How Christians Took Over Politics: God's Not Dead 5

[@WisecrackEDU]

Use WISECRACK55off to get 55% off your first month at Scentbird sbird.co/4fVPCUB If you want to see Michael's full watch-a-long to God's Not Dead 4, it's available here: www.patreon.com/posts/gods-not-dead-4-118266226?Link&

[@ericcarabetta1161]

Scentbird is run by a Holocaust revisionist and conspiracy theory pushing crazy lady. Do better.

[@Me-pt7ik]

To be charitable France doesn't have religious freedom, but besides Kosovo I don't know of any other country which restricts or is hostile to Christian religious expression

[@EuphoricTincture]

God's not Dead series in a nutshell: Jesus said unto his disciples, "Go, and pull yourself up by your bootstraps and invest in private equity."

[@LukeMcGuireoides]

Lol that's GOP Jesus, no doubt about it. The lord sayeth unto them, verily verily, do ye nothing for the poor. Only the rich man deserveth thine services.

[@Ivar-V]

You guys crack me up. In a sad way😢😂

[@dctaylor480]

"Render unto Caesar, as long as Caesar is christian."

[@caldehh]

Do on to others what the invisible, unrestrained hand of the market let's you take. And if they taketh from you, you probably deserve it, you dummy

[@John-PaulHunt-r7q]

Says no to becoming a religious figurehead saying it's a bullshit job that David granger said were task masters.

[@chloedavis2082]

THERE ARE FIVE OF THESE MOVIES?😂😂😂

[@Maxrepfitgm]

It's like the Tremors of Christian movies lol

[@caiden3396]

I saw the first one when I was a teenager. It had the feel of stereotypical bible belt Christians being good guys who are discriminated against vs. stereotypical atheists. No nuance. Just "Christians good. Atheists bad." instead of "There are atheists who are arrogant, bigoted, immature jerks who have a poor understanding of Christianity and religion in general, and there are modern Christians who behave in inappropriate ways and don't understand Christianity." By the way, the boyfriend from Good Luck Charlie was in it if anyone is curious.

[@chloedavis2082]

@ same here! My church always did Christian movie screenings and that’s the first one we watched lol

[@purewhiteloverbizarrejelly]

Reverse Purge series

[@masterthnag105]

​@@Maxrepfitgm hey hey hey... tremors 1 and 2 were pretty good. Don't insult them like that 😂

[@DrumWild99]

I've been a Atheist for my entire life, and I have NO idea what a "committed Atheist" might be.

[@Law1107]

That’s my favorite part about atheism- no commitment!

[@oscar.p3214]

This movie is for a audience that has a better chances of seeing big foot than a atheist.

[@WhiskerDooz]

@DrumWild99 it's their way of saying that even atheists actually believe there is a one true God. I watched Jordan Peterson say this in a debate lol talk about gaslighting

[@rowdyriemer]

Yeah, that caught my attention. I've been an atheist for a couple of decades now, but it's not like I'm loyal to the idea that no gods exist. The fact that I'm still an atheist is basically just due to the lack of anything to convince me their is any god. Hell, I tried really hard for a while to find a reason to resume belief for several years!

[@christheghostwriter]

I don't believe in leprechauns or the tooth fairy either, I guess I'm a committed anti-tooth-fairy-est

[@CptnCanuckShow]

Man, their fake liberal was cookin in that movie. I'm sitting here nodding my head going "damn, wish the democrats actually said this shit." and then magically he loses.

[@mytmouse57]

Satan wants you to have health care.

[@MartijnterHaar]

Good to see Ray Wise still got that Twin Peaks energy in him.

[@MadameChristie]

He"s also literally played Satan so Im sure the God's Not Dead found that casting apt lol @@MartijnterHaar

[@swaffelkonijn5166]

As a European I was completely unaware of this series and now that I am the US terrifies me even more.

[@JNB0723]

it is so bad over here 😢

[@Alverant]

Not getting special treatment and other people getting equal treatment is NOT persecution. When will these right-wing Christians understand that.

[@lovecraftianleviathan8918]

And the crazy thing is they _DO_ get special treatment! They’re not only the most popular and widespread religion in world history, but they control the most wealthy countries in world history with the most powerful militaries! And they murdered way more people than even the Nazis in order to achieve that!

[@bjarkiengelsson]

Trick question. They never will.

[@Somerandomjingleberry]

When they learn the difference between helping others reach a place of equality and said others becoming tyrants. When you think the world is out to get you, every “boost” looks like a power play.

[@cedrickulacz8468]

@@Somerandomjingleberry kinda reminds of of one fear that the pre civil war secessionists expressed which a fear of being "reduced" to equality. These days that's just kinda the quiet part.

