher power. But I don’t want anybody denying anyone the freedom to believe, either.

      2. Though as Christians we should be loving, compassionate, and tactful in our conversations with others, we would be total hypocrites to not proclaim Jesus as the only way. After all, I believe in Jesus, and He said He was the only way. Meanwhile, I believe that deception is harmful and sinful, and so to not tell the truth about Jesus’ exclusivity would be hypocritical and sinful as well. of course I agree that we should not force (anywhere), demonize (disrespectfully or ungraciously), or censor (in the public square) opposing beliefs, I must present Christian beliefs as THE belief since that’s what Jesus did and that’s what the Bible says and I believe the Bible.

        1. This has turned into an interesting discussion. Can I interpret for you?

          Darrell, I think the problem is that you are NOT an atheist fundamentalist. Fundamentalist, in this context, meing someone who is hardcore and will fight tooth and nail for their belief. I think what the posters are saying that we of all people should be the most virulently anti-religion, anti-“God”, and anti-christian of all people. We have seen and experienced first hand the dangers of organized religion and know probably more than anyone else the dangers in the belief in “God” and in religion. All the posters are saying is how can some of the people on this site dare to stand back and let religion get a free pass? We of all people should be the most knowledgeable of how destructive a belief in “God” is and should want to warn others against it. I think the posters are saying that some of you are not fundamentalist enough in your atheism and and are astonished that you still can tolerate the belief in “God” and don’t fight it even more.

          Look at all the wars and crusades and destruction that christianity has caused. So has Islam. Both religions, and all religions, are evil to the core and we need to fight it.

          To sum it up, I think the posters are just wondering why some of the people on here still tolerate christianity and belief in a higher power and don’t fight against those evils more than they do? How can you have such a lackadaisacal attitude towards it? It’s like smokers. Anyone who has had a mother or father die a slow, painful death from lung cancer would be virulently against smoking and would not tolerate tobacco companies pushing their agenda. We on here have seen the destruction of religion, and Christianity in general, and we shoul be the ones who are the most vocal about denouncing it and ridding it from our country as fast as we can. The religious right and Christianity is growing stronger every day it seems like. How can we sit back and do nothing except make jokes about it? It’s not really a laughing matter.

        2. You didn’t really interpret. All you did was take the same statements and put question marks after them.

          So my response remains the same. I’m not an atheist. I’ve never been an atheist. I’m Christian. I believe in the Christian God. I affirm Christian doctrine as found in the historic creeds. But that doesn’t make me a fundamentalists by any working definition that we use here on this site.

          And in case you hadn’t noticed, this site is mostly about making jokes. So if you’re asking me to completely stop doing what I do here then the answer is “No.”

      1. Big Gary, I think you have a ways to go and you are still stuck in fundamentalism. Frankly, your comment shocked me how accepting you still are of religion.

        As that previous poster said, we people of everyone should be aware how disingenuous, evil and worthless Christianity specifically is. But all religions that that serve some “higher power” are evil. We have seen and experienced the evils of religion and the belief in a God. I’m not sure how you can still be so accepting of religion after you’ve experienced fundamentalism.

        Let’s just all be nice to each other. We each can be our own gods because there is no true “God” out there. I would think we would all believe in a “do what thou wilt” theology from our collective experiences. I find you an absolutely intriguing poster who has had many good comments to say about fundamentalistm. Yet, when the rubber hits the road, you still hold back and won’t absolutely denounce religion and believe in a deity (other than yourself). I honestly would like to find out why.

        2. I believe in God. I also write this site.

          If you’re going to try label me with the moniker “fundamentalist” then I’m afraid I shall have to have a hearty laugh at your expense.

          If you’d like to try to brandish about your atheist polemic feel free to do so in the forums instead of hijacking the post discussions.

        3. This is turning into a long discussion that really doesn’t belong here.
          I’ll just say that the bad teachings you say you’ve heard about Jesus are probably stuff that I don’t believe, either. But those are not the only teachings there are.

