Evil Proves the Existence of God! This was the title of a book shown deliberately in a movie. In the last several years there have been a proliferation of horror movies with the intention of attracting a larger public into the world of the supernatural. First, it was the Exorcism of Emily Rose which was a masterpiece! It brought together a host of worldviews into a courtroom. This is to my knowledge the first time a horror movie has been blended with tense courtroom scenes debating the essence of the supernatural. In my opinion, it succeeded in developing a persuasive case for the supernatural. Though supernatural events merely prove what has already been revealed (Romans 1), the intensity of recent movies have elevated awareness among most Americans.
I have just seen An American Haunting. The trailer itself was enough to leave me salivating. Donald Sutherland has always impressed his audience with remarkable performances. This is no different. The movie tells the story of a young girl in the early 19th century who is attacked by unseen forces which develops into an intricate story of suspense and shock. The Sixth Sense did something similar some years ago, but this one takes greater risks. It speaks profoundly about the effects of evil on those who pratice sin. Sin does not go unnoticed.
Almost always the debates concerning the legitimacy of the horror genre, so to speak, have been surrounded by the evil themes. It is however, better to see these movies with the eyes of a Christian who expects these things to be common occurrences. While the secularist watches in wonder of the supernatural manifestation in the screen, the Christian watches at ease the reality all around us. There is evil and evil proves God. Not only because one necessitates the other, but because apart from God nothing exists. The increase of the horror genre simply indicates the growing skepticism of those who produce it. Both An American Haunting and The Exorcism of Emily Rose are based on true events. The question of how faithful they are to the actual events is irrelevant to me. What is remarkable is that deep inside the unbeliever wants each story to be true.
