PART OF THAT WAS KINDA CREEPY!!!! BUT it is a really cool video!!!!

Whoa guys; that was an awesome video. It looks/is very well done; except for some of the effects (two of the voices in the beginning). Other than that; it was really good.

After that, I really want to see what happens next.

the podcast of this episode is corrupted. could you check on that?

dude that is pretty cool i was like what is going to happen next

Really cool! good effects and a consistent story line. keep up the good work. I wish I could be there to help out! back in the day when we where recording the "Bob Books" in your basement lol...

Dear Absolution,

Wow, there are a lot of questions to answer. I will go over some of the most important issues.

Excuse me, Nathan, you said: “Christ’s actions when it came to the sick are different from out actions when it comes to war. Which this is. This is war with the infected. They are going to kill the survivors, unless they are stopped.” You also said this about James’s action at the end of the episode: “He was trying to keep himself, and his friends, alive. The main way that people who were bitten were infected, was by trying to help those who were beyond help. Once a person is infected in cannot be stopped, not without some kind of cure, which no one has, or knows how to make.” True, they are then in danger, but they don’t even try to stop the infection. What if there really was such a virus, and you were to get it. Does that mean that we would have to kill you? Or would you want us to try to save you. To save is the first thing a Christian should do. Look at yourself in the mirror and imagine that you have the virus in the story; do you think it would be the right thing to show mercy to you and risk our lives to save you?

Micah said: “In this case, it’s kill or be killed.” You have just said-hypothetically-that if your loved ones were to become infected in this “war” as you call it, then you would kill them. You might say that this is a ridiculous remark, but Micah said “survival of the fittest” in different words. I ask you the same question I asked Nathan: imagine that you have the virus in the story; do you think it would be the right thing to show mercy to you and risk our lives to save you? Consider this while I go onto the next point.

You have not answered my main concern about why I believe that you are giving people a wrong view about God’s love. I said that you have “filmed a show that blackens His love and makes Him out to be a heartless and uncaring. The God that they talk about is not the same God in the Bible.” Maybe you did not understand what was meant by this in my last comment (I know I did not make it as plain as I should have). What I meant was: God would never force people to forfeit their salvation. In the show, it is made plain that the world is supposedly turned into a world of lost sinners. In your words, Micah: “The easiest way to explain the effects of the virus, is to imagine if God took His holy, restraining hand off of that person, and let them wallow in their own sin. We are all wretched sinners, deserving of eternal damnation. Left to our own devices, I don’t think we could even imagine the kinds of evil we would create and do.” I agree with the last two sentences, we are wretched sinners; we deserve eternal death; which is why we need a savior. But are you suggesting that that was not enough? Are you suggesting that we can still be condemned to this eternal separation? I do pray this is not what you meant! Otherwise Jesus has not saved us entirely, but I know that He has. We are His, and if someone suggests that we are still in danger of eternal death, then that person is sadly mistaken. I know that people believe that this is just a TV show, something that is not real, but the ideas will cause doubt and fear in the heart of the new believer. This is my greatest concern. If we are to say that the God of a story is the same as the Christian’s God, yet the God in the story does not love the world enough to protect it from a virus that separates Him from people that may or may not accept Him as their God, then are they really the same? No they are not the same. God has let people hearted their hearts and cling to their sinful deeds throughout history, but he will not condemn the world until the final judgment day. His people are across the world, there are thousands, millions, maybe more (when I say this, I mean the people that are truly followers of Christ). What happened to those people when the virus is passed to them? Even if these teenagers in the story live in a small town, there are true adult Christians there too, what happened to them? These are some major claim that this story suggests. Do you believe it? And if not, why make four seasons of it? Here is another question: “Does Absolution show God as a God that does not love the lost sinner?” Before you answer or continue reading, look at the comment by Gabby on September 1. What was your intent, to show the love of God for the world or this false idea that God taking delight in the destruction of the sinner? Now what do people see your intent as? Sometimes we can get so involved in the creation of a story that we forget to see what it is doing to others.

As for killing, of course there are times that we must kill, but not those that need our help. If doctors found their patient to have cancer, they don’t kill him. Even if he was beyond help, they would still do all they could to save him so that if the cancer was ever found again, then they will be closer to finding a cure for it. Yes these kids are not doctors of scientist, but they should want to help the infected, even if they are hurt they should want to do what is right. Jesus did not commission us to kill the unsaved but to be a witness to them. If it results in our deaths, we die martyrs trying to do what is right. What makes you think that we are to think about our own hides first? When we kill, we kill those that have chosen to live in sin and threaten the lives of others. The people did not choose the virus, yet the teen treat them like they did.

Micah, you said that James’s actions at the end of episode #1 were right [paragraph 15]. As I have already said, God does not condemn killing, He uses it throughout history. But James is not doing what God would have us do, yet you agree with it? (By the way did you mean Phinehas, not Phineas?)
I have no problem with what Ellie said. I said that it was “the only hint of it [the title: Absolution] living up to its name”. Sorry if it sounded that I was belittling the line, I had no intention to.

Yes I believe that there are ideas in the show that are the false teachers, because they are wrong. I do not know those that wrote the story, but there are ideas that give rise to the question of what exactly are they trying to teach.

Micah, you said that Vision Forum is not the Bible, and I agree. There are some things that I do not fully agree on with them either, but, they are veterans in the ministry and respectable men of God. The Bible says to respect those that are wiser then us, so that we may learn from them. They are wise, that is what makes what they say of importance. I admit the quote was not the best example that I was looking for, though the rest of the paragraph does say what I meant. It too was taken from the same lecture, but is condensed. So you do not have to search for it, I have copied it: “Vision Forum also said that horror films are contrary to scripture, filling us with a fear that we should not have, which gives us a wrong view of spirituality and redemption.” I believe the ideas of spirituality and redemption in the show is wrong (due to the problems that I have already stated).

Elizabeth, I have something to ask. Do you really think that these comments that I am raising would lead people away from Christianity? Because if you do, then do you mean to say is that Christianity should be watered down for the unbeliever? Forgive my confusion, but you did not write out what you meant.

