Introduction
Hey guys! Guess what? I’ve decided on a length for this series: five posts. Since this is #4, that means there’s only one more. And y’all will probably be able to guess what that one is going to be on if you’ve been following the series. 😉
So! For a bit of review, some things about discernment that we have discussed:
What discernment is
Why we should discern
The consequences of not discerning
How to discern
Which means that I seem to be out of things to talk about. (I know, I know, you’re all very surprised.) I spent FOREVER trying to think of another discernment topic for my introduction: I’ve done the what, how, and why. The question of “who” doesn’t really apply, which left me with “where” and “when” – kinda the same things.
Ergo, in this intro, you will be learning about where you should discern and when.
The simple answer would be everywhere, at all times.
Okay, I get that that can be a bit overwhelming. “Everywhere” is almost as big of a word as “someday”. But it’s true – if you want to guard your heart, head, and spirit, you have to be on guard at ALL TIMES. No slacking off, soldiers. *gives glare*
True, in some cases you have a pretty good idea that what you’ll be hearing/reading/watching is truth. After you’ve tested a person’s words on multiple occasions and found them solid, you’ll build up trust for that person and eventually you’ll find yourself relax. You don’t have to test their words anymore, and you hold them as a Truth Speaker in your mind.
In this situation, you still need to be discerning. You still need to test things this person says if it sticks out to you. Try it against the Bible and see if it holds firm. But in this case you can also relax your muscles a bit. (And we all know that feels good.)
Otherwise, keep your eyes and ears open. Train yourself to listen to little snippets of conversation around you and see if what people are saying rings true or if they believe lies. Look at the morals of the characters in books and compare them to those in the Bible. Check the themes and messages portrayed in movies and make sure they align with the things Jesus taught.
So yeah. The answer is everywhere. 😉
And now, ’cause my brain can’t think of anything else profoundly wise to say, shall we move on to the big reveal of which book/movie shall be torn limb from limb this time as I search for flaws?
What’s this?
You actually wanted to know without having to
S
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W
A
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*cackles* Not a chance.
I’m not that nice.
So.
*crosses legs*
I’ll give you three hints.
It’s a movie
It’s a popular movie
It has a character that you should never quote if you want to appear sane.
(If you guessed The Never Ending Story, you would be wrong. That movie has issues. *coughs*)
Alright, alright, fine! *holds hands up*
I’ll tell you.
Eventually.
JUST KIDDING! It was a joke!
Here.
The movie
for this week
is…
The Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End produced by Disney
(Also, there might maybe be spoilers in here. So beware. I’ll make sure the spoilers are alerted, but just sayin’.😉)
I’m just gonna say it… this movie was a disappointment to me. Yes, I know, lots of you Pirates of the Caribbean fans out there really enjoyed the movie. But for me, it was a little too out there, not to mention the unnecessary comments and cussing and gore. Which is why I chose it, honestly. It’s time y’all got to see a book/movie that didn’t get a positive review. 🙂
Also, I’m sorry, but this review won’t be as complete as the others. I didn’t get a chance to watch it before this week’s post so I’m going completely off of memory and YouTube. XD
Content
Pros:
Little to no bathroom humor
The jokes are actually funny (go figure!)
Cons:
More than a smattering of language
Some sexual junk – comments, implications, etc.
Lotsa violence – some of it is for comedy, but a lot of it involves blood and flying bodies, etc.
