Reviewed by: Chris Monroe, Staff Writer, ChristianAnswers.net

   Starring: Louie Leonardo, Chad Allen, Jack Guzman, Christina Souza, Chase Ellison, Sean McGowan, Cara Stoner, Beth Bailey, Stephen Caudill, Matt Lutz, Cheno Mepaquito, Jose Liberto Caizamo, Patrick Zeller, Magdalena Condoba Traci Dinwiddie, Directed by: Jim Hanon, Produced by: Every Tribe Entertainment Distributor: Jungle Films LLC

   The dramatic event of the murder of five missionaries in the jungles of Ecuador in 1956 can be told in numerous ways from numerous perspectives. In the brilliantly titled film End of the Spear, several of these various points of view are included, but the one that transcends them all is the personal story of Steve Saint, son to one of the five missionaries killed. It is Steve Saint’s experience that begins and ends this redemptive drama, but his tale is one that highlights a theme that runs throughout all of the tales: the divine concept of forgiveness.

   The question raised at the beginning of this film — although not completely clear — is how one man will respond when he meets face to face with the very men who murdered his father. This is the same story that is explored in the documentary film Through Gates of Splendor (also directed by Jim Hanon), which takes us through various events leading up to Steve Saint returning to the very place his father lost his life and facing the men responsible for his father’s death. ®

   ChristianAnswers.net. For review in its entirety visit http://christiananswers.net/spotlight/movies/2006/endofthespear2006.html.

   The bigger question swirling around Christian circles is that of Chad Allen’s homosexual activism.

   ChristianAnswers.net offers this observation:

   Sadly, Chad Allen is not a follower of Christ himself, despite some Christian influence in his life, including living in the jungle for 3 weeks with Christian Steve Saint and the Waodani Christians. We pray that good influence will one day bear fruit. Steve is a dear and loving Christian who we trust shared the Gospel — and joyfully lives it. In an interview published in InLA magazine Allen mentions his own, rather New Age view,

   “I am from a Christian background [Roman Catholic], but I have a personal spirituality that spans the distance from Buddhism to Hindu philosophy to Native American beliefs.”

   Allen is openly homosexual and a high-profile Gay Rights activist and producer. He promoted same-sex marriage and Gay/Lesbian adoption in a debate against Pastor John MacArthur on the Larry King Live show (Feb. 24, 2004). A few days before End of the Spear was released, he again defended Gay marriage on Larry King Live (Jan. 17, 2006), debating against Albert Mohler, Jr., President of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, and conservative radio host Janet Parshall.

   During this latter TV broadcast, Chad Allen said of the End of the Spear crew, "…I made this movie with a group of conservative Christians who do not agree with my expression of sexuality. But we said to each other, I will walk with you accepting your differences, and we can create together. I will give you your space to respect you fully." Despite her strong differences with Allen on homosexuality, Parshall graciously took the opportunity to give a nod to the film and it's message at the end of the program, “Chad Allen stars in a wonderful film called End of the Spear. He plays a fellow by the name of Nate Saint, who was macheted to death by a very, very aggressive tribe in Ecuador. And you know what, Steve, his son, is now alive today. He travels with the man who macheted his father to death. And they didn't say to the Waodani tribe, hey, make it up, you can find your own path to God. They told them exactly how to find God, and their whole lives and their entire culture changed because of the gospel of Jesus Christ. So, Chad, it's a great film, and I'm going to be happy to be seeing it.”

   No Gay issues are promoted in the film, and we presume that Chad Allen was hired for his talent, looks and other practical considerations — not his anti-Biblical views. However, it seems the producers used poor judgment in knowingly hiring an actor who is actively promoting sin — and publicly confronting the Bible — to play a famous and much-loved Christian missionary and martyr. We acknowledge that despite decisions fallible humans make, God is certainly capable of using all for good — just as He did with the Saint and Elliot families and the Waodani tribe.