God's Not Dead

[recovering sinner]

I saw this with my wife and daughter the other night. I thought it was good. It shows the struggles our youth may encounter in college with "intelligent" professors. It also portrayed communism and Muslim faith with the intolerance it really is. I recommend it.

[HolyHumor]

I quite hate documentaries that paint it as "them" against us. As Jesus would advocate, there's no moral high ground in just condemning those with different thoughts or perspectives, but rather we should focus on finding a balance or common ground.

Looked at the trailer on Youtube and it kinda does a disservice to Christianity, makes it sound rheotric.

[Alan]

Just saw it last night and thought it was excellent. Mostly deals with apologetics, standing firm for the name of God, and some reasons why many turn away from Him.


8/10 Very well done!

[Jaime]

I saw it today. Nothing rhetoric about the movie. It was out-freaking-standing. Very powerful!

It will be predictably poo pooed by lovers of cinematic crap like Pulp Fiction.

Kevin Sorbo portrayed perfectly the attitude of the atheistic professors I knew in school. I think the movie should be viewed by every Christian family who has kids about to enter college.

[Carey]

Saw it with my wife last night.  Well actually she fell asleep and missed most of it.  To be fair, she was up early and it was late.

I am kind of torn, I liked it I suppose, but it could have been so much better.   Although it stimulates one's emotions and the acting was good,  there were too many side stories to truly flesh out the characters; and it left them somewhat unrealistic, black and white, and one dimensional.

The film presents itself as an apologetic piece, but that component of the story was extremely lacking; almost just another minor side story in the movie.  Unfortunately for me, as apologetics is what appealed to me most.

Focus was needed, quality not quantity.

It was cool seeing Willie and his wife, I got to wonder about Sorbo though, hard to believe that skinny guy was Hercules.

If I had to rate it out of ten, it would only get about a five.  That said, it is a Christian film, and definitely watchable, I could relate to some of the messages, and spent some time with God afterward talking about it.   

[Jaime]

I'll take it everyday over oscar winners like Pulp Fiction. Not even close. An Awesome film. The apologetics aspects was the films strength. How can God be dead if he does not exist? Brilliant!

[Nevertheless]

The apologetics was good, but the role of the preacher was poorly done. Either bad writing or bad acting, or both.

[Jaime]

What preacher? He must have been so impressive i didn't remember him. I was focused in on the absolute masterful job Kevin Sorbo did. He nailed the typical athiest professor role.

[Nevertheless]

Reverend Dave. He's the one on the right.

[Carey]

What preacher? He must have been so impressive i didn't remember him. I was focused in on the absolute masterful job Kevin Sorbo did. He nailed the typical athiest professor role.

Not for me, Sorbo's character was nuts, and crossed a lot of lines in the film I cannot envision any of the professors I have known crossing. Rather atypical of the atheist professor, IMO. 

And unlike Never, I did like Reverend Dave, I found him realistic and believable as a character.

Maybe I am just disagreeable. 

I'll take it everyday over oscar winners like Pulp Fiction. Not even close.

I'll agree with you here, it is worth watching.

[Jaime]

In my college days I had at least 3 professors pretty much as arrogantly athiest and beligerant about any opposition. Of course I wasn't strong enough to effectively counter them as the student character did, but the movie made me see my own timidity then and now to a degree. Without Sorbo's performance, the movie would have been very poor in my opinion. His character made it REAL to me.

[Nevertheless]

And unlike Never, I did like Reverend Dave, I found him realistic and believable as a character.

Interesting. I found him shallow and stilted.

[Cosmic Mastermind]

I watched some of it but I found it unbearable. I was hoping that the movie would attempt to address real arguments posed by Atheists, but instead it instantly dives straight into a cliche. Professor Radisson is a strawman, he's a cardboard cut-out villain rather than any kind of serious attempt to portray the point of view of a scientifically-minded skeptic. Who did they base his character on? Who is he supposed to be? Richard Dawkins is a lovely guy, Lawrence Krauss is incredibly patient and tolerant, even that bad tempered old drunk Christopher Hitchens was witty and funny and even charming. But the fictional Professor Radisson played by Kevin Sorbo is none of that.

[Alan]

I watched some of it but I found it unbearable. I was hoping that the movie would attempt to address real arguments posed by Atheists, but instead it instantly dives straight into a cliche. Professor Radisson is a strawman, he's a cardboard cut-out villain rather than any kind of serious attempt to portray the point of view of a scientifically-minded skeptic. Who did they base his character on? Who is he supposed to be? Richard Dawkins is a lovely guy, Lawrence Krauss is incredibly patient and tolerant, even that bad tempered old drunk Christopher Hitchens was witty and funny and even charming. But the fictional Professor Radisson played by Kevin Sorbo is none of that.

It was a movie. Of course the roles played by the atheist professor, the overbearing muslim father, and the self centered, greedy, money loving investor were dramatized to create a contrast in favour of Christianity. Keep in mind the budget for a given Christian film is well below that of secular Hollywood films. 2 million for God's Not Dead, but an utterly garbage movie such as Mars Needs Mom's rang in at 150 million. I'll allow a bit of over dramatization in place of not watching these well intended movies. 