Charlie, I agree with you that James is not Jesus and that James is not a Christian and thus will not have the fruits of the spirit, but then his actions should be condemned not ignored. I know that this is the first episode, but there should be at least one or two spots where he it told that it is not right. Otherwise the audience does not know what the conflict is, if it is wrong then it should be stated in the beginning, or it will become a normal for the audience. By the way, I did enjoy the music, it was unique and enjoyable.

Thanks Nathan for the explanation on the rating system, apparently my computer would not show the update until I had sent the comment.

In Christ
Jeffrey Kee

Ok, I felt stirred to respond to you even though I wasn't involved in the production of this show, however, being someone that knows a little something about being a writer I feel I can say some things.

You seem to be very stubborn. You're not very willing to let in the idea that there are people in the world that are not Christian. There's a lot of them. A writer wants to have a large audience for whatever work he creates, especially if it's one that has a message, and even more so if it's a Christian writer that wants to explain a Christian message. A Christian writer would be "preaching to the choir," so to be speak, if he was only trying to address other Christians. If you or any Christian wants others to find the love and light of God and Christ you need to address all people on a level they can understand, a human level. By having a character like Green for example, someone that can see themselves relating to or making similar decisions as him can now feel as though their humanity is being addressed and represented in the show. Now that this person's interest has been obtained and they can relate to the show on a more real level, they'll follow it and see what happens as the story progresses. As the story progresses the Christian writer can then reveal the Christian message and word to this person in a gradual, somewhat realistic way. The non-Christian will be more willing to accept and listen to this approach. People pay attention to things more closely when they see something of themselves in it. The message of God is actually being made more clear to a wider audience by using an approach like this.

There's one important thing that you keep missing. You're asking people how they would personally react and what they would do in these situations, but characters are not the writer. The characters are representing people in the world and how they react and do react. People are not perfect, especially in situations as severe as this. We all have ideals in our head of what we would do and how we would feel if certain things happened, but one never knows what they're really going to do or how they're truly going to react until that situation arises.

Another thing I'd like to point out is that people should not always be handed or told what they must do. They need to learn to use their brains and assess if a situation or someone's actions are right or wrong. This is how people learn not to be manipulated or brainwashed. A story doesn't always need to have a clear cut message in it somewhere, but it should get people thinking. That's how people grow and develop.

One last point, you should wait until the last episode of this season at least before you comment on what sort of message these writers are trying to convey.

That's all.

Chelsea

Dear Chelsea,

I am I writer myself and a Christian filmmaker. I have made many mistakes in my life, both in life and in what I tell in my stories, but I have learned from them. Through people correcting me, I have tried to help people realize the consequences of our actions.

Yes I guess that I am stubborn about this subject (because when I was a non Christian, I was led further and further from God because of the shows I watched, until I was saved through the Holy Spirit working in the teachings of some pastors), but that does not mean that I have not doubted whether or not what I say is right or wrong. I want you to know that I struggled with this show (Absolution) for over a month, trying to make sense of why I felt so sick after seeing the trailer to Absolution. But when the first episode came out, I knew the problem; it was the same warning signs that were going up when I was learning to be a moral Christian man. I have studies Christian filmmaking for several years now, I do not know all that there is to know, I admit that, but I see problems that are contrary to scripture. Please understand. If you have not read the entire argument that I present, then you should read the comments I have written and look to see where you think I am wrong. Absolution has said that I am wrong, but they have given no Biblical backing as to why I wrong, though I have given it to them.

Let’s take a writer’s approach to the story, shall we. When I ask people how they would personally react to a situation, I am asking, in a sense, what they believe. Do they believe that the Bible is our foundation, or our human understanding? People can write about sin or a character that makes a mistake, but as I told Nate, a writer has to at least make the conflict known to the audience. If there is sin in the show, then the wise writer will show this conflict so the audience will see it resolved, either in the character’s success or failure. The story does not have to scream Christian, but it should teach a moral that is based on the Bible. You may think this is what is going to happen in the story later on, but look at what Micah last wrote, it says that he agrees with everything, even the last part of the show. God said that we should love our neighbor as ourselves. He said every one is our neighbor, so we should treat every one as we want to be treated. Right? Well, Micah says that he believes “kill or be killed”. He believes that he should treat people worse then himself. That is the reason why I ask him what he would want people to do for him, because then he should treat others as he wants them to treat him. Even if it is a story, he is teaching others his view, if we don’t guard our beliefs then they are venerable to change, even negative change. This is the reason that this show is dangerous to unbelievers and believers. The unbeliever is drawn to the violence and leaves with the idea that it is right (because Micah says it is, look at my message to Nate, it will tell more about what Absolution believes), and the believer is left with the idea that God will reject people and smile down on their deaths (reference from Gabby’s comment). Sounds an awful lot like some sort of pagan god taking delight in the death of people. Gruesome sounding isn’t it? Nothing like the real God of the Bible.

Remember the last thing you said, wait for the end of the story before you comment on the message. I think you have an idea that I already know the message that they are teaching. I have explained some of their message in this comment, but refer to the other ones I have made in the past, especially recently.

I give you the same suggestion that I gave Nate, pray. Ask God what to believe. Look to His Bible and see what He has to tell you. Go to your pastor and ask him about the things that you have seen in these comments.

Be strong Chelsea, I am praying that you may understand why I say these things.

In Christ
Jeffrey Kee

I know this is a really old post, but I thought I'd share my opinion anyway, though I'll try to keep it as short as possible.

Absolution is about survival. This has been stated many times. It's like a war. If you're on one side and someone from the other side is about to kill you, what will you think of first? Will you think "What can I do to help this person see that what they are doing is wrong?" or will you try to defend yourself. If you say the first answer, then I can automatically assume you've never been into battle . If you say the second, then I would call it human nature. And you could say "You should think of others before yourself in a situation like that". You'd be absolutely right. We SHOULD. But do we always do what we should do? Of course not. We are sinful beings, incapable of always doing what is right. Romans 3:23 - "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." This show is very real in the fact that it portrays the way people actually are as opposed to the perfect ideal. No one ever said that everything portrayed by the characters is correct. As for the shooting incident with James, I have this to ask you. If you had to choose between saving someone you'd never met and saving someone you love, who would you choose? And considering how much James has lost, can you understand that he doesn't want to lose anyone important to him? To be honest, I would agree with you about trying to save the infected if it weren't for one very important fact. They are teenagers! They don't know what caused this virus or how to stop it. Otherwise, I believe they would have tried to stop it long ago. Now they're just doing all that they can to stay alive to see the day when there is a cure.

