God's Not Dead

What did you think of the film "God's Not Dead"?

I suspect you all may have had reactions similar to mine, but before I share, I want to hear what you thought of the film.

I didn't like it, and I think I was the only one in the theater not crying/clapping.

I won't waste a dime on it. The synopsis is enough to turn me off. From what I understand, it stereotypes atheists & Muslims & just fuels the evangelical persecution complex. I would prefer to judge upon viewing myself, but as I said I won't be wasting my money...

I saw the movie and thought it was great so tell us what you think HalupkiMonster?

My favorite article that I've read about it...

'God Is Not Dead' and How Christian Films Rally the Base By Vilifying Everyone Else


My favorite quotes from this article:

"Films like God’s Not Dead are equivalent to the likes of Fox News; designed for consumption by an audience who want only to have their convictions bolstered. They perpetuate an unwarranted persecution complex so that the audience may feel vindicated in their beliefs. That the logic in the film is faulty at best and its various subplots hint at profound xenophobia and disturbing conceptions of patriotism is all part of a single-minded attempt at preserving a tenuous ideological bubble. A bubble threatened by the mere hint of dissent."

"A smattering of applause as the credits rolled by with a list of court cases in which Christian students and teachers were apparently oppressed by the tyranny of the secular state. That so many people buy into this skewed narrative is a sad reflection of a society where our differences of faith and politics are reason for discord and distrust."

I loved it!

Well, I think I live under a rock, because I've never even heard of this movie before now. However, I can highly recommend 'Captain America: The Winter Soldier' and 'Divergent' to you. I looked to see if any local cinemas are playing 'God's Not Dead', and found that only one in my city was showing it. I were that it were none after reading the synopsis. This isn't even something I have the slightest intention of seeing or supporting (and I'm not what you'd call a true liberal by the standards of this board).

Present-day college freshman and devout Christian, Josh Wheaton, finds his faith challenged on his first day of Philosophy class by the dogmatic and argumentative Professor Radisson. Radisson begins class by informing students that they will need to disavow, in writing, the existence of God on that first day, or face a failing grade. As other students in the class begin scribbling the words "God Is Dead" on pieces of paper as instructed, Josh find himself at a crossroads, having to choose between his faith and his future. Josh offers a nervous refusal, provoking an irate reaction from his smug professor. Radisson assigns him a daunting task: if Josh will not admit that "God Is Dead," he must prove God's existence by presenting well-researched, intellectual arguments and evidence over the course of the semester, and engage Radisson in a head-to-head debate in front of the class. If Josh fails to convince his classmates of God's existence, he will fail the course and hinder his lofty academic goals. With almost no one in his corner, Josh wonders if he can really fight for what he believes. Can he actually prove the existence of God?

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^This is just a typical American Evangelical persecution fantasy- with emphasis on the fantasy. It reads like a Chick Tract. It's all very 'us' vs. 'them' and that's just not how the Christian faith should be .

Likewise, I have absolutely zero intention or impulse or curiosity about it.

Scarily enough, though, there's another, even worse example of Evangelicalism's self-indulgent, delusional socio-political paranoia coming up: Persecuted. Just reading the synopsis made me want to throw up.


As mentioned in the comments section of the article that TX_CO_Matt linked to, both of these things are prime examples of Glurge. The latter one just happens to crank it up to eleven and luridly mate it with the sort of big evil gub'mint conspiracy theory that underlies heresies like dispensationalism (the summary doesn't seem to go full Left Behind on things, but it's not like the implications aren't there).

We found it timely. Since I was a professional student 40+ years ago the war on Christianity has greatly accelerated. Due to the hand life dealt our family three of our 4 children had brief exposure to public school. We had some awareness of possible toxicity. But now in looking back we see how toxic. My wife obtained her masters degree several years ago through a public university. She faced direct challenges and opposition to her Christian worldview. Being an adult of some years she was able to quite handily return rebuttals. We are now raising grandchildren. They needed the awareness of the pressure and costs of holding to their faith in an antagonistic, caustic world - especially the world of education. Being a citizen in God's kingdom has present benefits and a future that is well worth a little inconvenience.

I would be glad to see it again.

Just now seeing this thread. I didn't see the movie. I can see the points of the ones here who didn't like it, and why. I don't like the idea of pitting "us against them" and I know several Christians who live with that mindset. Even neurotically so, watching for each thing they can point to with glee as the "persecution" begins, and they believe that brings them one day closer to Jesus. (Which I guess each day does, but that's beside this point, really.)

