The evangelical community is pretty much divided over the movie adaptation of "The Shack," a novel written by William P. Young about a grieving father who gets in touch with God.
People's concerns about "The Shack" revolve on the movie's interpretation of God. In both the book and the film, God is represented by a Black woman named "Papa." Because of this, many critics have slammed "The Shack" as heretical for distorting the truth about the Holy Spirit.
"Counting On" star Ben Seewald, husband of Jessa Duggar, is one of the people who believe that way. He recently shared a video message on his Instagram account (@ben_seewald) explaining why he finds "The Shack" abhorrent.
"There is a God presented to us in 'The Shack' — a false god. A god of human imagination that directly contradicts — this idea of God directly contradicts a God who reveals himself speaking of Himself in His Word," Seewald said in the video. "There's going to be a lot of people unfortunately walking out that theater with a false idea of God. Don't let it be you."
He shared a link on his Instagram bio directing people to an article written by Dr. Michael Youssef for The Leading Way ministry website.
The article is entitled "Six Major Problems with 'The Shack.'" Youssef has qualms about "The Shack" not because of its portrayal of "Papa" but because the God there "seems casual and unconcerned with holiness, which is inconsistent with what we see in the Bible."
He is also upset because the movie implied that justice and love are at odds with one another and cannot be reconciled, and that God forgives all of humanity, regardless of whether or not they repent and believe in the redeeming work of Jesus.
Meanwhile, "The Shack" star Tim McGraw admitted that he would not know how to answer the questions critics have concerning the film. But personally, McGraw believes the movie can be used by people as a "tool" in their life journey.
"[You're] searching constantly for the next step, the next level and consciousness in your spirituality, who you are as a human being and what you contribute to society or what God means to you is always a course everyone goes on. This movie does this, regardless of what your belief system is," he told the Knoxville News Sentinel.