You said the conflict needs to be known to the audience. This is episode 1. There are many episode coming later. You as a filmmaker should know you can't reveal everything in the first episodes. You introduce problems and conflicts and solve them later on. So how can you say that the wrong actions of the characters are going to be ignored or have no consequences? There was sin in the world for thousands of years before Jesus came. That didn't mean that God didn't have a plan. It just hadn't come to fruition yet.

You have no reason to believe that all the views represented on the show are the actual beliefs of the cast and writers. They are simply portraying more than one belief in the show. (There's the conflict, btw) Micah said "kill or be killed" but you took it out of context. He wasn't talking about himself. He was talking about the characters, and their WAR against the infected. He was saying James did the right thing IN THAT SITUATION, not that what James did is always the right thing. Would you go so far as to take that statement and say that he would apply that to his daily life?

I happen to know Gabby personally, and I know that she didn't mean "that God will reject people and smile down on their deaths." Only she can know exactly what she meant. I believe she meant more that, in light of the current state of their lives, God is happy they can finally rest in peace. I don't think anyone here believes that God delights in peoples death.

The main issue I would like to bring up is how harshly you are criticizing these people, not just their work. You have called the creators of absolution false preachers, bad influences, and misusers of the gifts God has given them. You have accused them of portraying a God who delights in destruction and watering down Christianity. Matthew 7:1 says "Do not judge, or you too will be judged." I would have no problem if you expressed your opinion as to why you were opposed to the show. But you've, repeatedly, gone as far as to question the very Christianity of the people involved! I believe that is a kind of judgment only God can pass. 1 Samuel 16:7 says "Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart." All I ask is that if you do decide to post on this again, that you stuck with your opinion and leave out the personal beliefs of the Absolution cast and crew.

Your sister in Christ,
Adalyn Morris

Everyone on the earth is infected with sin and are going to burn in hell forever; why does God only save some of them? Why did God pick me over other people? Why doesn't God just show himself and say hey here I am it's me God and have everyone believe in him and we'd all be happy?

Even the wisest men make mistakes (Solomon), but point taken.

The main point of my argument is that Christian shows suck because they are boring and stupid most of the time. They try to represent the life of a Christian as amazing and happy. Well newsflash, my life would probably be ten times less complicated and less stressful without God. Just because you're a Christian doesn't mean that everyone is going to be happy and dandy all the time. Sometimes things suck. It's life. How do you think the kids are supposed save the infected people?

Not to mention I don't understand why you don't understand this. IT'S A SHOW. It's not a show where Micah has declared that all of his characters are Christian and they are showing how to act. He's not preaching a false message because you're completely misinterpreting what the message is. You think he's representing Christ and Christ's actions through EVERY one of his characters and he's not therefore you think he is representing a false message.

No she's not saying you should water down the message of Christ but you're looking for Christ in every single thing in the earth. Another newsflash, sin is in the earth. Are you sending out a bad message when you eat or sleep because you're using that time to eat or sleep instead of preaching the word of God to other people. Using your logic I could easily do that.

It's a show about infected people and helpless teenagers trying to survive. They can't save them. It's impossible. And they only attack the infected to not get infected themselves. How are they supposed to possibly save the infected in the future if they get infected themselves by saying hey infected Jesus loves you. If you were one of the characters what would you do? You would try to save them with love and the mercy of Jesus and they would bite your head off. Stop complicating things.

Don't mean to be harsh but man it's not that difficult to understand.

Dear Nate,

You said your last comment: “Not to mention I don’t understand why you [Jeffrey] don’t understand this. IT’S A SHOW. It’s not a show where Micah has declared that all of his characters are Christian and they are showing how to act. He’s not preaching a false message because you’re completely misinterpreting what the message is. You think he’s representing Christ and Christ’s actions through EVERY one of his characters and he’s not therefore you thing he is representing a false message.” That was a mouthful. Let’s break it down into smaller bites shall we.
* “Not to mention I don’t understand why you don’t understand this. IT’S A SHOW.”
Correction, I do understand that there is no such thing as ‘it is just a show’. I addressed this in an earlier comment. What are you saying then is: [that if someone makes a show that focuses on the idea that sin is cool, then God will not hold them accountable for it on the day of judgment.] You must understand that every show teaches! Yes, everything from kid’s shows to tragedies to comedies to historic documentaries and fiction. Even cheesy TV cartoons teach the viewer something. But must I repeat it again, or have you caught on yet that our actions have consequences? Even if it is a show that we make, it will have consequences. Let us imagine that the Day of Judgment was today, God looks at the makers of Absolution and says: “What is this that you have done? You have made me out to be uncompassionate, though you know I am.” Absolution says: “Well, you see, God, we were trying to honor you by making this show.” God replies: “If you wanted to honor me, then you would have made the show reflect my good will for mankind and that I do not seek to destroy mankind, but to redeem it.” Absolution says: “Well you have condemned men in the past.” God says: “Yes, I have condemned those that reject my son and follow other gods. But you know that I am righteous, why do you show me as such a cruel God, when I am loving and one who want my children to be like my Son?” Absolution says: “IT’S A SHOW. It is not like it hurt anybody?” Then God shows Absolution some people that were going to hell. “Tell me,” God says, “these people are going to the lake of fire because they were told in a show that God will take away any hope of their salvation. They let the show color their ideas of my laws; they rejected me because they did not want to follow a God that would smile down on the slaughtering of the innocent.” Absolution corrects: “But the infected in the show were not innocent! They were rejected by your righteous hand!” God says: “My point exactly. You have taught these people there is no hope for them.” Still think that “IT’S A SHOW”? If this has not persuaded you otherwise, ask your pastor what the Bible says about the things I have been saying. I give you the same advice that Micah suggests, pray. If you want to know what God wants from your shows, pray. I am not talking about a casual prayer for God to tell you His Will, but a prayer that stings your soul with the questions about what is right or wrong, but also read all you can about what God wants to see in our labors.
* “It’s not a show where Micah has declared that all of his characters are Christian and they are showing how to act.”
It is fine to show that characters are not Christian, but when you say that the non-Christian is showing us how to act, that is another thing. This has been my biggest problem with several of the people that have been responding to my comments so far. Am I seeing Absolution saying that a sinful action is the right thing to do, when it is carried out be a nonbeliever? Like when Green shoots the man at the end of the episode. But Micah tells me in one of his comments that he believes Green did what is right. It is not a problem to show sin, but when the writer of a show outright says that he believes this sin is not really a sin! He is saying that Green has not murdered a man! He is saying that the Bible is false! If he believed it, his work will show it. But as it has come out, his works show us that he does not obey the sixth commandment! How can that be a Christian message? [Micah’s words are written on his comment on September fourth, Paragraph #15] Read the first sentence, I have already said that I know that God has ordered people to be killed, but that paragraph Micah writes is not what the Bible says. If he is not standing by the Bible on this issue, then how many other things is he teaching that he has compromised on?
* “He’s not preaching a false message because you’re completely misinterpreting what the message is. You think he’s representing Christ and Christ’s actions through EVERY one of his characters and he’s not therefore you thing he is representing a false message.” Like I have said in this comment and others, there is no problem showing that there are people that make bad choices, but if one hails it as the right thing to do (like Micah is saying), then that person is teaching a falsehood. I have also said that when you make a story, you make bad bad and good good. If the main character is doing what is wrong, then he should be told off. If that character refuses to listen, then he will suffer consequences later on. That is the structure of a story that is Biblically based, and has the audience knowing what the moral is as they see the main character stumble and fall because of his choice. But this is not what Absolution is teaching. As I said in my last paragraph, even the writer does not know what is right or wrong, so what is Absolution using to discern right from wrong?