On the other hand ... I am reminded of my Antropology 101 class. The professor challenged students on day 1 whether they believed God created humans, and Adam and Eve existed. One lone student stood up. (I was sufficiently confused by all my biology courses at that time that I wasn't too sure there WAS a god at all, sadly.) The professor did his best to ridicule the young man, and the kid just stood there and smiled kind of shyly, and took it. He answered as best he could.

For the rest of the semester, the professor beat that kid down. He took it with the same grace. You know, I admired him immensely. He never was able to convince the professor, and didn't really try, just answered questions put to him with a courageous humility. You know what else? You may think I'm crazy to say this, but the kid's face glowed just the tiniest bit, with a glow I've only seen on a few other faces in my lifetime.

He made me think, he confused me, but most of all, he made me remember him. That was over 20 years ago, and he is the only kid I remember from the class - but I think he will stick with me forever.

He made a difference, to me at least. Just one more thing to make me think, and eventually come to Christ.

But I worry for my daughter, who starts at the same university this year. I pray her faith does not fail. And for all kids who start all the schools with professors like that.

Kylissa said:

Just now seeing this thread. I didn't see the movie. I can see the points of the ones here who didn't like it, and why. I don't like the idea of pitting "us against them" and I know several Christians who live with that mindset. Even neurotically so, watching for each thing they can point to with glee as the "persecution" begins, and they believe that brings them one day closer to Jesus. (Which I guess each day does, but that's beside this point, really.)

On the other hand ... I am reminded of my Antropology 101 class. The professor challenged students on day 1 whether they believed God created humans, and Adam and Eve existed. One lone student stood up. (I was sufficiently confused by all my biology courses at that time that I wasn't too sure there WAS a god at all, sadly.) The professor did his best to ridicule the young man, and the kid just stood there and smiled kind of shyly, and took it. He answered as best he could.

For the rest of the semester, the professor beat that kid down. He took it with the same grace. You know, I admired him immensely. He never was able to convince the professor, and didn't really try, just answered questions put to him with a courageous humility. You know what else? You may think I'm crazy to say this, but the kid's face glowed just the tiniest bit, with a glow I've only seen on a few other faces in my lifetime.

He made me think, he confused me, but most of all, he made me remember him. That was over 20 years ago, and he is the only kid I remember from the class - but I think he will stick with me forever.

He made a difference, to me at least. Just one more thing to make me think, and eventually come to Christ.

But I worry for my daughter, who starts at the same university this year. I pray her faith does not fail. And for all kids who start all the schools with professors like that.

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That is one of the reasons I did not go to a public university. I don't honestly know how common profs like that actually are, but it is one of the reasons. The main reason was size. Anyway, I'm glad I went to a Christian university where they teach science. The first day of my biology class, my professor said "We're going to teach evolution, and if you are not okay with that please come talk to me in private." I've accepted evolutionary theory for years, and so I have no idea what goes on in those conversations. He, and every professor I've had made sure that we all understand that science and Christianity do not contradict each other

TX_CO_Matt said:

That is one of the reasons I did not go to a public university. I don't honestly know how common profs like that actually are, but it is one of the reasons. The main reason was size. Anyway, I'm glad I went to a Christian university where they teach science. The first day of my biology class, my professor said "We're going to teach evolution, and if you are not okay with that please come talk to me in private." I've accepted evolutionary theory for years, and so I have no idea what goes on in those conversations. He, and every professor I've had made sure that we all understand that science and Christianity do not contradict each other

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I've heard some people say that Christian universities can be hard on one's faith. But I also attended a private Christian university, and never had any trouble there. I have had several staunchly atheistic professors in public universities, as well as some that taught other religions. I was not really Christian myself at the time, but it certainly caused difficulties.

As far as evolution, one of my degrees is in biology. Interestingly enough (and maybe it needed to be this way for me, since science damaged my faith) ... it was "holes" in evolutionary theory that caused me to begin to consider faith again, when I attempted to "prove" evolution in a curriculum I was developing. However - I try to be careful not to say that evolution is impossible or untrue. It's just ... not 100% correct in the way I was taught it. I did try to examine all manner of theories and reach "Truth" but I gave up before working through them all. Now it simply doesn't matter to me - I believe God created everything, but whatever means He used don't actually matter to me anymore.

I do think anyone needs to understand how evolutionary theory works, and I taught my daughter evolution alongside other ideas as part of her science curriculum. But she most definitely learned about dinosaurs and eras (it fascinated her for years) and I really shied away from the YEC as I find some real problems there.

I wish I could afford to send her to a private university. She's got full ride scholarships - but only to public universities, and there are also none near here and she will live at home while working on her bachelor's.

TX_CO_Matt said:

That is one of the reasons I did not go to a public university.

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Hey, btw, you're in Abilene? Texas?

I'm a bit familiar with that place (if it's Texas). Or I was some years ago. I went to HSU for a while.

Kylissa,

I'm sorry you witnessed such a thing. It's not like that everywhere. I have an undergrad degree in Anthropology and never had a professor do such a thing in any Anth. classes.

Now a Women's Studies class on Religion I took one time…that professor hated Christians and was a piece of work. It was all pro-paganism and historical revisionism with her. You know it's bad when atheist and Christian students can look at the source material she used and agree with each other. I remember showing one of my Anthropology professors one of the texts she used, only to be told it was all bunk.

seashale76 said:

Kylissa,

I'm sorry you witnessed such a thing. It's not like that everywhere. I have an undergrad degree in Anthropology and never had a professor do such a thing in any Anth. classes.

Now a Women's Studies class on Religion I took one time…that professor hated Christians and was a piece of work. It was all pro-paganism and historical revisionism with her. You know it's bad when atheist and Christian students can look at the source material she used and agree with each other. I remember showing one of Anthropology professors one of the texts she used, only to be told it was all bunk.

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Ah, no need to be sorry. It has actually helped bolster my faith along the way I think.

I worry for others.

And I worried at the time for that young man, but he seemed to be made stronger through it. I wish I had a way to tell him what an impact his courage made on me.

seashale76 said:

Kylissa,

I'm sorry you witnessed such a thing. It's not like that everywhere. I have an undergrad degree in Anthropology and never had a professor do such a thing in any Anth. classes.

Now a Women's Studies class on Religion I took one time…that professor hated Christians and was a piece of work. It was all pro-paganism and historical revisionism with her. You know it's bad when atheist and Christian students can look at the source material she used and agree with each other. I remember showing one of my Anthropology professors one of the texts she used, only to be told it was all bunk.

Click to expand...

I find this subject very very intriguing, because I can look back on my years in Public Universities as some of the high points of my developing staunch Christian faith. I completed a Triple-Major (BA Communication, BS Political Science, BS Quantum Mechanics) and a Doctorate in Law Degree. It just turned out completely differently that I expected.....I found God in some of the most militantly atheistic departments and experiences one can possibly imagine.

I spent an entire summer in Europe on a full-ride scholarship, which had the expressed purpose of "immersing into the ancient pagan cultures of Europe," with the primary emphasis on the studies of the ancient classical rhetoric of Aristotle. I lived and breathed ancient pagan ways of thinking and visited some of the biggest ruins of Pagan Temples.....the Temple of Aphrodite in Corinth, the Temple of Diana in Ephesus, the Temple of Poseidon near Athens......I could go on and on. IN spite of this willful and deliberate "dunking" and intense study of Pagan cultures, I had the following amazing unintentional encounters with Christianity that form the real basis of my faith to this day:

- An early morning surprise visit to the Sistine Chapel that blew the sockets completely out of my collegiate lack of faith (I am non-Catholic);

- Strange phenomena in the ancient Churches at Corinth, Phillipi, Galatia, Ephesus, Colossia.......in spite of myself;

- The Greek version of St. Paul's Mars Hill Sermon (which is nothing like the version in Acts), which itself is an utterly mind-blowing fusion of ancient Greek Gods, Greek military history and poetry, and the strange Jew that preached the stunning stories of the half-god/half-man creature. A creature that put itself to death and resurrected itself and appeared before over 500 live witnesses. The Greeks lined up 500 deep to submit their lives to the same heroic and selfless forces that propelled their revered military history at Thermopylae and Marathon;

I look back on those years of honest searching and yearning and marvel over the faith that seemingly "appeared" from nowhere, shocking me out of my youthful rebellion against Christianity. And it happened to every single member of my closest associates, two of the worst drunken hellcats went onto to get Doctorates in Divinity, one from Yale and the other from Dallas Theological seminary. They are both distinguished pastors today.

I am in just utter shock and amazement that one could have any other outcome. I know so many people from the "cradle" Church that I attended as a boy, who went to the Church's own colleges and seminaries and I would hazard to say that around 75 percent of them are now militant atheists.

Is it really "faith" if it collapses in the face of rather weak questioning? Or is it mere superstition? Invariably what I remember about my college professors is that they had at best, an extraordinarily-superficial understanding of Christianity. That any of those clowns could have caused unbelief seems almost facetious.

