i'm so torn

i can't wait to see the passion of the christ, but at the same time i am afraid i am going to have to wait three weeks to go so that all of the churches can get it out of their systems. i don't want to go experience this movie in a theater full of church people. is that wrong? i'm bothered on a lot of levels by this whole thing of the church coopting this movie as an evangelism tool. it feels really cheap and WWJDish to me. i saw a pastor on the news the other night talking about how his church has bought up blocks of 500 (yes, 500) tickets so that they can go and take their lost friends to this movie so that their lost friends can hear the truth and be saved. sigh. is that really going to happen? maybe some. my guess is that it will be mostly good church folk (some of whom probably need to be saved -- did i say that?) who were invited by other good church folk because the first group of church folk couldn't get tickets because the other church folk's church bought them all up. sigh again. it also bugs me that most of these folks won't walk across the street to befriend thier neighbors, but they are going to give them a movie ticket and a door hanger and consider their work for the kingdom accomplished until the next "christian" thing comes out. i know i'm generalizing, but some stereotypes exist for a reason.

why does this bug me so much? i don't know. i think my fear is that mel and company have made what looks to be a beautiful and brutally honest and real portrayal of the death of Jesus and in response the "christian" marketing machine has cranked up for the next round. how long will it be before we have TPOTC key chains? sigh x3. i wonder how many people who do not know Christ are going to stay away from the movie because of the people who will be there? after seeing pastor ticketmaster on the news the other night, i wouldn't go anywhere near a theater for several weeks. who wants to experience the movie and then be assaulted on the way out with the 4 happy hops to heaven? i don't know if i could control myself if i walked out and a stranger came up and asked me the "diagnostic questions".

pardon my joy in irony. but i also think it is hilarious that pastors and churches who have been railing against "r" rated movies since time began are now buying block tickets and encouraging everyone to go. it's gonna be awful hard to preach that sermon about the evils of culture now. actually probably not. i do think there will be some good church folk who leave the theater mighty ticked at brother so and so though. if this thing is as violent as it has to be, the deacons will not be pleased.

so i'm stuck with my dilemma. when to go? i may wait and see it on a sunday around noon. the church folk will be too busy eating lunch to join me. unless they go to the early service. sigh.

man i'm bitter tonight.
j