Apocalipto

This film was incredibly credible, which is what kept me watching, though many scenes nearly forced me to look away. And that is why I would never allow youngsters to view it.

Exactly how accurate the details were, I have no way of knowing. Mel Gibson’s exhaustive research certainly made it seem authentic. But the joy, the love, the humor, the fear, the pain, the desperation, the whole gamut of emotion felt real and left me stirred.

Apocalipto reminded me how sheltered I am from life's raw cruelty; if it is not inflicted by a sadistic executioner or a hungry jaguar, plenty of savagery exists throughout what we euphemistically call "civilization." And it is ample evidence of what theologians call, "The Human Condition."

Humanity reputedly occupies the top branch of the evolutionary tree. We're tops in brutality, lustfulness, meanness, and greed, with religion contributing more than its share, as Apocalipto richly illustrates. If I weren't a Christ-follower, I'd be an atheist.

Please note that I did not use the generic term, Christian. During the first century, Jewish authorities coined the word as a pejorative term meaning “Little Christ.” But those branded by that term considered it the highest tribute, even when it meant their death by torture. Slowly, its use gained social approval until to be called “a Christian man” or woman became a tribute to ones high character.

That was then, but now it means “hypocrite,” or worse, to the many who have experienced betrayal at the hands of self-proclaimed Christians. But I digress.

To reveal that the end of the film brought with it the arrival of Spanish explorers will not spoil the story in the least. It is only appropriate to conclude the film’s depiction of pagan cruelty by introducing the next phase of religious inhumanity: Christendom!

Oh, but you may have it all wrong. I’m not anti-Christ at all. It’s just those who presume to build religions around God’s holy Son that put me off. Those whose religiosity keeps people away from Him will experience a major disappointment when they realize on which side they stand, when before Him in judgement. Apocalipto is nothing, compared to the perdition awaiting them. I only pray that my own religious practices won’t place me with them.