The Movie Compared to its Book

By Gabriel Hilleson

 I have seen many movies, alot of them were based off of books.  Every single one of the movies stank compared to the book it was based off of.  How do I know this?  Simply because I’ve read the book, since I read the book I can see what in the movie is and what isn’t accurate according to the book.  Life is the same way, we as Christians must base truth in our live according to the Bible.  In Acts 17:10-11 the Bible says ¹⁰ That very night the believers^f sent Paul and Silas off to Beroea; and when they arrived, they went to the Jewish synagogue. ¹¹ These Jews were more receptive than those in Thessalonica, for they welcomed the message very eagerly and examined the scriptures every day to see whether these things were so. ^f Gk brothers The Holy Bible : New Revised Standard Version. Nashville : Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1989, S. Ac 17:10-11  Later on in the Bible Paul commends them for there actions.  In the Gospels Jesus tells us that there will be false prophets who will try to deceive us, the best way that we can tell who is who, is by comparing what they say to the Bible.

Thank you Mr. Strunk for inspirering me to write on this topic.

Movie Perspective

By Gabriel

 

As movies come out to theaters such as Chronicles of Narnia Prince Caspian, Speed Racer, Indiana Jones, and The Spiderwick Chronicles naturally there are going to be commercials.  When we watch those commercials we get the urging to watch the movies in theaters.  But what we need to realize is although going to see movies is alright in itself we need to keep it in perspective by asking these questions.  How will this movie affect my faith? Will this in any way forward God’s Kingdom?  Also we should ask ourselves would God approve.  Not only should we ask ourselves this question for movies but for everything we do.

Eldest Book Report

By Gabriel Hilleson

 

 

                Eldest is the second book in the inheritance series.  It begins with Eragon walking on the former battle field in Farthen Dur.  Then he is contacted by Jormunder (Ajihad’s second-in-command) telling him that Ajihad was returning from hunting Urguls in the tunnels bellow Farthen Dur.  When they saw them returning from the hunt they are dismayed to see that they are attacked from the rear by some of the very Urguls they had been pursuing.  Hurrying down to their aid, Eragon is dismayed to see that he is too late.  Later he met with a council to decide on Ajihad’s successor.  When they unanimously decide on Nasuada (Ajihad’s daughter) Eragon swears fealty to Nasuada so as not to end up being a pawn of the council.  Later after Ajihad’s funeral Eragon, Arya, and Orik travel to Du Weldenvarden to complete Eragon’s training.  Once there Eragon is shocked to find that Arya is the daughter of Queen Islandzadi.  Later he is lead to some cliffs and finds to his delight that his new instructor is a rider that escaped the fall.  They begin the very next day.  They first split up Saphira trains with Glaeder (the dragon’s name) and Eragon is to train with Oromis. Next they begin with a routine of poses that are meant to enhance flexibility and balance.  After that they train with the sword.  After a couple of days training Oromis decides that Eragon should sword fight with another student, but since there isn’t any other student he is sent to fight an Elf.  When he fights this Elf he finds that it is more than a mach for him.  And then he strains himself and ends up sprawling on the ground. In class he starts training with magic.  After a couple of weeks of this training comes an Elven celebration.  During this celebration his features are changed and his back is healed in the most remarkable way.  When he goes to spar with his Elf opponent he finds that not only is his appearance altered and his back healed but that his muscles are enhanced.  He is then able to defeat the Elf.  Not long after the celebration Eragon scrys Nasuada to see that all is well and finds that a battle is coming.  Immediately after promising Oromis that he would return to finish his training, he prepares to leave.  The next day after receiving gifts from the Queen and Oromis he and Orik left for Surda.  Upon reaching Surda they find that Nasuada, King Orin, and the combined armies had already started out to the chosen field of battle.  Once they caught up with armies Eragon and Orik prepared for battle.  During the battle Eragon is horrified to find that Galbatorix got one of his dragons to hatch furthermore the rider is Murtag who was lost in the attack on Ajihad.  Finally Eragon is stunned to witness his cousin Roran jump out of a boat that had recently sailed up a nearby river with renforcements.  How did Roran come to be in Surda?  Will Eragon defeat Murtag?  This book is not only telling Eragon’s tale but also Roran’s and even some of Nasuada’s.  This book does have more reference to religion and world view.  For example on his way to Du Weldenvarden Eragon stops at a Dwarfish city were he finds out more about the Dwarfish gods and religion.  And in Du Weldenvarden Eragon asks about the Elves religion and finds that they do not worship anything.  From this display of the different religions and world views the question can be raised, is the author exploring different religions.  On the whole the book Eldest is a really good book.

Eragon Book Report

    By Gabriel 

One of the newest series I have read is the Inheritance Series.  The series is still in progress; its author Christopher Paolini began his first book Eragon when he was still a young teenager.  The book Eragon takes place in a medieval setting in a land called Aligasia were once Dragon Riders kept the peace but now an evil Emperor holds sway over his Kingdom.  The main character is a fifteen year old boy named Eragon (whom the first book was named after).  Eragon’s mother abandoned him to live with his uncle and disapered, if that wasn’t strange enough when Eragon goes on a hunting trip he hears a boom and sees a flash and suddenly this large blue rock appears.  To Eragon surprise the rock turns out to be a dragon’s egg and hatches at Eragon’s home.  Month’s later strangers appear looking for him and the egg.  In the process of trying to find him the strangers kill Eragon’s uncle and flee.  Filled with rage Eragon pursues the strangers bent upon revenge with his adult dragon Saphira and the village story teller Brom.  On the run Brom tells Eragon that the strangers are called the Razac and that they are formidable opponents and so trains Eragon to be a Dragon Rider and how to use magic.  One night Eragon has a dream where he sees a beautiful Woman.  He doesn’t think much of it except that it is a nice dream.  Then one day they reach a City called Teirm form where they hope to find a way to track the Razac.  There mission successful they find out that the Razac are hiding in a mountain called Helgind once they get there they enter the city to make inquires.  They recognized and they had to flee the city but are ambushed and Brom is killed by the Razac but Eragon is saved by a young man his own age called Murtag. Together they burry Brom and head to City called Giliad where a man there could take Eragon to the Varden (a resistance that fights the Emperor Galbatorix).  While there Eragon manages to rescue the woman that was in his dreams from torture in the Emperor’s prison.  Upon closer examination the woman is actually an Elf.  Once Eragon escapes to the Varden he helps to repel an army of Urgals (a goat like creature who stands upright) and an evil Shade (someone who is possessed by evil spirits who can use magic).  Unfortunately he is wounded in the battle.  Will Eragon be able to defeat the Empire?  It does contain magic though in different ways of summoning it.  One way that Eragon uses is to speak an ancient language; another way that he doesn’t use is to summon spirits.  Also it does not have many references to religion or worldview. I highly recommend this book.

Who is Ignorance?

Written by Gabriel

The character Ignorance in the book Pilgrim’s Progress is a pilgrim in search of the Celestial City, but he actually represents those who are false converts to the Christian faith.   In the book it said that Ignorance was “born in a country that lay off a little on the left hand.”  Christian and Faithful meet Ignorance as soon as they left the delectable mountains.  When they meet Ignorance and ask him where he is going he replies that he is going to the Celestial City.  They then see that Ignorance has no mark on his forehead and has no scroll to identify him.  They then ask how he means to enter through the gate without a mark on the forehead or a scroll.  Calmly Ignorance replies that he “knew his Lords will” and that he was a “good liver” that he “gave every man his own” and he gave “tithes to the church.”  That is what he said that makes him a false convert.

Now you may say, “Isn’t it good to pay tithes, live a good life, give each man his own, and know our Lord’s will?”  Yes these are all good things however living a good life is not what makes you a Christian.  In Ephesians 2:8-9 the Bible declares, “For it is by grace you have been saved through faith and this not of yourselves, it is the gift of God not by works, so that no one can boast.”  That passage says it all.  We have been saved through faith in Christ.

In the book having faith in Christ and being accepted as a Christian is represented as a Pilgrim being allowed entrance at a wicker gate that is the beginning of the way to the Celestial City.  When we read in the book we find that Ignorance did not enter at the gate but entered the path some other way.  Hearing this Christian is led to believe that Ignorance will not be accepted at the Celestial City but will be refused as a trespasser.  In the end Christian is right.  In Galatians 1:8 it clearly states “But even if we or and angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel other that the one we preach to you, let him be eternally condemned!  In this verse when it refers to “the Gospel we preach to you” it is referring to the Gospel of Christ.  So when it says “if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned”, it is saying that if anyone is preaching a gospel contrary to that of Christ Jesus let him be eternally condemned.  When Ignorance said that even though he never entered by the wicker gate (or wasn’t accepted by grace through faith) he thought he would be accepted because he led a good life.  He was preaching a different gospel than that of Christ Jesus.  At the end of the book after Pilgrim and Hopeful were accepted Ignorance was denied entrance and two angels flew him to the hole in the hill (a byway to hell) and threw him in.  We can now derive that since Ignorance who represented the false converts was condemned, Bunyan was asserting that all false converts (those who believe they can enter heaven by living a good life) will be eternally condemned.  Let us take warning and make sure that we are truly saved.  For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.  John 3:16

