movies/tv God's Not Dead

[Discordian 6,015]

I just learned of this movie from my mom. I'm not Christian in any sense of the word but I love philosophy and I am always down for a good movie.

Now, some might ask...why would I make a topic about this? I'll tell you why: Because this movie has much to prove for the religious people here and looks to be an interesting look into Christian ideology.

Plus I love the song God's Not Dead by the Newsboys and Kevin Sorbo is in it. I learned that he had a stroke a few years ago which is why he hasn't been around much and he's found solace in the arms of God's people. Funny that he's playing the anti-religious person in the movie, eh?

What do you think of it? Will it be good? I'm not very well versed in Christian-based movies so I don't know if this is a typical movie or not but it was specifically pointed out to me by my mother and she doesn't watch movies all that often herself.

And how about any non-Christians: Would you watch this movie? Do you think it will be good as a movie or just be good as a Christian movie?

[Starlighty 893]

I wanna see this movie so BAD it looks really good... 

 

 

And I can kinda see how the worldy world would do this to one Christian to prove his relationship with God isn't that strong when it really is

 

Its one of those "how much can you take for one person you can't see so how do you know he real?" 

[Lady Rarity Pony 4,892]

It looks interesting. I haven't watched many Christian movies, though, so I don't know where this lands in the mix and I don't know what to expect of it.

 

If they could handle the topic in a good theatrical manner, I will be very impressed. At the very least, I will take some cynical enjoyment from the emotion-laden criticism this movie will no doubt get from the less-than-believing community.

[duidamasterXD 9,627]

It looks pretty promising to me. Many of the Christian movies I've seen have come across as rather heavy handed and unenjoyable (and that's coming from a Christian ), but this one might have potential. It's at very least relevant. College campuses can certainly be very uncomfortable places for believers at times. It sorta has that person vs. person element that I love, but with the added ideological conflict that can create some really fun drama.

 

I think I'm definitely going to try to see it.

[Starlighty 893]

Have you seen like Fireproof or Courage's? 

 

Those movies are Christian and they are actually really goood.... 

 

I really enjoyed watching them. 

[Discordian 6,015]

The only other Christian movie I've seen is Pilgrim's Progress. That one was one giant metaphor but it was creative in a sense as well. I certainly enjoyed it.

[Starlighty 893]

Yea IDK what that is.. 

 

 

DUDE my youth paster is the one that posted this trailer on FB (he obsessed with the new boys) and I had to watch it to know what it is and BAM I was hooked on just how great and different this movie gonna be.... 

 

I hope it opens everyone eyes (well the people who watch it)

[Dragonshy 2,305]

I suppose I'll be the one to say that I'm probably never going to see this. I'm not saying that I know that it is going to be bad, but from the trailer it seems as though it's going to be following a million film cliches. That may be just the way the trailer is set up, but I can see a lot of the story just in the trailer that was 2 minutes and 43 seconds. Looks like it's going to end up being a message that says that God is real and Christianity is the way.* Oh well, that's just my opinion.

 

*

""God's Not Dead" is a new Christian film about faith and the limits one young man will go to in order to defend his belief in God."

 

 

I'm sorry though, I laughed at that line where he says, "Who are you really looking to fail? Me?" Points up "Or God?"

Edited September 5, 2013 by Dragonshy

[akalink 163]

I just hope it has good actors and is a over all good movie unlike many Christian movies I've seen. Movies life fireproof and Left Behind.

[Durandal 623]

I'll be honest, as a nonbeliever I'll probably be thinking of counterarguments for the student constantly, though from what I've seen of the professor I feel he needs to be knocked down a few pegs.

 

I can't really complain about the underlying theme as it's actually fairly nonbeliever-friendly - don't believe what you're told right off the bat. That said, the portrayal of atheists here seems ridiculously belligerent. For instance, the very beginning. I don't know what happened to the woman, but the guy is basically attacking her beliefs because of it. Way to kick the dog while it's down, bro. And then there's the professor. It isn't enough that he's a belligerent atheist, he has to be full of himself - what does this add, again? I don't see the purpose of him being so vicious, and practically using authority to confirm his ideas instead of debate.

