“This city is headed for a disaster of biblical proportions.”
“What do you mean, biblical?”
“What he means is Old Testament. Real wrath of God type stuff.”
“Human sacrifice. Dogs and cats living together. Mass hysteria.”
(Watch the clip here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O3ZOKDmorj0)
In case you aren’t familiar with this classic of American cinematic history, it’s Ghostbusters (1984). Murray and Ackroyd are describing to the mayor the upcoming epic catastrophe about to befall New York. The proportions are biblical, to be specific, Old Testament. Why is it that when things are bad, really bad, we are forced to turn to the OT to find appropriately horrific language? (OK, not the dogs and cats bit. The source of that was Murray.) (I recently rewatched this film after God Behaving Badly had gone to press, and was devastated I couldn’t use it in the book.)
I hope to transform popular perceptions of the God from Old Testament. Is that possible?
Where do you find negative images of the God of the OT in popular culture?