Cut and Re-release

And I hear the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here I am! Send me.”

We have all heard it said that the only necessary thing for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.  (Edmund Burke)

This week I was all ready to celebrate because an evil was stopped because good men and women did something. I was wrong.

It isn’t that good people did not speak up. In fact, they did and it looked like the movie industry was responding. I left church last week encouraged after hearing that “Show Dogs” had taken out the scenes that many saw as grooming children for sexual assaults.

Apparently, there are some scenes that normalized “genital touching in a children’s film” that were so offensive that enough people complained. The company pulled the film, promising to re-cut it.

The National Center on Sexual Exploitation reports that the movie was re-cut and released in time for the Memorial Day Weekend. They added that they were disappointed that the “the sexually exploitive narrative and scenes of genital touching remain in the movie.” (https://endsexualexploitation.org/articles/statement-movie-show-dogs-still-grooms-children-sex-abuse-recut-film-fails-remove-scenes-genital-touching/)

They strongly advise parents and caregivers not to take their children to see this film.

Though I am discouraged by the response of the filmmakers, I am encouraged that so many would take a stand for decency and protection of our children. Because we lose a battle does not mean that we should throw in the towel on the whole war.

I am reminded of the prophets of God who were told that they would go to Israel, proclaim the truth, and be rejected. No one would listen to them. Isaiah (6:8-12). Jeremiah (5:21, 17:23). Ezekiel (2:1-7). God did not tell them to stop at the objections or rejections.

“Good” people, which I think should be “God’s” people, need to keep working to bring change to our culture. If we are going to have any effect we will have to persevere, to say the same things over and over to the same people.

They will hate us. They will say they hear us and then “re-cut and re-release” the same junk they put out in the first place.

They will refuse to listen and refuse to hear. They will act like they are responding but will deceive us if we are not vigilant.

It is interesting that in an industry that is claiming to clean house of the sexual predators in their leadership (think Harvey Weinstein) they are blind to the fact that, in this movie, they are promoting an equal, if not worse, sin.

In Isaiah 6:9 God warns Isaiah that he is going to a people that he will tell to, “Keep on hearing, but do not understand; keep on seeing, but do not perceive.” This is Hollywood. The rest of that chapter should scare us. (Isaiah 6:10-13)

God is just as much at work in Hollywood as He was in Isaiah’s proclamations to the people of Israel. Like Isaiah we are to keep speaking until the Lord is finished.

Since this movie is re-released essentially without change, it’s obvious that God ain’t finished yet.

Please, let’s not do nothing about evil but, as God’s people, let’s speak up and say what needs to be said and do what needs to be done.