Discussing
Are the Oscars our Tower of Babel?

I dunno, I like the Oscars. Not the ceremony, mind you; award *ceremonies* are sanctimonious, ego-stroking garbage. (Maybe the award is as well, but seeing it all, live and in HD, makes me more sick, I guess.) I like the Oscars for two reasons:

1) Validation, both for the artists and fans. I like discovering a film like Good Night, and Good Luck, a $8M picture, and seeing it recognized for the excellent piece of filmmaking it was. I'm sure George Clooney, having attempted to mortgage his own house in order to make the film, appreciated the acknowledgement of the film's value; whether or not someone is egotistical, we all like some form of validation.

2) Discovery of new films. It seems like most years a film is nominated for awards and is "discovered" by moviegoers, which can catapult the film into profitability, expose lesser-known films/filmmakers, etc. I know I probably would not have watched The Reader had it not been nominated for Best Picture last year. (Of course, I didn't actually LIKE it, but that's beside the point. :-)

My aside in #2 actually brings up another point: movies and awards are fun to argue about. Worst Best Picture lineup ever? 2000. Worst Best Picture award ever? Titanic. Biggest Best Picture snub ever? Fargo.

See? I bet we could argue for hours on end about just those three statements. That doesn't make it idolatrous, though for some people it will be (just as anything else in life can be). Examine a fallen world and you're just going to see that sort of self-aggrandizing.

Anyway, I think I kinda just restated a lot of what you said and I got a little sidetracked.

Somebody is a little cranky and needs a hug.

Awards are a very Biblical concept. I like em.

Hey Rick, I'd like to hear your thoughts on how awards are a biblical concept? Could you explain that more?

Sorry for being facetious. Thursday was a weird day. You had to be there.

God has an Oscars award ceremony as well. There is an awards platform with places of honor awarded to various individuals. Then there are a variety of awards for best performance in a variety of different categories. There are awards for doing good. There are awards for those most desirous of His appearing, awards for best shepherd of the sheep and generally awards for things done on earth. However, our most honorable awards for best performance pale in comparison with what Jesus has accomplished, therefore we see the highest honored citizens of heaven casting their crowns at the feet of Jesus. I haven’t seen Oscar nominees do that. Here are some of the details;

But glory and honor and [heart] peace shall be awarded to everyone who [habitually] does good, the Jew first and also the Greek. Romans 2:10

Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.
2 Timothy 4:8

So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad. 2 Cor. 5

Be shepherds of God's flock that is under your care, serving as overseers—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away. 2 Peter 5:4

Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. 1 Corinthians 9:25

Jesus said, "Come to think of it, you are going to drink my cup. But as to awarding places of honor, that's not my business. My Father is taking care of that." Matthew 20:23

The twenty-four elders fall down before him who sits on the throne, and worship him who lives for ever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne and say: "You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being." Rev. 4

When one of the top TV shows is American IDOL, this is clearly a timely question. I'm not sure that the mere fact that awards exist is enough to say they are hubris, or comparing oneself to God. But the politicking and lobbying to line up support makes a mockery of the whole notion: this is supposed to be about good quality WORK, not about who can pull what strings with which network of well-placed friends.

It would all be fine if people lived up to the description of C.S. Lewis in The Screwtape Letters: "The Enemy wants to bring the man to a state of mind in which he could design the best cathedral in the world, and know it to be the best, and rejoice in the fact, without being any more (or less) or otherwise glad at having done it than he would be if it had been done by another." The difference may, in a crude sort of manner, have been reflected in the contrasting behavior of Kanye West and Beyonce toward Taylor Swift -- none of whom I have much interest in listening to.

A Jewish rabbi has hinted to me that "the city and the tower was a very nefarious project," considerably more than mere hubris in flattering themselves. It may not compare to the sins of the Oscars.

I personally think that i'm or have more interest in the oscars ceremony that our lord and savior jesus christ is going to be handed out cause i want so badly to hear him say job well done sharon not haten cause if you are a good actress /actor you deserve it cause god know what you put out in this life you will get it back in triple abundent. if what you put out is good good come back if it bad then the same will come back but anyways i'm truly happy for all those that had and deserve it in god grace amen.

amen brother you took the hammer of god and hit right on the nail my god my god how about that and that what we should live our life for getting ready to receive our own oscar grace unto brother i would like to get to know about you more amen.