By the way, are you a relative or a close friend of Elizabeth? Because if not, then you have no authority to speak for her or to clarify what she said. You also said: “sin is in the earth.” I understand that, Nate, but we should not focus on sin to save the non Christian.

The show, you say, is about teenagers surviving. You said that: “If you were one of the characters what would you do? You would try to save them with love and the mercy of Jesus and they would bite your head off. Stop complicating things.” I am sorry that you think that showing that something is wrong means that I am complicating things. If so, then Martin Luther should have kept his mouth shut. Do you see the parallels? The Church was teaching false doctrine that was not in scripture, so Luther spoke out against it, but was this wrong of him? No, he was doing what was right; warning the Church of its falseness, but the church refused to listen, because they were steeped in the belief that what the Pope said had the authority of scripture. Watch out that you do not lower your glasses of scripture to do what is cool or what your friends do. Go to your pastor and pray about these things. And ask yourself what your heart wants and what the gospel says.

In Christ,
Jeffrey Kee

Well, this is good. At least these questions and controversies can be ironed out at the very beginning of the series.

Like Nathan said, he wants the creators to respond, and although I'm not the creator, I fancy myself a good participant of Absolution. I play Doug Gresham in the TV show, if it isn't obvious enough by my name. I recorded all of the music you heard in the episode, (which I'd appreciate your feedback on), and I'm a diehard Christian. I don't find Absolution conflicting with my beliefs.

You mentioned, "Jesus never killed them, but saved them. These characters should be trying to cure the people of the virus. That, my friends, is true Christian love!". I completely agree with you, Jeffrey, that is the power of Jesus, but James Green isn't Jesus, and he certainly isn't a Christian character as Nathan said. I find the message of Absolution flows rather equivalently with any Biblical text that has ever existed about people struggling without faith. Most of the apostles were dirtbags before they were converted to Christ, and most pious men such as Paul were once murderers! But as they discovered the wrong doings of their past, and began to see a future in God, they became different people all together.
My character is probably the lowest, antagonistic, and certainly most blunt character in the series at the moment; and I as a human being was once not much different. It's the change that occurs in all of us as we progress in difficult situations, and the experiences and relationships the characters make will be something you have to watch for.

"They have all gone out of the way, they have, together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one." - Romans 3:12
Think of this show as overcoming the realistic Hell that occurs on Earth by metaphor; not encouraging perversion.
~Charlie

I think you guys did great, made a fan out of me.

/Laurel (McCormick's neighbor)

It is me again; Jeffrey Kee. Read this all the way through; if you are trying to make Christian shows, then you will heed this Christian correction to Absolution.
As some of you may remember, I commented on the preview of this show over a month ago. I said that I saw some potential problems. I am here to tell you that the show I just saw (episode #1-Green) has made me very sad at what the Absolution team has done.

In episode #1 show, some sort of virus has infected the whole world, and if someone was bitten by an infected person, then they in turn become infected. Sounds an awful lot like rabies, but instead it affects people (interesting, this also sounds a lot like vampires). So these kids are trying to stay safe in a world infested with rabid people? Sounds like these kids should be trying to save these people from the virus, not themselves. These kids have made it plain that they are focused on killing these people to defend themselves.
More then twice, one of the kids starts to joke about killing more of these infected people, which he refers to as zombies. Though he is corrected by the other character, it is as if Absolution is an attempt to weave pagan horrors with a “Christian” message. They say that they are not zombies, but possessed people. If that is so, then these infected people are in need of a doctor or a pastor, not an executioner! That leads to the next point.
When did Jesus kill the sick? He never did, he loved them. Even the two demon possessed men in Matthew 8:28-34, and the demon possessed boy in Matthew 17:14-18. Jesus never killed them, but saved them. These characters should be trying to cure the people of the virus. That, my friends, is true Christian love! They should not be killing them because they do not see any hope for them! In the last scene, there is someone who is just bitten by an infected person, but instead of trying to help him, JAMES GREEN SHOOTS HIM!!! This is NOT Christian love or how a Christian should act! James has just committed murder! Green was not defending himself as Absolution so clearly stated was their ‘intention’! Christians are a light to the world and are suppose to love his enemies, not slaughter them. Even if the story changes in the next few episodes, the damage has been done.
To sum it all up, this is a horror show. I refer to the Christian filmmakers of Vision Forum, who said: “We can make films with somewhat horrifying subjects, but the Horror Genera is rooted in a perverse understanding of fear. It affects our psychological fears of man, or in other words, ungodly fear.” [From Screen to Cinema: Christian Filmmaking Essentials, Disc #4 40min] Vision Forum also said that horror films are contrary to scripture, filling us with a fear that we should not have, which gives us a wrong view of spirituality and redemption. James Green in the last part of episode #1 killed the bitten young man, is this the redemption that Absolution is teaching?

