Tuesday, April 15, 2014

Movie Review: God is Not Dead

God Is Not Dead is about an atheist philosophy professor (Kevin Sorbo) who uses his position to promote his views.  He makes his students sign a pact that 'God is dead' on a piece of paper for the purpose of debate within his class.  He is very clear that religion will not be part of any discussion.  One of his students, Josh Wheaton, refuses to denounce God for any reason. 

The professor challenges Josh to debate the great minds of civilization by using religious reasoning.  At first, Josh is awkward while speaking to the class, but gradually finds his voice along with other great minds who believe in God for research.  His faith based on logic wins over the class. 
Josh's girlfriend dumps him for causing 'trouble' in college.  The college professor is irate because Josh beats him at his own game on his own field, the classroom.

There are other subplots such as an atheist reporter who finds out she is dying.  Her boyfriend dumps her because of her illness and she turns to God.  The professor's girlfriend is a Christian who dumps him for treating her badly.  A pastor who Josh turns to for guidance helps a Muslim girl in need.
My Review:  One of the many things I liked about this movie was its refusal in trying to appeal to everyone.  The Christian message is never altered in the name of being politically correct.  The theater was packed, full of young Christians who cheered when the hero, Josh, made great points about Christian philosophy during scenes inside of the classroom. The movie showed a Muslim father who almost strangled his daughter when he found out she converted-a scene many would be too afraid to film because of political backlash. 
Although some parts were predictable, I was surprised to see the professor get hit by a car and call out to God while dying.  At the end of the movie the director ran a list of court cases that show how Christianity is discriminated against on college campuses.  The movie had a great message and was very entertaining.  The acting was somewhat flat at times.  I wondered if the name Josh Wheaton was based on the town Wheaton, Illinois.  FYI-Wheaton is supposed to have the most churches per capita in the United States.  Kevin Sorbo, the only famous cast member, was the most convincing.  Overall, I highly recommend this movie to anyone who is a Christian or is curious about becoming a Christian.  Great flick! 4.5/5 Stars


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