          Also, I don’t agree with the dictum: “Do what thou wilt.”
          I’d rather take Augustine’s advice when he said, “Love, and do what thou wilt.”
          There’s a big difference.

        4. To put it another way, Fundamentalism is not the only form of religion I have experienced. It’s only one note in the symphony of faith.

  7. The scorner got baptized whether he wanted to be or not. Does it count since he was unwilling? Will his name be added to the baptisms list to bulk up their numbers since he was actually baptized? Guess they’ll have to add him to the list of salvations too! :mrgreen:

  8. I was amazed that they cast a bad light on Toy Story 3 (which is rated G) and then they were doing a parody (complete with a good copy of Ledger’s Joker) of a movie that was rated PG-13. Seems like a huge double standard.

    No wonder Joker said they were legalistic. Perhaps he was onto something.

    1. We can’t expect any consistency or balance from people like this. Any time people choose to walk in judgment and legalism, they end up in hypocrisy.

  9. I just looked up Col. 1:14-20 in multiple translations. Maybe these doofuses could take the whole council and not just one verse. Verse 20 in every translation I looked at has reconciliation to Him through His shed blood.

    Besides, these idiots likely couldn’t even read a 1611 if they had one.

      1. Am I the only person who thinks there’s something ironic about referring (in English) to the Greek New Testament by its Latin (not Greek or English) name?

  10. sorry if i offended anyone with spelling, grammar, and breaking of other rules. I am typing this on my android phone this morning.

    1. Does the Android make up wrong words like the iPhone does? The auto correct feature has gotten me into trouble with some of the things I have tried to write. I gave up trying to post with it. I didn’t want to get banned.

      1. I am just as bad with my iPad, which is really unforgivable, since it is larger than the phone! 🙁

  11. I thought the church sounded better AFTER the Joker came. Shows what a little truth can do for a church. How crazy do you have to be to believe, as a professing Christian, in the Greek New Testament as an instrument of evil in a church? Shows just how far off base a lot of Fundys are (and sadly, as I used to be).

  12. Wow, the technical quality wasn’t half-bad and they managed a couple of decent effects like the slow-mo fall into water. Somewhat campy feel but that’s pretty typical of a lot of the old Batman stuff anyway.

    I found it amusing that El Nino only spoke Spanish but it was generally simple enough that you could get the idea of what he was saying. Bloopers during the credits was a nice touch.

    The content about KJV, etc. were droll but to be expected from where the group was coming from.

  14. I don’t even know where to start.

    I thought this whole thing was very, very well done. That said, however, the irony is that the people responsible for it don’t even get their own joke. The cultural irrelevance, the theological narrowness and the legalism of the church stood out a lot more strikingly (to me at least) than the Joker parody.

    BTW, I don’t know who the pastor is, but he could be a identical twin to Gene Robinson, the retired gay Episcopal bishop of New Hampshire.

  15. I liked that they did put some artistic quality onto it , with decent edititing. The pastor was arrogant, like a true IFB pastor (except he wasn’t fat).

    I was waiting for the scorner to arise from the waters of baptism
    a new creature, washed clean. Oh wait, that is not their theology – but would have been cool.

    Also liked the stereotypical Hispanic sidekick (I’m kidding). Wonder why they didn’t make him show his green card?

    And what was that crappy music he was playing in the car. Was having a few flashback
    moments.

    2. The pastor isn’t acting. If you watch the credits he is listed as appeared as ‘himself’.

  16. There is nothing I can say here that would improve on anything all of you have already said. I can only add that I could just cry. Sometimes it takes me that way. 😥

  17. It was soooooo draggy. Sad that they used all that time and talent to bag on other Christians rather than do something to draw new people into their ministry. Or maybe not so sad after all if their holy, man-made standards are their emphasis.

  18. I thought the whole thing was pretty good. Some genuinely funny moments and much better video editing than I expected.