LarryP2 said:

I find this subject very very intriguing, because I can look back on my years in Public Universities as some of the high points of my developing staunch Christian faith. I completed a Triple-Major (BA Communication, BS Political Science, BS Quantum Mechanics) and a Doctorate in Law Degree. It just turned out completely differently that I expected.....I found God in some of the most militantly atheistic departments and experiences one can possibly imagine.

I spent an entire summer in Europe on a full-ride scholarship, which had the expressed purpose of "immersing into the ancient pagan cultures of Europe," with the primary emphasis on the studies of the ancient classical rhetoric of Aristotle. I lived and breathed ancient pagan ways of thinking and visited some of the biggest ruins of Pagan Temples.....the Temple of Aphrodite in Corinth, the Temple of Diana in Ephesus, the Temple of Poseidon near Athens......I could go on and on. IN spite of this willful and deliberate "dunking" and intense study of Pagan cultures, I had the following amazing unintentional encounters with Christianity that form the real basis of my faith to this day:

- An early morning surprise visit to the Sistine Chapel that blew the sockets completely out of my collegiate lack of faith (I am non-Catholic);

- Strange phenomena in the ancient Churches at Corinth, Phillipi, Galatia, Ephesus, Colossia.......in spite of myself;

I look back on those years of honest searching and yearning and marvel over the faith that seemingly "appeared" from nowhere, shocking me out of my youthful rebellion against Christianity. And it happened to every single member of my closest associates, two of the worst drunken hellcats went onto to get Doctorates in Divinity, one from Yale and the other from Dallas Theological seminary.

I am in just utter shock and amazement that one could have any other outcome. Is it really "faith" if it collapses in the face of rather weak questioning?

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Love your stories, that's really cool.

I think everyone is different.

I had a basic "heart for Jesus" from the time I was 4 years old. My family didn't attend church. My mom couldn't answer my questions. So I went to the Bible. I thought you had to read it cover to cover. I'd start in Genesis, make it through the first few chapters, then get lost in the "begets". Every time.

I can't count for you how many times I started to read the Bible. Many. But I never got past the beginning of Genesis. So except for some stories in a Children's Bible Storybook (which again, I started at the beginning, so I knew only the God of the Old Testament, and He was a scary guy!) ... I went off to university with a faith pretty much based in Creation.

A degree in biological sciences was hard on it - particularly I guess since I also had a great affinity for psychology/anthro and that is where I found a number of athiest and Eastern and Native-American-spiritualist teachers.

But God has a way of finding us in our messes we create for ourselves, doesn't He? I'm a bit envious of your experiences, LOL.

Kylissa said:

Love your stories, that's really cool.

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One of the most stunning things that occurred while in Greece (especially) was the overwhelming sense that Christianity is the only religion that is completely rooted in real historical events. St. Paul played that to the hilt on Mars Hill, toying with the Greeks' proud sense of themselves as rational, but yet harboring beliefs about their messy and unknowable gods that were far from rational. It was too delicious of a contradiction for Paul to ignore, and he used their own language, philosophy and history to bring themselves to their senses. No Greek version of the Mars Hill episode features any recollection of even one word about the Old Testament deity. Amazing! I never met a college professor in all of my 4 degrees that had the slightest inkling of the events that I just decribed.

Kylissa said:

My mom couldn't answer my questions. So I went to the Bible. I thought you had to read it cover to cover. I'd start in Genesis, make it through the first few chapters, then get lost in the "begets". Every time.

I can't count for you how many times I started to read the Bible. Many. But I never got past the beginning of Genesis. So except for some stories in a Children's Bible Storybook (which again, I started at the beginning, so I knew only the God of the Old Testament, and He was a scary guy!) ... I went off to university with a faith pretty much based in Creation.

Click to expand...

And I came to the Bible as almost an afterthought, through that long and circuitous complete immersion into Pagan philosophy, theology and history. In fact, Bible Reading is something that I never did until this year and my conversion to Eastern Orthodoxy is likely more to do with that summer in Greece that it does with anything the Bible says. For me it was the opposite: I started out with historical facts and later on was able to read and comprehend the Bible itself based on those indisputably true facts.

Kylissa said:

A degree in biological sciences was hard on it - particularly I guess since I also had a great affinity for psychology/anthro and that is where I found a number of athiest and Eastern and Native-American-spiritualist teachers.

Click to expand...

