With Megachurches Putting Up Star Wars Nativity Scenes, Who Needs Anti-theists?
I have been a Star Wars fan since I was old enough to play with the action figures. I loved the action, the sense of adventure and the battle between good and evil. As an adult, I have shared this love with my daughter, and we are planning to view the latest movie together this week. With all this said, I am concerned that some with weak theology would draw wrongheaded connections between the film’s running theme and the Christian message.
Many equate any story about a chosen one and the Christ. Any fight between “good and evil” can be seen as correlating with what the Scriptures teach. In one aspect, this is true. All good stories have the same elements that we find in the Scriptures. And if we couple this misunderstanding with our desperate desire to see sinners come to church, we can have an adverse outcome. This has occurred in a New Jersey megachurch.
CBS New York reports:
A New Jersey pastor and “Star Wars” enthusiast is using the force to tell the Christmas story this year.
Liquid Church, a non-denominational contemporary Christian church, is holding “Cosmic Christmas” services at multiple campuses that will weave parts of the “Star Wars” movies together with biblical theology, Pastor Tim Lucas (no relation to Star Wars creator George Lucas) said.
Now, I am not trying to be hard or even traditional. There are things that we can change to make the attendance of non-Christians more appealing. On the other hand, we can go too far with our attempt to accommodate. We also have to understand that this can give a wrong idea to people.
Breitbart reports:
Liquid Church is holding “Cosmic Christmas” services at all five of its statewide campuses on Christmas Eve.
Promising New Jersey’s only “LIVE Star Wars Nativity Scene,” Liquid offers a nativity scene that includes Princess Leia, Han Solo, R2D2, and Chewbacca.
With such displays we do not need for atheists to disparage the nativity, we have done the job for them. What we have to ask is, what message does this give the nonbeliever? What does he come away with?
Breitbart continues:
“There are no rules that say church needs to be dry and boring,” Lucas told The Daily Record on Dec. 16. “One of our core values at Liquid is that ‘church is fun.’ It’s okay to laugh and celebrate together while talking about Christmas. If that means having Star Wars characters in costume and dancing Stormtroopers, I’m all for it.”
“Cosmic Christmas” will feature “Jolly ‘ol Stormtroopers,” Star Wars giveaways, and a chance to sit on Darth Santa’s knee for a selfie.
Each service will include costumed characters, movie clips, and music. You can watch various videos from the “Cosmic Christmas” services here.
Christianity believes that God is personal and wholly other than all of His creation. Star Wars would have God be a force living in all of us. Christianity has Christ and His Bride, the Church, fighting to restore what was lost in the Fall; by slaying wicked men with the Word of God. Star Wars features two equal, but opposite, forces that are eternally struggling for control, relying on the same force to guide and empower them.
The idea that these things can be related shows either a lack of knowledge of the movies or sound Biblical theology. It may serve to bring people to a building, but it is unlikely to bring them to Christ.
