Disney's Drift from "G" Rated Image Revealed in New Book
As evidenced by the Southern Baptist Convention's resolution this past June, many concerned parents are deeply troubled by what they see as the radical reimaging of the Disney Company. A new book just released by Horizon Books details the drift of the Disney Company from its earlier status as the family-friendly entertainment provider. Disney and the Bible by Perucci Ferraiuolo, the fourth book in Horizon's "And the Bible" series, is subtitled "A Scriptural Critique of the Magic Kingdom." The book shows why Disney's trusted image as America's largest purveyor of family-oriented entertainment is being questioned.
Disney and the Bible is the first book to chronicle the Disney Company's trends and tendencies — even policies and agenda — in the light of what the Bible says about sexual immorality and paganism, both of which have appeared in Disney movies in recent years.
Nationally syndicated investigative journalist Ferraiuolo has done a valuable service by assessing Disney's past movies and present auxiliary enterprises such as Miramax, Touchstone, and Hyperion Books. He also clarifies the rationale for Southern Baptists, the Assemblies of God and others who are taking strong stands against the Disney trends.
The book clearly answers the question: "How does the dream of Walt Disney compare to Michael Eisner's version of the Magic Kingdom?"
According to author Ferraiuolo, "From its inception the Disney organization has done some questionable things … but Disney in the 90s has given the American family a steady diet of sexual immorality, homosexuality, and New Age beliefs while bending and perverting the truth in films like Pocahontas …"
Dr. D. James Kennedy of Coral Ridge Ministries in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, who was interviewed in Disney and the Bible warns, "When the American public wakes up to what Disney is doing, they are going to be very offended."
Many of our pastors have been asked to explain the actions of the Convention regarding the Disney resolution. If you are one of them, this book may help you in giving that explanation.
Disney and the Bible is available in Baptist Book Stores for $9.99 (ISBN: 0-88965-129-9).
Sunday School: Dinosaur or Key to Growth?
It's popular these days to portray Sunday School as a tired old dinosaur left in the dust by the changing needs of today's Christian families. But in Revitalizing the Sunday Morning Dinosaur, the second introductory title in the "Insights for Ministry" collection, Ken Hemphill persuasively explains how a well crafted Sunday School program can propel any church to new levels of growth and outreach.
At the core of the book is Hemphill's reasoned defense of Sunday School as the church growth tool of the future.
He offers definite actions for building or maintaining a Sunday School program, with explicit suggestions for reviving an ineffective Sunday School program or starting a new one, and specific ways to keep a good Sunday School going strong.