[Jaime]

I had at least three professors in my college experience JUST LIKE Professor Radisson. He was not a strawman cardboard cut-out of a villain. He was an accurate portrayal of an arrogant atheist professor.

Even though the budget was lower than a lot of other films, it was light years ahead of the "award winning" genre that Hollywood puts out. Not even close. Pulp Fiction is a good example of Hollywood's "best".

[Cosmic Mastermind]

I'm sure arrogant atheists do exist, I did a little bit of investigation earlier and I am very wary of a few "Atheist" websites that in reality appear to be no less predatory than the organizations they claim to be against. Something very wrong there. But generally speaking, whatever your view is, most atheists in my experience are not "atheists" as such; they don't preach atheism, they might argue against religion sometimes, but atheism isn't something they "do", it's not something that comes up in everyday conversation unless they are challenged.

You must have had some terrible educators working at your college.

[Goshin]

But generally speaking, whatever your view is, most atheists in my experience are not "atheists" as such; they don't preach atheism, they might argue against religion sometimes, but atheism isn't something they "do", it's not something that comes up in everyday conversation unless they are challenged.

That's quite different from my experience, in fact, there is a popular meme that goes:

"So, you're an atheist...

What's it like to talk about religion all the time?"

Most of the atheists I've come into contact with online have been blatantly obnoxious and insulting to put it mildly, liking the belief in God to the belief in Santa Clause in one instance.

[Alan]

But generally speaking, whatever your view is, most atheists in my experience are not "atheists" as such; they don't preach atheism, they might argue against religion sometimes, but atheism isn't something they "do", it's not something that comes up in everyday conversation unless they are challenged.

That's quite different from my experience, in fact, there is a popular meme that goes:

"So, you're an atheist...

What's it like to talk about religion all the time?"

Most of the atheists I've come into contact with online have been blatantly obnoxious and insulting to put it mildly, liking the belief in God to the belief in Santa Clause in one instance.

True, many atheists love to spend a great deal of time and negative energy discussing religion.

[Jaime]

I'm sure arrogant atheists do exist, I did a little bit of investigation earlier and I am very wary of a few "Atheist" websites that in reality appear to be no less predatory than the organizations they claim to be against. Something very wrong there. But generally speaking, whatever your view is, most atheists in my experience are not "atheists" as such; they don't preach atheism, they might argue against religion sometimes, but atheism isn't something they "do", it's not something that comes up in everyday conversation unless they are challenged.

You must have had some terrible educators working at your college.

My experience was that it's their life's work to poo poo Christianity. How could any thinking person be so stupid, type thing. And yes there are lot of terrible educators in colleges and universities in this country. They are producing liberals at an alarming rate.

[Cosmic Mastermind]

True, many atheists love to spend a great deal of time and negative energy discussing religion.

To call it negative energy depends on your point of view, it is an important and interesting subject.

[Goshin]

True, many atheists love to spend a great deal of time and negative energy discussing religion.

To call it negative energy depends on your point of view, it is an important and interesting subject.

Negative energy describes the content of their message.

When a Christian tries to spread the Word of God, it is, in essence, an effort to save the persons soul, and a positive endeavor.

Why is it so important to someone who doesn't believe in God to impose their belief (or lack of) on, and try to belittle the belief of, someone who does? To equate their belief in God to Santa or the flying spaghetti monster, and in essence, an effort to make them look stupid. Is that an outlet of positive energy?

[Alan]

True, many atheists love to spend a great deal of time and negative energy discussing religion.

To call it negative energy depends on your point of view, it is an important and interesting subject.

Negative energy describes the content of their message.

When a Christian tries to spread the Word of God, it is, in essence, an effort to save the persons soul, and a positive endeavor.

Why is it so important to someone who doesn't believe in God to impose their belief (or lack of) on, and try to belittle the belief of, someone who does? To equate their belief in God to Santa or the flying spaghetti monster, and in essence, an effort to make them look stupid. Is that an outlet of positive energy?

Amen! It is not the same when a militant atheist creates discussions and web sites condemning religion, that is a form of religion in itself, maybe not by the definition of religion but certainly by means of a higher intelligence, in this case it is the minds of the people that believe in a "chance" existence of life and matter, which in essence requires great faith. They seemingly have all the answers and know how and why we are here. That is the difference between the atheist and the agnostic. 

[Cosmic Mastermind]

Negative energy describes the content of their message.

When a Christian tries to spread the Word of God, it is, in essence, an effort to save the persons soul, and a positive endeavor.

Why is it so important to someone who doesn't believe in God to impose their belief (or lack of) on, and try to belittle the belief of, someone who does? To equate their belief in God to Santa or the flying spaghetti monster, and in essence, an effort to make them look stupid. Is that an outlet of positive energy?

That's not a question that can be discussed on this forum.