Last Sunday (28) I watched a movie called “God’s Not Dead” shown by Elmslie Memorial Church.

I enjoyed it very much. Of course you can pull it to pieces quite easily but as it was a Christian movie about Christians with a GOOD message and a reasonable plot including subplots that all came together at the end, it was executed very well.

The Plot is:

Josh Wheaton (Shane Harper), a Christian college student, enrolls in a philosophy class taught by Professor Jeffrey Radisson (Kevin Sorbo), an atheist, who demands that his students sign a declaration that “God is dead” to get a passing grade. Josh is the only student in the class who refuses to sign and is then required by Radisson to debate the topic with him, with the class members deciding who wins.

Radisson gives Josh twenty minutes at the end of the first three lecture sessions to argue that God exists. In the first two debates, Radisson has counter arguments for all of Josh’s points. Josh’s girlfriend Kara (Cassidy Gifford) breaks up with him, fearing that standing up to Radisson will jeopardize their academic future. Ultimately, it comes down to the third and final debate between Radisson and Josh, who again both make compelling points. Josh then halts his line of debate to pose a question to Radisson: “Why do you hate God?” After Josh repeats the question twice more, Radisson explodes in rage, confirming he hates God for his mother’s death that left him alone despite his prayers. Josh then casually asks Radisson how he can hate someone that doesn’t exist. In the end, Martin (Paul Kwo), a foreign exchange student whose father had encouraged him not to convert to Christianity, stands up and says “God’s not dead.” Almost the entire class follows Martin’s lead, causing Radisson to leave the room in defeat.

Against the backdrop of the debates, a series of peripherally related subplots develop. Radisson dates Mina (Cory Oliver), a Christian whom he often belittles in front of his fellow atheist colleagues. Her brother Mark (Dean Cain), a successful businessman and atheist, refuses to visit their mother, who suffers from dementia. Mark’s girlfriend, Amy (Trisha LaFache), is a left-wing blogger who writes articles critical of Duck Dynasty. When she is diagnosed with cancer, Mark dumps her. A Muslim student named Ayisha (Hadeel Sittu) secretly converts to Christianity and is disowned by her father when he finds out.

After the final debate, Josh invites Martin to attend the Newsboys concert that is in town. Radisson reads a letter from his late mother, and is moved to reconcile with Mina. Amy confronts the Newsboys in their dressing room, only to admit that she wants to get to know God. While on his way to find Mina, Radisson is struck by a car and fatally injured. Reverend Dave (David A. R. White) finds him and guides him in becoming a Christian as he dies. Mark at last visits his mother, only to taunt her; she responds that all of his financial success was given to him by Satan.

As the film ends, the Newsboys play a video clip of Willie Robertson congratulating Josh. The Newsboys then play their song “God’s Not Dead”, dedicating it to Josh.

END – From Wikipedia

Nothing much wrong with that but a much shorter and cynical synopsis from IMDb says:” College student Josh Wheaton attends a philosophy class, where the uncompromising Professor Radisson requires all students to agree in writing that the Christian god is “dead”. When Josh refuses on account of his Christianity, the Professor challenges him to defend his position that his god is real, which leads to a series of confrontational presentations by himself and the professor in turn, each making their case in front of the class, before a final debate. At the same time, Reverends Dave and Jude attempt to leave town but are hindered by curious minor accidents, student Ayisha is at odds with her father Misrab’s conservative religious principles, and Mark, who is some kind of businessman, acts cynically towards his mentally ill mother, while his journalist girlfriend receives bad news from a doctor. Willie and Korie Robertson also appear in town to speak at a concert for a band called The Newsboys, but this doesn’t relate to any of the other plots.”

And on the IMDb website there is over 430 User “Reviews”.

I haven’t counted them but at least 2/3rds trash the movie saying (mildly) they were offended to “the script should have [been] killed”, “religious propaganda”, “disgusting”, ‘insulting”, Christian propaganda garbage”, “hogwash”, “looser movie”, “even Christians should avoid this movie like the plague”, “hit and run science fiction”, “bigoted view of atheism”, “I am upset”, “worst’ movie’ ever”, “Chick Tract”, “Stupid”, “Not very Christian”, “Fanaticism Incarnate”, “awful”, “blind religious believers”, “brain washing at its best”, “painful” etc. etc.

A song Lee Ann Womack recorded called “There Is A God” received a similar blasting. Despite it was in the Country charts some USA radio stations refused to play it on “religious grounds”??!!!

One of the verses and choruses says:

“Science says it’s all just circumstance

Like this whole world’s just an accident

But if you want to shoot that theory down

Look around, just look around”

Ch.

“There is a God

There is a God

There is a God

How much proof do you need?”

On the Crossroad website they have this message:

“Biblical Christianity doesn’t fit the world’s vision of global solidarity. It hinders progress toward global governance. It clashes with the amoral values and mind-dulling enticements needed to prepare the masses for “change.” No wonder our globalist leaders seek ways to eradicate this inconvenient “obstacle!” They may even use Islam to accomplish their purpose.”

Because I used the word “God” in my heading I await the tirade of comments – but I am the also the Editor!!!!

Humour – anon

If you don’t know GOD, don’t make stupid remarks!!!!!!

A young Canadian paratrooper was taking some College courses between assignments.

He had completed 3 tours of duty in Afghanistan .

One of the courses had a professor who was an avowed atheist and a member of the Canadian

Civil Liberties Association (CCLA).

One day the professor shocked the class when he came in. He looked to the ceiling and

flatly stated, “GOD, if you are real, then I want you to knock me off this platform…

I’ll give you exactly 15 min.”

The lecture room fell silent. You could hear a pin drop. Ten minutes went by and the professor

proclaimed, “Here I am GOD, I’m still waiting.”

It got down to the last couple of minutes when the soldier got out of his chair, went up to the

professor, and cold-cocked him; knocking him clean off the platform. The professor was out cold.

The young soldier went back to his seat and sat there, silently.

The other students were shocked and stunned, and sat there looking on in silence. The professor eventually came to, noticeably shaken, looked at the soldier and asked, “What in the world is the matter with you? Why did you do that?”

The young soldier stood up and calmly replied, “GOD was too busy today protecting soldiers, who are protecting your right to speak such stupidity and act like an idiot. So He sent me.”

The classroom erupted in cheers!