    Sure, the whole KJV vs NIV thing was cliche but it didn’t take away from the movie.

    As for the Toy Story 3 appearance, I got the impression they used TS3 to make it obvious that watching movies themselves isn’t wrong, just that skipping church to watch a movie is. (In other words I think they tried to pick an obviously “good” movie)

  20. If you spend all your time in church, then all you can think of is a fight against the evil INSIDE the church.

    “Defender of the Status Quo” is naturally the super hero of choice.

    Much more palatable than a prophet marrying a whore, or a prophet railing against the rich.

    1. You know, I got the same feeling from this video. If you have a King James Bible, listen to hymns etc., your are a superhero equivalent to Batman. A grandiose delusion about oneself? Come on, the truth is that, compared to God’s main scheme of things, the fundamentalist is a dot on an incredibly massive timeline of church history. Your significance in this universe as a fundy does not increase because you stopped singing How great is our God, and you sing antiquated hymns.

  23. it almost seemed like it was a really niche parody, like a parody of if a fundy made a movie. all of those hallmarks of IFB were there.

  24. It wasn’t that bad, a couple of overly chliched scenes, but better than I expected.

    I especially liked the part with the gay couple riding in the car on the way to church.

    1. Batman and El Nino? Not a gay couple but I did get a kick out of how one could interpret it that way if so desired. They were bickering like an old married couple.

      1. If you’re interested in that question, you can find a lot of Internet discussion on whether or not Batman is gay. I have to say the sheer volume of evidence mustered by the “he’s gay” side is impressive.

        This issue also comes up in the wonderful novel, “The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay,” by Michael Chabon. It’s a must-read (not because of that, but because it’s a great book).

  25. Why do fundies lack creativity? All they can do is take something from the secular world and try to Christianize it.

  27. I watched 2 or 3 min. The concept of the minority sidekick repulsed me, and frankly, I found the Joker to be a better representation of a Fundy than…whatever “evil” he was supposed to be. I mean, seriously, the suit, the obvious clutching of the Bible, the fake smile…just like the people I spent most of my life with in church. 😕

    Creepy.

    1. Ok, watching more.

      “If these people knew the difference between an alpha and a beta, you and your little book would be gone.”

      Whoo! I propose Ancient Greek classes for church members! 😈

      Seriously, that is the best argument for personal Bible study I’ve ever heard. 😀

  28. Interesting that the hymn being sung at the “first baptist church” in the beginning of the film is “ToGod Be The Glory” and they’re singing the line “…open the floodgates that all may go in”. I guess it’s all may come in who believe exactly as we do lest you’ll be labeled a scorer and kicked out.

    I’m familiar with the church that put this out. They’re in Nampa, ID and are an unashamed “Ruckmanite” church.

  29. I’m with Joker

    I think is funny what battles these guys are fighting. They are all cultural battles no one is going to take there church why are freaking out. There will always be a desire for a Traditional church and there will always be people who want God defined by a list of extra biblical mandates.

  30. Terrible British accent. Terrible.

    Otherwise, this is the best video I’ve ever seen a fundy group put out. The production values are actually good. The concept and story is well done.

    That said, the message is icko. That’s my educated vocabulary word for you. haha. I mean, really? Right of the bat (pun intended) the ridiculous conversation about “the blood” signaled the level of absurdity. And I laughed out loud when the video that’s modelling itself after a movie (with a movie soundtrack) got to the part where it shows a family’s spirituality being undermined by…a movie. They can’t even claim to be using the comics since not only was the Scorner’s character visually a reproduction of the movie Joker, but there were a couple of shots that were blatantly copied from Batman Forever, the Nolan films, and Inception. That’s just…I don’t even know what to say about that. It’s so over the top, I can only laugh at it.

  31. All the flags of different nations in the back of the church. Also, punch punch kick kick. It’s not Batchristian without some gratuitous violence committed by men.

