Chad Allen, Larry King, "End of the Spear" -- scoring my prognostications

In my earlier essay, I discussed the casting of homosexual activist Chad Allen to play the roles of Christian martyr Nate Saint and his son, Steve, in the film "The End of the Spear." I made some predictions about the consequences growing out of this foolish move on the part of Every Tribe Entertainment.

In the update, I mentioned that Allen would be on Larry King "debating" Al Mohler, and suggested we pray for Al to be lovingly truthful, and not to cave. How did it turn out? And what's my score as a prognosticator, so far?

You can read the whole exchange here, and form your own conclusions. Here are mine.

First: I'm very grateful for Al Mohler's presence. I don't see how he could have done a better job of preaching Christ, under the circumstances. He kept turning the discussion to Christ's Lordship and our species-wide need for Him. He was indeed loving, compassionate, firm, and truthful in his dealing with this issue.

Second: has Larry King ever asked stupider questions? (Example: "Does it disturb you that apparently there's no record of Christ having had a heterosexual relationship?") Probably he has -- but I can't remember when. It hurts my brain just to think about them; you will gape in slack-jawed wonder.

Third: how's my record as a prophet? Well, on this issue, probably better than your average modern-day wanna-be. Here are my predictions, edited, along with what I see as fulfillments.

1. PREDICTION: If we go and support the movie, the pro-homosexual-agenda-driven MSM will report this as our "reluctantly growing" in our acceptance of homosexuality. It will be used to marginalize the concerns we express about this destructive sin, and decaffeinate our call to repentance and regeneration. Particularly (if reported accurately), Steve Saint's gushy acceptance and embrace of Allen will be messaged as acceptance of his homosexuality.
   FULFILLMENT: (Chad Allen) "Steve Saint called me today, and he said, I need you to know that I'm sitting here with Mincayani. We'll be watching you tonight. We love you. We are on your side. And I know that we have those differences, but we are walking through this together. That's where we're going to go."

   MY SCORE: One for one.

2. If we protest and stay away, we'll be shown up as knuckle-dragging haters, and once again Steve Saint's own embrace of Allen will be used against us. Why can't we be more enlightened, like Steve? After all, it's him and his dear dad that Allen is portraying. If it's okay with Steve, and Steve embraced Chad just as he is (as reported), why don't we? Our protests will be used to highlight the film. And here's the really nasty, biting irony: the "martyr" will be seen as Chad Allen... not Nate Saint.

   FULFILLMENT: (Chad Allen) "Of course, you know, it all comes down to that basic fear. You know I'm right now in a position where I'm getting attacked a lot because of who I am as a gay man. I'm coming out in a movie called 'End of the Spirit' [sic] in a story that's very dear to conservative Christians and some of the Christians don't like that idea."
   

   MY SCORE: Two for two.
   

3. If we do not support the movie, a message taken will be, "See? Christians don't even support Christian productions. Better get back to putting out filth."


FULFILLMENT: Still too early to tell; nothing in this interview.

MY SCORE: Two for three.

4. If we do support it, expect to see Chad Allen preaching all over the place. Hint: he won't be preaching the Christ who Nate Saint died proclaiming.

   FULFILLMENT: A caller asks, "Chad, by whose standard do you think that it's right to live the way you have chosen to live?" Allen replies:

   By the standard that I judge all of my actions. These days I judge all of my actions by my relationship with God of my understanding. It is a deep-founded, faith-based belief in God based upon the work that I've done growing up as a Catholic boy and then reaching out to Buddhism philosophy, to Hindu philosophy, to Native American beliefs and finally as I got through my course with addiction and alcoholism and finding a higher power that worked for me.

   You know, I had to sit down with that same God today and say, "Do you want me to go on this show? Do you want me to speak the things that are in my heart? And if not, I'm happy not to go. Do you want me to make this movie?" It's the same God that I go to for every decision.

   That's preaching.

   FINAL SCORE: Three for four.

Greatest irony of the interview: Allen depicts Christians as fearful about supporting his movie, and he puts these words in their mouths: "I am afraid that if I support you and if I allow you to have your freedom that will somehow tell my children that it's okay to be gay."

And then what does he say, in his very next remarks? "...From as early as I can possibly remember I was attracted to men and not to women. That's just the way that it goes. I didn't have somebody like me talking on TV about it. I didn't have gay influences in my family. It just is and I have come to accept that it is goodness and it's part of who I am."

Um, maybe I'm better at Greek and Hebrew than I am in Allen-ese -- but isn't he telling kids that "it's okay to be gay"?

Greatest sadness of the interview: Hear Allen at length:

I have a deep relationship with God and my understanding. It's very powerful, and it's taken its own shape and form. And I am very much at peace in the knowledge that in my heart God created this beautiful expression of my love.

Listen, Larry, we are going to be different, we're going to disagree on the details of this and we probably always will. The point is and I think this is where the reverend was heading and I appreciate it.

You know, I made this movie with a group of conservative Christians who do not agree with my expression of sexuality. But we said to each other, I will walk with you accepting your differences and we can create together. I will give you your space to respect you fully. They don't need to take away from my freedom, I don't need to take away from theirs. And I am so proud to have done that. That's the kind of bridge-building I think we can get to.

Reflect on this for a moment with me. Why is Allen on this show? Because he, an activist homosexual, stars in End of the Spear, a Christian movie about Christian martyr Nate Saint and his son, Steve. That movie gave him this platform. And for what is he using this platform? To preach, repeatedly, that God made him homosexual, that he has his own self-made relationship with God that is beautiful, fulfilling, satisfying -- and has nothing to do with the real Jesus Christ, whom innumerable Christian missionaries have died preaching.

In other words, Allen sees himself as a missionary -- a missionary to Christians, preaching the Badspel of moral relativism, denial, delusion, post-modernism, and another Jesus.

Now, I'll admit that I am no expert on Jim Elliot nor Nate Saint. Did they really knowingly risk, and ultimately sacrifice their lives to tell the Auca's that they could all make their own relationships with God, that whatever felt most natural to them was a gift of God, and that fulfilling whatever passions they have is a beautiful gift of God? Or did they go, and die, to preach Christ, to preach repentance and faith.

So what would genuine Christian missionaries say to the Aucas? What would they say to Chad Allen, and to pagan America today, in the midst of their pursuits? Would they say, "God accepts and approves you just as you are; embrace your passions, they're gifts of God"?

Or would they not rather cry out as did Paul and Barnabas, "Men, why are you doing these things? We also are men, of like nature with you, and we bring you good news, that you should turn from these vain things to a living God, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and all that is in them" (Acts 14:15).

Instead of an evangelist, then, we have a dysangelist, a preacher of the Badspel, of bad news. Christian missionaries would preach and tell people how they can know God on God's own terms, how they can be saved from their sins' guilt and power. Chad Allen preaches no hope, except the illusory hope of denial. He can point to no freedom from sin, so he points to redefinition of sin.

Not only did Every Tribe Entertainment do the Christian community no favor in selecting Allen. They did Allen no favor, either.

UPDATE I: more along the line of fulfillment -- and Pat Robertson makes another appearance?! Chad Allen speaks again, from this interview:

I’ve really been heartened by the number of Christians who have said that [homosexuality ] is not a sin and that we should just love and respect each other. Even, Pat Robertson has a link to my Web site—and it’s done in a nice way.