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God Is Not Dead (2013)
Christian Apologist Reviews "God Is Not Dead"
I have been involved in Christian apologetics for more than two decades. I teach Physics for a living, too.
I write these things to give folks who read this perspective of where I am coming from.
~~~~Warning, contains spoilers.~~~~
This movie was 113 minutes of emotional pleading and false doctrines. The defense the primary character in the movie gives during the class is more dramatic than useful. The entire debate ends up with a gotcha moment rather than real evidence.
At the very end of the movie, Satan shows this to be his tool rather than God's with the death of the professor and his alleged conversion just before he dies.
The Bible is very clear about what is necessary for salvation and it isn't the so called sinner's prayer (John 9:31) or just "accepting Jesus into your heart" (found nowhere in scripture) or faith alone (James 2:24).
One must:
Hear the gospel (Romans 10:17) Believe it (Heb. 11:6) Repent of sins (Acts 2:38; 2 Cor. 7:10) Confession of Faith (Romans 10:9-10; Matt. 10:32) Immersion in water into Christ (Romans 6:16-18; 1 Pet. 3:21; Acts 22:16; etc.)
As for the apologetics stuff, they could have done so much better. The Bible is excellent evidence for the existence of God and it is possible, through induction, to prove His existence.
2016: Obama's America (2012)
Fair rating.
The information in the film was not all that new, just presented in different terms and altogether in one spot. It was good, well documented, and I believe honestly portrayed. If you don't follow politics on the internet, its a great film for you as a wake up call to where this all is headed. For folks like me, it was a Cliff's Notes version of what I read daily and a big "no duh!".
Cinematography-wise I did not like the music track being so loud, making it hard to hear the speaking some time. I'm not sure why a lot of movies, especially those trying to convey information instead of entertainment, think its necessary to have an overwhelming music track. How many folks (like me) watch these things at night when the kids are in bed in the next room. If your message is important, focus on that, and leave the dramatical music as ambient noise only.
As far as the content goes, I would like to have seen more predictions/implications for 2016 drawn from the information presented rather than close with such an open-ended finale. The power of science, even political science such as this, is its predictive or explanatory nature. He did alright with the explanatory, gave us a different way to understand BHO that accounts for things that other explanations don't. The predictive side, which is what the title of the movie implies you'll get, was hardly touched on. It therefore failed to meet my personal expectations.
What Would Jesus Do? (2010)
They don't know what Jesus would do...
I really like John Schneider. From the nostalgia of looking back to the Dukes of Hazzard from my childhood, to my near obsession with Superman and Smallville, John has always been a draw for me. Hence the reason I watched this movie, knowing exactly what I was in for.
The acting: for an independent film, these actors gave their best, but as the other reviewers said, its not Hollywood. In some ways that's actually a good thing. But these people were 'acting' rather than 'being' their characters and it showed.
The plot: certainly look for clichés and unrealistic transformations of the characters throughout the movie. At one point, the preacher (I refuse to incorrectly refer to him as a "pastor" as the movie does) is robbed, says a few heartfelt words and the crook suddenly goes with him to get a cup of coffee. IRL that never happens. Transformations of the conscience from sin to penitence are longer, harder, and way more powerful than "hey, I feel your pain. Wanna go get a cup of coffee?" The main reason for this review, though, is an examination of the point of the movie. Unfortunately this movie epitomizes the shallow, feel-good view most people in denominational "Christianity" have of the Bible. The message the movie wants to portray is a good one. "Think about what Jesus would do, then do that." But those who put this film together don't really have a firm grasp of what Jesus would do. Jesus spent 3.5 years preaching the Truth as God intended it. He NEVER said "just do what feels right in your heart." In fact, God said that the human heart is deceitful (Jer. 17:9). It is the part that is corrupted and needs to be changed in order to obey the gospel by being immersed in water into Christ (Romans 6:17-18; 1 Pet. 3:21). A sinner who leads with the heart is doomed to eternal damnation. God said instead "come let us reason together" (Isa. 1:18), that the "word of God saves us" (James 1:21).
This movie has little more than the milk, the surface presentation of the do good to others, (that Christians should do!) but with little real look into the reality of the world and how Christians should really change it. John Schneider's character came the closest, answering the conflicts he faced by quoting scripture, much as Jesus did in Matt. 4.
To summarize, then: Do you want to know what Jesus would do? Go read 2 Timothy 2:15 and John 14:31. (KJV) Everyone else is Prov. 12:1.
Million Dollar Baby (2004)
Hollywood Promotes Murder
Hilary Swank plays a female boxer who is doing extremely well in her career. However, halfway through the movie, she has an accident and becomes a paraplegic. The rest of the movie is spent with Hilary Swank's character asking for her mentor (played by Clint Eastwood) to put her out of her misery because she can no longer live her dreams. She argues that because she can no longer live her dreams, because they are dead to her now, that she has no value in life and there is no point in living. This is a complete devaluation of life and a completely emotion based concept that has no founding in reality. It teaches that when events go sour that you should just give up and die because you are worthless. It is a testament to Hollywood's low value of life that they would promote Euthanasia and the other cowardly concepts in this movie. That they slip it subtly in through a candy coated story only makes it that much more sickening. I do not recommend wasting your money to support this movie to anyone who has any objective moral grounding or concept of self worth.