Are you bothered by the wording at the end of Biblical epics?

It means that the movie is not a literal copy of the Bible. The dialogue is fictional. It makes no statement one way or the other about the Bible itself.

it Dosent mean it’s fiction. It means Hollywood ruins everything based on history and that’s why the disclamier.

So, Hollywood is “covering its butt?”

August 23, 2008, 1:29 PM EDT

I have to agree with willbrawn. Hollywood changes even non-biblical movies. Case in point with “The Guardian”. They had to change it because they didn’t think that it was “exciting enough”. Doing that to ANY movie just sends a false message about what really happened.

But “we” don’t know what “really happened.”

August 23, 2008, 1:30 PM EDT

That’s at the end of every non-non-fictional movie.

@jackadams if you belive in God and have faith you know what happens. If listen to the world you do not. The “world” has theories.

No. It’s a movie a representation of a story from the bible. It is not supposed to be the word of God.

Respectfully, and with no intended offense to anyone at all, I’m not yet convinced that the Bible is, “the word of God.”

It is certainly “the word” of many flawed and imperfect human beings, for sure.

August 23, 2008, 1:43 PM EDT

Besides, no matter what your beliefs, Ben Hur was fictional.

Very true.

“Ben Hur?” Fictional?

You mean there were NO HORSES back then?

My GAWD!

August 23, 2008, 1:57 PM EDT

Horses were used extensively in the time of Jesus.

and camels.

I thought the Bible was metaphorical, so the fictional tag is not really that big of a deal.

Does anyone know who compiled the Bible? Who decided what books would be included or excluded?

The Council of Rome which took place in 382 under the authority of Pope Damasus I.

really you should have asked that as new question

Horses and camels (and bears?) OH MY!

August 23, 2008, 3:11 PM EDT

Lightlyseared- Almost right. It was the Council of Nicaea in 325.

@AC I would disagree. As far as I know (data coming from my mother) the following were decided at the First Council of Nicaea

Mainly whether God and Jesus were the same being.
The date of celebration of Easter
The suppression of the Meletian schism (no idea what that was but it must have been big at the time).

There was also some house keeping stuff including…
Prohibition of self-castration (which I think we can all be thankful for).
Establishment of a minimum term for catechumen.
Prohibition of the presence in the house of a cleric of a younger woman who might bring him under suspicion.
Ordination of a bishop in the presence of at least three provincial bishops and confirmation by the metropolitan.
Provision for two provincial synods to be held annually.
Exceptional authority acknowledged for the patriarchs of Alexandria and Rome, for their respective regions.
Recognition of the honorary rights of the see of Jerusalem.
Provision for agreement with the Novatianists.
Provision for mild procedure against the lapsed during the persecution under Licinius.
Prohibition of the removal of priests.
Prohibition of usury among the clergy.
Precedence of bishops and presbyters before deacons in receiving Holy Communion, the Eucharist.
Declaration of the invalidity of baptism by Paulian heretics.
Prohibition of kneeling during the liturgy, on Sundays and in the fifty days of pentecost.

I don’t think it was till about 50 years later that the idea of an official Biblical canon came about.

They also decided what books and writings were to be included and what books and writings they considered heresy.

I’ve never seen a Biblically accurate movie. I have the highest respect for the Bible, so I generally avoid watching fictional movies based on a Bible story. I do like watching the Ten Commandments, but admittedly I sometimes mix what is fictional and what is Biblically accurate because it follows and then departs somewhat seemlessly. I think they should put a disclaimer because of the parts they’ve dressed up to appeal to a modern audience can easily be taken for fact by those who aren’t intimately familiar with their Bibles. Like the inaccuracies in the nativity scene…for one thing you always see 3 wise men (astrologers) and a star above Jesus. Well, the Bible says that the star led them to Herod (who was seeking to kill Jesus), not Jesus and the number of wise men are not given…there could have been any number of them…and don’t even get me started on the nativity scenes that include Santa Claus!