Man of Steel (2013)

Related: Superman Returns (2006), Batman v Superman (2016)

A Superman reboot that features the superhero donning the same immodest skin-tight costume, only this time without external underwear. This film takes God's holy name in vain at least 5 times, is filled with profanity (at least 15 instances), and involves and/or promotes defiance against God, idolatry, necromancy, immodesty, and reinforces the same blasphemous depiction of Superman as Jesus that the previous film promoted. It is the Lord Jesus Christ, not Superman, who is in fact the one and only Savior and hope for mankind. This movie blasphemously ascribes to Superman the honor that is due to Christ, presenting him as an alternate god and counterfeit savior who embodies a false hope and a false gospel. The movie should therefore be avoided. Since its heroes practice sin, this movie conditions viewers to substitute evil for good and good for evil (Isa. 5:20) by praising evildoers who ought to be despised (Ps. 15:4; Pro. 28:4).

Violations of God's Law

Defiance against God

This movie violates the First Commandment.

• Necromancy: this film esteems the idea of conversing with the consciousness of those who have died.
  • After Superman's father, Jor-El, is killed early in the movie, his consciousness appears throughout the film to various characters, in order to guide, speak, or interact with them. It is from this consciousness that Superman learns his identity, origin, and purpose. While some dismiss it as artificial intelligence, what is portrayed is far more sinister. When Jor-El appears to Zod (the one who killed him), Zod asks, "Haven't given up lecturing me, have you, even in death?" and later admits, "I'm arguing … with a ghost."
  • At the end of the movie, when Superman regrets that his late human father Jonathan wasn't there to see him save the world, his mother Martha assures him, "He saw it, Clark, believe me."
• This film esteems the Roman Catholic Church, which officially condemns the Protestant faith. There is a scene in which Superman enters a church in order to contemplate on whether or not to surrender to Zod, the film's antagonist. Within the church, he encounters Father Leone, a Catholic priest, who encourages him to trust his gut instincts (which is akin to trusting or following one's heart), contrary to the Bible, which warns that the one who trusts in his own heart is a fool (Pro. 28:26). The heart must never be trusted, because it "is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked" (Jer. 17:9). The priest subsequently provides a false definition of faith, void of trust: "Sometimes you have to take a leap of faith first. The trust part comes later." On the contrary, trust in the Lord is an integral component of true faith: "Faith in Jesus Christ is a saving grace, whereby we receive and rest upon him alone for salvation, as he is offered to us in the gospel" (WSC #86).
• This film denies the biblical doctrine of total depravity (e.g., Rom. 3:10-18). Jor-El's postmortem consciousness reveals to Superman that his purpose is to guide and bring humanity hope, and that this hope is comprised of "the fundamental belief in the potential of every person to be a force for good."
• The film repeatedly presents Superman as a substitute Christ
  • Superman's father Jor-El speaks of his son in relation to the people of earth, "He'll be a god to them."
  • Jor-El's postmortem consciousness informs Superman, "We wanted you to learn what it meant to be human first, so that one day, when the time was right, you could be the bridge between two peoples."
  • From a spaceship Jor-El directs Superman to look upon the earth below, saying, "You can save all of them," after which Superman departs in the shape of a cross.
  • With a stained glass picture of Jesus praying in Gethsemane behind him, Superman is shown contemplating a difficult decision on whether to save the world, or himself
  • Helen refers to Clark's heroism as "an act of God" and "providence"
• Evolution is referenced
• At least 3 appeals to luck

Idolatry

This movie violates the Second Commandment, which forbids any visual representation of the Godhead, including the Son, who is both human and divine.

• A picture of Jesus in a stained glass window is prominently displayed in the church visited by Superman

Blasphemy and Profanity

This movie violates the Third Commandment. God has warned that he will not hold guiltless those who take his name in vain (Ex. 20:7).

• Jenny takes God's name in vain at least twice
• Laramore and another character each take God's name in vain at least once
• Profane references: hell (4), damn (3), among others

Immodesty and Sexual Immorality

This movie violates the Seventh Commandment. The Bible warns that those who do not repent of sexual immorality will not inherit the kingdom of God (1Co. 6:9-10), but will be judged by God (Heb. 13:4). We are commanded to "flee fornication" (1Co. 6:18).

• Superman (Henry Cavill, unmarried) and Lois (Amy Adams, unmarried) are shown kissing and embracing one another passionately
• Ludlow is shown patting a waitress's buttocks
• Lois makes a reference to men measuring one another's sex organs
• Lara is repeatedly shown immodestly dressed, showing breast cleavage
• Superman is shown shirtless and also sporting an immodest, skin-tight costume

Theft

This movie promotes violations of the Eighth Commandment. The Bible warns that unrepentant thieves will not inherit the kingdom of God (1Co. 6:9-10).

• Superman is shown carefully avoiding detection as he steals a person's clothes

Sinful Content in Man of Steel

Warning! The following table contains direct quotations from the film, which include instances of blasphemy, profanity, and other vices.