Is the Mega Church Pastor No Different Than the James Bond Villain?

/ wonderingeagle

The other day I was watching James Bond’s Tomorrow Never Dies. As I watched the Bond villain, played by Jonathan Pryce, give his diabolical speech it got me thinking. How far is the mega church pastor from the James Bond villain? This blog would suggest its not as far as some would say.

“Mr. Bond, you persist in defying my efforts to provide an amusing death for you.”

Hugo Drax in Moonraker 

“The distance between insanity and genius is measured only by success.”

Elliot Carver in Tomorrow Never Dies

“I may yet surprise you. But I’m afraid you have no surprises left for me. I know all about your mission, Mr. Bond.”

Blofeld On Her Majesty’s Secret Service

The one who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work.

1 John 3:8 NIV

Jonathan Pryce as Elliot Carver in Tomorrow Never Dies 

The other day I was at home and watching the James Bond movie Tomorrow Never Dies. The movie is about a corrupt media mogul named Elliot Carver who works at engineering a war between the United Kingdom and China. A British Navy ship is intentionally set off course and a crisis is provoked. In this case the James Bond villain is played by Jonathan Pryce. Pryce is like any James Bond villain. Very narcissistic and detached from reality. He has an inflated opinion of himself and has his henchman who do a lot of his dirty work. The villain is capable of violence as well. Pryce also likes to be the center of attention and likes to string people along and he has to boast to James Bond of his plans. Think about it there are many times Bond could have been easily killed, but instead the villain wants to meet the British secret service agent so he can boast of how great he is. These are common themes to Bond villains in all the James Bond movies I would suggest.  

Think of Mr. Big in Live and Let Die or Raul Silvia in Skyfall. Or consider Max Zorin in a View to a Kill or Hugo Drax in Moonraker. So many of the James Bond villains have a large personna that is bigger than life. They are detached from reality. Full of themselves and arrogant. They also think they will get away with whatever scheme they are trying to pull off. As I watched Tomorrow Never Dies a thought came to my head. I began to see the similarities between the James Bond villain and the mega church pastor. Let me explain. 

 

The Mega Church Pastor Often Has Issues

Stop and consider some of the mega church pastors that exist. Mark Driscoll, James MacDonald, C.J. Mahaney and so many more. Have you noticed how detached from reality they have become? They live in a bubble and have a grandiose inflated opinion of themselves. Notice how they have to be the center of attention. And how they also like to put people down. They are consumed with expanding their empire. The mega church pastor also has his henchman who support his operations. Think of the Rick Donalds to Stephen Stewarts of Harvest Bible Chapel? In regards to Sovereign Grace Ministries think of the Bob Kauflins, Jeff Purswells or Brian Chesemores. The villain always have the bad guys at times do the dirty work. Also the villain is obsessed with empire and expansion. But the villain also can engage in violence or be diabolical in his plans. Think of how C.J. Mahaney allegedly blackmailed his ministry partner Larry Tomczak. Then you have Mark Driscoll nad his anger issues. Paul Petry’s wife wrote that if Driscoll could have murdered her husband he would have. Remember when James MacDonald talked about wanting to have someone murdered? Honestly I can’t believe I am writing this but its what actually happened. So yes even the mega church pastors are capable of such behavior though on a lesser scale. 

 

The Next Time You Think of the James Bond Villain Think of a Mega Church Pastor

So the next time you think of mega church pastor think of the James Bond villain. What this blog would love to do is suggest other possibilities. Maybe in the Arizona desert we can create an underground lair for Mark Driscoll. For James MacDonald perhaps we can create something can make him look more sinister. For example perhaps a glass eye? Or maybe a claw? For C.J. Mahaney can I suggest an eye patch and a cat that he can hold and pet? So as I get back to my James Bond movie I suggest the next time you watch one and see the villain think of you mega church pastor. It helps put the concept of the mega church pastor in clearer terms. With that said I will leave you with James Bond’s backgammon game with Kamal Khan in Octopussy. 

3 thoughts on “Is the Mega Church Pastor No Different Than the James Bond Villain?”

  1. It appears the writers of the Bond movies agree with you.

    Professor Joe Butcher is a fictional televangelist and front-man for Franz Sanchez’s drug smuggling operation. He appears in the 1989 James Bond film Licence to Kill, portrayed by actor Wayne Newton.

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  2. I had to chuckle on your description of the narcissist villains in the Bond movies. I am a longtime cinefile. My favorite all-time movie critic, Roger Ebert, included in his Little Movie Glossary an entry for The Fallacy of the Talking Killer: “The villain wants to kill the hero. He has him cornered at gunpoint. All he has to do is pull the trigger. But he always talks first. He explains the hero’s mistakes to him. Jeers. Laughs. And gives the hero time to think his way out of the situation, or be rescued by his buddy. Cf. most JAMES BOND movies.”

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