My Apologies Regarding Schindler

I recently endorsed the movie Schindler’s List in a Facebook entry, recounting how the story moved me with sympathy about the past. (Not to mention vigilance about the future!) I still believe that in that context it is a great movie, one of the classics. But in hindsight, I’m sorry I made the endorsement because of the potential it can have for some to be misled.

In 1st Corinthians 10:23-33, (quoted below) the Apostle Paul admonishes Christians to consider what they do in the light of whether it will make other people stumble into sin. As Christians we are to follow the moral character of God through the power of the Holy Spirit within us. And we are not bound by the ritual obligations of the Old Testament concerning certain foods being ceremonially clean or unclean, because what matters is faith working through love. The Christians in Corinth understood this and would freely eat meat that had been sacrificed to idols in pagan temples, because they no longer worshipped idols, and they simply saw the meat as a provision from God, not an element of pagan worship.

However, Paul cautioned the Corinthians, that while they have liberty in Christ to eat meat that had been offered to idols, engaging that freedom around those who did not understand their freedom could cause some to think that Christians were hypocritical. It would appear that while they claim to only follow Christ, they are actually worshipping idols on the side. This could hinder some from believing the gospel. For those who might be tempted to eat that meat as an act of homage to an idol, it could cause them to follow suit and justify their actions based on what they saw a Corinthian Christian doing.

What does that have to do with Schindler’s List, which I praised the other day? Well, I mentioned skipping past certain scenes (that involved nudity). The nudity in that movie frankly is not a temptation to me. I’ve skipped past it when watching and never feel any desire to play it with the intention of viewing those scenes. But there are those for whom those scenes would be a genuine temptation. They may hesitate to skip them and find themselves not only committing adultery in their thoughts while viewing, but even afterwards re-imagining those scenes and further falling into sin. There may even be other movies with such scenes, not so noble as Schindler, which they may then feel licensed to watch. And I would never want to have been an accomplice to have placed that stumbling block in their path.

There are so many resources that tell the full horror of the holocaust without having to deal with those dangers. A visit to the Holocaust Museum in Washington D.C. can leave one literally stunned by the impact. While Schindler’s List tells a powerful story, it can also be a powerful temptation for some to sin against the holiness in which the Lord Jesus has called us to walk. I would like to therefore apologize to anyone who may have been misled by my comments. For those reasons, in order to underscore my sincerity, I’m also going to dispose of my copy, lest anyone point to my possession of it as justification for not dealing with temptation in their life. Realize, it’s not a legal requirement for me to do so. But it is an act of love in the context of the passage I’ve just quoted.

1 Cor 10:23-33
23 All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful; all things are lawful for me, but not all things edify. 24 Let no one seek his own, but each one the other's well-being. 25 Eat whatever is sold in the meat market, asking no questions for conscience' sake; 26 for "the earth is the LORD's, and all its fullness." 27 If any of those who do not believe invites you to dinner, and you desire to go, eat whatever is set before you, asking no question for conscience' sake. 28 But if anyone says to you, "This was offered to idols," do not eat it for the sake of the one who told you, and for conscience' sake; for "the earth is the LORD's, and all its fullness." 29 Conscience," I say, not your own, but that of the other. For why is my liberty judged by another man's conscience? 30 But if I partake with thanks, why am I evil spoken of for the food over which I give thanks? 31 Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. 32 Give no offense, either to the Jews or to the Greeks or to the church of God, 33 just as I also please all men in all things, not seeking my own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved.