Nov. 1, 2024

Frankenstein and Politics

Frankenstein and Politics

A look at the original Frankenstein novel and movie and what they teach us about Politics

Spreaker podcast player badge
Apple Podcasts podcast player badge
Spotify podcast player badge
PocketCasts podcast player badge
Amazon Music podcast player badge
Overcast podcast player badge
Audible podcast player badge
Castro podcast player badge
iHeartRadio podcast player badge
Castbox podcast player badge
Podchaser podcast player badge
TuneIn podcast player badge
Deezer podcast player badge
Pandora podcast player badge
RadioPublic podcast player badge
Podcast Addict podcast player badge
RSS Feed podcast player badge
YouTube podcast player badge
Fountain podcast player badge
PlayerFM podcast player badge
Goodpods podcast player badge
Podverse podcast player badge
Podyssey podcast player badge
Breaker podcast player badge
Podurama podcast player badge
Audacy podcast player badge
JioSaavn podcast player badge
Spreaker podcast player icon Apple Podcasts podcast player icon Spotify podcast player icon PocketCasts podcast player icon Amazon Music podcast player icon Overcast podcast player icon Audible podcast player icon Castro podcast player icon iHeartRadio podcast player icon Castbox podcast player icon Podchaser podcast player icon TuneIn podcast player icon Deezer podcast player icon Pandora podcast player icon RadioPublic podcast player icon Podcast Addict podcast player icon RSS Feed podcast player icon YouTube podcast player icon Fountain podcast player icon PlayerFM podcast player icon Goodpods podcast player icon Podverse podcast player icon Podyssey podcast player icon Breaker podcast player icon Podurama podcast player icon Audacy podcast player icon JioSaavn podcast player icon

A look at the original Frankenstein novel and movie and what they teach us about Politics

WEBVTT

1
00:00:02.120 --> 00:00:05.879
Looking at our world from a theological perspective. This is

2
00:00:05.879 --> 00:00:12.960
the Theology Central podcast making Theology Central. Good morning everyone.

3
00:00:13.199 --> 00:00:17.160
It is Friday, November the first, twenty twenty four. It

4
00:00:17.280 --> 00:00:20.800
is currently ten thirty eight am Central Time, and I

5
00:00:20.839 --> 00:00:24.480
am coming to you live from the Theology Central studio

6
00:00:24.679 --> 00:00:32.079
located right here in Abilene, Texas. Now, yesterday was Halloween.

7
00:00:32.439 --> 00:00:34.119
I don't know what you were doing for Halloween. I

8
00:00:34.119 --> 00:00:36.920
don't know if you celebrated, if you don't celebrate it,

9
00:00:36.960 --> 00:00:38.920
if you think it's good, if you think it's bad,

10
00:00:39.399 --> 00:00:42.479
whatever your opinion is. I don't know what you were doing.

11
00:00:43.280 --> 00:00:46.600
But I'm going to open the door and let you

12
00:00:46.679 --> 00:00:50.359
know what was going on inside of my brain on

13
00:00:50.560 --> 00:00:54.320
Halloween twenty twenty four. Right because on Halloween twenty twenty four,

14
00:00:55.240 --> 00:01:01.159
my mind started thinking about three specific dates. Threat specific dates,

15
00:01:01.200 --> 00:01:06.079
two in the past, one in the future, three specific dates.

16
00:01:06.120 --> 00:01:13.799
The first one was January the first eighteen eighteen. January

17
00:01:13.879 --> 00:01:18.400
the first eighteen eighteen. My mind started thinking about, oh Man,

18
00:01:18.519 --> 00:01:22.760
January the first eighteen eighteen. I wonder how people first reacted, right,

19
00:01:22.959 --> 00:01:26.280
That's what I was thinking. Then I jumped from January

20
00:01:26.319 --> 00:01:31.719
the first eighteen eighteen to November the twenty first, nineteen

21
00:01:31.879 --> 00:01:36.879
thirty one. January the twenty first, nineteen thirty one. I

22
00:01:36.879 --> 00:01:39.120
don't know if any of those dates have any significance

23
00:01:39.159 --> 00:01:42.280
to you. The first one January the first, eighteen eighteen.

24
00:01:42.599 --> 00:01:46.280
The second one November the twenty first, nineteen thirty one.

25
00:01:46.799 --> 00:01:49.359
Obviously I wasn't alive for any of that, all right,

26
00:01:49.519 --> 00:01:54.120
but my mind was thinking about those dates, specifically what

27
00:01:54.439 --> 00:01:58.439
was released on those days. So what was released? What

28
00:01:58.680 --> 00:02:03.879
was published on January the first, eighteen eighteen, What was

29
00:02:03.959 --> 00:02:08.080
released to the public on November the twenty first, nineteen

30
00:02:08.159 --> 00:02:10.919
thirty one. Do you know? Now, if you've seen the

31
00:02:10.960 --> 00:02:14.599
title for this episode, you have an idea. If you're

32
00:02:14.639 --> 00:02:17.120
listening live, depending on which platform, you may not see

33
00:02:17.159 --> 00:02:19.039
the title, so you may not know for sure, but

34
00:02:19.400 --> 00:02:22.120
those two dates. Write those dates down. January the first,

35
00:02:22.120 --> 00:02:25.240
eighteen eighteen, November the twenty first, nineteen thirty one, and

36
00:02:25.319 --> 00:02:31.960
then the third date, November the fifth, twenty twenty four.

37
00:02:33.400 --> 00:02:35.560
Now you know, November the fifth, twenty twenty four. I'm

38
00:02:35.560 --> 00:02:37.840
pretty sure you know what that is referring to. But

39
00:02:38.000 --> 00:02:42.039
three dates came to my mind on Halloween twenty twenty four.

40
00:02:42.159 --> 00:02:45.000
October thirty first, twenty twenty four. My mind was thinking

41
00:02:45.080 --> 00:02:50.560
about January the first, eighteen eighteen, November the twenty first,

42
00:02:50.639 --> 00:02:53.599
nineteen thirty one, and November the fifth, twenty twenty four.

43
00:02:53.800 --> 00:02:58.120
So what what is significant about these dates. Well, on

44
00:02:58.280 --> 00:03:07.159
January the first, eighteen eighteen, Mary Shelley's Frankenstein was first published.

45
00:03:08.240 --> 00:03:12.919
This initial edition was published anonymously, right, so nobody knew

46
00:03:12.919 --> 00:03:15.199
who the author was. They definitely didn't know it was

47
00:03:15.199 --> 00:03:20.159
a woman. There was a preface to the original edition

48
00:03:20.400 --> 00:03:22.520
that was written by her husband, So there was a

49
00:03:22.520 --> 00:03:26.159
preface written by her husband, but the author was anonymous.

50
00:03:27.719 --> 00:03:31.759
It led some readers to assume that while her husband

51
00:03:32.199 --> 00:03:36.360
was the author. A revised and more widely read edition

52
00:03:36.479 --> 00:03:39.759
was later published in eighteen thirty one, with Mary Shelley's

53
00:03:39.800 --> 00:03:42.639
name on it, along with a new introduction in which

54
00:03:42.639 --> 00:03:48.120
she described the inspiration and process behind the novel. And

55
00:03:48.240 --> 00:03:52.759
remember when the novel was first written and people started

56
00:03:52.800 --> 00:03:56.000
reading it, there was some shock, There was some there

57
00:03:56.080 --> 00:03:59.039
was a little bit of controversy. Many people were felt

58
00:03:59.199 --> 00:04:02.840
very uncomfortable with many of its themes. They didn't necessarily

59
00:04:02.960 --> 00:04:06.319
like it. They felt it was a little sacrilegious. Maybe

60
00:04:06.360 --> 00:04:10.319
some felt it was a little blasphemous, but they basically

61
00:04:10.360 --> 00:04:15.159
handled it by publishing very negative reviews, very critical of it. Now,

62
00:04:15.280 --> 00:04:18.199
some people loved it and thought it was amazing and great, obviously,

63
00:04:18.399 --> 00:04:22.879
but there was obviously criticism of it now, which isn't

64
00:04:22.920 --> 00:04:26.040
surprising because it doesn't matter what you do. It doesn't

65
00:04:26.040 --> 00:04:28.519
matter if you're a musician. It doesn't matter if you're

66
00:04:28.519 --> 00:04:30.360
a podcast or it doesn't matter if you're a preacher,

67
00:04:30.439 --> 00:04:33.360
doesn't matter if you're an author. You do anything, there's

68
00:04:33.399 --> 00:04:35.480
always going to be someone like, it's no good, it's

69
00:04:35.519 --> 00:04:38.120
no good. There's always going to be critics, But there

70
00:04:38.120 --> 00:04:41.439
were critics. Now. What's interesting is on January the first,

71
00:04:41.439 --> 00:04:45.160
eighteen eighteen, when the book was published, there wasn't any

72
00:04:45.600 --> 00:04:51.199
major calls for banning the book, censoring the book, silencing

73
00:04:51.279 --> 00:04:54.360
the book, burning the book. There really wasn't anything like that.

74
00:04:54.720 --> 00:04:57.720
So there was some criticism of it, but most people

75
00:04:57.839 --> 00:05:02.839
found it somewhat fascinat intriguing because of its its of

76
00:05:02.879 --> 00:05:06.480
its great philosophical questions that were being asked in it

77
00:05:07.839 --> 00:05:11.040
a whole. But things would change because when you go

78
00:05:11.120 --> 00:05:13.639
from January the first to eighteen eighteen and we go

79
00:05:13.680 --> 00:05:17.920
to November the twenty first, nineteen thirty one. Oh boy,

80
00:05:18.240 --> 00:05:21.519
things were going to change because it was on that date,

81
00:05:21.600 --> 00:05:25.000
November the twenty first, nineteen thirty one, that the original

82
00:05:25.079 --> 00:05:31.639
Frankenstein Frankenstein movie that was released to the public January

83
00:05:31.639 --> 00:05:33.439
the first, nineteen thirty one. I was going to go

84
00:05:33.439 --> 00:05:35.639
into the name of the director and the main actors,

85
00:05:35.720 --> 00:05:37.279
but I'm not going to go into all of that.

86
00:05:37.360 --> 00:05:40.920
You get the idea. November the twenty first, nineteen thirty

87
00:05:40.920 --> 00:05:45.720
one and movie theaters, the original Frankenstein movie was released

88
00:05:46.000 --> 00:05:52.839
in the United States. This film adaptation became a landmark

89
00:05:53.120 --> 00:05:58.720
in horror cinema and helped establish Frankenstein as an enduring

90
00:05:59.120 --> 00:06:08.040
cultural icon. But the movie sparked some very strong reactions.

91
00:06:08.480 --> 00:06:11.160
Many and the audience got up and walked out. There

92
00:06:11.199 --> 00:06:14.600
was even reports of some fainting. There was like there

93
00:06:14.759 --> 00:06:18.079
was there was, I mean, the response was strong, and

94
00:06:18.199 --> 00:06:22.680
many conservatives and religious leaders said it was blasphemous and

95
00:06:22.720 --> 00:06:25.319
they wanted parts of it censored, and they didn't want

96
00:06:25.360 --> 00:06:28.399
it distributed, and it was like, we have to stop this,

97
00:06:28.879 --> 00:06:34.160
it's horrible. So we go from the novel, which sparked

98
00:06:34.240 --> 00:06:37.399
much more debate and conversation. We go to the movie,

99
00:06:37.560 --> 00:06:40.680
and immediately some people wanted it silence and wanted it

100
00:06:40.680 --> 00:06:43.800
to be like just wiped off the face of the earth.

101
00:06:46.199 --> 00:06:48.720
And that leads us to November the fifth, twenty twenty four,

102
00:06:48.759 --> 00:06:51.959
which is election day in the United States of America. So,

103
00:06:52.040 --> 00:06:55.920
how did my brain and on Halloween twenty twenty four,

104
00:06:57.199 --> 00:07:01.040
how did it go to January one, eighteen eight, November

105
00:07:01.079 --> 00:07:03.519
the twenty first, nineteen thirty one, all the way to

106
00:07:03.680 --> 00:07:07.279
November the fifth, twenty twenty four, an election day. What

107
00:07:07.920 --> 00:07:11.319
was the correlation? What is wrong with my brain? Well,

108
00:07:11.519 --> 00:07:16.240
I think my brain was doing this. I started thinking

109
00:07:16.399 --> 00:07:18.920
because it was Halloween. I just started thinking about some

110
00:07:18.959 --> 00:07:21.720
of the classic, you know, horror movies, and just started

111
00:07:21.720 --> 00:07:23.639
thinking around those things. In my mind was just kind

112
00:07:23.680 --> 00:07:27.439
of wandering, and I was thinking about the original Frankenstein novel,

113
00:07:27.480 --> 00:07:32.680
which I've always found greatly profound and that everyone should

114
00:07:32.680 --> 00:07:34.800
read it. And I started thinking about some of the

115
00:07:34.800 --> 00:07:40.199
themes within the movie and the book, and I was like, man,

116
00:07:41.560 --> 00:07:44.360
some of this really reminds me of politics in the

117
00:07:44.439 --> 00:07:47.079
United States in twenty twenty four. In fact, I feel

118
00:07:47.120 --> 00:07:50.560
like I feel like in some ways the Frankenstein novel

119
00:07:50.639 --> 00:07:57.079
and movie was kind of a symbol, a symbolic foretelling

120
00:07:57.600 --> 00:08:00.120
of what politics would look like in the United States

121
00:08:00.120 --> 00:08:03.560
of America, at least for the you know, for a

122
00:08:03.680 --> 00:08:05.600
very long time, for a very long time we could

123
00:08:05.639 --> 00:08:07.959
figure out where in it all started. But in fact,

124
00:08:08.040 --> 00:08:11.800
maybe maybe much longer than I would even care to guess.

125
00:08:11.920 --> 00:08:14.720
It's just I think it's what politics is. Politics is

126
00:08:14.759 --> 00:08:18.040
a lot like things that are put forth in the

127
00:08:18.079 --> 00:08:22.120
novel and the movie Frankenstein. So what we're going to

128
00:08:22.120 --> 00:08:23.839
do is we're going to take a little journey through

129
00:08:23.879 --> 00:08:26.759
the novel, through the movie, and then we're going to

130
00:08:26.800 --> 00:08:30.399
connect it all to politics, and then we're going to

131
00:08:30.439 --> 00:08:34.159
step back and see how theology should be. Let me

132
00:08:34.200 --> 00:08:38.799
stress this, theology and the Bible and Christianity should be

133
00:08:39.120 --> 00:08:44.320
a counterpoint to American politics, politics, which is very much

134
00:08:44.440 --> 00:08:48.840
like what we see in the book and the movie Frankenstein.

135
00:08:48.919 --> 00:08:50.639
Now here's what I would challenge you to do. If

136
00:08:50.639 --> 00:08:54.399
you've never done this, Please find a good edition of

137
00:08:54.440 --> 00:08:58.799
the original Frankenstein novel. You should read it. You really should.

138
00:08:59.000 --> 00:09:02.879
It's themes, philosophies, there's so many layers to it. It's

139
00:09:03.159 --> 00:09:06.519
very much worth your time. Right, just dedicate yourself to

140
00:09:06.559 --> 00:09:11.679
reading the original Frankenstein novel and then watch the nineteen

141
00:09:11.759 --> 00:09:14.399
thirty one movie. If you have a subscription to the

142
00:09:14.399 --> 00:09:17.799
Peacock streaming service, or get a subscription to the Peacock

143
00:09:17.840 --> 00:09:20.759
streaming service, it's not that much. You can watch the

144
00:09:20.840 --> 00:09:25.360
original Frankenstein movie. It's right there. You can watch it.

145
00:09:25.919 --> 00:09:30.080
You will note, obviously, the ending to the movie and

146
00:09:30.200 --> 00:09:33.000
the book. I won't give any spoilers. Let's just say

147
00:09:32.879 --> 00:09:38.720
they're very different. They're very, very, very different. So you

148
00:09:38.759 --> 00:09:42.440
definitely you'll be able to compare you and you'll see

149
00:09:42.440 --> 00:09:45.360
that the movie obviously doesn't go into the same depth,

150
00:09:45.559 --> 00:09:48.799
the philosophical depth. Even though you can see the hints

151
00:09:48.840 --> 00:09:53.159
of the themes, there's no real expounding upon them. And

152
00:09:53.200 --> 00:09:56.200
the movie's relatively short. I think it's just maybe I'm

153
00:09:56.240 --> 00:09:58.399
just going from memory. I think it's just a little

154
00:09:58.399 --> 00:10:01.120
over an hour. You can look a little over an hour.

155
00:10:01.360 --> 00:10:03.639
I don't even think it's a full hour and thirty minutes.

156
00:10:03.679 --> 00:10:05.799
I think it's maybe an hour, five hour, ten. It's

157
00:10:06.200 --> 00:10:08.720
not very long. But you should read the book, you

158
00:10:08.720 --> 00:10:11.759
should watch the movie, and then you should well consider

159
00:10:11.840 --> 00:10:15.840
maybe what it teaches us about American politics. So are

160
00:10:15.840 --> 00:10:19.600
you ready to kind of look at kind of what

161
00:10:19.799 --> 00:10:22.080
some of these themes that are in the book and

162
00:10:22.120 --> 00:10:26.879
in the movie. Here we go. If we consider both

163
00:10:27.320 --> 00:10:32.039
Mary Shelley's novel Frankenstein and the nineteen thirty one film,

164
00:10:32.559 --> 00:10:38.720
you will see that it addresses society, mob mentality, and fear,

165
00:10:39.120 --> 00:10:42.720
though they do so in distinct ways and they offer

166
00:10:42.759 --> 00:10:46.360
a slightly different emphasis. All right, So I just want

167
00:10:46.399 --> 00:10:49.000
you to when you consider the movie and you consider

168
00:10:49.039 --> 00:10:53.559
the novel, they address society, how society is, It makes,

169
00:10:53.840 --> 00:10:58.799
it gives you, It tries to capture certain elements of society,

170
00:10:59.000 --> 00:11:01.440
tries to put a mirror up to our face so

171
00:11:01.480 --> 00:11:03.600
that we see society, maybe in a way we don't

172
00:11:03.600 --> 00:11:05.200
want to see. Sometimes we don't want to look in

173
00:11:05.240 --> 00:11:09.120
the mirror, right, And it shows this idea of mob mentality,

174
00:11:09.919 --> 00:11:15.720
which has always fascinated me and frightened me in some ways.

175
00:11:16.000 --> 00:11:20.200
And then the idea of fear itself and what people

176
00:11:20.240 --> 00:11:24.000
can do with fear. Right fear. Look, you put you

177
00:11:24.240 --> 00:11:29.799
hand the right people fear they can utilize it and

178
00:11:29.879 --> 00:11:33.799
manipulate you by it. And we will talk more about

179
00:11:33.840 --> 00:11:36.440
that as we move forward. So let's kind of outline

180
00:11:37.120 --> 00:11:42.039
the messages and how each version conveys certain themes. All right,

181
00:11:42.080 --> 00:11:45.240
so let's start with the novel, all right, Frankenstein by

182
00:11:45.240 --> 00:11:52.279
Mary Shelley. The novel critiques society's treatment of those who

183
00:11:52.320 --> 00:11:59.720
are different and explores how fear and prejudice leads to rejection, violence,

184
00:12:00.159 --> 00:12:04.240
and tragedy. I want you to hear that again. The

185
00:12:04.360 --> 00:12:10.080
novel critiques society's treatment of those who are different. So

186
00:12:10.840 --> 00:12:16.399
within the novel itself, she's critiquing society in many ways. Right.

187
00:12:16.559 --> 00:12:19.519
You may say, oh, it's about the monster, right, or

188
00:12:19.559 --> 00:12:23.799
it's about doctor Frankenstein and his creation of this monster,

189
00:12:25.399 --> 00:12:28.799
or it's something much deeper than that. And so many

190
00:12:28.840 --> 00:12:31.919
times people are very bad about doing this. They can

191
00:12:31.960 --> 00:12:33.799
do it with books, they can do it with movies.

192
00:12:34.080 --> 00:12:38.559
They sometimes miss the entire point. They just see the surface,

193
00:12:38.600 --> 00:12:42.440
and there's always so much beyond it. But the novel

194
00:12:42.480 --> 00:12:46.600
critiques society's treatment of those who are different and explores

195
00:12:46.639 --> 00:12:50.679
how fear and prejudice leads to rejection, violence, and tragedy.

196
00:12:52.000 --> 00:12:58.600
Shelley's monster and the novel is deeply sympathetic character who

197
00:12:58.639 --> 00:13:01.919
suffers not because he is in inherently evil, but because

198
00:13:01.960 --> 00:13:10.480
society rejects him based on appearance and fear. See, he's

199
00:13:10.519 --> 00:13:13.279
rejected not because of an inherent evil, but because of

200
00:13:13.320 --> 00:13:17.000
society rejects him out of there, because of an appearance

201
00:13:17.200 --> 00:13:20.279
and because of fear. Just think of that fear concept,

202
00:13:20.480 --> 00:13:26.519
fear fear. Now, if you watch the movie, there is

203
00:13:26.559 --> 00:13:29.919
a kind of a well, when I get to the movie,

204
00:13:29.960 --> 00:13:31.519
I'll mention it. I'll mention it there. I don't want

205
00:13:31.559 --> 00:13:34.720
to jump ahead. So in the book, the monster is

206
00:13:34.759 --> 00:13:38.960
deeply sympathetic, a sympathetic character, I guess would be the

207
00:13:39.039 --> 00:13:42.960
right way to state that. And he suffers not because

208
00:13:43.000 --> 00:13:48.399
of any inherent evil, but because society rejects him based

209
00:13:48.440 --> 00:13:51.440
simply on an appearance and because of their own fear

210
00:13:52.240 --> 00:13:56.360
and their own fear leads to well, some things. The

211
00:13:56.399 --> 00:13:59.919
novel suggests that society creates monsters by failing to show

212
00:14:00.120 --> 00:14:04.679
compassion and understanding. So the novel seems to say, society

213
00:14:04.759 --> 00:14:08.440
creates the monsters because we show that we show no compassion,

214
00:14:08.600 --> 00:14:12.080
we show no understanding, we allow our fear to just

215
00:14:12.399 --> 00:14:20.919
take control, which leads to a mob mentality. Within the book,

216
00:14:21.240 --> 00:14:23.960
societies will will Will break it down into really three

217
00:14:24.039 --> 00:14:26.960
parts within the book, within the novel, and there's far

218
00:14:27.039 --> 00:14:29.159
more to the novel than what I'm breaking down here,

219
00:14:29.320 --> 00:14:33.120
I'm I'm limiting my focus on things that obviously are

220
00:14:33.120 --> 00:14:35.799
going to relate to politics. All right, there, There's much

221
00:14:35.879 --> 00:14:39.360
more in it, and I could probably even expand the themes,

222
00:14:39.440 --> 00:14:41.759
but but I'm just trying, you know, I don't want

223
00:14:41.759 --> 00:14:43.759
to turn this into, you know, a six month series.

224
00:14:45.440 --> 00:14:49.600
So let's consider society's judgment. Society within the novel is

225
00:14:49.639 --> 00:14:56.519
betrayed as an unforgiving and quick to judge the monster

226
00:14:56.639 --> 00:14:59.320
that they are. The society has seen as being very

227
00:14:59.440 --> 00:15:02.360
unforgiven and very quick to judge the monster, whom they

228
00:15:02.480 --> 00:15:05.559
view as a threat solely because of his appearance. This

229
00:15:05.720 --> 00:15:09.480
judgment isolates the monster and leads him towards violence out

230
00:15:09.480 --> 00:15:15.080
of pain and desperation. So within the novel, here's society,

231
00:15:15.480 --> 00:15:23.960
and it's unforgiving, it's judgmental, it's condemning, it's hateful, and

232
00:15:24.000 --> 00:15:31.240
well this then has well very horrible, unintended consequences. So

233
00:15:31.240 --> 00:15:34.639
society is seen as being judgmental, unforgiving in the novel.

234
00:15:36.120 --> 00:15:39.679
The mob mentality in the novel, although there isn't a

235
00:15:39.879 --> 00:15:42.399
literal mob scene like we see in the nineteen thirty

236
00:15:42.480 --> 00:15:47.159
one film, right, but there are multiple instances of collective hostility,

237
00:15:47.519 --> 00:15:52.840
such as villagers attacking the monster with stones. They show

238
00:15:52.879 --> 00:15:59.519
how groups can act violently and irrationally when influenced by fear.

239
00:16:00.000 --> 00:16:01.320
All you got to do is you give them a

240
00:16:01.360 --> 00:16:04.960
little bit of fear. They lose their rationality, they lose

241
00:16:05.080 --> 00:16:08.799
they become violent. That you people will think and say

242
00:16:08.879 --> 00:16:12.000
and do some of the most crazy things. All you

243
00:16:12.080 --> 00:16:14.639
got to do is give them a little bit of fear,

244
00:16:15.200 --> 00:16:17.360
just a little bit of fear, and then just let

245
00:16:17.440 --> 00:16:23.440
irrationality let And since society can already be unforgiving and judgmental,

246
00:16:23.720 --> 00:16:25.960
you add a little fear to it, and they become

247
00:16:26.320 --> 00:16:32.159
well violent, they become they just lose all rationality. So

248
00:16:32.399 --> 00:16:37.159
the book shows society's judgmental nature, It shows mob mentality

249
00:16:37.200 --> 00:16:40.639
and what leads to mob mentality. And then the book

250
00:16:41.000 --> 00:16:44.759
definitely shows us the fear of the unknown. The monster's

251
00:16:45.000 --> 00:16:51.759
existence and Victor's creation challenge natural boundaries which frighten people

252
00:16:51.799 --> 00:16:55.639
and push them towards hatred and aggression. Rather than understanding

253
00:16:56.159 --> 00:17:03.559
Shelley's critiques, Shelley critiques humanity's instinct to ostracize what it

254
00:17:03.679 --> 00:17:09.400
does not understand the fear of the unknown. I'm going

255
00:17:09.480 --> 00:17:11.000
to read that again, because I think that's a good

256
00:17:11.079 --> 00:17:19.799
summary the monster's existence, just his mere existence and Victor's creation,

257
00:17:20.240 --> 00:17:25.440
challenging natural boundaries which frighten people. They're frightened by it,

258
00:17:26.359 --> 00:17:31.720
and it pushes them towards hatred and aggression rather than understanding,

259
00:17:31.799 --> 00:17:37.920
instead of seeking understanding, instead of trying to show find rationality, logic, thinking, no,

260
00:17:38.279 --> 00:17:43.759
they just turn to aggression, judgment, fear. Shelley, obviously in

261
00:17:43.839 --> 00:17:51.440
the book, critiques humanity's instinct. Here's humanity's instinct to ostracize,

262
00:17:51.720 --> 00:17:56.000
to condemn, to destroy what it does not understand. It

263
00:17:56.039 --> 00:18:02.200
doesn't seek understanding, it seeks well, I guess, feeling comfortable.

264
00:18:06.079 --> 00:18:08.319
So there's the outline of the book, and we see

265
00:18:08.640 --> 00:18:17.920
these themes mob mentality, fear, ostracizing, condemning, judging, All right,

266
00:18:17.960 --> 00:18:22.279
there in the eighteen eighteen novel. All right, So there

267
00:18:22.279 --> 00:18:24.799
we have it. So there's the novel. Now let's go

268
00:18:24.839 --> 00:18:30.119
to the movie. Let's go to the movie, the nineteen

269
00:18:30.200 --> 00:18:34.160
thirty one film adaptation of Frankenstein. Let's consider the movie

270
00:18:34.359 --> 00:18:39.920
right now. The film simplifies Shelley's themes into a more

271
00:18:40.000 --> 00:18:45.359
straightforward tale of fear and social response to danger or

272
00:18:45.480 --> 00:18:48.559
to a dangerous and I like this, putting in quote

273
00:18:49.119 --> 00:18:56.480
a dangerous other. How does society respond to a other,

274
00:18:57.559 --> 00:19:02.559
something other, something different? How does it respond? Well, we

275
00:19:02.640 --> 00:19:06.720
know how society responds to other because if you can

276
00:19:06.799 --> 00:19:11.039
create the other other, then you add a little bit

277
00:19:11.039 --> 00:19:12.920
of fear, and the next thing you know, you're gonna

278
00:19:12.920 --> 00:19:16.039
get judgment, you're gonna get condemnation, you're gonna get ostris,

279
00:19:16.200 --> 00:19:20.200
ostracizing it, pushing it, judge. It's just gonna lead well

280
00:19:20.279 --> 00:19:25.920
to a very irrational, unloving, a lack of compassionate response.

281
00:19:27.680 --> 00:19:33.160
And the movie simplifies these themes. It's a very straightforward

282
00:19:33.240 --> 00:19:36.400
tell the movie. If you look at the movie, it's

283
00:19:36.400 --> 00:19:41.400
a very straightforward tale of fear and social response to

284
00:19:41.640 --> 00:19:45.400
a dangerous other. I like the You can put those

285
00:19:45.440 --> 00:19:50.920
other and quotations the other, the other. It's not us,

286
00:19:51.000 --> 00:19:55.000
it's them. It's not us, it's them, the others, the others.

287
00:19:55.200 --> 00:19:58.279
They're a danger, they're a threat. Be warned, be scared.

288
00:19:58.440 --> 00:20:00.920
They're out to get us, they're gonna to destroy us.

289
00:20:01.039 --> 00:20:05.920
The others. Look at this point, if you're not hearing

290
00:20:05.960 --> 00:20:08.599
American politics, then you're not catching on yet. But I

291
00:20:08.640 --> 00:20:12.720
will make it more clear as we move forward now

292
00:20:12.720 --> 00:20:15.799
within the movie, the nineteen thirty one movie, the villagers

293
00:20:15.960 --> 00:20:20.559
collective fear. As the villagers theirselves, there's a collective fear

294
00:20:23.240 --> 00:20:27.519
of the monster drives them to violent action, culminating in

295
00:20:27.599 --> 00:20:32.920
the dramatic finale with the monster's supposed death. The film

296
00:20:32.960 --> 00:20:38.920
emphasizes society's urged to purge the threat it perceives, reflecting

297
00:20:38.960 --> 00:20:42.599
how fear can lead to morally questionable actions in the

298
00:20:42.720 --> 00:20:47.279
name of safety. The villagers lose their mind. And it's

299
00:20:47.319 --> 00:20:51.559
really bizarre because the villagers just like they just immediately

300
00:20:51.720 --> 00:20:55.640
I mean, now, there is a death that leads to

301
00:20:55.720 --> 00:20:58.440
their fear. So there is something bad that happens, but

302
00:20:58.480 --> 00:21:01.279
they don't seek understanding. I don't even really like the

303
00:21:01.359 --> 00:21:04.079
movie doesn't even really explain much. It's just like there's

304
00:21:04.119 --> 00:21:05.839
the death and the next thing, you know, they're like,

305
00:21:06.440 --> 00:21:09.599
get the torches and let's go. I mean like they

306
00:21:09.960 --> 00:21:13.319
just lose their minds. There's no pause to go let's

307
00:21:13.319 --> 00:21:17.480
get more information. No, they just go crazy and it

308
00:21:17.559 --> 00:21:21.680
happens quickly. It's almost like from a storytelling perspective, you're

309
00:21:21.720 --> 00:21:24.599
kind of like, wait, I'm missing something here. It's like

310
00:21:24.640 --> 00:21:27.000
someone cut out a scene, but I think it's supposed

311
00:21:27.039 --> 00:21:30.119
to just well, first they're moving it along really quick

312
00:21:30.200 --> 00:21:32.680
in the pacing of the film. But I think the

313
00:21:32.799 --> 00:21:37.880
it's just shows how quickly a mob, a town, the

314
00:21:37.960 --> 00:21:45.640
villagers can go from joy, happiness, celebration, music, food, dancing

315
00:21:45.720 --> 00:21:49.240
to get the torches and let's kill something like. It's

316
00:21:49.359 --> 00:21:53.920
so quick it's almost unsettling how quick it changes in

317
00:21:53.960 --> 00:21:56.200
the movie. You know, I will say something about the

318
00:21:56.200 --> 00:21:58.640
movie here that I think is important. In the movie,

319
00:21:59.279 --> 00:22:01.680
there are just remember this, if you watch a movie,

320
00:22:01.680 --> 00:22:06.000
there are two jars, right, one has a normal brain

321
00:22:06.160 --> 00:22:09.119
in it, and the other one has an abnormal brain.

322
00:22:09.519 --> 00:22:12.440
The normal brain is like normal everyday person. The abnormal

323
00:22:12.480 --> 00:22:17.359
brain is supposedly from someone who is violent, who a criminal,

324
00:22:17.680 --> 00:22:23.240
criminally insane evil, right, And you'll notice which brain the

325
00:22:23.319 --> 00:22:28.640
monster receives. And you'll also notice that, well, the monster

326
00:22:28.720 --> 00:22:32.200
demonstrates that it's not that. So then the movie then

327
00:22:32.279 --> 00:22:35.640
is making an argument about inherent evil, which from a

328
00:22:35.640 --> 00:22:38.279
thiological perspective we may have some problems with. But you

329
00:22:38.359 --> 00:22:41.640
may notice that the movie doesn't it doesn't expound upon it.

330
00:22:41.640 --> 00:22:44.720
It doesn't expand it. It just kind of it's there.

331
00:22:46.400 --> 00:22:49.279
And then you're it's it's up to the viewer to

332
00:22:49.359 --> 00:22:52.759
do something with it. But it is interesting. We can

333
00:22:52.839 --> 00:22:56.559
have a long discussion about the what the movie it

334
00:22:56.599 --> 00:22:59.319
demonstrates there, but I just want you to see the

335
00:23:00.039 --> 00:23:04.480
film simplifies the themes into a more straightforward tell of

336
00:23:04.559 --> 00:23:07.400
fear and social response to a dangerous other, and the

337
00:23:07.480 --> 00:23:11.599
villa villagers collective fear of the monster drives them to

338
00:23:11.720 --> 00:23:15.480
violent action, culminating in a dramatic finale with the monster's

339
00:23:15.559 --> 00:23:20.319
supposed death. The film emphasizes society's urge to purge. I

340
00:23:20.359 --> 00:23:23.720
want you to hear that society hasn't urge to purge

341
00:23:24.240 --> 00:23:28.519
anything any threat it perceives, whether the threat is real

342
00:23:28.839 --> 00:23:32.079
or whether the threat is imaginary. We want to purge it,

343
00:23:32.200 --> 00:23:35.640
we want to destroy it. And we love to state

344
00:23:35.680 --> 00:23:39.279
everything is us versus them. They are the others, and

345
00:23:39.319 --> 00:23:41.079
they are a danger, and they are a threat, and

346
00:23:41.119 --> 00:23:45.680
we must get rid of them. Now, in some ways,

347
00:23:45.680 --> 00:23:48.920
it sounds like I'm not talking about Frankenstein, the novel

348
00:23:49.000 --> 00:23:52.000
or the movie. It sounds like I'm talking about American politics,

349
00:23:52.200 --> 00:23:56.000
Which that's my whole point here. You'll see how we

350
00:23:56.039 --> 00:24:00.559
put all of this together. So let's outline sense those

351
00:24:00.599 --> 00:24:06.240
same three concepts society's judgment, judgment mentality, its mob mentality,

352
00:24:06.359 --> 00:24:10.160
and its fear leading to destruction. Let's outline it as

353
00:24:10.200 --> 00:24:13.079
this is demonstrated in the movie Did we outlined this

354
00:24:13.160 --> 00:24:16.079
and saw? It was demonstrated in the novel? Let's demonstrate

355
00:24:16.119 --> 00:24:20.440
it from the movie when it comes to society's quick judgments.

356
00:24:20.680 --> 00:24:24.400
Within the movie, the villagers react swiftly to the news

357
00:24:24.640 --> 00:24:28.160
of Maria's death. Now that's the little girl who dies.

358
00:24:28.240 --> 00:24:31.839
Who's you could say? Was she's murdered or was she

359
00:24:31.960 --> 00:24:34.960
accidentally killed? You can watch the scene for yourself. The

360
00:24:35.000 --> 00:24:37.880
scene was shocking in nineteen thirty one, right, you look

361
00:24:37.920 --> 00:24:41.599
at it. By today's standard, you're kind of like whatever.

362
00:24:41.640 --> 00:24:45.559
But in nineteen thirty one, the reaction was like, oh,

363
00:24:46.119 --> 00:24:49.079
and there are at least reports of some people fainting

364
00:24:49.200 --> 00:24:52.319
like they were shocked. They could not believe the Maria,

365
00:24:52.359 --> 00:24:58.079
the little girl dies. It was pretty shocking. But the villagers,

366
00:25:00.000 --> 00:25:03.079
they react swiftly to the news of Maria's death, assuming

367
00:25:03.319 --> 00:25:08.599
the monster's guilt without any evidence. This illustrates society's inclination

368
00:25:08.720 --> 00:25:11.759
to judge based on fear and appearance. They didn't care

369
00:25:11.759 --> 00:25:14.559
about getting any information. They didn't care about it because

370
00:25:14.599 --> 00:25:18.119
there was no one who witnessed what happened. She's dead,

371
00:25:18.119 --> 00:25:20.920
and they just immediately assume this is the culprit. And

372
00:25:20.960 --> 00:25:23.200
they don't care about facts, they don't care about truth,

373
00:25:23.319 --> 00:25:25.799
They just want action. Oh and again, does that not

374
00:25:25.799 --> 00:25:34.400
sound like American politics? Who cares about truth? Who cares lie? Misinformation, disinformation, misunderstanding?

375
00:25:34.759 --> 00:25:38.920
Nobody wants facts, and so they just they're ready to judge.

376
00:25:39.960 --> 00:25:44.039
Which this leads to a mob mentality. The iconic mob

377
00:25:44.160 --> 00:25:49.240
with torches represent the collective aggression of people who, who

378
00:25:49.880 --> 00:25:53.119
influenced by each other's fear and anger, become capable of

379
00:25:53.200 --> 00:25:58.359
violence that they might not condone individually. See, the villagers

380
00:25:58.400 --> 00:26:00.920
start acting in a way that they may never condone

381
00:26:01.079 --> 00:26:04.319
on an individual basis. But now the fear is all

382
00:26:04.759 --> 00:26:07.400
all consuming, and now they just rise up as a

383
00:26:07.440 --> 00:26:11.440
mob and they do that which any rational person should condemn.

384
00:26:11.519 --> 00:26:13.440
But no, no, no, no, no no. Now the mob

385
00:26:13.519 --> 00:26:16.160
mentality takes over. So guess what all you need in

386
00:26:16.200 --> 00:26:19.400
politics is you have a little bit of fear, point

387
00:26:19.440 --> 00:26:24.319
to the others, create a mob mentality, and well, the

388
00:26:24.359 --> 00:26:27.279
people can be manipulated, not only to maybe do things

389
00:26:27.319 --> 00:26:29.720
that they should never do, but they can also be

390
00:26:29.799 --> 00:26:33.359
manipulated to then put certain people in power that they

391
00:26:33.440 --> 00:26:36.559
will do what they feel needs to be done because

392
00:26:36.599 --> 00:26:39.359
of their fear of the others. And well, then all

393
00:26:39.400 --> 00:26:43.640
of the things it leads to. How about fear leading

394
00:26:43.680 --> 00:26:46.680
to destruction? So we have society's quick judgment in the

395
00:26:46.759 --> 00:26:50.119
nineteen thirty one film, we have mob mentality and action

396
00:26:50.480 --> 00:26:53.119
in the nineteen thirty one film. How about fear leading

397
00:26:53.119 --> 00:26:56.039
to destruction in the nineteen thirty one film, Well, the

398
00:26:56.119 --> 00:26:59.640
villager's fear of the monster, who represents the unknown and

399
00:26:59.720 --> 00:27:04.279
unknow natural justifies their pursuit to destroy him. The fire

400
00:27:04.359 --> 00:27:07.799
at the end symbolizes society's need to cleanse what it

401
00:27:07.880 --> 00:27:12.000
cannot understand or control, even if it means destroying a

402
00:27:12.119 --> 00:27:17.319
being who might not have been inherently evil. Once people decide, oh,

403
00:27:17.400 --> 00:27:22.160
we got to get rid of that, then it's just destroy, purge, burn,

404
00:27:22.480 --> 00:27:28.400
get rid of Now. If we put the two together,

405
00:27:29.319 --> 00:27:32.680
we take the eighteen eighteen novel the nineteen thirty one movie,

406
00:27:33.359 --> 00:27:37.640
we put them together, what do we take away from

407
00:27:37.960 --> 00:27:41.759
comparing them together? Here are the shared themes. Both the

408
00:27:41.799 --> 00:27:47.279
novel and the film highlight society's tendency to ostracize what

409
00:27:47.400 --> 00:27:53.359
it fears, demonstrating how fear can transform into aggression and violence.

410
00:27:55.559 --> 00:27:58.759
And when we compare the novel to the movie, we

411
00:27:58.839 --> 00:28:04.039
see the novel's death in the film's simplicity. Shelley's novel

412
00:28:04.160 --> 00:28:09.400
dives into complex ideas about humanity, sympathy, and social responsibility,

413
00:28:09.640 --> 00:28:13.480
suggesting that society itself plays a role in creating the monster.

414
00:28:14.960 --> 00:28:18.759
The film, while much less nuanced, focuses on the danger

415
00:28:18.759 --> 00:28:24.839
of mom mentality and the consequences of unchecked fear. Together

416
00:28:25.039 --> 00:28:29.640
the novel in the film present a cautionary message about

417
00:28:29.680 --> 00:28:33.359
the need for compassion and understanding. Where the novel offers

418
00:28:33.359 --> 00:28:36.920
a critique of societal flaws that lead to tragedy, the

419
00:28:36.920 --> 00:28:40.880
film illustrates the immediate dangers of mob violence and irrational

420
00:28:40.920 --> 00:28:44.480
fear in a visually compelling way. Both worn of the

421
00:28:44.559 --> 00:28:50.880
destructive potential of humanity. When fear replaces empathy, when we

422
00:28:50.960 --> 00:28:54.160
get rid of empathy, then fear rules and rings. And

423
00:28:54.160 --> 00:28:56.680
what is bizarre? Do you remember a few years ago

424
00:28:57.240 --> 00:28:59.960
there was like this, There was at least a certain

425
00:29:00.119 --> 00:29:05.359
elements of Christianity. This almost the condemning of empathy, that

426
00:29:05.440 --> 00:29:08.799
we should not have empathy. Well, when you get rid

427
00:29:08.799 --> 00:29:11.359
of empathy, you end up creating fear. And when you

428
00:29:11.400 --> 00:29:15.279
have fear, you have irrationality. And when you have irrationality,

429
00:29:15.400 --> 00:29:18.519
you get a mob rules mentality, and you create well,

430
00:29:18.720 --> 00:29:22.200
they are the others, and you start acting well in

431
00:29:22.279 --> 00:29:30.000
a way that is completely not even remotely close to Christianity. Now,

432
00:29:30.079 --> 00:29:33.039
when you take the eighteen eighteen novel and you take

433
00:29:33.079 --> 00:29:40.359
its nineteen thirty one film adaptation, they resonate deeply with

434
00:29:40.480 --> 00:29:44.039
American politics. You take, I don't know how you can

435
00:29:44.079 --> 00:29:46.359
read the novel and watch the movie and not go

436
00:29:46.720 --> 00:29:54.400
American politics. It is literally American politics. Especially if you

437
00:29:54.440 --> 00:29:57.000
look I'm just gonna consider American politics. Really, if we

438
00:29:57.039 --> 00:30:01.359
go to twenty fourteen to twenty twenty four, that time period, right,

439
00:30:01.640 --> 00:30:04.079
just that time, because everyone can remember that, right, that's

440
00:30:04.119 --> 00:30:08.640
all within everyone's memory. If I go further back, many

441
00:30:08.720 --> 00:30:10.759
of us wouldn't even be alive for some of us,

442
00:30:10.759 --> 00:30:13.279
So twenty fourteen to the present, if you just take

443
00:30:13.279 --> 00:30:16.400
that period of time, and if you look at this

444
00:30:16.480 --> 00:30:23.160
particularly concerning fear, the demonization of groups, and a mob mentality,

445
00:30:24.200 --> 00:30:27.720
if you take American politics twenty fourteen to twenty twenty four,

446
00:30:27.799 --> 00:30:29.960
you know what we get. We have fear, we have

447
00:30:30.039 --> 00:30:34.200
the demonization of certain groups, and we have a mob

448
00:30:34.359 --> 00:30:41.519
mentality that is frightening. During this period of time, fear

449
00:30:42.079 --> 00:30:47.359
has been a pervasive tool in American politics. You cannot

450
00:30:47.480 --> 00:30:55.039
deny that It's often used to galvanize support, vilify opposition,

451
00:30:55.920 --> 00:31:02.599
and polarize society. We become more divisive, more condemning, more unloving,

452
00:31:02.960 --> 00:31:12.240
no empathy, hate, fear. It's insane what has happened? So

453
00:31:12.319 --> 00:31:15.640
how can we apply these lessons from the eighteen eighteen

454
00:31:15.720 --> 00:31:21.559
novel the nineteen thirty one film to American politics? Well,

455
00:31:21.640 --> 00:31:24.519
let's break this down, ready, how can we We're going

456
00:31:24.559 --> 00:31:27.319
to so we've walked through the eighteen eighteen novel, We've

457
00:31:27.359 --> 00:31:29.599
walked through the nineteen thirty one film, just looking at

458
00:31:29.599 --> 00:31:34.039
a few basic concepts in both. The book goes way

459
00:31:34.039 --> 00:31:36.839
beyond the wall even the movie that there are far

460
00:31:36.920 --> 00:31:39.440
broader themes that we could discuss. We could have great

461
00:31:39.440 --> 00:31:42.759
conversations about it. I mean, I'm telling you, read the book,

462
00:31:42.799 --> 00:31:46.519
watch the movie. Okay, I'm telling you all right, But

463
00:31:46.680 --> 00:31:50.519
let's start here. The fear of the and you can

464
00:31:50.519 --> 00:31:53.599
put it in quotes other or the way I would

465
00:31:53.599 --> 00:31:57.759
state it. The fear of the others, the others the

466
00:31:57.799 --> 00:32:03.160
others are here, and social division. So we're going to

467
00:32:03.200 --> 00:32:06.000
put those two together. Fear of the others in social

468
00:32:06.079 --> 00:32:15.400
division and Frankenstein and the novel Frankenstein. Society's fear and

469
00:32:15.559 --> 00:32:19.920
rejection of the monster based on his appearance and perceived

470
00:32:19.960 --> 00:32:26.200
threat reflect a human tendency to marginalize those who are

471
00:32:26.319 --> 00:32:31.319
different or misunderstood. The novel suggests that the fear driven

472
00:32:31.400 --> 00:32:35.400
exclusion can turn individuals or groups into monsters in the

473
00:32:35.440 --> 00:32:38.799
public's mind, leading to tragic outcomes. I think this is

474
00:32:38.880 --> 00:32:42.640
very important. Who's the real monster in the novel? Who's

475
00:32:42.680 --> 00:32:46.079
the real monster? In the film? Is it the monster

476
00:32:46.680 --> 00:32:54.000
or is it society? Who's the real monster? And in

477
00:32:54.039 --> 00:32:57.920
many cases when it comes into politics, waly because of

478
00:32:58.039 --> 00:33:01.680
fear and rejection of what is different or what we

479
00:33:01.759 --> 00:33:06.359
may misunderstand or don't understand. While we condemn it, while

480
00:33:06.400 --> 00:33:09.680
we act crazy and say crazy things, we in many

481
00:33:09.720 --> 00:33:13.519
cases become the very monster, and we become the very

482
00:33:13.599 --> 00:33:17.720
evil that we are condemning, or we become even more

483
00:33:17.759 --> 00:33:30.680
evil than the evil we are condemning. In the novel,

484
00:33:32.319 --> 00:33:35.720
society's fear and rejection of the monster based on appearance

485
00:33:35.759 --> 00:33:39.839
and perceived threat reflect a human tendency to marginalize those

486
00:33:39.880 --> 00:33:43.400
who are different or misunderstood. The novel suggests that this

487
00:33:43.599 --> 00:33:47.640
fear driven exclusion can turn individuals or groups into monsters

488
00:33:47.880 --> 00:33:51.079
in the public mind, leading to tragic outcomes. Now, how

489
00:33:51.079 --> 00:33:54.359
do we apply this to politics? So there there is

490
00:33:54.400 --> 00:33:57.240
the fear of the other in the novel, the fear

491
00:33:57.279 --> 00:34:00.319
of the other social division in the novel. Now let's

492
00:34:00.319 --> 00:34:03.599
apply it to politics. Fear of the other has become

493
00:34:03.599 --> 00:34:08.599
increasingly prominent and American politics, with parties, politicians, and media

494
00:34:08.599 --> 00:34:14.599
outlets often framing specific groups, whether based on race, immigration, status, religion,

495
00:34:14.840 --> 00:34:20.239
or political ideology, as threats to traditional values or national security.

496
00:34:20.480 --> 00:34:25.280
This results in an intensified US versus Them mentality, which

497
00:34:25.320 --> 00:34:32.199
fuels polarization and widespread social divides. Politicians and media on

498
00:34:32.280 --> 00:34:36.119
both sides have used these tactics to mobilize their bases,

499
00:34:36.320 --> 00:34:42.760
but this also fosters misunderstanding, resentment, and hostility among Americans.

500
00:34:47.000 --> 00:34:51.440
The fear of the other drives American politics. I'm just

501
00:34:51.480 --> 00:34:52.840
going to go through this again. I want you to

502
00:34:52.920 --> 00:34:57.679
listen carefully. The fear of the other has become increasingly

503
00:34:57.880 --> 00:35:07.239
prominent and American politics with parties, politicians, and the media.

504
00:35:08.039 --> 00:35:13.519
And I'm going to even argue the church framing specific groups,

505
00:35:13.800 --> 00:35:19.599
whether based on race, immigration, status, religion, or political ideology,

506
00:35:19.760 --> 00:35:23.440
as threats to traditional values or national security. The result

507
00:35:23.519 --> 00:35:27.440
is an intensified us versus them mentality. If you go

508
00:35:27.519 --> 00:35:31.920
to the Christianpost dot com today, oh, Mark driscoll has

509
00:35:32.000 --> 00:35:36.400
now declared if you vote basically democrat, if you if

510
00:35:36.440 --> 00:35:41.559
you're pro choice, you're going to hell. And look at

511
00:35:41.559 --> 00:35:44.760
the sum of the comments underneath it. Oh wait, so

512
00:35:44.920 --> 00:35:48.519
now salvation even in the Christian mind, it's us versus them. You,

513
00:35:48.840 --> 00:35:50.639
if you're going to be a Christian, you got to

514
00:35:50.760 --> 00:35:52.840
believe what I believe, and you got to vote the

515
00:35:52.840 --> 00:35:54.840
way I vote, because if you don't vote the way

516
00:35:54.880 --> 00:35:59.360
I vote, you go to hell. Where is that? How

517
00:35:59.440 --> 00:36:03.880
is that? Christian Ritianity? Christianity? Salvation is based on my

518
00:36:03.960 --> 00:36:07.559
faith in Jesus Christ, not who I vote for. But see,

519
00:36:07.559 --> 00:36:11.719
we can't we can't just have Christians. We already separate

520
00:36:11.800 --> 00:36:15.079
Christians into philological groups. Okay, we already do that, and

521
00:36:15.119 --> 00:36:19.480
we marginalize and we demonize and we condemn others. Okay,

522
00:36:19.519 --> 00:36:21.719
we know we already do that philologically but now we

523
00:36:21.800 --> 00:36:28.360
got to add politics into it. And Christians constantly talk

524
00:36:28.400 --> 00:36:31.480
about us versus them, Us, Us, we're the good guys

525
00:36:31.480 --> 00:36:34.760
in the story and they're the bad guys. Who are they?

526
00:36:35.039 --> 00:36:37.679
Doesn't matter, it's anyone who's not like us? Can we

527
00:36:37.719 --> 00:36:42.079
marginalize and we demonize the Fear of the other has

528
00:36:42.079 --> 00:36:46.199
become increasingly prominent and American politics, with parties, politicians, and

529
00:36:46.239 --> 00:36:51.480
media outlets often framing specific groups, whether based on race, immigration, status, religion,

530
00:36:51.559 --> 00:36:56.119
or political ideology, as threats to traditional values or national security.

531
00:36:56.519 --> 00:37:00.199
The result has an intensified US versus them mentality, which

532
00:37:00.199 --> 00:37:06.159
fuels polarization and widen social divide. Politicians and media on

533
00:37:06.280 --> 00:37:09.800
both sides have used these tactics to mobilize their basis.

534
00:37:09.800 --> 00:37:14.719
But they but this fosters a misunderstanding, It fosters resentment,

535
00:37:14.840 --> 00:37:21.280
and it fosters hostility among one another. The fear of

536
00:37:21.320 --> 00:37:28.920
the other, them them, them on. Once you have fear

537
00:37:28.960 --> 00:37:31.920
of the other, then that guess what that leads to.

538
00:37:32.320 --> 00:37:35.039
Then now, because of your fear, you can be manipulated,

539
00:37:35.199 --> 00:37:37.760
and now you are a useful tool, a tool for

540
00:37:37.840 --> 00:37:40.639
what to get a certain party elected so that they'll

541
00:37:40.679 --> 00:37:52.719
fight the other supposedly for you. The novel shows this,

542
00:37:53.280 --> 00:37:57.639
and it's very applicable to American politics. So there's the

543
00:37:58.239 --> 00:38:03.000
fear of the other in the novel. How about the

544
00:38:03.159 --> 00:38:09.480
mob mentality? Are group thin now? In the film? In

545
00:38:09.519 --> 00:38:14.599
the nineteen thirty one film, it illustrates how a group

546
00:38:14.760 --> 00:38:18.239
or groups, I should say, or group can quickly descend

547
00:38:18.320 --> 00:38:22.360
into mob mentality, acting out of collective fear rather than

548
00:38:22.400 --> 00:38:26.559
individual reason or compassion. The villagers pursuit of the monster

549
00:38:26.639 --> 00:38:31.000
with torches represent a rush to violent action without understanding

550
00:38:31.599 --> 00:38:38.079
or evidence. That's very clearly illustrated in the nineteen thirty

551
00:38:38.119 --> 00:38:44.199
one film. It is clearly illustrated they act out of

552
00:38:44.239 --> 00:38:49.159
collective fear rather than individual reason or compassion. Forget compassion,

553
00:38:49.320 --> 00:38:58.159
forget understanding, forget reason, burn it down now? How do

554
00:38:58.199 --> 00:39:03.039
we apply this to American politics? American politics today often

555
00:39:03.039 --> 00:39:07.199
operates in an echo chamber, where like minded individuals amplify

556
00:39:07.280 --> 00:39:11.440
each other's beliefs and stoke each other's fears. Social media,

557
00:39:11.440 --> 00:39:15.679
in particular, has intensified groupthink, making it easier for political

558
00:39:15.920 --> 00:39:20.840
factions to rally around demonizing narratives from protests turning violent

559
00:39:20.880 --> 00:39:24.880
to online harassment campaigns. People in groups sometimes abandon critical

560
00:39:25.000 --> 00:39:28.400
thought in favor of collective rage, often aimed at those

561
00:39:28.559 --> 00:39:35.559
perceived they perceive as monsters or the enemies. And you

562
00:39:35.599 --> 00:39:38.599
hear this even in preaching. How we talk about people

563
00:39:38.679 --> 00:39:42.920
Christian radio, How them, them, They're the monster, They're the

564
00:39:43.039 --> 00:39:46.239
enemy them, it's us versus them. And then all you

565
00:39:46.280 --> 00:39:49.559
do is listen to the same voices, and you begin

566
00:39:49.599 --> 00:39:52.519
to eliminate any voice that would be critical of your perspective,

567
00:39:52.599 --> 00:39:55.039
and you're like, they're all liars. We have the truth.

568
00:39:55.119 --> 00:39:57.320
Everything we say is true. Everything's to say anything they

569
00:39:57.400 --> 00:40:00.119
say no, not true, not true, fake news. You know,

570
00:40:00.119 --> 00:40:03.599
it leads to this group think, this mob mentality. And

571
00:40:03.639 --> 00:40:06.639
if anyone tries to even raise a hand a hand

572
00:40:06.639 --> 00:40:08.599
and say wait, wait, wait wait, I don't think you're

573
00:40:08.599 --> 00:40:11.679
immediately told to shut up, be quiet, and go away

574
00:40:11.800 --> 00:40:22.559
because you will not question us. If you watch the

575
00:40:22.639 --> 00:40:26.960
nineteen thirty one film and you see all of those

576
00:40:27.039 --> 00:40:31.960
villagers running up the hillside with their torches, ready to destroy,

577
00:40:32.280 --> 00:40:35.440
ready to purge. When you see them, well, I won't

578
00:40:35.440 --> 00:40:37.800
give it all the way you when they descend upon

579
00:40:37.920 --> 00:40:44.639
the building and they set it ablaze. How do you

580
00:40:44.679 --> 00:40:47.519
don't see American politics? I have no way. I don't know.

581
00:40:47.880 --> 00:40:52.360
I don't know why you're not seeing it. Maybe because

582
00:40:52.400 --> 00:41:01.840
you're so in it. Mob mentality and group think. How

583
00:41:01.840 --> 00:41:07.679
about demonizing and the demonization of opposing views. Let's go

584
00:41:07.719 --> 00:41:11.360
back to the novel. Right, So we looked at the

585
00:41:11.400 --> 00:41:14.599
fear of others. How that's talked about in the novel.

586
00:41:15.039 --> 00:41:17.760
Then we talked about mob mentality. How that's talked about

587
00:41:17.760 --> 00:41:20.280
in the nineteen thirty one film. Now, let's go back

588
00:41:20.280 --> 00:41:25.079
to the novel for the demonization of opposing views. Shelley's

589
00:41:25.079 --> 00:41:29.639
Frankenstein critiques society's impulse to judge harshly and hastily, rejecting

590
00:41:29.679 --> 00:41:33.320
the monster without considering his true nature intentions. This can

591
00:41:33.360 --> 00:41:36.079
be seen as a metaphor for how society can create

592
00:41:36.199 --> 00:41:42.360
enemies by refusing to understand those who are different. Yeah,

593
00:41:42.440 --> 00:41:45.639
you think, well, how does this apply to American politics? Well,

594
00:41:45.639 --> 00:41:48.800
political rhetoric and the US has often focused on vilifying

595
00:41:48.800 --> 00:41:52.480
opposing groups rather than fostering understanding or compassion. Terms like

596
00:41:52.599 --> 00:41:56.320
the enemy of the people, deplorables, are radical left or

597
00:41:56.400 --> 00:42:01.400
radical right are used to de legitimize and de humanize opposition.

598
00:42:01.760 --> 00:42:07.079
We dehumanize other people, we dehumanize them we dehumanize them

599
00:42:07.360 --> 00:42:10.199
based off what we put them in a group. We

600
00:42:10.280 --> 00:42:14.159
dehumanize the group, and then we say it's us versus them,

601
00:42:14.440 --> 00:42:16.800
and then we create a mob mentality, and then it's

602
00:42:16.880 --> 00:42:20.039
fear and we must destroy them, and then we forget

603
00:42:20.079 --> 00:42:24.599
anything about compassion, empathy. Empathy is actually seen as bad

604
00:42:24.679 --> 00:42:31.760
by some Christians. Now that I mean, it's very clear.

605
00:42:31.800 --> 00:42:38.679
I mean, I don't know how else to describe this.

606
00:42:38.679 --> 00:42:41.800
This reflects the lesson of Frankenstein by showing how the

607
00:42:41.840 --> 00:42:45.840
demonization of political opponents can lead to a fractured society

608
00:42:46.239 --> 00:42:52.280
where collaboration and empathy are sacrificed for the sake of conflict.

609
00:42:54.119 --> 00:42:56.719
It's not about empathy, it's not about understanding, it's not

610
00:42:56.760 --> 00:43:02.440
about collaborating. It's about conflict. And what do we see

611
00:43:02.440 --> 00:43:19.480
in politics. It's about fighting and dehumanizing and attacking and destroying. Now,

612
00:43:20.320 --> 00:43:24.079
let's look at that. So we've looked at the fear

613
00:43:24.159 --> 00:43:27.440
of others and social division. We've looked at that, how

614
00:43:27.440 --> 00:43:30.320
that's in the how that's in the novel, and how

615
00:43:30.400 --> 00:43:32.880
that shows up in American politics. We looked at the

616
00:43:32.920 --> 00:43:35.199
mob mentality and group think, how that appears in the

617
00:43:35.239 --> 00:43:38.559
nineteen thirty one film. How that shows up in American politics.

618
00:43:38.719 --> 00:43:41.800
We've looked at the demonization of opposing views. How that

619
00:43:41.840 --> 00:43:43.800
shows up in the novel? How that shows up in

620
00:43:43.840 --> 00:43:50.320
American politics. How about the consequences of a fear driven society?

621
00:43:50.880 --> 00:43:54.239
What are the consequences of a fear driven society? Well,

622
00:43:54.280 --> 00:43:56.639
in this case, we're going to take the novel and

623
00:43:56.719 --> 00:43:59.159
the movie and we're going to put them together, because

624
00:43:59.199 --> 00:44:01.760
if you take both the novel and the film, they

625
00:44:01.840 --> 00:44:04.920
warn of the tragic consequence when society acts on fear

626
00:44:05.039 --> 00:44:08.440
rather than understanding. In the novel, the monster becomes violent

627
00:44:08.480 --> 00:44:12.519
after repeated rejection, a tragic outcome of society's inability to

628
00:44:12.519 --> 00:44:15.639
see him as more than a threat. The film's dramatic

629
00:44:15.760 --> 00:44:19.320
ending reinforces how mob action driven by fear can lead

630
00:44:19.360 --> 00:44:24.840
to destruction without achieving true justice or peace. Now, how

631
00:44:24.840 --> 00:44:27.199
do we apply this to politics. Well, in recent years,

632
00:44:28.639 --> 00:44:33.440
fear has been used to justify significant political and social decisions,

633
00:44:33.719 --> 00:44:37.840
from immigration policies to civil rights rollbacks to censorship efforts.

634
00:44:38.079 --> 00:44:41.079
These policies and actions, driven by a desire to protect

635
00:44:41.239 --> 00:44:44.320
from perceived threats, often result in the loss of rights

636
00:44:44.360 --> 00:44:50.800
and freedoms, impacting both targeted and broader populations. Frankenstein cautions

637
00:44:50.840 --> 00:44:53.880
that acting on fear rather than empathy or reason not

638
00:44:53.920 --> 00:44:57.519
only harms those feared, but can ultimately destroy the fabric

639
00:44:57.599 --> 00:45:06.079
of society itself. We saw this after September of the eleventh,

640
00:45:06.119 --> 00:45:11.920
two thousand and one, where you had many Christians calling

641
00:45:12.039 --> 00:45:18.400
for the removal of Islamic mosque or forbidding them to

642
00:45:18.440 --> 00:45:24.599
be built in their neighborhood or their city because of fear. Absolutely,

643
00:45:24.840 --> 00:45:27.039
because of what happened. Oh no, now they are the

644
00:45:27.039 --> 00:45:32.000
perceived right. It's us versus m not seeking understanding, but destruction, purge,

645
00:45:32.039 --> 00:45:35.199
and guess what if you remove their rights, you're removing

646
00:45:35.239 --> 00:45:39.960
your rights. The rights you take from the rights you

647
00:45:40.039 --> 00:45:43.000
withhold are rights you take and withhold from yourself. That's

648
00:45:43.079 --> 00:45:45.400
basic reason and logic. No, no, no, it did not

649
00:45:45.519 --> 00:45:51.199
matter because a fear. Now, sometimes there can be a

650
00:45:51.239 --> 00:45:54.440
certain level of fear that is justifiable, but what you

651
00:45:54.559 --> 00:45:58.360
do with that fear can then go to irrational levels.

652
00:46:03.639 --> 00:46:07.519
Both frank consign the novel and the film suggest that

653
00:46:07.599 --> 00:46:12.519
fear based politics is ultimately destructive, leading society to misjudge

654
00:46:12.559 --> 00:46:16.760
and alienate others. Applied to American politics, these lessons warn

655
00:46:17.000 --> 00:46:21.239
of the consequences of demonizing political opponents, embracing mob mentality,

656
00:46:21.360 --> 00:46:25.679
and allowing fear to dictate policy. Just as Shelley's society

657
00:46:25.719 --> 00:46:29.519
created a monster by rejecting a vilifying and misunderstood being,

658
00:46:29.800 --> 00:46:33.079
modern political culture risk creating monsters out of people and

659
00:46:33.119 --> 00:46:36.679
groups who may not truly be threats but are perceived

660
00:46:36.679 --> 00:46:39.679
as such. By recognizing these lessons, there is potential to

661
00:46:39.719 --> 00:46:43.719
foster a more empathetic understanding approach that values dialogue over

662
00:46:43.760 --> 00:46:51.320
demonization and healing over hostility. Well, yeah, that's too optimistic.

663
00:46:51.480 --> 00:46:53.280
I don't think that will ever happen, but it would

664
00:46:53.320 --> 00:46:56.039
be great if we could reach that level. But we're

665
00:46:56.039 --> 00:46:57.760
not going to reach that level. Things are only going

666
00:46:57.800 --> 00:47:00.719
to get worse and worse and worse. From mind, that's

667
00:47:00.800 --> 00:47:04.239
my you know, more, my eschatology coming into play there.

668
00:47:06.760 --> 00:47:09.559
So there's the movie or there's the book. There's the movie,

669
00:47:09.719 --> 00:47:14.440
and there's American politics. Now, how do we step back

670
00:47:15.920 --> 00:47:22.599
and provide a thoughtful and biblical philological perspective that would

671
00:47:22.639 --> 00:47:28.159
offer a counterpoint to the themes of fear, mob mentality,

672
00:47:28.639 --> 00:47:33.599
and demonization in both Frankenstein and modern politics. How can

673
00:47:33.679 --> 00:47:36.920
we offer a philological I mean this is called theology central.

674
00:47:37.119 --> 00:47:40.840
If we make theology central, can we offer a truly

675
00:47:40.920 --> 00:47:47.079
biblical philological counterpoint to these major problems? If we have that,

676
00:47:47.199 --> 00:47:51.440
if it's rooted in Biblical principles of law, of compassion, humility,

677
00:47:51.559 --> 00:47:55.039
and reconciliation, I believe a Biblical view can provide distinct

678
00:47:55.079 --> 00:47:58.360
insights that challenge the instinct to fear and reject those

679
00:47:58.400 --> 00:48:02.079
who are different or perceived as threat. Yes, here's some

680
00:48:02.239 --> 00:48:07.760
just basic concepts. How about we do this. How about

681
00:48:07.800 --> 00:48:10.119
we begin to see people as a Christian and I'm

682
00:48:10.159 --> 00:48:12.719
speaking to Christians now, if you are a Christian, how

683
00:48:12.760 --> 00:48:15.679
about you do this when you see other people. I

684
00:48:15.679 --> 00:48:19.840
don't care if they're democrats, I don't care if they're homosexual, transgender,

685
00:48:20.159 --> 00:48:22.480
I don't care. I don't care what. I don't care

686
00:48:22.519 --> 00:48:24.960
what they are. I don't care if they're a different religion,

687
00:48:25.119 --> 00:48:28.440
a different race, a different anything. How about you see

688
00:48:28.599 --> 00:48:38.840
people in the image of God. Scripture teaches that all

689
00:48:38.920 --> 00:48:43.280
people are created in the image of God, affirming the

690
00:48:43.440 --> 00:48:49.320
inherent dignity, worth, and value of every individual, regardless of

691
00:48:49.360 --> 00:48:54.360
how they look, where they're from, are what they believe.

692
00:48:57.159 --> 00:48:59.880
How about we start realizing when we speak about people,

693
00:49:00.079 --> 00:49:02.199
we see them in the image of God. How about

694
00:49:02.239 --> 00:49:05.760
instead of seeing their race, their country of origin, their

695
00:49:06.000 --> 00:49:10.599
political beliefs, their religion, before we see their sexual preference.

696
00:49:10.760 --> 00:49:13.519
They're sexual before we see any of that. How about

697
00:49:13.519 --> 00:49:15.800
we see that as a person created in the image

698
00:49:15.840 --> 00:49:19.360
of God. Instead of reducing them to a you know,

699
00:49:19.639 --> 00:49:23.400
one dimensional monster, we say that that's a human being

700
00:49:23.400 --> 00:49:25.519
created in the image of God. Can we do that?

701
00:49:27.639 --> 00:49:31.239
I mean, we say, oh, the sanctity of life. Well,

702
00:49:31.320 --> 00:49:34.679
the sanctity of life goes beyond just that. If you

703
00:49:34.719 --> 00:49:37.039
want to talk about that within the womb, then their

704
00:49:37.039 --> 00:49:40.639
sanctity of life goes to after the womb. Are we

705
00:49:40.719 --> 00:49:47.599
not to demonstrate that then as well? If we can

706
00:49:47.679 --> 00:49:51.639
recognize every person as an image bearer of God, it

707
00:49:51.679 --> 00:49:55.960
opposes the instinct to dehumanize or vilify others, which is

708
00:49:56.000 --> 00:49:59.280
often seen in fear based politics. This view calls believers

709
00:49:59.280 --> 00:50:03.679
to look beyond outward appearance and perceive differences, understanding that

710
00:50:03.719 --> 00:50:06.679
each person has God given worth and potential. Rather than

711
00:50:06.679 --> 00:50:10.119
making enemies. A biblical perspective encourages Christians to see those

712
00:50:10.159 --> 00:50:16.360
who disagree with us as valuable and worth understanding. Now

713
00:50:16.400 --> 00:50:18.679
that goes against our sinful nature, say our sinful nature

714
00:50:18.679 --> 00:50:23.280
says ah. Forget the image of God, enemy, destroy, vilify,

715
00:50:23.639 --> 00:50:30.440
to humanize, call names, throw them into hell. I mean Christians,

716
00:50:30.440 --> 00:50:33.519
we always have the hell card up our sleeve. Right,

717
00:50:33.559 --> 00:50:35.559
we can play the hell card whenever we want. Oh

718
00:50:35.599 --> 00:50:37.559
you do this, you go to hell. Oh you vote

719
00:50:37.559 --> 00:50:39.440
the wrong way, you go to hell. You do this,

720
00:50:39.639 --> 00:50:41.519
you go to hell, and you go to hell, and

721
00:50:41.559 --> 00:50:43.639
you go to hell? I mean our that's our that's

722
00:50:43.679 --> 00:50:47.480
our best play, is it not? You better agree with me?

723
00:50:47.519 --> 00:50:49.719
You better do what I say? Are you burn? As

724
00:50:49.719 --> 00:50:52.039
if we're somehow in control of who goes to hell?

725
00:50:52.599 --> 00:50:54.639
We think we're God. We think we think we have

726
00:50:54.760 --> 00:50:57.639
the keys to Hell. We think we own it. We

727
00:50:58.000 --> 00:50:59.880
think we get to open the door and throw in

728
00:51:00.039 --> 00:51:02.800
whoever we want. I wish Christians would stop acting like that.

729
00:51:02.880 --> 00:51:06.480
We almost use hell as a weapon to threaten people.

730
00:51:06.559 --> 00:51:08.840
Oh you think, Oh you think you're so smart. Wait

731
00:51:08.880 --> 00:51:11.880
do you burn in hell? Wait? Do you stand before God?

732
00:51:13.480 --> 00:51:19.159
We're not broken. We use it as a weapon because

733
00:51:19.199 --> 00:51:21.599
we disagree, we can't win it, and actually, I don't

734
00:51:21.639 --> 00:51:23.840
know have a n actual discussion. We just have to

735
00:51:23.880 --> 00:51:26.480
threaten them with hell, and it makes us feel superior,

736
00:51:26.519 --> 00:51:31.239
doesn't it Our torch is to just throw cast people

737
00:51:31.280 --> 00:51:35.559
into hell? How about set of dehumanizing everyone. We see

738
00:51:35.599 --> 00:51:37.960
people and that they're created in the image of God,

739
00:51:38.039 --> 00:51:41.400
and we see beyond the race, we see beyond the politics,

740
00:51:41.599 --> 00:51:48.159
we see beyond our disagreement. How about stop throwing everyone

741
00:51:48.159 --> 00:51:50.880
in hell because they disagree with Ooh, you vote Democrat,

742
00:51:50.960 --> 00:51:55.360
you burn That's nowhere in the Bible. Salvation is by

743
00:51:55.360 --> 00:51:57.719
grace alone, through faith alone, because of Christ alone. You're

744
00:51:57.719 --> 00:52:01.079
saved by an imputed righteousness. And that impute righteousness does

745
00:52:01.119 --> 00:52:03.119
not change who you are, because you're still a center.

746
00:52:03.199 --> 00:52:07.280
And guess what, it doesn't change how you vote. You say, well,

747
00:52:07.320 --> 00:52:09.440
the Bible should change how I vote. It may, but

748
00:52:09.519 --> 00:52:12.280
guess what you want to You want to make everything

749
00:52:12.519 --> 00:52:17.480
one dimensional, and because you can't because things we're very

750
00:52:17.920 --> 00:52:20.039
have a very difficult time as Christians seeing things that

751
00:52:20.199 --> 00:52:23.639
are not always so simple simplified. Things are not so

752
00:52:23.760 --> 00:52:27.440
one dimensional that there are multiple issues that could people

753
00:52:27.559 --> 00:52:31.400
lead people to vote for various reasons. Just like you

754
00:52:31.480 --> 00:52:33.800
vote for my team, or you are not a Christian.

755
00:52:34.800 --> 00:52:37.239
How about maybe being a Christian someone could go, well,

756
00:52:37.280 --> 00:52:39.400
I think there's more than just one issue. Oh no,

757
00:52:39.480 --> 00:52:41.599
there's only one issue. Okay, well let's look at that

758
00:52:41.599 --> 00:52:43.360
one issue, and then you can say, well, what about this,

759
00:52:43.400 --> 00:52:45.599
and what about this and what about Oh no, no, no, no, no, no, no,

760
00:52:45.599 --> 00:52:48.760
no no no. I don't want any nuanced. I don't

761
00:52:48.760 --> 00:52:51.400
want any no. They want to make it simple. It's

762
00:52:51.519 --> 00:52:53.599
us versus them. Where the good guys are the bad

763
00:52:53.599 --> 00:52:55.599
guys they burn in hell. We go to heaven and

764
00:52:55.639 --> 00:53:06.360
we win. We've got to see people and the image

765
00:53:06.360 --> 00:53:18.800
of God, right, don't we don't we believe that, so

766
00:53:18.920 --> 00:53:23.440
see people in the image of God. Number two, we're

767
00:53:23.480 --> 00:53:26.800
supposed to love our enemies and pray for those who

768
00:53:26.840 --> 00:53:29.920
would even oppress us. I mean I thought that was Christianity. Yeah,

769
00:53:29.920 --> 00:53:33.440
I don't know, Maybe I forgot about it. Jesus commands us.

770
00:53:33.480 --> 00:53:35.039
This is a command. Now, we're never going to do

771
00:53:35.079 --> 00:53:37.360
this correctly. This is one We're always going to fall short,

772
00:53:37.360 --> 00:53:39.199
and we have to be saved by an imputed righteousness.

773
00:53:39.360 --> 00:53:42.360
But Jesus commands us to love our enemy and pray

774
00:53:42.400 --> 00:53:45.119
for those who persecute us. It's somewhere in the Bible.

775
00:53:45.199 --> 00:53:47.199
I think it's called the Gospel of Matthew, Chapter five,

776
00:53:47.280 --> 00:53:50.159
verse forty four. Now this goes against the instinct to

777
00:53:50.159 --> 00:53:53.280
demonize or destroy opponents. As said, it calls for radical

778
00:53:53.360 --> 00:53:56.000
love that seeks the good of others, even those who

779
00:53:56.079 --> 00:53:59.559
may be considered adversaries. Do you seek the good of

780
00:53:59.639 --> 00:54:03.760
others who you may even perceive to be your political adversaries?

781
00:54:03.920 --> 00:54:07.079
Do you seek their good? Do you love them? Do

782
00:54:07.159 --> 00:54:09.119
you pray for them? Or do you just call them

783
00:54:09.159 --> 00:54:13.199
your nice little names and you talk like well, a condescending,

784
00:54:13.320 --> 00:54:20.199
arrogant jerk. Do you sound like Jesus or do you

785
00:54:20.320 --> 00:54:24.440
sound like I don't know Trump's Twitter feed or Truth's

786
00:54:24.440 --> 00:54:29.719
social feed or any other politician who demonizes and call

787
00:54:29.800 --> 00:54:46.840
people's names. Love your enemy, go against the instinct to

788
00:54:46.880 --> 00:54:53.360
demonize and destroy your opponents. Pursue a radical love that

789
00:54:53.440 --> 00:54:56.400
seeks the good of other people, even those you may

790
00:54:56.440 --> 00:55:02.079
consider your adversaries. Now, this command challenges believers to step

791
00:55:02.119 --> 00:55:05.639
away from groupthink or mob behavior that encourages animosity towards

792
00:55:05.719 --> 00:55:09.119
perceived enemies, and said it fosters a counter cultural approach

793
00:55:09.280 --> 00:55:12.119
where believers are called to respond with compassion even to

794
00:55:12.119 --> 00:55:15.119
those who oppose them, praying for and showing kindness to

795
00:55:15.159 --> 00:55:19.960
others rather than joining in condemnation. It transforms both individuals

796
00:55:20.000 --> 00:55:25.719
and relationships, promoting healing and reconciliation. Love your enemy, pray

797
00:55:25.800 --> 00:55:29.840
for those who would oppress you, turn the other cheek,

798
00:55:32.639 --> 00:55:38.639
resist not evil. Already hearing Christian, But now this is

799
00:55:38.679 --> 00:55:41.320
the law of God. And guess what, Yes, you say,

800
00:55:41.480 --> 00:55:44.239
but it's impossible. Yeah, it is impossible. That's why we

801
00:55:44.280 --> 00:55:46.199
have to be saved by and imputed righteousness. But it's

802
00:55:46.239 --> 00:55:54.079
still what we are to pursue. So Number one, we

803
00:55:54.119 --> 00:55:55.760
need to see people in the image of God. Number two,

804
00:55:55.760 --> 00:55:57.119
we need to love our enemies and pray for those

805
00:55:57.159 --> 00:55:59.920
who oppress us and turn the other cheek. Number three,

806
00:56:00.119 --> 00:56:09.159
and brace humility and recognize your own sin. Scripture teaches

807
00:56:09.159 --> 00:56:11.039
that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory

808
00:56:11.079 --> 00:56:14.119
of God. That was you before salvation, that is you

809
00:56:14.440 --> 00:56:25.320
after salvation. Acknowledgment of universal human sinfulness fallibility calls for humility.

810
00:56:25.519 --> 00:56:28.440
It recognizes that everyone is need of grace and forgiveness.

811
00:56:28.840 --> 00:56:33.920
Have you need to be more aware of your own fallibility,

812
00:56:34.119 --> 00:56:46.599
your own failure, your own sin, your own bitterness, hatred, unforgiveness, unloving, lust, coveteousness, grumbling, complaining, hatred,

813
00:56:47.000 --> 00:56:49.400
all the things that are inside of you. You need

814
00:56:49.440 --> 00:56:51.880
to be more aware of those than you are about

815
00:56:51.880 --> 00:56:56.239
anybody else. Instead of worrying about everyone else, condemning everyone else,

816
00:56:56.599 --> 00:57:05.000
look in the stinking mirror at yourself, see yourself. We

817
00:57:05.079 --> 00:57:09.639
need to embrace humility and embrace and recognize our own sin.

818
00:57:12.719 --> 00:57:15.800
Stop talking about like you are somehow better than them.

819
00:57:16.360 --> 00:57:19.599
Stop demonizing them as being the bad guy. You're the

820
00:57:19.679 --> 00:57:24.599
bad guy. You're the monster. You're the sinner, and so

821
00:57:24.760 --> 00:57:38.719
am I. Number four. We need to pursue peace and

822
00:57:38.800 --> 00:57:44.000
reconciliation over division and destruction. Christians are called to be

823
00:57:44.159 --> 00:57:48.840
peace makers and to live peaceably with all, with all,

824
00:57:49.000 --> 00:57:52.079
as far as it depends on them. The ministry of

825
00:57:52.159 --> 00:57:55.840
reconciliation teaches the believers or to work towards restoring relationships

826
00:57:55.880 --> 00:58:00.000
and bringing healing to divisions. This is Matthew five nine,

827
00:57:59.559 --> 00:58:03.239
Roman twelve eighteen as Tewod Corinthians five eighteen through nineteen.

828
00:58:05.719 --> 00:58:09.719
Rather than fueling division, a biblical perspective emphasizes unity and reconciliation,

829
00:58:09.960 --> 00:58:13.800
seeking peace even amidst disagreements. This stands and start contrast

830
00:58:13.800 --> 00:58:17.280
to fear driven political approach that often divides and polarize.

831
00:58:17.400 --> 00:58:21.519
A commitment to reconciliation encourages believers to bridge divides, seeking

832
00:58:21.599 --> 00:58:24.719
understanding and find common ground with those who may differ

833
00:58:24.960 --> 00:58:36.679
from them. Pursue peace, pursue reconciliation, not dehumanizing, not demonizing.

834
00:58:37.639 --> 00:58:40.159
Love your enemy, turn the other cheeks, see people in

835
00:58:40.199 --> 00:58:43.119
the image of God. This is basic Christianity one oh

836
00:58:43.199 --> 00:58:46.679
one that the Church in America has lost because we

837
00:58:46.800 --> 00:58:51.880
have been infected with the evil of politics and we,

838
00:58:52.559 --> 00:58:55.360
as we are declaring everyone else to be the monster,

839
00:58:55.440 --> 00:58:58.280
and we want to grab our torches and burn them down,

840
00:58:58.599 --> 00:59:06.559
we have become the monster. We need to trust God

841
00:59:06.679 --> 00:59:10.920
rather than acting out in fear. Scripture repeatedly calls believers

842
00:59:10.960 --> 00:59:15.920
to fear not and to trust God's sovereignty. The fear

843
00:59:15.960 --> 00:59:19.039
of the future of perceived threat is encountered by a

844
00:59:19.119 --> 00:59:24.199
steadfast trust in God. A biblical view challenges fear driven

845
00:59:24.280 --> 00:59:27.480
responses by reminding believers that their security is found in God,

846
00:59:27.719 --> 00:59:32.519
not in controlling or eliminating all perceived threats. Trusting in

847
00:59:32.519 --> 00:59:35.079
God allows believers to engage with others out of love

848
00:59:35.199 --> 00:59:38.760
rather than fear, offering a calm and compassionate approach rather

849
00:59:38.840 --> 00:59:45.079
than one based on anxiety or suspicion. This perspective encourages

850
00:59:45.119 --> 00:59:48.440
believers to approach issues thoughtfully and with wisdom, rather than

851
00:59:48.480 --> 00:59:55.679
reacting impulsively with hostility. Christians talk about trusting in God.

852
00:59:55.880 --> 01:00:01.000
He's my rock, here's my refuge, He's my shield. I

853
01:00:01.079 --> 01:00:04.000
will not fear. I will not even though I walk

854
01:00:04.039 --> 01:00:05.800
through the valley of the shadow of death, I will

855
01:00:05.840 --> 01:00:08.199
fear no evil. We talk all a big game, and

856
01:00:08.239 --> 01:00:10.840
then we run around and oh, the end of the

857
01:00:10.880 --> 01:00:12.639
world is going to happen. We gotta do this, and

858
01:00:12.679 --> 01:00:14.480
we got to get rid of the democrats. Then we

859
01:00:14.519 --> 01:00:18.440
gotta do this. Then we gotta do this, and fear fear, fear, fear, fear, fear, fear, fear,

860
01:00:18.559 --> 01:00:21.519
and demonize and to humanized and the others. We got

861
01:00:21.519 --> 01:00:24.199
to get rid of the others. And we're and we

862
01:00:24.239 --> 01:00:30.360
act like we're scared to death. What we claim, Oh,

863
01:00:30.400 --> 01:00:34.719
we don't fear anything. We talk a big game, and

864
01:00:34.719 --> 01:00:38.400
then we're like, oh, we need fifteen we need fifteen

865
01:00:38.519 --> 01:00:41.639
armed guards inside this church. We gotta do this, we

866
01:00:41.719 --> 01:00:43.760
gotta do that. We got to get rid of these people.

867
01:00:44.320 --> 01:00:46.920
Because because we talk a big game. You see, it's

868
01:00:46.960 --> 01:00:50.559
easy to talk about not having fear. It's another thing

869
01:00:50.599 --> 01:00:54.000
to live as if you don't have fear. I can

870
01:00:54.039 --> 01:00:57.039
talk about not having fear living without it. That's a

871
01:00:57.119 --> 01:01:03.840
radically different approach. But fear is a tool used to

872
01:01:03.920 --> 01:01:11.400
manipulate you, to get you all discombobulated, that you give

873
01:01:11.519 --> 01:01:14.800
your vote to a party that then they get the power,

874
01:01:15.079 --> 01:01:21.480
and then you somehow feel better. A biblical and philological

875
01:01:21.519 --> 01:01:25.320
perspective offers a radically different approach to fear, demonization, and

876
01:01:25.360 --> 01:01:29.159
mob mentality by grounding interactions and love, humility, and trust

877
01:01:29.239 --> 01:01:32.719
in God. While the world may tend towards division, fear

878
01:01:32.719 --> 01:01:37.199
of the other, and reactivity, a christ centered perspective calls

879
01:01:37.199 --> 01:01:42.679
for compassion, understanding, and a commitment to peace. This approach

880
01:01:42.719 --> 01:01:47.280
does not ignore real challenges or dangers, but reframes reframes

881
01:01:47.320 --> 01:01:51.639
them within the context of faith, reconciliation, and grace, inviting

882
01:01:51.679 --> 01:01:54.360
believers to be agents of healing and unity and a

883
01:01:54.559 --> 01:02:11.440
very very, very fractured world. So January first, eighteen eighteen,

884
01:02:12.760 --> 01:02:19.639
Frankenstein the Novel is released. November nineteen thirty one, Frankenstein

885
01:02:19.679 --> 01:02:24.519
the Movie is released. In these classic works of film

886
01:02:24.719 --> 01:02:30.519
and literature, very important themes emerge, themes that should make

887
01:02:30.599 --> 01:02:34.519
us face ourselves and think a little bit about man,

888
01:02:34.639 --> 01:02:36.960
this is not right, and then we can see how

889
01:02:37.000 --> 01:02:41.039
these things have arisen within American politics. Now, if it

890
01:02:41.039 --> 01:02:44.119
would have just stayed in American politics, great, But this

891
01:02:44.199 --> 01:02:49.840
has entered inside the church. And this approach is not biblical,

892
01:02:50.039 --> 01:02:53.119
it is not godly, it is not scriptural. It is

893
01:02:53.800 --> 01:02:57.199
completely counter to everything Christians are supposed to stand for.

894
01:02:57.400 --> 01:03:01.159
But Christians have been pulled in, They've been manipulated, They've

895
01:03:01.199 --> 01:03:04.960
been led like sheep to the edge of the cliff

896
01:03:05.159 --> 01:03:08.960
and some pushed over, and they have abandoned biblical, historical

897
01:03:09.000 --> 01:03:16.119
Christianity for a political agenda. And they have been guilty

898
01:03:16.159 --> 01:03:23.039
of dehumanizing, unloving, condemning, and being almost hateful towards groups

899
01:03:23.079 --> 01:03:25.199
and people, instead of seeing them in the image of God,

900
01:03:25.280 --> 01:03:28.679
instead of loving our enemy, instead of doing these things

901
01:03:28.679 --> 01:03:30.440
that we know the Bible calls us to do. Now,

902
01:03:30.440 --> 01:03:31.880
I'm not saying we're ever going to do them perfectly.

903
01:03:31.920 --> 01:03:33.760
We're always going to fall short. That's why we have

904
01:03:33.840 --> 01:03:47.880
to be constantly aware and admit our own sin. Now,

905
01:03:48.280 --> 01:03:50.519
these lessons have been there for a very long time.

906
01:03:50.559 --> 01:03:55.400
We can learn these lessons, we can ignore them now.

907
01:03:55.440 --> 01:04:00.079
Just to show you how far things have gone today,

908
01:04:02.119 --> 01:04:07.000
you'll just open up your if you have your phone,

909
01:04:07.119 --> 01:04:12.239
if you have your tablet. Just go to drudgereport dot com.

910
01:04:12.599 --> 01:04:21.840
Drudgereport dot com. Look at the headline. That's all in red.

911
01:04:25.920 --> 01:04:42.599
Trump calls for Liz Cheney's execution. Now, I've seen how

912
01:04:42.639 --> 01:04:45.679
conservatives said, will he didn't actually say that, Well, he

913
01:04:45.760 --> 01:04:49.239
didn't actually mean that, and they've played all their little games.

914
01:04:50.480 --> 01:04:52.840
But I've seen the video of it. Some say, well,

915
01:04:52.920 --> 01:04:55.760
the context changes that I've heard the context. You can

916
01:04:55.760 --> 01:04:58.119
get into a debate. I'm just saying, whether it's Trump

917
01:04:58.159 --> 01:05:02.440
calling for another being's execution because he doesn't alike that

918
01:05:02.480 --> 01:05:07.239
she's his political you know, critic and criticizes everything from

919
01:05:07.400 --> 01:05:09.800
what happened on January the sixth, et cetera, et cetera,

920
01:05:09.840 --> 01:05:13.480
et cetera, his lying about the election being stolen, in whatever,

921
01:05:13.599 --> 01:05:16.039
he's calling for execution. And we can talk about people

922
01:05:16.039 --> 01:05:20.360
on all sides who've said absolutely outrageous and horrendous things,

923
01:05:20.480 --> 01:05:24.639
whether Republican or Democrat. But this is the story today.

924
01:05:24.719 --> 01:05:27.800
It's right there. It's all in red. I've seen it everywhere.

925
01:05:30.360 --> 01:05:35.159
Christians, stop it, get out of it, leave it, leave

926
01:05:35.280 --> 01:05:41.280
the political cesspool behind, walk away, wash your hands, return

927
01:05:41.360 --> 01:05:45.079
to christ return to the Bible, return to Christianity.

928
01:05:45.599 --> 01:05:50.719
Leave this political disease, this political cancer that infects us,

929
01:05:50.880 --> 01:05:53.480
that leads you down some path of just you get

930
01:05:53.519 --> 01:05:57.159
into some echo chamber and you start talking like politicians

931
01:05:57.159 --> 01:06:00.599
instead of talking like your savior. You've abandoned your savior.

932
01:06:00.760 --> 01:06:03.559
You've thrown the cross in the trash can to wrap

933
01:06:03.599 --> 01:06:06.400
yourself in the American flag so you can cover your

934
01:06:06.480 --> 01:06:10.360
hatred and your fear, and you're loathing and despising of

935
01:06:10.400 --> 01:06:21.159
other human beings who are created in the image of God.

936
01:06:21.840 --> 01:06:27.480
Enough's enough. I don't care what political party you are.

937
01:06:29.199 --> 01:06:38.599
I don't care what your politics are. Enough's enough. Maybe

938
01:06:38.800 --> 01:06:44.320
there's some answers, but there's some warnings that were given

939
01:06:44.360 --> 01:06:48.440
in eighteen eighteen, and a little book called Frankenstein showed

940
01:06:48.480 --> 01:06:51.880
up in a film in nineteen thirty one called Frankenstein.

941
01:06:52.360 --> 01:07:01.159
Maybe Frankenstein's monster can actually give us warnings that if

942
01:07:01.159 --> 01:07:03.960
we take to heart and we go back to our Bible,

943
01:07:05.679 --> 01:07:10.039
we can be like, there's a different approach. And it's

944
01:07:10.159 --> 01:07:14.800
not a Republican approach, it's not a Democrat approach. It's

945
01:07:14.800 --> 01:07:22.840
a Biblical approach. Now, of course I'll probably get some

946
01:07:23.360 --> 01:07:26.400
well meaning Christian. They'll say you're going to hell, and

947
01:07:26.480 --> 01:07:28.960
you can threaten me with hell. I mean, you know, hey,

948
01:07:29.280 --> 01:07:31.559
Mark Driscolls can tell people you go to hell if

949
01:07:31.559 --> 01:07:33.800
you vote Democrat, you go to hell. If you're pro choice,

950
01:07:34.159 --> 01:07:36.280
people can say all that. I don't really care anymore

951
01:07:36.280 --> 01:07:39.039
what Christians think, what Christians think are is irrelevant to me.

952
01:07:39.119 --> 01:07:42.400
You know why, because Christians just turn Christianity whatever they want.

953
01:07:42.760 --> 01:07:44.880
We want to throw anybody in hell. We don't. We

954
01:07:44.960 --> 01:07:47.719
forget about salvation by grace alone, through faith alone, because

955
01:07:47.920 --> 01:07:50.639
chryst no, no, no, no no. We now have just taken Christianity.

956
01:07:50.679 --> 01:07:52.440
We just make it into our own image. So you

957
01:07:52.480 --> 01:07:55.280
make Christianity your own image. Threaten me with hell, throw

958
01:07:55.320 --> 01:07:57.880
me into hell. I don't care, because you don't control hell.

959
01:07:58.079 --> 01:08:02.079
You can be a narcissist, stick condemning jerk. I don't care.

960
01:08:02.280 --> 01:08:07.039
Your Christianity is meaningless to me because the Church has

961
01:08:07.079 --> 01:08:14.199
abandoned Christianity. Salvation is a faith in Jesus Christ. I

962
01:08:14.239 --> 01:08:16.039
don't care if you're a Democrat. I don't care if

963
01:08:16.079 --> 01:08:18.319
you're a Republican. I don't care if you're a communist.

964
01:08:18.359 --> 01:08:20.279
I don't care if you're a socialist. I don't care

965
01:08:20.399 --> 01:08:25.039
what your political ideology is. Hope and faith or hope

966
01:08:25.039 --> 01:08:27.720
for salvation is found in the Cross of Jesus Christ.

967
01:08:27.960 --> 01:08:32.079
Believe in him and you will be saved. For God

968
01:08:32.199 --> 01:08:34.399
so love the world that he's in his only begotten son,

969
01:08:34.479 --> 01:08:38.439
that whosoever believes in him shall be saved, They shall

970
01:08:38.479 --> 01:08:44.239
have eternal life, they shall not perish. Faith salvation is

971
01:08:44.239 --> 01:08:47.600
found in faith in Christ. Now, once you have that

972
01:08:47.640 --> 01:08:50.520
faith in Christ and you pursue scripture, it may impact

973
01:08:50.560 --> 01:08:54.199
how you perceive certain issues within society. But you'll also

974
01:08:54.319 --> 01:08:57.399
note when you vote, you're not just voting on one issue.

975
01:08:57.479 --> 01:08:59.520
And even if you're voting on one issue, it's not

976
01:08:59.560 --> 01:09:08.000
always as simple as everyone thinks that it is. But see,

977
01:09:08.000 --> 01:09:10.640
this is what happens when you bring your Christianity into

978
01:09:10.680 --> 01:09:13.800
the political arena. Now, your Christianity. You know what gets

979
01:09:13.840 --> 01:09:17.399
messed up when you bring your politics or your Christianity

980
01:09:17.439 --> 01:09:21.279
into politics. You know what gets corrupted your Christianity. You

981
01:09:21.319 --> 01:09:27.920
know what gets infected your Christianity, not the politics. The

982
01:09:28.000 --> 01:09:39.239
politics will always remain relativistic. It's basically relativistic, immoral, deceitful, deceptive, pragmatic.

983
01:09:42.279 --> 01:09:44.880
Your Christianity is supposed to be countered, all of that

984
01:09:49.800 --> 01:09:59.039
Frankenstein politics. Hope something I said will be of some

985
01:09:59.199 --> 01:10:08.640
use as we fast fast approach this election. May God

986
01:10:08.680 --> 01:10:11.720
have mercy on all of us.