'Barbie' review: Greta Gerwig film celebrates female empowerment but falls short on biblical values, The Christian Post, By Leah MarieAnn Klett, August 3, 2023,

https://www.christianpost.com/news/barbie-lauds-female-empowerment-falls-short-on-biblical-truths.html


The Non-Prophets, Episode 22.33.4 featuring Helen Greene, The Well-Known Skeptic, Aaron Jensen and"Jimmy Jr"


Today's topic is a review of the recent smash hit Barbie. A review of Greta Gerwig’s Barbie film, which celebrates female empowerment. But according to Leah MarieAnn Klett, it falls short of biblical values.
Leah’s concerns centered around her claim that it falls short of biblical morality. The review assumes the Bible is a paragon of gender equality, but her case fails miserably. She puts forward the idea that the bible teaches that all are created equal, she even included links to Genesis 1:26. But, there's nothing in the verse about gender equality. Yet another example of a Christian misquoting the Bible.
The bible is rife with examples of misogyny and women's subjugation. On the other hand, the message of Barbie is about feminism. The critic claims that the film places a strong focus on the idea of self-reliance and individualistic pursuit of happiness in contrast to the prioritization of community and family values in the Bible.
The reviewer also stressed that women must take control and dominate others to earn respect contrasting with the biblical notion of mutual respect between men and women. Aren't women supposed to be silent in church, not supposed to teach anyone?
They are correct, Christian values are a stark contrast to what this movie is about. Feminism, female empowerment are all good things that the Bible does not give us. It is important for girls to also understand that they do have a choice on what type of person they are.
She was concerned that men in the movie were treated as second-class citizens, but that's the point. Ryan Gosling's character falls into this patriarchy, ideas that are something that we have to look at in the mirror. It's also important for boys and men to understand that they don't have to be part of the patriarchy, we need to be able to do some of these actions that are stereotyped as feminine qualities.
Hari Neff, a trans woman played one of the Barbies and nobody cared. It doesn't matter, you're part of the community. Overall a really good representation of just accepting people for who they are. In comparison, the reviewer could not resist the desire to pander to her audience and misgender Hari.
The article pointed out some of the really positive messages too, but again why tie this to religion, this is not a religious message at all.
We're here to talk about the review and the Christian viewpoint, but it would be remiss to not say that Barbie is smartly written, well-produced, and well-acted. It has a lot going for it.
Empowerment is vital, but it doesn't need to be at the expense of other people. That's the real message of this movie.

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