  32. HEY! You finally posted something from someone I know! My nephew is in that video – he’s the one in the beginning with the 2 guys reading the verse from their Bibles. I think one of the comments above had a remark about a gratuitous appearance of an Hispanic. Not so much (on the gratuitous part). My nephew is half Uruguayan (oh – and 1/4 mexican!)and one of the associate pastors at this church is hispanic as well. I didn’t watch this today, as I saw it some months ago (mother-in-law sent it to us). I had to laugh at the “Grunge” church singing How great is our God – we sing that – and we are still pretty traditional here! Also, the pastor – in spite of his beliefs that I don’t agree with – is a good man. They are definitely Ruckman- they have some paintings he did hanging in the church, and a number of his books in their bookstore. I was also amused that they had the guy read the NKJV – which DOES have the blood in that verse – as part of their attempt to argue for KJV onlyism. Seems like that undermines the argument. I’m just glad I live far away from there so I don’t have to interact much with them or the family (in-laws) that are members there.

  33. Scorner needs a straw feminist sidekick called Harlot Quinn. She should wear slacks to church, flash some collarbone, and preach to mixed-gender audience.

  34. I noticed that, in keeping fundy tradition, the pastor has already determined what works for the church. When the pastor talks to the joker, I am feeling this vibe that “it does not matter what you believe, I am top dawg here, its my church, and I’ll run it how I want to.”

  35. Oh my gosh. that was so funny. Am I the only one who thought that was funny? I laughed at the intended jokes and the unintentional laugh lines and the whole plot. The opening scene was my favorite. What could be worse than an arch villian infiltrating a church and changing their music to make the whole church go bad?
    People who did not grow up in this culture are probably scratching their head trying to figure out what Joker’s evil plot is here. Changing a sign to remove the word Baptist is the worst that can happen?
    Ah, I laughed so hard I thought I’d die. Loved it. 😆

  36. Pretty much unrelated, but in college we would refer to Bob the Third and Bob Jr as the Joker and the Penguin based on looks. Come to think of it, a lot of Batman villains sound like they could be nicknames for certain fundy preachers. Riddler. Scarecrow. Two Face.

  37. Ah, the good ol’ church vs. church battle rages on in true religious form. Fellow Christians, let’s not focus on winning the world to Christ, or spreading His love, but let’s nitpick other Christians who’s music sounds different from ours, and make them the enemy, shall we?

    From what I gather from this video, the message being portrayed is that people who would like to bring their church into today’s day and age are “scoffers” and “scorners” who must be cast out. Said scorners are definitely NOT people who revile Christianity and doubt the coming of Jesus Christ. (Sarcasm clearly intended)

    There are many double standards in this and I’m not going to list them all, but there are a few that bothered me just a bit despite the attempted humour.

    – The KJV is considered by many to be the only true version of the Word of God, therefore implying that God only preserved His word in America and the rest of the world doesn’t have the true Bible. The Hispanic sidekick agrees in this film that the KJV is the only true version of the Bible, but wouldn’t the people from his own homeland consider the Reina-Valera the preserved Word? The group of three men who were discussing different translations suggest that other versions state that water of baptism is what saves, according to Colossians 1:14. In over a dozen different translations that I looked in- not one of them remotely suggested that baptism saves. They all claimed salvation is through the Son of God, and reference the blood of Christ in other verses. LOTS of other verses.

    – These churches consider CCM to be unacceptable because they claim it to be evil rock music with Christian lyrics. I guess I just wonder how taking a worldly movie like Batman and putting Christian words to it any different? God won’t a “dirty vessel” like rock music, but He’ll use a PG-13 movie?

    – Moving on to the truly absurd- writing “bat droppings” into the script for BatChristian?? These churches teach that you shouldn’t say “crap” or “darn”, because they are just substitutes for dirty language. I guess if we make a substitute for the substitute we’re okay…

    There were a few other points I just found interesting.

