Crimes & Misdemeanors (pictured is Judah and his criminal brother, ultimately his brother hires a hitman to take out Judah’s girlfriend who threatens to turn Judah over to the cops)

Crimes And Misdemeanors 1989 9/13

Adrian Rogers – Crossing God’s Deadline Part 4

crimes & misdemeanors

Best scene of the movie!!!!

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John Brummett in his article “Huckabee speaks for bad guy below,” Arkansas News Bureau, May 5, 2011 had to say:

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Below you will find a discussion by Anton Scamvougeras on the Movie “Crimes and Misdemeanors.” I think he does a good job of describing everyone’s position in the plot and their worldviews. There are two main problems with his comments. First, in part one he calls Judah a “lazy theist.” Actually he was raised a theist and left his theism behind in college when he became an agnostic or atheist.

Later after having his former girlfriend killed he is convicted by his God-given conscience that he will pay for his sin. His theological views change for a couple of weeks and then when he is not caught his atheism returns for good.

Why did Judah feel guilt? In the Bible Romans chapter one clearly points out that God has revealed Himself through both the created world around us  and also in a God-given conscience that testifies to each person that God exists.
These are the exact two places mentioned by the scripture   Romans 1:18-20 (Amplified version)  

18For God’s [holy] wrath and indignation are revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who in their wickedness repress and hinder the truth and make it inoperative.

    19For that which is known about God is evident to them and made plain in their inner consciousness, because God [Himself] has shown it to them.

    20For ever since the creation of the world His invisible nature and attributes, that is, His eternal power and divinity, have been made intelligible and clearly discernible in and through the things that have been made (His handiworks). So [men] are without excuse [altogether without any defense or justification].  

What Judah does is reject his conscience and the result was that he embraced his selfish desires. That is also described in this same passage in Romans in the two following verses: ²¹ For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. ²² Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools.  

There is a second problem with the commentary by Anton Scamvougeras. He describes the Godless universe that Allen has pictured as excruciating or exhilarating. The problem I have is the excuse by some people that they do not see the full ramifications of embracing a “Godless universe.” The word “excruciating” is the proper description of that reality. How can the word “exhilarating” be used? Solomon showed us in the first 11 chapters of Ecclesiastes what the world “under the sun” without God in the picture looks like and it forces one to embrace nihilism. (See previous post on this about Solomon’s search.) However, the atheist has to live in the world that God made with the conscience that God gave him. This creates a tension. The agnostic Carl Sagan felt the tension too.

 What does Dr. Sagan have Dr. Arroway say at the end of the movie Contact when she is testifying before Congress about the alien that  communicated with her? See if you can pick out the one illogical word in her statement: “I was given a vision how tiny, insignificant, rare and precious we all are. We belong to something that is greater than ourselves and none of us are alone.”  

Dr Sagan deep down knew that we are special so he could not avoid putting the word “precious” in there. Francis Schaeffer said unbelievers are put in a place of tension when they have to live in the world that God has made because deep down they know they are special because God has put that knowledge in their hearts.We are not the result of survival of the fittest and headed back to the dirt forevermore.

I would love to hear from any atheist that would present a case for lasting meaning in life apart from God. It seems to me that H. J. Blackham was right in his accessment of the predictament that atheists face:

On humanist assumptions [the assumption that there is no God and life has evolved by time and chance alone], life leads to nothing, and every pretense that it does not is a deceit. If there is a bridge over a gorge which spans only half the distance and ends in mid-air, and if the bridge is crowded with human beings pressing on, one after another they fall into the abyss. The bridge leads to nowhere, and those who are pressing forward to cross it are going nowhere. . . It does not matter where they think they are going, what preparations for the journey they may have made, how much they may be enjoying it all . . . such a situation is a model of futility (H. J. Blackham et al., Objections to Humanism (Riverside, Connecticut: Greenwood Press, 1967).)

Woody Allen’s film does a great job of showing the need for the “enforcement factor.” One reviewer made it sound like the movie was unrealistic and Judah could have smoothtalked his way out of this. However, Woody Allen anticipated this objection and that is why he threw in the illegal financial dealings of Judah that his former girlfriend knew about. Now instead of just losing his marriage he may have to go to jail.

Enjoy the clips below and let me know what you think.

Crimes and Misdemeanors: A Discussion: Part 1

Crimes and Misdemeanors: A Discussion: Part 2

Crimes and Misdemeanors: A Discussion: Part 3

Part 3 of 3: ‘Is Woody Allen A Romantic Or A Realist?’

A discussion of Woody Allen’s 1989 movie, Crimes and Misdemeanors