Perrydox.com is devoted to the pursuit of truth, whether plain or paradoxical, whether simple or sublime, or simply absurd yet absolute.
How the Movie Babe Taught Bad Hermeneutics
How the Movie Babe Taught Bad Bible Hermeneutics
What does bad Bible hermeneutics have in common with the movie about a pig named Babe? For those who remember the movie, feel free to skip to the end after, “I love the movie! But….”
James Cromwell plays farmer Hoggett in this surprise hit movie. Farmer Hoggett is a sheep farmer and breeder of award-winning sheep herding dogs. The twist is the animals can talk although humans cannot hear them. Along the way, a baby pig named Babe is taken in by the Momma-Dog. To earn his keep, Babe starts “herding” sheep like a dog.
After being chided by an elderly female sheep for behaving like a “wolf” (i.e., dog), Babe begins politely herding the sheep after learning their secret code – “Baa-ram-ewe! Baa-ram-ewe! To your breed, your fleece, your clan be true! Sheep be true!”. This phrase shows Babe is accepted as one of them.
After seeing “Pig” (the human’s name for Babe) herd sheep, Farmer Hoggett got to thinking. His award-winning male dog was sick and couldn’t compete in the sheep herding contest. So he entered the pig.
Naturally, there were objections since it was a dog contest and Babe was a pig. Eventually, Babe was allowed to participate because, as the chairman explains, “we find there is no rule as such which would prevent your animal being entered”.
Pig won the dog contest, and Farmer Hoggett lovingly said, “That’ll do Pig. That’ll do”.
I love the movie! But….
It was a dog contest. In fact, that was specified in the name – “Grand National Sheepdog Trials”. A pig is not a dog. Not having a rule that a pig can’t participate was unnecessary because the rules were specific – it was a dog contest.
In real life we all know a pig would not be allowed in a dog contest since a pig is not a dog. Sadly, it happens in religion all the time. Whenever someone says, “Where does the Bible say I can’t?”, they are substituting a “pig” for a “dog”.
When God is specific, He doesn’t need to list all the other unallowable options. The specific command, plus the silence, is enough.
Babe makes for a cute movie, but horrible Bible hermeneutics. Don’t let a movie be your guide.
Comments