Some superstition and a goddess who is a main character and central to the plot
A scene that looks suspiciously like magic rites
And of course lots of rum
Messages
Pros:
Fight for your freedom – this one is pretty clear: Beckett wants to take over the ocean and the pirates are saying, “Uh-uh, no way!” In fact Elizabeth gives a speech on it. XD
Cons:
Seems to be that there’s some of the old “the ends justify the means” messages here: (SPOILER WARNING!!) i.e. Jack thinks – never mind. Jack doesn’t count for any of this. Will thinks betraying Jack’s trust and stealing a ship is perfectly fine just so long as he’s doing it to get his dad back. (SPOILER END!!) You can use things and people to achieve your own ends, so long as those ends are good. *eye roll*
(Warning about this one: this could very well have no underlying message and I’m just seeing things differently. So take this with a healthy dose of caution.😉) (SPOILER WARNING!!) Elizabeth is crowned Pirate King in the last third of the movie. And her subjects address her as such. Why don’t they change the name to PIrate Queen for her gender? Is it just a tradition? As far as I can remember no one actually calls Elizabeth “King Elizabeth”, just the Pirate King. I suppose it could be a form of security (keeping Elizabeth’s identity even more secret), but it almost seems like a subtle nod towards “transgender”, if you squint right.🤨 But it’s also highly possible that I’m wrong. I thought it was worth pointing out.
Morals
Pros:
Courage – in the face of great danger our heroes charge heroically into battle with their heroic speeches and heroic weapons. Good for them!
Sacrifice – (SPOILER WARNING!!) in a heartwarming turn of events, Jack Sparrow sacrifices his selfish wishes to save Will’s life. *applauds* (SPOILER END!!)
Fighting for what’s right – this is basically the plot to the whole movie – Cuttler Beckett is out to take over the ocean and the pirates are there to keep their freedom. They are not backing down without a fight – they believe they deserve their freedom and they’ll do anything to keep it (well, most of them).
Cons:
Betrayal – over and over again a main character you trust betrays another – be it in this movie or in previous ones. (SPOILER WARNING!) (i.e. Elizabeth betrays Jack, Barbossa betrays Jack, Will betrays everyone, Jack betrays everyone at one point or another, etc. etc.) (END SPOILER!!) By the end of the movie I wasn’t really sure who I could trust. My favorite character (not gonna say who) had turned traitor. It seemed like the only ones that had stayed on their sides were Beckett and Sparrow. *facepalm*
Pirating – okay, I get the freedom thing. But seriously? When did we start glorifying pirates? They murder and pillage and committing heinous crimes. And now they’re getting praised for their freedom and courage? *shakes head hopelessly*
Selfishness – this is honestly the root of the betrayal I already mentioned. Jack Sparrow excluded, the characters are supposed to be role-models – people kids look up to and say, “I want to be like so-and-so when I grow up!” Will and sometimes Elizabeth filled those shoes well in the first two movies. Now suddenly they’re both pretty selfish at times, even criminal. And they get away with it – no consequences, no negative spotlights.
Impurity – (SPOILER WARNING!!) Will and Elizabeth are supposed to be married by now. But they’re not. I’m not sure if Elizabeth would be more… controlled if they were, but she’s not exactly the model faithful bride. For one, she tempts Jack Sparrow to kiss her in the prequel to this (Dead Man’s Chest). He declines, much to my surprise and admiration. But then Elizabeth betrays Jack later via a kiss, which Will sees. *facepalm* In this movie, Elizabeth does it again by starting to kiss Jack as a way of thanks – in front of Will, no less. Thankfully Jack tells her that one kiss is enough and she backs off. But seriously? This is the woman we’re supposed to look up to? *long-suffering sigh*
Wrap Up
I know I missed a lot of stuff – feel free to tell me what in the comments! – but my brain is dead and I need to get this post out. 😉
All in all, let’s just say I have strong opinions about some of the things in this movie. It wasn’t a fitting finish to the series at all, in my opinion, and I honestly wish I hadn’t watched it. The characters I love – Will, Elizabeth, Jack, etc. – became idiots with moral compasses that work just about as well as Jack’s. Okay, I take it back, Jack’s always been an idiot without much of a moral compass. XD But still. It was a disappointment.
So, have you noticed anything that I didn’t catch in the movie? Did you find something new? What are your thoughts on discernment?
Well, that’s all for now. Take courage, pursue God, and smile while you still have teeth. 😉
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