So I watched the movie Red 2 the other night. It is a very entertaining movie with a stellar cast of actors. It’s not the kind of movie everyone can enjoy because of the violence, however, it is not gratuitous violence. Frank Moses, played by Bruce Willis, and his girlfriend Sarah Ross played by Mary-Louise Parker, are reformed assassins but are soon dragged back into this world by Marvin Boggs, played by John Malkovich.
They are soon informed by former colleague, Victoria Winslow, played by Helen Mirren, that they have had a contract put out on them by MI6 and that she would be the one to fulfill it. A few scenes later, the former three are riding in a car when they encounter Victoria on the other side of a bridge in rural Europe holding a sniper’s rifle. As the three retreat, she fires. Cut to the next scene, Victoria is standing near the car which has been thoroughly charred and the remains of those in the car are unrecognizable. Frank, Sarah, and Marvin appear—Sarah asks Victoria, “where did you get the bodies,” to which Victoria replies, “they were in my freezer.” Chilling words from an aged contract killer who has grown callous to death.
One thing that I will do when I watch a movie is pull up bios about the actors in a film to find out more about them. I guess I am a little quirky that way. An interesting fact I read about Helen Mirren is that she is an atheist. It’s always interesting to me to learn about celebrities’ worldviews.
Well, I got to thinking that the fact that Helen’s character, probably an atheist, too, had bodies in her freezer would not be inconsistent with her atheist worldview. Think about it—to whom does an atheist answer? Surely not a deity. They don’t believe. Well, of course, we, as humans recognize the intrinsic value of each person. Do we? Do abortionists? Did the various despots of the twentieth century? Did Hitler, Stalin, Mao, Pol Pot, Idi Amin not think they were doing humanity a favor by exterminating a class or race of people? What about the tribes of New Guinea or Africa that engage in cannibalism?
Am I saying that all atheists are that way? Not by a longshot. However, whether they like it or not, if they hold to a view that all human beings have intrinsic value, they are, at least, implicitly acknowledging someone higher than themselves. Namely, God!
Rather, what I am saying is that taken to its logical conclusion, atheism results is moral chaos. Consider this: despotic leader despises a certain group of people. Leader determines that, for the good of his people, or mankind, this group must be eliminated. He then proceeds to attempt to do so. If there is no god, to whom does he answer? He is the supreme leader.
By contrast, consider Christianity. You know, the faith often disparaged for being against abortion, against gay marriage, and for a belief in creationism. And most importantly, the worldview that says Jesus Christ, the second person of the Trinity, become fully man without relinquishing His Godhood. Moreover, by dying a brutal death and rising from the dead three days later, has become the Savior of the World.
Taken to their logical conclusion, what does each one of those values produce? Being pro-life allows a baby to be born. Being for traditional marriage between one man and one woman is simple biology, dare I say, settled science. Believing that the Earth was created as opposed to being the result of some pre-historical explosion that through a series of random occurrences produces our world. And then, even more preposterous, that intelligent life spontaneously arose from nothing. Believing in the Risen Savior gives hope for this life and the one to come. How in the end, does that hurt anyone?