aTypical Joe: a gay New Yorker living in the rural South

Sunday, December 25, 2005

Christianity Today on Brokeback Mountain

Christianity Today reviewed Brokeback Mountain, demonstrating that the film is indeed generating broad discussion. These are the Discussion Starters at the end of the review:

1. The tagline for Brokeback Mountain is, “Love is a force of nature.” Do you agree? Do we get to choose whom we fall in love with? Do we get to choose our sexual orientation? Why or why not?

2. Scripture says homosexual sex is sinful (Lev. 18:22, 20:13; Rom. 1:26-27; 1 Cor. 6:9-11). How should the church engage those who hold different beliefs about homosexuality? Should Christians expect all people to be heterosexuals? Why or why not? What does this mean for how Christians should treat gays?

3. Ennis’ parents died when he was young. Do you think the loneliness he experienced as a child played into his attraction to Jack? If yes, how so? When he got married, why didn’t Alma’s love satisfy his need for companionship?

4. Do Ennis and Jack love each other because they’re gay, or are they gay because they love each other? Explain. Had they never met, do you think one or both of them would have happily lived a heterosexual life? Why or why not? What does that say about the nature of sexual orientation?

5. Ennis and Jack determine that their bond is no one else’s business. Can love-gay or straight-stay secret and be and/or remain healthy? Why or why not?

6. How should Christians approach films that depict gay relationships? What, if anything, can we learn from such movies? About the gay culture? About ourselves?

Whether they’re actually being discussed or not, these are the kinds of questions I like to see Christians asking each other.

AND ALSO: Christianity Today’s is not the first or the only review to call the sex scenes in the film “graphic.” There is no nudity during the sex scenes in the movie; what makes them graphic is that they involve two men rather than a man and a woman.

The scenes are not graphic, they’re honest. And tame by heterosexual standards.