Christian themed movies are rage these days. From Noah to God Is Not Dead, the genera is growing and growing. Last week Heaven Is for Real was released just in time for Easter. However, like with Noah, the Christian community is split on their reception to the new film. Some Christians have issues with the story’s themes of necromancy, believing that is a tool of the devil.
The movie is based on the 2010 novel, titled Heaven Is for Real: A Little Boy's Astounding Story of His Trip to Heaven and Back, by Pastor Todd Burpo and Lynn Vincent. The film stars Greg Kinnear (Rake, As Good As It Gets) as Pastor Burpo.
In the book/film, Pastor Burpo’s four-year-old son, Colton claimed that he made trips to Heaven following emergency surgery. The real life Burpo has fully endorsed the movie, telling The Christian Post:
"They're sharing Colton's message accurately and honestly, and they're doing it incredibly well. I think God is telling people the story...When we shared our book, there's no way we have caused people to buy it in stores. Hollywood is a great medium--how many people go to the movies rather than read books?....This movie's going to cause everyone, in the right way, to ask 'what do I believe?' and 'should I believe?'"
However, there are some in the christian community that do not like the message that the movie is sending.
Christian author and TV producer Steve Wohlberg recently told Christian Wire about his issues with the story:
"There's one major problem. Neither the Old or New Testaments teach anywhere that our dead relatives are floating around in heaven waiting to talk to us. Instead, they 'sleep' (1 Cor. 15:51)quietly in their graves awaiting 'the resurrection at the last day' (John 11:25)."
Others have found fault with Colton’s necromancy (talking with the dead) which is forbidden in the Bible.
Have you seen the movie or read the book? What was your reaction? Let us know if Heaven is real in the comments section below.
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