 

 I sincerely hope the professor doesn't convert by the end of the movie. I'm probably not going to watch it, but if I do, it'd singlehandedly ruin the experience for me. Yes, his debate is practically an emotional one, but I'd like to see the two characters finish off respectably disagreeing with each other, instead of the 'everyone converts to Christianity because in the end its right and they lived happily ever after as perfect Christians' crap I fear will be the likely resolution.

 

I'd also note that 'Gott ist tot', as Nietzsche put it, isn't quite as literal as the professor is making it out to be. 'Gott ist tot' was meant to represent the death of religion and the rise of secular culture, it doesn't mean that God is literally dead. Irrelevant to the movie, yes, but it bugs me. If you're staunchly atheist, wouldn't you say he is a myth, rather than he is dead? That and he's teaching philosophy. If he has payed any attention to Nietzsche's work, he'd understand that he's not using it correctly.

Edited September 5, 2013 by Durandal

[Shawn Parks 1,798]

I don't consider myself a Christian, although I have dabbled in joining churches a few times.  I think of myself as agnostic, and open to unlimited possibilities.  A lot of the arguments against God don't persuade me.  Like when people say that if there is a God, He should prevent bad things from happening to people.  I can see logical reasons why He would not do that.  

 

This movie looks like it could be good.  Maybe I will watch it if I still remember by Spring of 2014.  I liked "Fireproof." 

[Princess Lona 382]

I agree with Durandal's post above in that I think the professor is rather a stereotype and a bad representation of atheists as a whole. Not to mention the guy in the beginning and the woman interviewing the band. That aside, I'm interested to hear what the kid has to say just before he says "Science supports God's existence".

[Monocerus 36]

Christianity is weird. Thinking about it's origins,and the years. by the time christianity was  being made their was already a heavly inpacted region of religion for an example the egyptians, the earliest record we have of them is around 4000 B.C. (B.C. stands for before christ most of you should know that) we are in 2013 A.D. Why is it that our time is listed as A.D.? and the years before it are B.C.? because of europe and it's chrisianity wars. I'm sure their's older religions than the egyptians. but i like them so i used them as an example.

[Lady Rarity Pony 4,892]

I'd also note that 'Gott ist tot', as Nietzsche put it, isn't quite as literal as the professor is making it out to be. 'Gott ist tot' was meant to represent the death of religion and the rise of secular culture, it doesn't mean that God is literally dead. Irrelevant to the movie, yes, but it bugs me. If you're staunchly atheist, wouldn't you say he is a myth, rather than he is dead? That and he's teaching philosophy. If he has payed any attention to Nietzsche's work, he'd understand that he's not using it correctly.

Keep in mind that the first thing he states in the trailer about God is that "There is no God." The sense in which he says God is dead looks to me to be identical to the Nietzschean use of the phrase. I take it the theme/question of God 'being dead' is going to be the big one throughout the movie.

[Batbrony 16,052]

Speaking as a Christian, if they actually present the philosophical debate that they're tackling in a smart manner to audiences without being too heavy handed (after all, Christians do indeed believe that a matter of whether or not one believes is a personal choice and matter between the individual and God, even if other influences in said individual's life help lead them one way or another), then this COULD be a good movie.  I think it's not too unreasonable to expect that they could present the debate well, as well as the circumstances that many people of faith in this nation face when they step onto certain college campuses or enter certain classrooms at the college level.  Yes, perhaps the majority of professors in the U.S. would never be as blatant, heavy-handed, and obnoxiously full of themselves, at least on the surface, as this guy, but based on what I've learned about the intellectual establishment in our country today over the last four years, there is definitely for the majority of intellectuals a sort-of subtle, unspoken scorn for theology and religion as higher studies and worthwhile pursuits for the human mind and soul, and whether or not you're religious, I think we can all heartily agree that it's at least un-American and undemocratic to simply suggest that a debate over the validity of a position is not worthwhile, especially at an institution of higher learning in this of all nations.

 

Here's hoping the movie delivers a solid message to audiences of all creeds, which I think is not an unreasonable expectation and hope. 