You may be wondering “what the harm is in making a show like this?” or “surely the viewer will be able to discern these differences by themselves?” Let me ask you this question: “What did Jesus say would happen if we lead others astray?” He said that it would be better for that man to have a millstone tied around his neck and be drowned in the sea. What happens then to those that just stand by when they see someone leading another astray? Well the Bible again tells us what will happen. Look at 2 John 11; it says: “Anyone who welcomes him [a false teacher] shares in his wicked work.” You may think that this does not apply, but think about it for a moment. Consider for a moment if Hitler came to America, would we leave him alone? No, because he is in our country-our home-we would arrest him. If a false teacher is left alone, then we are saying that we do not care. Then, unrestrained, the teacher will be spreading his false teachings across the country. Our children will be led astray. This is that sort of scenario; this show is not Hitler, but it does give a false view of the way Christians should act. This means that this show cannot be neglected. Remember the saying “You are what you eat”, it is true, if we feed ourselves good things, then we become strong and healthy, but if we fill ourselves will bad things, then we become sick and weakly. Who can say that they want to eat a moldy loaf of bread? If you do, you will become sick, just like that bread. When we dwell on that which is false, we become weak and begin to believe it, though we do not realize the change that has occurred in our beliefs.

What does Absolution mean? It means: forgiving of sins by a confessor in the sacrament of penance; synonyms are: forgiveness, pardon, release, freedom, liberty. Absolution does not live up to these definitions. The only hint of it living up to its name is when anything beyond Ellie Sheppard saying: “God will show us the way”.

I can see that Absolution has not used the gifts God has given them wisely; they have taken the blessing and filmed a show that blackens His love and makes Him out to be a heartless and uncaring. The God that they talk about is not the same God in the Bible. Reader, the God of the Bible has a love beyond our imagination, and when he judges, he judges with righteousness and compassion. Seek to live by His standards, do not dwell on that which is unbiblical, remember: “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable-if anything is excellent or praiseworthy-think about such things.”(Philippians 4:8)

Finally, if you find anything wrong with what I have said, then correct me by the scriptures that God has given us. If you can find a real fault with it through the Bible, then I will heed your correction.

By the way, Absolution would not accept the one star rating that I gave the episode. Is the rating system out of order?

Signed,
Jeffrey Kee

WOW! Honestly..I am really glad I have already found Christ, because if not after reading that whole spiel I would be incredibly turned off by all of christianity.

Dear Jefferey,
I'm very glad to see you're a man of your word (and I would expect no less). I'm very grateful that you took time to come and watch our first episode. I really am truly glad.

I am disappointed at how bad you thought the project was, but, I understand differences in personal taste. The only reason I am responding, is because you attacked the very Christianity of the many Christian people who slaved over this project for the last couple of months (and will continue to).

You are very entitled to your opinion, and please, give it. I love any and all feedback; good feedback helps me see what I've done right, and negative feedback shows me where I need improvement. I would not normally defend myself in either of these positions; but I feel it is my obligation to all the great, Christian people who have worked on this project for so long, to defend this work from a Christian perspective.

I don't know whether or not you read, or remember, our last conversation. I replied, but you never gave any indication of whether or not you saw it, either positive or negative. But in my statement, I addressed a few of these concerns that you have brought up again. But, seeing as you brought them up again, I'll make it easier on you, and just put it all in one place, instead of asking you to go back and dig up my other response.

First of all, let me address this virus. Maybe the show is too slow-moving for you, but unfortunately, for practical and dramatic reasons, I cannot put every answer to every question in the first episode. So, some of this may not be apparent, but, it will be, given time. But, I feel the need to explain some things to you, so that you will hopefully better understand what we're doing here.

And before I go on, I humbly ask that you read and pray over what I've said and will go on to say, as I have done with what you've said. Because the accusations that you have made here are quite weighty, and I just pray that you know the weightiness of your words, as I understand and continually ask God to help me understand the weightiness of my job.

I know as a filmmaker that I hold an extreme amount of accountability. In our current culture, what we see in TV and movies affects us; sometimes it's subtle, in the back of our minds, but sometimes it affects the very core of our beliefs. With one mistake, I could potentially lead someone into sin. I understand that, and in everything that I do, every day and night, I pray to God to help me to glorify Him in everything that I do.

Now, back to the virus. The virus is very mysterious, especially at this point in the show. After all, if it were completely understood, there would be little mystery, which is essential to any good TV show. It's the lifeblood of a show; the "I want to see what happens next!" So I hope you understand that I can't explain it all. But, as my brother, Nathan (coldshoulder), has stated, the virus primarily affects adults, as well as those who are bitten. The easiest way to explain the effects of the virus, is to imagine if God took His holy, restraining hand off of that person, and let them wallow in their own sin. We are all wretched sinners, deserving of eternal damnation. Left to our own devices, I don't think we could even imagine the kinds of evil we would create and do.

So, these people are more than just rabies-infested people, and they're certainly not vampires. As Nathan has already said, these kids don't know the first thing about science. And they've not been given the power to cast out demons, which is something both Jesus and His apostles had. They have either the choice to live, and kill the infected people when confronted, or let them infect them, and lose all inhibitions and their minds. The choice that you personally would choose, is your choice. In this show, we deal with the choices that these teenagers make, and how it affects them, their world around them, etc.

Not all of these characters are Christians, as I said previously. They all have varying degrees of faith; from Ellie, who is the most religious (yet still has problems, like a real Christian), to James, who outright hates and rejects God and everything He stands for. You also have less strong opinions, such as those of Jordan, who doesn't really reject God, but isn't quite interested in Him at the moment. You also have Doug, who's grown up with religion, and thinks that it's a waste of time, but doesn't go out of his way to hate God. And another character, Roeber (the guy who's yelling at the end of the episode), who's searching, but doesn't really know what he's searching *for*.

You strongly disagreed with James' actions in this episode; from what I can gather about you, you're a very well-read and studious Christian. The fact that you find the actions of James, who is a complete and aggressive atheist, does not surprise me. His mindset and worldview are quite opposite yours. But, instead of looking at him as a character that we are exploring, as I have stated is my goal, you misinterpreted this to be my, and the crew of Absolution's, personal viewpoint. I have written, and will continue to write, behaviors by characters that I strongly disagree with; how can you have a real person, or antagonist, if you don't? There *must* be conflict. Conflict drives story. It's the structure and reason for any and every story.

