This movie sure stirs the soul.

Jesus was able to do that. If we are truly following Christ, the peace that He gives will fill our soul. His kindness will permeate us. The true light will shine through you and become contagious. I would pray long and hard for my enemies and be able to win some to Christ.

How do we respond to evil men who use the Bible to manipulate others or to create an authority for themselves? Have I ever done that?

In that post apocalyptic world, you would have to wait for the “Word” from on high before you decided to take on a false teacher of that caliber. God would direct your footsteps and guide you in the things to say. I imagine it as being like Elijah on Mt Carmel going up against the prophets of Baal.

Have I ever used the Bible to manipulate others? Well, I would hope that it would be persuasion rather than manipulation. When we quote “Forsake not the assembling of yourselves together as the manner of some …”, “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved…”, “…and upon this rock I will build My church…”; Do we not to some degree use these Scriptures to manipulate? Yes, we preach the truth, and in the process we persuade people. But do we sometimes go beyond persuasion? Do we give in to the subtle push from our ego?

Would I be willing to be violent in order to protect God’s word?

For me, that is a “no brainer”. If someone were threatening to harm my family, I would have to defend my family. In the case of the very last Bible in existence, God would demand it! Remember, we would be living in a post apocalyptic world, so all the rules would change as a result. If you wrote down every Scripture that you knew by memory, would you quote the entire Bible? There are a few people that have (or had) that ability. But since I don’t, I would have to defend what has already been recorded. Didn’t some of the prophets of old put to death certain false teachers? Elijah slew the prophets of Baal. Wasn’t he being violent in his actions for the word of God?

In a post-nuclear world will people be reduced to hatred and murder, or would they bond together following such disaster?

We may find groups that have bonded together, but there would be far more people that would be out for themselves. “Kill or be killed”, “Survival of the fittest”, etc. There would be “war lords” as in Somolia whose only desire is to take control over any system that offered wealth and power.

Are the desires for power and control and corruption inescapable parts of the human psyche?

Unfortunately, yes. It may be stronger in some than in others, but it is still there. It is the earthly, sensual part of humankind. It is the way of the earth and must be transformed by the gospel! If we begin reading in genesis, we see this identical scenario in the case of Cain when he went away from God into the world. Each succeeding generation waxed worse and worse.

Do our imaginations of a post nuclear existence reveal our real feelings about humanity?

Ahhh John! The “post nuclear” rorsach test. LOL. You are right. It probably reveals more about ourselves than it would any kind of post nuclear event.

If every Bible in the world were destroyed, of what assistance could I be in helping to recreate it?

If I had access to any of the early writings of the “church fathers”, much of the Bible could be restored based on their quotations. Some said that as much as 98% could be recovered if every single Bible was destroyed. I would establish schools to restore the word of God. Then I would train men to go out into the post nuclear world to preach the word, restablish schools and churches.

Is God really gone when it seems He has disappeared?

Absolutely not. Job thought God had disappeared or abandoned him. But he still maintained his faith. God is always with us as we walk with Him. We may make our life so miserable that we quinch the Spirit. But He isn’t gone.

How is the world presented in THE BOOK OF ELI any different than the world in which we currently live … aside from appearances?

There is not really a lot of difference. There are always going to be violently evil people that are corrupted and greedy for power and wealth. Through those things they have the ambition to control the world.