    The act of contaminating the church and turning it “Grunge” means that it now sings “How Great is our God”… this is song on God’s black list? Although I am assuming that a Grunge church is supposed to be a bad thing? I’m not sure about that point. Maybe more churches should wear their true colours on their sleeves and on their signs instead of insisting that the squeaky clean veneer truly represents what Christians are. Yes, we are made clean through God’s Son’s blood, but no spotless white buildings or three piece suits will make any difference in that regard.

    Some people see the removal of hymnals from the church as a modern change. Others see this as a step away from God. These are the days when paper books are becoming a thing of the past, and electronic versions take up the job of carrying text. The Bible is also available on most phones and other electronic devices. This does not mean that Bibles are being removed from the face of the world, it means they are being more easily accessed, owned and carried daily. At one point stone tablets and leather were considered archaic forms of storing text and replaced by modern scrolls and parchment. Scrolls were eventually replaced, and the modern book form was used to carry information. I’m pretty sure that removing these books from churches makes a steepled building less church-like just as much as removing pews for padded seats makes the same buildings less holy.

    This video is an attempt to Be A Testimony, but instead of being a shining light of God’s love to the lost world, their mission is evidently to be a testimony to other Christians. Yes, I do believe that Satan can get into churches and twist the Truth and destroy Christians, and this is a problem that needs to be eliminated. I just don’t believe that writing a new song and singing it from a screen in praise to God is one of the ways the devil works.

    My note here is not to attack anyone, but perhaps to call into question the motivation of this film and the position of obvious judgment it takes towards other believers. No churches are perfect, but are there no other battles to fight except against each other? Why is this time, effort and obvious talent going towards attacking other Christians? When unsaved people see this, will they want to join this group of “Christian”, because of the 15 minutes spent attacking another group that also calls themselves Christians? Perhaps this is only a lighthearted jab at another “denomination” and I just can’t take a joke. Or perhaps I’m a bit too sensitive to light-hearted bullying intended to show a group of believers as an enemy that needs to be “cast out”. Whatever the case, you and I are free to take from this what we will, and I promise- I won’t call you my enemy if we happen to disagree.

    1. I really like what you said and I think I agree with you completely. The reason I said “I think” is that I’ve put up boundaries to protect my spirit, and I WILL NOT watch stuff like the video above.

      But I do appreciate people like you who watched it and gave a biblical critique.

      From a pastor’s wife of a formerly IFB church and a now “grunge” church who is thankful that I do not answer to these hypocrites (and yes it’s RIDICULOUS of them to use worldly movies but shun “worldly” music) but to God

  38. I read through all the comments and didn’t see any mention of the Bat Tract. I think the “bat droppings” line would have fit nicely right there.

  39. Just now got a chance to watch this. I watched it all the way through, just because it was so very rediculous. But didn’t they rather abuse some things that Fundies say to treat with reverence? As in throwing Bibles and hymnals in a pile, and throwing a person into the Bapistry?

  40. I have to admit, some of the humor was pretty good…Robin checking each locked door after Batman did as an example and needing to go to the bathroom as they were ascending the wall. The production value was so much better than expected for IFBx fare that I kept waiting for the satirical spin against the fundies.. That’s funny in its own way. 🙂

  41. I have another theory. The pastor asked the youth to make a film showing that his way of doing things is superior. They like him well enough to go to his church, but they think some of his ideas are a little extreme and even silly. So they make the movie he asks, but make the whole thing a parody.

    From the moment they show that the “Scoffer” reads the New Testament in Greek, those in the know recognize that he is the good guy. The enemy is not modern translations, rock music, or Pixar, but knowledge. When the NIV and NKJV disagree, the final authority is not the Greek or Hebrew, but the KJV. And the Bat-Tract made me think of a dropping. The Garcias wrote the script to mock stereotypes. Gaspar Martinez—the one who only speaks Spanish—is relegated to sidekick. Bat-Christian calls him El Niño—boy. But Ruben Garcia, who speaks with a bad English accent is Bat-Christian’s wise and trusted advisor. Listening to someone sing in Spanish and enjoying it—not spiritual enough. Then they contrast what the Scoffer is allegedly doing—removing words from the Bible—with what he is actually doing—filling in in the church Nursery and being kind to children. He’s got an eye on the pulpit—maybe some preacher boys are Scoffers in disguise, training for the ministry, while hoping to sneak in some love, education, and CCM.

