4 Secular Movies Every Christian Should See

Here are four great secular movies that I believe every Christian should see.

Sergeant York

The movie, Sergeant York, starred Gary Cooper, Walter Brennan, and Joan Leslie, and is considered a Hollywood Classic. I realize it’s a very old movie and it’s in black and white, but certain morals and values don’t change. What makes this movie so great is that it’s a true story about a young man who, because of his belief in the Bible, didn’t want to go to war to kill anyone. He thought that since the Bible was against killing, that he should be against killing. When the draft board didn’t recognize his church as a main denomination, which would have allowed him to be a conscientious objector, he was forced to go to war against his will, but when the time came, Sergeant Alvin York proved to be a hero. He saved many of his own men’s lives at the risk of losing his own, and became one of the most decorated veterans in U.S. history.

Chariots of Fire

This movie is very inspiring because a young Scottish runner would rather put obedience to God above winning what seemed to be a sure Olympic gold medal. This true story revolves around Harold Abrahams who is an English Jew and a student at Cambridge. His dream is to prove to the anti-Semitic students at Cambridge, that Jews are not inferior to other people, and in doing so, he ends up proving it to the world. When he refuses to run on Sunday because of his faith, it appears that his gold medal hopes are over, but then he’s given another opportunity for which he hasn’t trained. What follows is truly inspiring because he gives the glory to God.

Ben-Hur

Ben-Hur, staring Charleston Hesston, is based upon the time of Christ. A young Jewish prince named Judah Ben-Hur bristles under the heavy-handed iron fist of Rome. By chance, he and his family are disposed from their home due to a freak accident in which a Roman governor was thought to be threatened. Ben-Hur ends up as a galley slave and rowing for the Roman fleet until his ship is sank. When he sees the commander’s life being threatened, he intervenes to save him, and then ends up saving him from drowning in the ocean. At first, he is antagonistic about this “Jesus” and His teachings to “love our enemies,” but in time, Judah’s heart is softened by a miracle where his mother and sister are healed from leprosy.

The Hiding Place

The movie, The Hiding Place, is a true story about, Corrie ten Boom. Corrie and her family’s lives are disrupted by the Nazi regime during World War II in Holland, and since they are suspected of hiding Jews, they are sent to a concentration camp. It is only their Christian faith that keeps them from despair and bitterness. After the war is over, Carrie must learn to forgive her captors and tormentors. It’s a great lesson of the unconditional love of God through forgiveness that isn’t deserved.

Conclusion

Which ones do you think would be a movie that all Christians should see? Please let us know, because we know that there are many more that the whole family can watch and that will have a life-changing lesson in them. For Sergeant York, it was trust God. For Harold Abrahams, it was obey God at all costs. For Ben-Hur it was to believe in Jesus Christ. For Corrie it was about forgiveness.