Welcome to our discussion on the movie The Sixth Sense. For complete information, including a synopsis of the movie, you can visit Wikipedia.
For a good Christian review, visit Focus on the Family’s PluggedIn.com.

Despite all the good intentions in the world, our scorecard and ratings system has fallen by the wayside.
Do you miss it? If you are interested in knowing our brief reviews and ratings of the movies we critique,
please let us know, and we’ll make every effort to bring back our scorecards. [Daniel’s note: this
is my fault.]

Marriage

What does this movie say about the priorities of marriage?

Anna: “You have put everything second, including me, for those families that they are talking about.”

Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, so that
He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, that He might present
to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would
be holy and blameless. (Ephesians 5:25–27)

Christians shouldn’t put anything except their personal relationship with God before their spouses. Even ministry is not as important as marriage.

Malcom: “I haven’t paid enough attention to my family. Bad things happen when you do that.”

This movie does have some very positive things to say about marriage and family—between Malcolm and Anna and between Cole and his mother.

Malcolm’s work

Malcolm had misdiagnosed a patient and that failure came back to haunt him at the beginning of the
movie.

Do you see a man skilled in his work? He will stand before kings;He will not stand before obscure
men. (Proverbs 22:29)

Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men, knowing that from the
Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance It is the Lord Christ whom you serve. (Colossians
3:23–24)

Cole: “Are you a good doctor”

Malcolm: “Well, I used to be. I won an award once, from the mayor. It had an expensive
frame.”

We shouldn’t be working for the acclaim of men.

“Be careful not to do your ‘acts of righteousness’ before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you
will have no reward from your Father in heaven. … Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.”
(Matthew 6:1–2, NKJV)

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break
in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and
where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
(Matthew 6:19–21 NKJV)

There is also a scriptural burden to working with children:

“But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better
for him to have a heavy millstone hung around his neck, and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.”
(Matthew 18:6, also Mark 9:42 and Luke 17:2)

This can also apply to our responsibility to believers who are new to their faith.

Cole’s dad

Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction
of the Lord. (Ephesians 6:4)

Fathers, do not exasperate your children, so that they will not lose heart. (Colossians 3:21)

Cole’s mom

Cole: “The answer is ‘Every day.’ What did you ask?”

Cole’s mom: “Do I make her proud?”

Cole: “She doesn’t look at me like everyone else.”

Cole’s mom is a beautiful picture of unconditional love.

Cole

Cole: “I see dead people”

So he answered, “Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” Then
Elisha prayed and said, “O LORD, I pray, open his eyes that he may see ” And the LORD opened the servant’s
eyes and he saw; and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.
(2 Kings 6:16-17)

Then the LORD opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the angel of the LORD standing in the way with
his drawn sword in his hand; and he bowed all the way to the ground. (Numbers 22:31)

And the king said to her, “Do not be afraid. What did you see?” And the woman said to Saul, “I saw
a spirit[a] ascending out of the earth.” So he said to her, “What is his form?” And she said, “An old
man is coming up, and he is covered with a mantle.” And Saul perceived that it was Samuel, and he stooped
with his face to the ground and bowed down. (1 Samuel 28:13–14, NKJV)

“Give no regard to mediums and familiar spirits; do not seek after them, to be defiled by them:
I am the LORD your God.” (Leviticus 19:31)

What is a pure heart and how do you get it?

From the play: “Only he that is of a pure heart can remove the soul.”

Who may ascend into the hill of the LORD? And who may stand in His holy place? He who
has clean hands and a pure heart, Who has not lifted up his soul to falsehood And has not sworn deceitfully.
He shall receive a blessing from the LORD And righteousness from the God of his salvation. (Psalm 24:3–5)

Surely in vain I have kept my heart pure And washed my hands in innocence. (Psalm 73:13)

“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” (Matthew 5:8)

The church’s involvement

The Sixth Sense presents the church as ineffectual and “religion” as bankrupt. Cole seeks refuge in an empty church and all his “help” has come been sought from secular sources.

Cole’s mom: “I’ve been praying, but I must not be praying right. I guess we’ll have to answer each
others’ prayers.”

So Jesus answered and said to them, “Assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt,
you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but also if you say to this mountain, ‘Be removed
and be cast into the sea,’ it will be done. And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will
receive.” (Matthew 21:21–23, NKJV)

Out of the depths I have cried to You, O LORD. (Psalm 130:1, NKJV)

Malcom: “In the olden days, in Europe, people used to hide out in churches.”

Closing

Stay tuned for the second part of this discussion!

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