The Next Wave

Despite the enormous financial success of The Passion of the Christ almost three years ago, last year proved that an anti-Christian movie like The Da Vinci Code could also pull in some serious dough (to the tune of over $200 million). Unsurprisingly, more people are jumping on the anti-Christian bandwagon, the latest being James Cameron who is preparing a documentary claiming Jesus wasn't resurrected.

There is little doubt that this is a direct attempt to undermine Christianity. The Apostle Paul makes this abundantly clear:

"And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that he raised Christ,
whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied." - 1 Cor 15:14-19 (ESV)

Without the resurrection of Christ, there is no Christianity. So it is no surprise at all that an unbelieving world would continue to launch attacks at this foundational doctrine. As it is, the last 150 years have seen postmodern liberalism slowly chip away at denominations preaching a false gospel that denies the deity of Christ and the historical reality of His resurrection.

Over the centuries, the science of archaeology has, despite numerous attempts from members of that field to let their personal philosophical and religious views affect and infect their work, overwhelmingly supported the biblical record time and again. There is in fact not a single thing in the Scriptures which has been proven false by archaeology. I doubt many even within the Christian community realize this, and if they did it would have them a lot more prepared for the publicity and open hostility to Christians and Christianity that is sure to come in the wake of Cameron's film.

The Passion of the Cruise?



For a long time I have simply chuckled a little when reading the occasional news story about fringe cults like Scientology. The increasing publicity Tom Cruise has created for the Church of Scientology has simply produced more jokes, and a time or two I've even been inspired enough to write a few parodies such as "Suri with the Fringe Cult Pop."

Today isn't one of those inspirational times. According to Scientology cult leader David Miscavige, Tom Cruise is the new "Christ" of Scientology.

First of all, the irony in this statement is delicious. You see, according to secret Scientology teachings, "God, the Devil and Christ" are all characters in fictitious 3D motion pictures that were shown to the souls (or "thetans") of a bunch of aliens who now live in clusters in the bodies of humans, and "the only reason people believe in God and Christ was because it was in the film their body thetans saw 75 million years ago." So this cult leader is comparing the most public figure of his cult with a religious figure his cult claims is a fiction born of a long-dead alien race.

(With stories like this, it's no small wonder L. Ron Hubbard failed as a science fiction writer!)

To make it even worse, Mr. Miscavige draws the comparison by pointing to the fact that Christ was "criticised for his views" but later generations realized he was right. The problem, Mr. Miscavige, is that your cult doesn't believe Christ was right at all, and thus you are comparing Tom Cruise to a false prophet who was rightly criticized for his views because he was actually just playing off the brainwashing of a bunch of alien "body thetans."

To compare Tom Cruise to Jesus Christ is quite simply blasphemous and silly. The archaeological evidence alone supporting the Scriptural accounts of the life and work of Christ are quite extensive. Scientific support of any kind supporting the notion of billions of aliens being nuked, brainwashed, and left to inhabit the bodies of humans is simply non-existent.

Jesus Christ was conceived of the Holy Spirit, born of a virgin, suffered and died, rose again, ascended to Heaven, and sits at the right hand of the Father. He shall return in glory to judge all men, and His Kingdom will have no end.

Tom Cruise is just a mentally unstable actor caught up in the deceptions of a cult whose founder is still dead (and will stay dead until the day he's raised up to be judged by Christ). Tom Cruise will die the same as every other sinful man, and will one day face the King whose likeness he is presently being compared to.

I have a feeling nobody will have any trouble telling who is who.