I can assure you, that I do not agree with all of James' actions. I *will* agree with specific actions, though, in the same way that I can see something an atheist does, and agree that it's a good thing to do. Now, the atheist is not doing it with a heart for God, and therefore, their motivation should not be ours, but that does not mean that the action itself is sinful. Many God-haters do acts such as help the poor, feed the hungry, etc. These are all things we as Christians, and as a church, are called by God to do. Just because an atheist does them as well, does not mean we're to disdain them. And so, I have no problem agreeing with some of the actions of James, even if his motivation is wrong.

Please don't misread that paragraph; I am not saying that because he's doing something that we should or can do, makes it right. But I hope you'll understand how I can agree with some things he does.

As previous posters have stated, the choice for James Green to shoot the man at the end, I believe, was not wrong. He had two choices; either kill the man, or let the man infect the rest of the people, including himself, and the people he takes care of. God does not outright condemn killing. Nate has already cited some examples, and I'd just like to add one myself, of times in the Bible where God has condoned killing.

I would ask you to read the passage in the old testament (I apologize, I can't recall its reference at the moment) involving Phineas. I won't go on and on about it, but it's an often overlooked passage, in which God commands Phineas to kill. Is this a sin? Is this murder? God commanded this, so it can't be. I don't know if you're a pacifist, but if you are, I would have to say I disagree with you. I won't get into that now, but if it's something you want to discuss, then we can do that further on. But I will say, I believe that there is a time to fight, but there is also a time to die. But neither option is always the right choice.

You said you had a problem with one of the kids joking about killing the infected. Humor is a common way that people cope with traumatic experiences and grief. As well, some characters have to make light of it, so that they aren't constantly second-guessing themselves. As I mentioned before, not everything these characters do is agreeable. But I intend to write real, multi-dimensional, breathing characters. That's the problem I see with so much "Christian" media. Every character is one-dimensional. No situation is complex. These aren't real people, these are phrases, with a face. If you like that type of entertainment, then that's your prerogative. As for me, and most people, we relate and understand and sympathize, empathize, and even hate, real characters. We can tell when a writer just throws random slogans together, and we can tell when a writer is writing real people; we know, because we are, and everyday deal with, real people. If you want to tell a good story, if you want to make an impact, your characters have to be real. They have to be complex, they have to have faults, they have to have problems, because no one, except our beautiful Savior, is perfect.

The problem herein lies with your interpretation of our characters. You see that every time we show that a character is flawed or does something wrong, that we are glorifying it. This is absolutely erroneous, and I believe it's where our main problem is. Just because it's *in* our show, doesn't mean it's what we believe. If I were to write a show where everyone is a Christian, everyone is always doing the right things, and everyone is always friendly to everyone else, loves each other, etc., it would be terrible. First of all, it would be terribly false. Even the greatest of Christians is filled with sin, and our only worth is in Christ. Paul called himself the "worst of sinners", and you and I could not even live up to a quarter of what he's done for the Kingdom of God.

Second of all, it would be absolutely boring. No one would pay attention, no one would watch it for more than 30 seconds; as I said, any story needs conflict. In our show, each and every character has multiple conflicts. They have inner conflicts, many wrestling with faith, as well as personal issues and family issues, and they have outer conflicts, such as killing the infected, living in this environment, dealing with the other people, and so on. If you think that us utilizing conflict in the show is a negative element, then I'm afraid you will never appreciate our work.

As I mentioned, just because something's in the show, doesn't mean we're glorifying it. We can choose to deal with it in several different ways, each giving a different effect.

We can outright show that the action is wrong, and make that clear in the show, by either head-on addressing it with dialog, or through consequences. This is an easy way to 'preach' to an audience, to let them know that if you do x, y will happen.

Another way to deal with these actions is to simply let the character live with them. This also ties into my first example, as the action will eat away at the character slowly over time, and it's basically a delayed version of my first example.

Yet another way is to let nothing happen. We don't always see the consequences of our actions in this life. Sometimes the godless are the richest. Sometimes the most righteous Christian is poor and starving. But who has the eternal joy? Who has redemption? This is a powerful way to show how something's right or wrong; by letting the viewer see the action, and think about it, and wonder about it. If something unsettles you, you usually want to know why. This way involves more subtlety and the viewer has to be more open to thought about the subject, but it's quite effective as well.

So, if you see an action that you think is wrong, think about how it's dealt with in the show. I can tell you right now, some thing will be dealt with almost immediately; on the other hand, some things will linger, and slowly build, into a crescendo. This latter type is very powerful, and is a very hard tool to utilize, but we do have some of it in the show.

I'd also like to point out, that this is a 4-season show. We have a plan. We know where we're going, and we will answer all the questions that are important. Some issues we'll raise in the first episode, and won't get resolves 'till later, possibly even the very last episode. That's the way a show like this, a show about characters, works. You can't deal with every issue as it's presented. Some of them need to hang over a character, because in reality, some of our deepest, darkest sins are left to fester for years and years before we finally deal with them. So, patience is necessary to get the full impact of this show. As I've said, it's a complex project, and it's very daunting and very involved, but the more the viewer invests in it, the more they will get out of it.

We've said that our intention in this show is survival. You don't believe this, but I do. These kids aren't killing for sport. Some may make light of it to deal with the fact that they are, in fact, killing. No character goes out and hunts these infected people. I believe Nathan said it well, and so I won't belabor the point.

I'm disappointed at your perception of the show. I don't mean to be harsh, but this is quite obviously not a horror show. You're maybe not very familiar with the genre, but we're pretty far from horror. When I watch the show, I'm not scared. At least, not beyond the point of maybe "How will they get out of this?" or "What's gonna happen?" But we did not construct this show in any fashion to resemble horror; the closest you could come is that it involves these infecteds, which are vaguely similar to zombies. But as you can see, the show is not *about* the infected. Our infecteds are the catalyst for the show, they're the antagonist. But the show is not about them. In a horror, the show or movie is all about the creature or monster or whatever the antagonist is. It's about the mystery of it, the suspense, the not knowing. In this show, in the opening scene we show how one man becomes infected. In the very next scene, we show three infecteds in broad daylight. If this were horror, you would not see them until the end. Any horror movie is ruined as soon as the 'thing' is revealed. By shooting that scene in broad daylight, we establish that this show is not motivated by these horrific beings.

