So, Woelke and I were talking the other day about the latest Pirates. I told him I did not like it because of the killing. He expressed shock, and wanted to know what I had done with the old Haven, who would always choose blood in a movie. I told him that the disturbing thing was the fun sense that the movie tried to convey, while at the same time many extras were slain, mostly by nasty monster types. The more I think about that, the more I like it. I always would want to watch a movie where there was blood, but would emjoy it when there was a point to it. Pointless violence is boring. Violence for a cause is at least interesting, and at best rewarding. Violence against an evil makes one appreciate good. Just like abundance without thankfulness is empty, violence without a cause should be disturbing. The first violence, God killing animals, is precipitated by evil. After that, history becomes violent, in a pattern of evil, and redress of evil. And it did not stop with Christ. The violence done to Him was in answer to all the evil we can ever do. Christians use violence, should use violence, and should also recognize good violence. If Pirates is like Star Wars, where is Darth Vader? And where is the death? Since the first movie you cannot kill a single character, for more on why that does not work, see X-men 3. By taking out the great evil to fight against, what is the point? In Pirates, I am still looking.

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