One of my undergrad degrees is in Quantum Mechanics, and I almost accepted a scholarship for a PHD in Astrophysics at Princeton. Up until maybe 100 years ago, the field was militantly atheist. Now, with the paradoxical nature of Quantum Mechanics, you see these hard-headed "hard" scientists babbling away like ancient mystics. In fact, I am told that the QM students at Princeton frequently sit in on seminary classes for inspiration for their next scientific ventures. The sturdy wall that used to exist between the "hard sciences" and theology has all but disappeared.

Kylissa said:

But God has a way of finding us in our messes we create for ourselves, doesn't He? I'm a bit envious of your experiences, LOL.

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He found me and my roommates and we were ALL running hard in the opposite direction, as hard away from God as we could possibly get.

Kylissa said:

I've heard some people say that Christian universities can be hard on one's faith. But I also attended a private Christian university, and never had any trouble there. I have had several staunchly atheistic professors in public universities, as well as some that taught other religions. I was not really Christian myself at the time, but it certainly caused difficulties.

As far as evolution, one of my degrees is in biology. Interestingly enough (and maybe it needed to be this way for me, since science damaged my faith) ... it was "holes" in evolutionary theory that caused me to begin to consider faith again, when I attempted to "prove" evolution in a curriculum I was developing. However - I try to be careful not to say that evolution is impossible or untrue. It's just ... not 100% correct in the way I was taught it. I did try to examine all manner of theories and reach "Truth" but I gave up before working through them all. Now it simply doesn't matter to me - I believe God created everything, but whatever means He used don't actually matter to me anymore.

I do think anyone needs to understand how evolutionary theory works, and I taught my daughter evolution alongside other ideas as part of her science curriculum. But she most definitely learned about dinosaurs and eras (it fascinated her for years) and I really shied away from the YEC as I find some real problems there.

I wish I could afford to send her to a private university. She's got full ride scholarships - but only to public universities, and there are also none near here and she will live at home while working on her bachelor's.

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I definitely think everything should now how evolution works.

Kylissa said:

Hey, btw, you're in Abilene? Texas?

I'm a bit familiar with that place (if it's Texas). Or I was some years ago. I went to HSU for a while.

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Oh cool, I go to ACU.

TX_CO_Matt said:

I definitely think everything should now how evolution works.




Oh cool, I go to ACU.

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I remember ACU as well.





Bit of scandal from there (don't want to date myself by telling you how long ago, LOL) ... a couple of young ladies were sunbathing in swimsuits (reasonably modest ones) on campus and got expelled. A few more very nearly did so for coming out of their dorm rooms into the hall in sock feet (no shoes). That seemed a little over the top to all of us though.

LarryP2 said:

One of the most stunning things that occurred while in Greece (especially) was the overwhelming sense that Christianity is the only religion that is completely rooted in real historical events. St. Paul played that to the hilt on Mars Hill, toying with the Greeks' proud sense of themselves as rational, but yet harboring beliefs about their messy and unknowable gods that were far from rational. It was too delicious of a contradiction for Paul to ignore, and he used their own language, philosophy and history to bring themselves to their senses. No Greek version of the Mars Hill episode features any recollection of even one word about the Old Testament deity. Amazing! I never met a college professor in all of my 4 degrees that had the slightest inkling of the events that I just decribed.




And I came to the Bible as almost an afterthought, through that long and circuitous complete immersion into Pagan philosophy, theology and history. In fact, Bible Reading is something that I never did until this year and my conversion to Eastern Orthodoxy is likely more to do with that summer in Greece that it does with anything the Bible says. For me it was the opposite: I started out with historical facts and later on was able to read and comprehend the Bible itself based on those indisputably true facts.



One of my undergrad degrees is in Quantum Mechanics, and I almost accepted a scholarship for a PHD in Astrophysics at Princeton. Up until maybe 100 years ago, the field was militantly atheist. Now, with the paradoxical nature of Quantum Mechanics, you see these hard-headed "hard" scientists babbling away like ancient mystics. In fact, I am told that the QM students at Princeton frequently sit in on seminary classes for inspiration for their next scientific ventures. The sturdy wall that used to exist between the "hard sciences" and theology has all but disappeared.



He found me and my roommates and we were ALL running hard in the opposite direction, as hard away from God as we could possibly get.

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Love the way God works!

Interesting what you said about quantum mechanics. It's a bit beyond me, but from what I've read in the field, I had the very same thought - that it is so amazing the way things work and are put together, it kind of makes one have to believe in God, doesn't it?

The more we learn, the more amazing things get sometimes.