Author Suggests 'Noah' Reflects 'Godless Culture,' Sign of End Times
As "Noah" hit theaters nationwide this past weekend, author Jeff Kinley suggested that the modern world may be exercising the same End Times behavior that God alluded to in the biblical account of Noah. Kinley noted that the film's failure to use the word "God" proves the world is living in a "godless culture."
Kinley, author of As It Was in the Days of Noah, told Fox News on Monday that in the Bible, God points to several things that will signify the End Times, including a godless culture, senseless violence, rampant immorality, and falling away from a true faith.
"When Jesus' disciples came to him, they asked him, 'Lord, what will be the sign of your Second Coming at the end of the age,' and Christ responded by basically overviewing several of the events that we find in the book of the Revelation," Kinley explained. "But then he pauses and he says, 'Guys, it's going to be just as it was in the days of Noah.'"
Get Our Latest News for FREE
"What we have to do, is we have to rewind back to the Book of Genesis and find out, what were the emerging characteristics of Noah's generation, and what characteristics do we see in our generation that mirror that generation?" Kinley explained. From that, Kinley argued that a "godless culture, senseless violence, rampant immorality, [and] falling away from a true faith" are all present in today's world.
Kinley then focused on the Darren Aronofsky-directed "Noah" movie, which was released in theaters nationwide on March 28. The movie was criticized by some in the evangelical community who argued the film doesn't stay true to the biblical account of Noah and the flood. Such criticism led the film's producers to add a disclaimer, warning that the film takes artistic license though they believe it stays true to the essence of the story.
Critics have also questioned why "God" is not referenced throughout the film. Instead of referring to "God," actor Russell Crowe, who plays the role of Noah in the film, refers to Him as "the Creator."
"We've basically pushed God to the margins, we've shoved Him out to the edges of our society and in fact we've written Him out of His own story as 'Creator,' God's not even allowed to be the Creator anymore. So there's rampant godlessness, not just in our country but in the world as well," Kinley argued.
The author, who has written a total of 16 books, was quick to note that although there is an increasingly godless culture, God offers a message of "nothing but hope" to mankind. "I think there's nothing but hope on the horizon. Noah spent 120 years building the ark, and that door was open for 120 years. I personally believe that the Bible teaches that Jesus Christ is that door, and that He is the ark, and so there's safety and hope in Him, and so I think there's a bright future for anyone who wants to put their faith in Christ."
Although some have criticized "Noah" for being biblically inaccurate, others have argued that the movie still effectively communicates the message of Jesus and the Bible to its viewers. A video was released earlier this month that showed several Christian leaders, including Phil Cooke, a media consultant, and Karen Covell, founder of the Hollywood Prayer Network, offering their praise for the film.
