God's Not Dead (2014)

One need not spend any more time in this movie than the opening scene to get a feel for how they will spend the rest of the movie: uncomfortable. Right from the opener, we're introduced to most of the actors we're going to deal with. Aside from the protagonist, Josh Wheaton, everyone else is presented as miserable or aloof or unfortunate or struggling or some other state of dismal and uptight. The difference? Josh wears a cross around his neck.

Anyone desiring to watch this movie will know from the hype around it or basic plot summary this film uses a linear Christian vs. atheist platform. They probably expect to get some thinking points or mild entertainment from it, but let me assure you that the intended audience is not you. This film was created as a blankey- and-pacifier for the groomed, self-righteous Christian who views themselves as a neo- martyr fettered by a licentious and brazen anti- God society. It serves more as a call to war than as a reasonable conversation held between two sides. And everyone who isn't a Christian is the enemy.

I can't think of a film that offended me more than this one, and it accomplished that by the time our protagonist and antagonist had their first encounter. Though, to some credit against a lot of reviews that decry Mr. Raddison's approach, I've met philosophy instructors who challenged people in exactly the same fascist style offered in this film. But even with the initial conflict comes the reality that a billion different options were present for Josh, and he chose the most confrontational one possible. Of the stereotypes presented, I'd say the one employed for the neo-martyr Christian's approach to those in disagreement with them was perhaps the most accurate. That, and the unapologetic monologue offered by Willie Robertson near the start, which did everything but give him wings and a halo, best demonstrated the reason for my sentiments of discontent every time I get done talking to someone who's a fan of Duck Dynasty.

I'd like to qualify my sentiments as thus: I am a Lutheran by upbringing. I have my own relationship with God and frequently engage in the conversation with atheists paramount to this film's plot. I frequently find myself upset with the scripted circular- logic sentiments offered by the common atheist (as well as those from the average self-identifying Christian).

And furthermore, I found it quite ironic that the person they chose to represent a "God-hating atheist" is Kevin Sorbo, whose career was largely spent as Hercules. For those of you who are not familiar with this fact, watch the first season of Hercules, then watch this film. For the rest of you who are familiar, just pretend like he still is playing that role.

Fmovies: The ways this film treats all atheists is the rough equivalent of a film treating all Christians as Fred Phelps clones.

It's a thoughtless, unintelligent film whose only appeal is that it preaches to the choir. It presents the world in the most one- dimensional, black-and-white format I've ever seen.

And if anyone sees it fit to jump in and criticize me for being biased against the film: I have several friends who are very sincere and devout Christians. I have the utmost respect for their beliefs, and would never try to convert them.

THEY have even said that this film is the pinnacle of stupidity, and that it misrepresents their religious beliefs entirely.

Skip it.

You know when a movie made by Christians is about religion, it's going to demonize secularism. It makes out that Morality is entirely exclusive to Christianity and that without God, there is no point in being moral, which is just ridiculous. It makes every non-Christian look either evil or stupid, which is just insulting. It is just propaganda, no way around it, it's trying to make Christianity look perfect when it isn't and it's trying to make secularism and any other religion look evil and immoral. It's almost like this movie was made Christians who knew absolutely nothing about their own faith and of other beliefs. It's a new low for cinema, it's upsetting to think that this movie was allowed to be made.

God's Not Dead fmovies. I was dragged to this "movie" by a Christian friend who keeps thinking that I"ll finally come around to her religious way of thinking. Jeez, it was worse that I expected. Atheists are portrayed as evil beings who "hate god" and are determined to convert Christians. Actually, atheists do not "hate" god; god is simply something they don't believe exists. As to forcing their way of thinking on anyone, the movie has it backwards. It's Christian zealots who demand that everyone think like them. Most atheists - those that I know anyway - are happy to let others believe as they wish as long as they don't force their "values" on the rest of us. As to production values, etc., the film is pretty basic. The lead actor over-emotes and the supporting cast of Kevin Sorbo and Dean Cain look pretty silly. The plot is pretty much what you'd think. Thoughtful friends shouldn't let friends see this piece of propaganda: it has no basis in reality. As to Christians, knock yourself out. Like Fox News, it's been produced to reinforce your preconceptions without actually presenting another point of view in anything resembling a thoughtful way.

I am a Christian pastor and genuinely appreciate the efforts of those who try to engage the culture in creative ways. However, someone needs to say this. This movie isn't particularly good. Although it may offer Christians some apologetic material, it will fail to engage the larger culture in any meaningful way. The reason for this is simple. Most Christians seem wholly unable to grasp the difference between propaganda and art. Art is a powerful but subtle tool that draws people in and causes them to question their assumptions without even realizing it . Propaganda is a blunt force instrument for communicating dogma in story form. Without any shadow of a doubt this film is more propaganda than art, and thoughtful atheists will see it for what it is even if Christians can't. Perhaps we need fewer Christians doing art and more artists serving Christ. There haven't been any decent Christian films since "The Passion of the Christ" and the "Chronicles of Narnia."

I'm a conservative evangelical Christian (a Calvinist in fact), and I am not exactly proud of this movie.

At times, it was actually kind of entertaining - mostly because of the laughably bad writing, but near the end there actually were some dramatic moments that affected me. Plus, sometimes I couldn't help but get caught up in the cheesy fun of watching a movie so clearly directed at members of my own community.

But overall...? Yeah. This movie had a LOT of problems, and frankly it was offensive in a lot of ways. And to be honest, it doesn't reflect very well on believers.

I think that the entire thing is supposed to teach Christians how to use apologetics to evangelize, but if that's what it's trying to do, don't expect a huge influx of converts anytime soon. The entire movie seems VERY caught up in how stupid, evil and bad non- Christians and atheists are, without stopping for one minute to recognize that HUMILITY is one of the key virtues of our faith. In truth, Christians are literally NO better than other people, and whatever difference exists in our life is not because we're smarter or more moral - it's because of Christ and Christ alone.

This movie is nothing more than an amalgamation of clichés and stereotypes that us Christians unfortunately have. It doesn't put a modicum of effort into thinking about or developing its story or characters because the story and characters already exist in the minds of the Christians watching.

As a result, the characters are all flat and badly written. Their motivations oftentimes don't make sense. They feel like total non- entities, mere objects upon which the writers rather un-subtly impose their views of the world. This is BOTH bad writing AND vastly weakens the message.

This movie, because it contains nothing that feels like "real people", has limited relevance to the real world. This is basically the movie equivalent of a kids' educational video - it may have vague outlines of characters and plot line, but they have no depth to them. The entire thing just exists to teach something in an entertaining way.

And that's actually perfectly okay. It's not exactly what I'm looking for in a movie or a Christian movie, but it's not inherently bad. I just wish they had done it in a way that didn't further prejudice and shallow understanding of other human beings.

EDIT: For the record, I am no longer Calvinist; as of 2019, I converted to Orthodox Christianity.