[Twiliscael 3,960]

 

With that out of the way, I'd be lying if I said this didn't look interesting. It's a pretty deep and personal topic to some, and it really seems to tackle some of the tougher questions and criticisms regarding the religion just from this trailer. If the movie can present itself in a way isn't overly facetious or contrived, I can imagine it being a pretty damn good movie. I guess we'll just have to wait and see~

[Fluttershyfan94 5,742]

I'll check it out.. I sort of dislike how much hate religion gets at school. I try to keep my religion to myself at school, just like I do everywhere else I try keeping it to myself since it's nobody's business. I still think this movie could be good, since it's just interesting to see a movie like this, from a christian's standpoint.

[Discordian 6,015]

Religion gets far too much hate anywhere, honestly. I don't usually talk for or against religion directly except that I think it's a good idea for many to explore a religion for the sake of knowledge if nothing else. There are a lot of very black and white misconceptions about religion that need to be quelled imo and it goes along with why I think people need to actually learn about the brony fandom too. People have multiple faces and multiple facets of their personality. To label them with one and be done with them is restricting them as a person and as a part of a group and that generally gives certain groups bad names.

 

I'm not sure exactly why this movie struck such a chord with me that I felt the need to share it but as I said I do think it'll be a learning experience for some and good support for others on top of the fact that it seems to be fairly high budget so it could still be a good movie regardless of one's beliefs.

[Scootalove 10,689]

I should check it out, even if I don't promote spreading religion around where it isn't worshiped. But, I'll still give it a shot.

[Orablanco Account 3,707]

*The following post comes from the mind of a christian*

 

Yeah, basically what @@Dragonshy said. Even ignoring the religious aspect, which is open to interpretation, the movie seems extremely cliched and unintentionally funny at times. The "Who are you really looking to fail: me...or God?" line made me burst out laughing. Maybe it isn't as heavy-handed as other christian movies (I wouldn't really know), but it still looks pretty lame, to be honest with you guys.

 

You want to see a real meditation on religion and what it means to be religious, watch Life of Pi. At least that one has an awesome tiger instead of some annoying kid who's sole defining character trait is his religion.

[Heretick-Tock 462]

The Christian God has been dead for years. In fact, I'd go to say that the premise behind Jehova is no longer valid in the 21st century.

Let's look at the facts: gay marriage is becoming more and more accepted, divorce rates are up (especially among Christians), and other religions are taking its place (Wicca, Thelema, Neo-Gnosticism). The evidence of homosexuality being a natural occurrence and not a choice is pretty much solid, along with the fact that evolution occurred without the help of a divine being.
There's more than enough evidence to point to the answer that "god" is certainly dead, or rather no longer a necessary component of society. There are more friendly gods who will glady take his place, and lead society in a much more civilized direction.

God, the One True God, which exists inside each one of us, is certainly not dead. I'd say that with these recent developments it indicates people are looking to reunite with a this God instead of following a core set of beliefs.
Now I'm not saying Christianity is wrong or you should give up your practice of it. What I'm saying is that Jehova has been identified as a fraud, a methodology of making money and keeping the masses in control... so yes, I am saying it's wrong (silly me).

Once we, as westerners, realize that our religions have been built around barbaric intent, the sooner we can get out of the violent mess we created.


Even the premise of "if you accept Jesus into your heart, you go to heaven; if you don't, you go to hell" is ridiculous and completely unfit for modern day society. The whole notion implies that our actions have no direct or indirect consequences (thus making it a form of Black Magick) and Jesus will just forgive you over and over for whatever you do. Thus there is no supreme punishment for Christians no matter what they do. 
No wonder conservatives are terrible people.

Edited September 5, 2013 by Heretick-Tock

[Discordian 6,015]

The Christian God has been dead for years. In fact, I'd go to say that the premise behind Jehova is no longer valid in the 21st century.

 

Let's look at the facts: gay marriage is becoming more and more accepted, divorce rates are up (especially among Christians), and other religions are taking its place (Wicca, Thelema, Neo-Gnosticism). The evidence of homosexuality being a natural occurrence and not a choice is pretty much solid, along with the fact that evolution occurred without the help of a divine being.

There's more than enough evidence to point to the answer that "god" is certainly dead, or rather no longer a necessary component of society. There are more friendly gods who will glady take his place, and lead society in a much more civilized direction.

 

God, the One True God, which exists inside each one of us, is certainly not dead. I'd say that with these recent developments it indicates people are looking to reunite with a this God instead of following a core set of beliefs.

Now I'm not saying Christianity is wrong or you should give up your practice of it. What I'm saying is that Jehova has been identified as a fraud, a methodology of making money and keeping the masses in control... so yes, I am saying it's wrong (silly me).

Once we, as westerners, realize that our religions have been built around barbaric intent, the sooner we can get out of the violent mess we created.

 

 

Even the premise of "if you accept Jesus into your heart, you go to heaven; if you don't, you go to hell" is ridiculous and completely unfit for modern day society. The whole notion implies that our actions have no direct or indirect consequences (thus making it a form of Black Magick) and Jesus will just forgive you over and over for whatever you do. Thus there is no supreme punishment for Christians no matter what they do. 

No wonder conservatives are terrible people.

I'd like to point out that there are certain denominations that preach to separate themselves from society specifically because it is growing away from Christian beliefs and values. They preach that one cannot accept both the world and Jesus into his or her heart.

 

A rather unsettling quote (that I forget who it's by) is "The greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was convincing the world he doesn't exist" and if you think about it that's very true. If the Christian belief system turns out to be true than a lot of the world is gonna be totally screwed.

 

And you're right, it is implied that our actions are not directly responsible for whether we go to heaven or hell. The terms under which one goes to heaven are recorded in the bible and are decided by God. Some people don't like the idea that they ultimately have no choice in the matter and that leads to many to disbelieve the system.

 

</spent a bit of time in the church>

Oh and also, the idea that God is not dead comes from the fact that even today he is doing his work, responding to prayers and pulling miracles where necessary. How does one who is still constantly active and can be felt by His people be considered dead in any sense of the word?

[Shawn Parks 1,798]

I have never understood why anyone would say "God is dead."  If God exists, He cannot die.  If God does not exist, He cannot die.  Either way, it makes no sense.

Edited September 5, 2013 by Shawn Parks

[Heretick-Tock 462]

I'd like to point out that there are certain denominations that preach to separate themselves from society specifically because it is growing away from Christian beliefs and values. They preach that one cannot accept both the world and Jesus into his or her heart.

 

A rather unsettling quote (that I forget who it's by) is "The greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was convincing the world he doesn't exist" and if you think about it that's very true. If the Christian belief system turns out to be true than a lot of the world is gonna be totally screwed.

 

And you're right, it is implied that our actions are not directly responsible for whether we go to heaven or hell. The terms under which one goes to heaven are recorded in the bible and are decided by God. Some people don't like the idea that they ultimately have no choice in the matter and that leads to many to disbelieve the system.

 

</spent a bit of time in the church>

Oh and also, the idea that God is not dead comes from the fact that even today he is doing his work, responding to prayers and pulling miracles where necessary. How does one who is still constantly active and can be felt by His people be considered dead in any sense of the word?

 

The thing that still needs to be understood by plenty of Christians is that you can literally witness the evolution of Christianity through the previous pagan systems that came thousands of years before it.

 

The Sumerians, for example, had the exact same story of Creation. Even the archetypes used in it were the same all around. Then Judaism adopted it, molded it to fit their criteria. Finally comes along Christianity who butchers it and makes for itself a religion based around corruption and control.

 

Hell, even the origin of Jehova is debatable since he's far, FAR too similar to a "god of the mountain" with a similar name that existed in what is now Israel before Judaism even took root.

[Discordian 6,015]

The thing that still needs to be understood by plenty of Christians is that you can literally witness the evolution of Christianity through the previous pagan systems that came thousands of years before it.

 

The Sumerians, for example, had the exact same story of Creation. Even the archetypes used in it were the same all around. Then Judaism adopted it, molded it to fit their criteria. Finally comes along Christianity who butchers it and makes for itself a religion based around corruption and control.

 

Hell, even the origin of Jehova is debatable since he's far, FAR too similar to a "god of the mountain" with a similar name that existed in what is now Israel before Judaism even took root.

I'll be honest, I don't even know who this Jehova is, just that there's these Jehova Witnesses who go door to door for stuff.

 

But yeah, I feel the way some denominations do it is best: They preach from the bible but there is only one true source of God's word and that is via God himself so people are taught to pray and listen for God to speak to them or urge them to do things. The bible is supplemental.

 

I also know there's other Christians who do not follow the bible because they believe organized religion is a bad thing but spiritual existence of God is worth following.