Pilgrim’s Progress: The symbol of the Christian journey (The Interpreter’s house

    In this report I will be listing the symbolism between the Christian Journey and the things that Pilgrim saw at the Interpreter’s house in the book Pilgrim’s Progress.  When Christian arrived at the Interpreter’s house he was welcomed by the Interpreter.  The Interpreter then showed him many things.  The first thing he saw was a parlor that was layered with dust.  The Interpreter then ordered the room to be swept, but when servant swept the floor dust flew through the air and didn’t do anything except almost make Christian choke.  Interpreter then ordered a servant to wash the room.  A maid then stepped in and sprinkled the ground with water until the room was clean.  The dust symbolizes sin, and the room the heart of a person.  The broom stirring up the dust symbolizes the law coming and trying to purify the heart, but only making a person more aware of his sin.  The water represents the gospel coming and cleaning a person’s heart and making it ready for Christ to live in our hearts.  Interpreter then showed Christian two boys one was named Passion and the other was named Patience.  Both were waiting to receive an inheritance.  Their “Governor” wanted them to wait until the next year.  Unfortunately Passion wouldn’t wait so he was given his inheritance.  But soon Passion’s riches faded away and he was left with rags.  Then when the new-year came Patience was given his inheritance, but his inheritance didn’t fade away.  This symbolizes those who don’t wait for the next Kingdom (Heaven) for their good things but would have them now.  Their good things will fade away.  But those who do wait for Heaven will have riches that will not fade away.  After this Interpreter took Christian to another room and showed him a fire burning in a fire place; there also was a man trying to put out the fire by dosing it with water but despite all his efforts the fire burned continuously.  Christian then saw that there was another man secretly and steadily dosed the fire with oil so that the fire burned continuously.  The fire represents our faith in Christ, the man with the water the devil who tries to subdue our faith, and finally the man with the oil is the Holy Spirit who in secret uses the Gospel to boost our faith.  The Interpreter also showed Christian another thing.  Here he saw that there was a castle and in it people wearing robes and outside the castle a line of people who wanted to get in.  But in front of the door there where soldiers who wanted to harm the people who tried to enter.  He then saw a man walk up to the scribe who was waiting to take down the names of those who entered.  The man told the scribe to write down his name, he then was given a helmet and he unsheathed his sword.  The valiant man charged at the soldiers and managed to cut a way through them and entered the castle.  This symbolizes that though as Christians we will be persecuted and mocked, but in the end we will still enter Heaven.  After this Christian was shown a man in a cage; Christian then asked him why he was sad he answered that he couldn’t get out of the cage, and that he had sinned enough that he had been “shut out of his promise.”  He also said that “God had denied him repentance” and that “God himself had shut him in the cage.”  This signifies that it is possible to sin until your heart is hardened.  Last Christian saw a man trembling.  Upon being asked why he did so the man answered that he had had a dream and that in the dream he had seen the “Heavens” turn black and that he had heard a horn blown and had seen a man sitting on a cloud.  He heard the man command “Arise ye dead and come to judgment.”  Also he commanded his angels to “Gather the tares, chaff, and stubble” and to “cast them in the burning lake.” Finally he commanded them to “Gather the wheat into my garner.”  The man went on to say that he was afraid because he had thought that the “Day of Judgment” had come and that he was not ready.  I believe that this isn’t so much a symbolism as a warning that we should be watchful because only God knows what day the end of the world will come.

Winter at Valley Forge

After the horrible defeat at the Brandywine the continental army retreated to their winter head quarters at Valley Forge.  Conditions weren’t good. The continental soldiers didn’t have enough food. Their rations consisted of cakes that were made of just flour and water.  Thomas Paine wrote, “These are the times that try men’ssouls.” Once in awhile the army would manage to take a British supply wagon. Despite this many American soldiers died of hunger and sickness but they held on to the fact that there was hope however faint that we could still obtain our liberty. That hope helped them to go

on that winter at Valley Forge.

By Gabriel                                                          

Betsy Ross

Betsy Ross opened a sewing shop and married John Ross in 1773.  She hadn’t married to him long when in 1775 war began.  On January 1, 1776 George Washington paid asked her to design a flag for the continental army.  Betsy accepted  but then tragedy struck;

Betsy’s husband died.  After the death the death of her first husband her version of the flag was chosen by congress. She married Joseph Ashburn in 1777. He was a merchant and later became a privateer. Unfortunatly her husbands ship had been  capturedby the British and he died in an English cell.  Betsy Ross married again to an old friend and after the war her third husband was nominated for a government position. Though her third husband died she remained happy for the rest of her days.

By Gabriel  

Nathan Hale

Nathan Hale entered Yale College at the age of 14. Nathan got a job as a school teacher and taught not only a boys class but a girls class.  In 1775 he sign up to be a solder in the continental army and was named a lieutenant.  He volunteered for a spy mission to find out how many solders were in the British army but was caught.  Before being hanged, Nathan said, “I regret I onlyhave one life for my country.” Rather than  frighten away spies it only encouraged more spies and these were more successful .Nathan Hale was a true American hero. 

By Gabriel 

Thomas Paine

Thomas Paine wrote the document Common Sense (Published in Jan. 1776); and afterwards wrote encouragementto the militia through the first Crisis Paper  (written in Sept. 1776). Mr. Paine was born in England in 1737, and migrated to the colonies in late 1774. The sad part is that at the end of his life, because of his complaints to Congress,

his beliefs, and his plea to stop the spilling of Louis XVI’s blood he was neglected by the Americans and the French.

by Nate