Also in a horror, the protagonist is not more powerful than the antagonist. If they were, then you have no conflict. Ten minutes in, movie's over, 'cause he killed the bad guy. In our show, we also establish that our main character is at least as powerful, but usually more powerful, than the antagonist. This is another flag that this show is not horror; 'cause if it were, it would be a terrible horror.

Now, you cited Vision Forum. It's not part of the Bible, like you said your examples were when you summed up, but I won't hold you to that. But Vision Forum is *not* the Bible. I do agree with their ministry, and I believe very strongly (and will most likely participate in their film festival sometime in the coming years) in their purpose, but they're not completely right. I also think that there's more than one way to be a Christian filmmaker. Horror can have its place, when used rightly. Personally, I find 99.9999999% of horror to be disgusting, worthless cinema. I don't normally watch any horror, because it's either pointless or just not good. But that doesn't mean that it can't be good.

You again addressed the killing of the man at the end of the episode. There are times when we have to make hard choices. In this case, it's kill or be killed. Think of the man as a terrorist, bomb strapped to his chest, ready to pull the trigger on a plane. Say you have a gun. Would you believe it would be wrong to kill that terrorist, to save the rest of the people on the plane? In a similar way, this man is a ticking time bomb. Very shortly, he will turn into one of the infecteds. When he turns, he will start to attack James and his men. This isn't a perfect simile, but it conveys my point.

Ah, here you are wrong. I understand quite well what the harm can be in making something like this. I've considered all of this, and you're very right about the sensitivity involved in this business. I'm disheartened by the fact that you believe that we're leading people astray. That's an extremely strong accusation, and I don't believe that you're right, or else I would quit immediately. I believe very strongly in what we're doing here, and it may just be my inside knowledge of the project, but the messages are good ones. In exploring these real characters, we can explore many aspects of them, and most importantly, faith. As you'll see, faith is a strong focus throughout the show. And it will continue to be, up until the very last credit rolls. In creating real characters, we can extrapolate and show how these actions and things affect real people, thus showing our viewers, who are real people, the affects of such things.

This show is absolutely about redemption, which is the meaning of the title. Some aspects of redemption will be more obvious sooner, and some will be at the very end of the series. Absolution is a complex and long story, which is ultimately about redemption.

I'm disappointed that you did belittle Ellie's line about God showing the way. It may seem like she said it as and afterthought, but that line carries much weight. And with the added "He will" after it, makes it very poignant. It shows that this Christian girl is trying to reassure herself that God is still there. Have you ever questioned God? I don't know a single Christian who hasn't; we all question our faith. And here, we're exploring her having doubts about her faith, and will show what happens when she does that (which comes in as the show progresses).

In your paragraph, am I wrong in assuming that we're the false teachers? Which, would make you the good Christian, and not tolerating us, the false teachers. If this were so, I'd say you were completely right. And I think you *are* right in voicing your concerns, and I thank you so much for that.

But the perception I'm getting is that you've made up your mind. Absolution is sinful. We're leading people astray. We're blackening the holy name of Christ. And this is where I have to stand up and say that you're wrong. I would caution you to say such things very carefully, as if it's true, there's a very serious problem. Perhaps there is a difference in the way each of us interprets God's Word. If this is the case, we're not likely to get very far with one another. But when you say that we here at Absolution are blackening the name of God, I'm very saddened. Personally, I pray to God to help me glorify Him in every aspect of Absolution. That is my highest calling, and my highest delight. And I know most of the other people involved feel the same way.

I believe that God will use Absolution for His glory. I believe that we are glorifying His name in what we're doing here. I believe that the way we're dealing with the characters is a much more powerful way to show the love of Christ than to make a movie where all the characters are perfect Christians.

In closing, I'd just ask that you prayerfully reconsider what you've said; I don't think you will ever change your mind about the show. I don't think you'll enjoy it. You obviously do not like the way we handle things. That's all your prerogative. But I do hope you will see that we are working for the glory of God our Father, who gave us all our talents and gifts, which we are using to produce this show, but most importantly, gave us redemption.

In Christ,
Micah McFarland

If I may interject into the conversation. Jeffrey, you are completely over analyzing pretty much everything.
What was James Green supposed to do, let him infect all of them? Like Nathan (coldshoulder) said, they are merely teenagers, what were they supposed to do? Right before Samson died he asked God for strength and with that strength he broke the pillars and killed many people. Was that the "Christian" thing to do? Obviously God had a reason for it or else He wouldn't have given Samson the power to do it. David's mighty men slaughtering so many people in the Bible, was the Christian of them?

Math and computer science which I am both studying heavily for my college degree are not "Christian" things, if you will. Yet I devote many hours of my day to study them. Does the fact that I study Math and Computer Science mean that I am projecting a Christian image? Oh look that guy is studying Math he must be a Christian! No, of course not. Yet the fact that I do my work diligently and to the best of my ability and do my work for the glory of God is how people will know. Not only that but I do it for my degree so that I can provide my future family with a good life and help to bring them up in a strong Christian household.

Not everything you do has to scream, "Hey I'm a Christian!" Especially in the realm of writing and producing where subtleties are important to the nature of the writing. What major Christian movies have made it onto the big screen? I can tell you that it's not a lot. Mostly because a lot of the Christian movies I've seen are boring and not well made because we try to throw in so much stuff about Christianity that it bores the person watching it. You have well made movies like Mel Gibson's Passion of the Christ which is an astounding way to show the Christian faith to people. That movie had one of the goriest scenes I have ever seen in my life. But that just makes the feeling of sorrow and realness of what Jesus actually went through for us ever more real and has a much larger impact than the other movies where Jesus is covered in what I would call lipstick.

If you look at the story of Saul, and you took everything before his conversion and read it to someone, what do you think they would say? And we all know how Saul turned out, so let the story finish before comments are made of that nature.

The rating system is an aggregate of all the ratings the episode has been given. You rating was counted, and added into the equation. There are six votes, 5 of 5 stars, and one of one star. This brought the average rating from a 5 star to a 4.33.