    Is that a Bible that gets replaced by Toy Story 3? The one that says “HOPE” on the cover? If so, which translation? And we wouldn’t want the church to become the center of the community! The pastor seems content with his legalism: “Well, so far, it’s been working pretty good for us.” “The young generation’s message? “If you think that you can get rid of me—wrong! You’ll split the church! Like an atom! And it will all blow up in your face!” Notice both Bat-Christian and El Niño listening to “approved” music in the car and rolling their eyes. I took the scene of gathering all the hymnals and Bibles for burning as pure satire. “You think just because we want to make a few changes around here, we plan to burn all the hymnals? You probably think we want to burn all the Bibles, too!” A bat? Seriously? Aren’t bats usually associated with the devil? Also knocking the idea that initials that stand for a Christian slogan sanctify anything. Bat-Christian and El Niño don’t have answers to the Scoffer any more than the Pastor does, so their answer is to beat the bat-crap out of him. In Christian love, of course. The Scoffer had to lose the fist-fight, because the pastor still thought he was a hero. Not being big on satire, he never realized he’d just been pwnd. The youth of the church have their own ideas. The church can either gradually accept some new ideas, continue to grow, and let the next generation begin stepping into leadership roles, or they can reject any changes, drive the youth out, and gradually age, shrivel, and die. The thing is, there’s no need to leave sound doctrine. Just allow some liberty in matters of taste, and some of the youth will become your most energetic supporters.

    As for using a PG-13 movie as a vehicle? In the fundy church I grew up in, watching a movie, even a good, clean. wholesome one, was always a sin if you watched it in a theater. Once it came out on video, they were much more willing to allow some measure of liberty to watch “good” movies. (They had some really convoluted reasons for this.) Once on video, if a movie was still forbidden (and the rules could be a bit hazy and variable) you might get away with watching it, but you had to pretend you hadn’t. You could say, “This is a bad movie because I heard it had X,Y and Z in it,” but recognizing a particular scene, or music from the soundtrack, meant admitting you had watched the movie.

  42. In the end, this is just an attempt for the filmmakers to talk themselves into believing their own doctrine.

    Though surely well intentioned, it is neither informed, compelling, or likely to change anyone’s mind. Or Bible translation.

  43. The production value wasn’t bad, considering the source (i.e. it was a step or two above the clips on America’s Funniest Videos). The script and dialogue was ambitious (although the minority sidekick angle was a bit cringeworthy).

    However, all in all, it came across (to me) as a parody of Fundamental Christianity rather than the (assumed) goal of parodying Hollywood into a nice Christian package. Many of the elements (as have been already pointed out) just didn’t fit within the Fundamentalist framework (i.e. using Toy Story 3 as an example of a bad choice while parodying Dark Knight or the whole “baptism” finale–although the slow-mo effects were one of the production highlights and I suppose the case could be made that S.C.Orner was drowned rather than regenerated. 😉 )

    Overall, it probably serves as a great benefit to those who share the same beliefs as the producers, offends some who differ in beliefs, just comes across as bizarre to those who choose not to believe, and just makes the rest of us shake our heads and laugh….nervously….while looking over our shoulder…which should be one’s normal response with a figure who calls himself BatChristian is on the loose.

  44. Wayyy late to the party here, but I’m amazed that no one noticed – or pointed out – the Scorner “blacking out” verses in Alma, one of the tomes that makes up the Book of Mormon (czech it at 6:01). Gah!

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