One of my daughters wanted to see “God’s Not Dead” with a friend. I had no intention of seeing the movie, and hadn’t expected my girls to want to see it. But the hype made its way to my daughters’ ears, and one asked to see it. The only way I’d agree to let her watch it is if I went too, and we had a conversation afterward.
Armed with popcorn and a drink, I ventured into the theater ahead of my too-cool daughter so I wouldn’t embarrass her. Since there’s been so much talk about the movie, I figured I would write a post about it, but I hadn’t intended to take notes. However, less than five minutes into the movie, I had too many thoughts to try to remember. So I pulled out my phone, opened my Notes app, and started typing my thoughts. There are oh-so many!
Now I’m no movie critic, so this is less of a review, and more of my thoughts on how Christianity was portrayed.
I’ll begin by sharing a personal experience. I had several atheist professors during my years in college. Some were adamant about their beliefs and a touch belligerent in the classroom. I remember one professor asking if anyone in the class was an evangelical Christian. At the time, I was a right-wing nut who believed it was my duty to be offended by him. I raised my hand, along with a couple of other people. He ridiculed us for a few minutes, but looking back on it, it was in no way persecution. Other atheist professors occasionally mentioned their beliefs, but were still intelligent and enjoyable educators.
Fifteen years later, I know that even if I had had the chance to debate my beliefs in front a classroom in an attempt to prove an atheist professor wrong, it would have done no good. Love is what draws people to God, not being humiliated in a debate.
Having said that…the movie:
Overall, the movie was cheesy. The plot lacked cohesiveness throughout the movie. The different stories of an Alzheimer patient’s family, a cancer patient, an atheist professor, and the Christian hero, along with a few supporting characters were tied together sloppily at the end.
As I expected, the movie was filled with overused Christian cliches.
The theme of the movie was to prove that God is not dead, and that He needs someone to “defend” Him, all at the expense of the main character’s personal relationships. However, the movie was less about proving God’s existence, and more about debunking evolution.
The prevailing attitude of the movie was that non-Christians may never have “meaningful exposure” to God and Jesus if Christians don’t argue for Him. In addition, God would be disappointed if Christians don’t defend Him.
Not once are we given the main character’s experience with a gracious, merciful, loving God. We only know that he feels like God wants him to defend Him, and that he doesn’t want to disappoint God.
The movie made wide generalizations and broad stereotypes, which is what I expected from this film. The hero of the story was a white, American male wearing Christian t-shirts and walking around with a tract in his pocket. The go-to counselor/pastor was also a white, American male. Non-believers and atheists were made out to be evil, angry and unloving. Women in general and people of other cultures/religions were portrayed as idiots in need of a Christian to tell them how to think.
In one scene, a girl from a Muslim family is abused and disowned for becoming a Christian. While there’s truth to this, let’s not pretend that the same thing doesn’t happen in Christian families. What about the Christian family whose child grows up and announces he/she is homosexual? More often than not, I’ve heard of Christian families disowning homosexual family members. And let’s not pretend that Christian fathers don’t abuse and abandon their own children when they grow up to disagree with the beliefs they were taught as children. I have personal experience with that one.
In another scene, the pastor/counselor said to a salesman, “Lying to an ordained minister is flat out bad. You know that, right?” While it was intended to be funny, and the audience did laugh, this is precisely the arrogant attitude of many pastors I know that turns people away from church as well as Christianity.
There were many evangelical Christian innuendos {which mainly include interpreting Scripture out of context to fit a certain agenda}, including a comment about being unequally yoked; a scene in which the male pastor is counseling a woman, and another woman is present {no doubt to ward off sexual temptation}; and the idea that Christians must stand up for their rights.
In a climactic moment, the young college student yells at his atheist professor in front of the class, “Why do you hate God?” I don’t recall anywhere in the Bible where we’re encouraged to yell at unbelievers and make them look like idiots in an attempt to show them the love of Christ. Is debate really what draws people to God? The Christianity that was portrayed in this movie was one of arrogance and division, promoting an us/them mentality.
The movie ended with the typical evangelical scare tactic. The atheist professor is hit by a car and proclaims belief in God with his dying breath, as the preacher and a missionary calmly stand over him. Instead of truthfully portraying such a tragic death, the missionary hovers over the dead man’s body and says that there’s cause for celebration and joy in heaven now that the atheist has believed. Honestly, I sat dumbfounded at the lack of sadness over such a death.
Overall, the movie showed the side of Christianity I expected: fear-based. Fear of not standing up for rights; fear of displeasing God; fear of non-believers and other religions; fear of death without verbally uttering a few, magical words. The movie had nothing to do with loving others; instead, it was about fighting for religious beliefs in order to prove others wrong. Tell me how vastly different that is from religions that don’t claim Jesus as God. Not so different, is it?
Does God really need to be defended? Isn’t He bigger than that? Isn’t standing up for our rights more about us than Him? Isn’t redemption bigger than a scare tactic and the sinner’s prayer?
The one line I did agree with in the movie was when the hero student asked the atheist professor: “Religion is like a disease?” The question was meant to ridicule the professor. However, I’d have to answer, “Absolutely…religion is like a disease, and only the grace, mercy and love of God {which, by the way, were hardly addressed in the movie} can heal such a sickening disease.”