I am going to let the creator's speak for themselves, but as one of the writers, and a Christian, I would like to point out that you seem to have a false idea of what these people are doing. They are not murdering people. They are surviving. These are kids. Teenagers. None of them know the first thing about molecular biology. None of them know how many people the infection has killed, how many it turned, and how many people are still alive. They are simply trying to stay alive. They go out of there way to avoid contact with the infected, but when they are forced into contact with them they defend themselves. There are no doctors, there are no hospitals, there is only them.
This hasn't been clearly stated in the show, but the air-born version of the virus affects those over the age of 21-24. It's still unknown as to why, although some speculate that the reason has to do with the fact that your brain finishes developing around that age.

None of the characters are going out to hunt the infected.

James Green's decision to kill the infected person at the end of episode 1 will be fleshed out more in episode 2, but for your sake I will reveal his motivation. He was trying to keep himself, and his friends, alive. The main way that people who were bitten were infected, was by trying to help those who were beyond help. Once a person is infected it cannot be stopped, not without some kind of cure, which no one has, or knows how to make.
If he hadn't shot that man right then, the infection would have set in to the point that he would start attacking the group, and at that close range he was bound to get at least one more person before he could be stopped.

Also James Green is not a Christian. This hasn't been explicitly stated yet, (bear with us, this is only the first episode) but he is an atheist. Before the spread he was "christian" he went to church and thought he believed in God, but after the spread, and the horrors he saw and committed, he abandoned God.

I know that right now you are probably thinking to yourself, "He didn't use that any scriptures to defend himself."
No.
I do not think that the scriptures you were referencing were pertinent to this discussion. Christ's actions when it came to the sick are different from out actions when it comes to war. Which this is. This is war with the infected. They are going to kill the survivors, unless they are stopped.

Absolution is not necessarily a horror show. It is not filmed like one or edited like one. It is more like a drama set around horrific events. With action thrown in. A horror focuses more on the monster, and less on the people. This show is about the people and the situation they are trying to survive.

The name absolution has several different meanings, and reasons why it was chosen as the name.
When it comes to any name, it can be taken differently by many different people, but, for me it has to do with these characters. Each one of them is not right with God or themselves. They have something in their past that eats away at them. Whether it is something they did, didn't do, had to do, or let happen, they all have something. They all need forgiveness. As do we all. But they can receive forgiveness, because no one is beyond forgiveness.

Again, this is not a full response, because I want to let the creators speak for themselves. But as a member of the team, I felt that I needed to speak up.

- Nathan McFarland

Constructive criticism is always needed though. =)

You said that "everyone's a critic". So I won't criticize something I know little about -- how to create a dramatic TV show with a very limited budget -- close to zero -- with no prior experience from anyone involved. You all did a great job! Visually engaging, realistic acting, the plot was made clear without requiring a lot of dialogue. I look forward to seeing more character development, lengthier scenes with more dialogue, and God being glorified in all this somehow.

Storyline was good and I liked the effects but the last blood effect was a bit lacking. ;) The sound for the voices was way over any kind of ambient noise, so it sounded like all the voices were voice-overs and fake. Could have been the effect you were going for but it just sounded awkward to me. Other than that, pretty good. Good luck with episode 2!

A few people have said that Ashley was their favorite. She definitely impressed me too.

She did a really good job. I was impressed by how well her and Teddy did together.

Great Job! Good acting. I was impressed with Ashley lol. Everything was really good: dialogue, camera angles, special effects, music, settings, etc. I'm proud. :)

Chuck says he's impressed by the writing and some of the camera work. The use of the music was very good. He says it puts to shame what he was doing at your age.

He says it puts to shame what THEY (butch, vinny, ricky, etc.) were doing at your age.

lol

Thanks! I'm glad you and Chuch liked it. Yeah, I was surprised by Ashley myself. She did really well.

Very awesome,very good acting from all of the actors, great camera tricks and characters seem interesting. Can't wait for the next episode. /Lar

WOW GUYS!!! THIS IS AWESOME!!!!!!!! When I first went to watch it early Sat. morning, it was at the white screen stage, but still, amazing audio!! Anyway, the video and the audio together, AWESOME!!!!!! I know you guys all put in a ton of work, but it paid off. I might have to change my answer when people ask me what my favorite tv (or interntet) show is now. :-)

I forgot to say the audio + video looks and sounds professional, gj all.

Oh my goodness guys I'm insanely impressed and beyond proud of you all. That's such a creative way of glorifying God, I know that he's looking down at all of those shot to death zombies and smiling :D I seriously got goosebumps watching it. It was handled incredibly tastefully and I've honestly never been so proud to be friends of all of you. Great Job!!!

Wow, guys. I can be completely honest in saying I am VERY impressed.

Looks fantastic.

Thanks! I'm just so happy that it's finally out there for people to see.

Great work, very good story so far, I think you need to work on the audio a bit (ie when the guy dies at the start when he screams there is major distortion). Also have you thought of getting paintball pistols with red ammo so you dont have to edit blood in? (I assune this is what you did looking at the last shot). Looking forward to the next episode.

Robert

Yeah it was, lol. And that isn't such a bad idea. The main problem is the money.

GREAT JOB GUYS!!! I KNEW YOU WOULD GET IT UP!!!! XD You all did a great job!!!! ^_^!

WOW just WOW.... and i thought it looked good Thursday..... Gratz Micah an Peter it looked fantastic!

So, everything officially hates us. The Vimeo conversion failed. Thankfully I do have a smaller version up for download, and I'm gonna try and get the youtube version up as soon as I can, but this is just unacceptable. We are looking at moving to a paid service that should be more reliable.

I say A JOB WELL DONE IS A...i forget the rest of the saying... BUT WELL DONE. It certainly held my eyes fast. I even went back a few times kuz I could not believe how well it all flowed together. Fluency is a covetable trait.

well the fact that it is done is still amazing to me

Thanks Josh :P

I like how the light reflects off the swings. Very dynamic. ( I am being serious.)

Wheres the video?Its just a white screen...

We are very sorry about this; the site we used to host the video messed up the encoding, and somehow just encoded the audio, with no video. We're working as fast as we can to get it out. Please bear with us.