There has been much said about the new movie"End of the Spear". I have not posted a word about it as of yet. While I have not seen it (or Narnia for that matter) Jason Janz (who stirred a bit of controversy over the film) sent me his post on the movie:
On Friday, January 13th, I posted an article on my blog, http://www.sharperiron.org/, titled "Nate Saint Played by Gay Activist in 'End of the Spear.'" The article created a stir, and it became evident that this issue is important to many Christians.
On Thursday, January26th, I spent two hours on a conference call with Mart Green, the CEO of Every Tribe Entertainment; Randy Alcorn, Christian author and director of Eternal Perspective Ministries; and Mike Sproul, the pastor of Tri-City Baptist Church in Tempe, Arizona. I believe that God was honored as four men strove for understanding in a difficultsituation. The Bible tells us in Romans 12:18, "If possible, so faras it depends on you, live peaceably with all." Hebrews 12:14 says,"Strive for peace with everyone." I believe that heartbeat was evident in this meeting.
We covered a lot of territory during that call. While we still disagree on some major issues, I feel it is my responsibility to address the part of the conversation that pertained to the content of my original article.
The morning after I attended the screening, I was made aware that a gay activist was playing in the movie. Feeling that this was bad judgment, I began researching the facts so that I could make Christians aware. I found several discussions on the web where this issue had been raised several months ago, but generally, people seemed unconcerned. I read every article on the actor's website, researched others, and documented the quotes.
I wrote the article and uploaded it late Thursday night, January 12th. By noon on the 13th, it was evident that this was a hot topic. A friend of mine emailed me the email address of one of the team members at ETE. I emailed the ETE team member the following message: "A friend of mine said he has been contacting you this morning regarding my article and he forwarded me your email address. I am more than willing to post a response from ETE to clarify your position on this issue." I received a short answer, but I was not alerted to errors in the article and received no official statement from ETE.
After writing the article, I realized that Sharper Iron readers would want a way to voice their concerns, so I formulated a brief letter to which pastors could add their names and said that I would forward it to Mart Green.
After one hundred pastors had signed the letter, I emailed it to Mart Green and the ETE team on Wednesday, January 18th. I received an email from Mart Green on that Friday asking if we could talk. We had a cordial, but stilted conversation, and I think we both felt frustrated after the call. It was opening day, and Mart was trying to get ready to go to a showing with several members of the UN. I was endeavoring to make sense of ETE's decision. Regardless, the call didn't accomplish much.
On Tuesday, January 24th, someone forwarded me an email message written by Randy Alcorn. In it, he mentioned that Steve Saint was denying what was said in my article, especially regarding my quote from The Advocate magazine. If what the article said was untrue, then I needed to take steps to correct my reliance upon it. I immediately called Randy and asked to speak with him. He was on a writing project, but he called me the next morning. We talked for about an hour, and he shared his concerns.
That same day, Pastor Mike Sproul forwarded an email in which Mart Green stated that he felt I didn't hear his heart when we talked on the phone. These two issues troubled me, so I emailed Mart and asked him if we could talk again. We set up a conference call for 1:00 p.m. Thursday, January 26th. This call was much more profitable than the first. Though we still disagree, I believe that we understand one another more clearly.
In my original article, three issues need addressing. First, I brought the testimony of ETE into question when I assumed that someone on their set was sitting around reading gay magazines. This was an improper conclusion based on evidence that has since been refuted.
Second, after I quoted an article from The Advocate, I made a judgment on what I understood the belief system of ETE to be. I was wrong, and I have apologized to Mart and asked for his forgiveness, which he kindly granted to me. I told him that if I had to do it over again, I would have sent my article to ETE before I posted it on my blog.
Third, it has also come to my attention that The Advocate reported something that is incorrect, according to Mart Green and Steve Saint. I have edited my original article to add their side of the story. I told Mart that I would send out the corrections to everyone that received the initial article from me as well as those who have contacted me. In addition, I will make the necessary corrections to my original article for the sake of those who read it in the future.
While I believe that ETE erred in its decisions, its errors are no excuse for me not to admit mine. My communication up until yesterday was with the team members of ETE, but not Steve Saint. It was brought to my attention that some people came to conclusions that were untrue about Steve and his dad as a result of reading my article. His contact information was forwarded to me and we talked on the phone yesterday for almost an hour. I apologized and asked for forgiveness and Steve said, "You were forgiven before you asked."
I am genuinely sorry for causing him and his family undue hurt. In Closing The Bible implores us, in spite of deep disagreements, to not count fellow believers as enemies, but as brothers. Mart is not my enemy. He is a brother in Christ who has a track record that speaks of a heart for evangelism and getting God's Word into as many people's hands as possible. I trust that you do not imply from this letter that I feel any less passionate about my initial concerns. They remain. However, my purpose in writing this was not to enumerate my disagreements, but rather to admit my errors.
I want to thank Randy Alcorn for taking the time and showing the initiative to try to see some of these issues resolved. I want to thank Mike Sproul for the godly wisdom that he exhibited and the time he took to help. I want to thank Mart Green for being willing to hear my concerns. I believe that in the future, he will exercise his influence with more care. Mart and I would both appreciate your prayers as we endeavor to make the best out of a painful situation.
Jason Janz
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