[@turkleton4783]

It’s not a Christian thing. It’s a human thing unfortunately. The more strongly you tie your identity to your social group the more likely you are to view out-group progress as a threat to you.

[@carloszerna4514]

God’s Not Dead 5: The Phantom Pain

[@Commandosoap777]

Great double entendre

[@Maxrepfitgm]

@carloszerna4514 We need a Hideo Kojima God's not Dead lol

[@JBBost]

That's true of the most of the founders, actually. Washington would reportedly say "God and Nature's God" and alternate between He, She, and It

[@heyjupiter09]

coming soon to a theater near you: God's Not Dead 6: You Don't Smell Nothing (Especially From Under The Porch)

[@aesop1451]

@@JBBost Abraham Lincoln had a ghey lover and Kennedy had a polyamorous relationship. Hillary Clinton is a girlboss. Michelle Obama can ssslllaaayyy Kween! 💅Periodt.

[@CheezeeBoi]

Watching Michael's soul slowly die reading that ad was tough.

[@WisecrackEDU]

it's the most wonderful time of the year

[@LeninMcDonalds]

The mind bending segues are what he gets the big bucks for.😊

[@SomeGuy4245-f1v]

I left the church because there was no comfort after my dad passed, just platitudes. I stayed away because of the attitudes presented in movies like this.

[@ghintz2156]

@@SomeGuy4245-f1v a lot of church funerals I've experienced have really pissed me off. The person in the coffin is an afterthought

[@MaxRamos8]

*Extremist Evangelicals, roofing all Christians not even explaining sects is just wrong. There's a reason the Church is so split

[@msjkramey]

​@@ghintz2156that's a lot of funerals. It's not always a bad thing. Funerals are for the living. When my grandmother died, there were a lot of tears and prayers, but also a lot of laughter and storytelling. We actually had it at my mom's house, so the coffin was in the living room overnight. I stayed up my Gram all night, playing her favorite shows and talking to her because she wanted a wake, but everyone was too drained to stay up and do it. That was for Grammy, yes, but it was also to make my mom feel better about being too wiped to stay up with her, so that she could get some rest

[@Yamyatos]

@@ghintz2156 What do you mean with an afterthought? Im not religious at all.. so maybe that's the issue; but isnt that how it should be? The person in the coffin is dead. A funeral is held *solely* for the people who attend it, to grieve and say goodbye. The funeral should be "about them" in a way. Or are you saying that the whole funeral is an afterthought and they made it about their religion first and foremost? In which case.. that would be disgusting yeah.

[@ghintz2156]

@Yamyatos I meant the service because they spent the entire time recruiting for God instead of acknowledging the dead person the service was for. As an atheist it's extra repulsive to watch

[@QuasarSniffer]

As a Catholic, I deeply appreciate you using theologians and theological arguments to cut open the hypocrisy inherent in these films. I find everything about them deeply abhorrent; an anathema to everything I value as an American and as a person of faith. Thank you.

[@Somerandomjingleberry]

I do detest people who see reactionary content like this and go “oh this is what all religions turn into eventually”; the problem isn’t that faith inherently leads into blind dogma; it’s that people will make anything into blind dogma that they want to.

[@StyloChime]

I'm Catholic and even though I'm an African, seeing the way religion is being twisted disheartens me greatly. Whats worse is seeing some of these things in my own country makes me sad. I often say to people "do people actually believe having read the works of Jesus in that bible that he would really be on the side of someone like Trump??"

[@nocontextgonzalo]

​@@Somerandomjingleberry 👏🏼👏🏼

[@thomasc8482]

indeed, its a very specific kind of American evangelical christianity that these people parade as 'christianity'

[@TheCagamerda]

I consider myself an agnostic theist but my Catholic upbringing and moral values make me cringe every time I hear an American Evangelist preach or speak something about the Bible or God

[@Revengetoa2]

@7:22 MIKE YOU MISSED THE BEST PART! It’s not just that they’re implying the Enlightenment is bad… THEY SAID THAT ENLIGHTENMENT AND REASON ARE OUT TO RESHAPE OUR NATION’S *CORE VALUES*! Ya know… the country that was explicitly founded on anti-traditionalist, Enlightenment principles and a constitution *ENTIRELY* based on the belief that human reason trumps divine right… 🤣

[@twilitezn]

That…and that the majority of CNs will state, “…the Christian Principles that the Founding Fathers built our nation on…”, or some sort of variation…but if you press them on WHICH FFs and WHAT did they actually say/write, you’ll get a lot of blank stares.

[@nubius]

@@twilitezn that or you'll get the tried and true retort of "do your own research." (because they clearly haven't and refuse to.)

[@dande3139]

I love/hate how "God's not Dead" and Christianity at large has become "all about the Bible" and "what does the Bible teach", when really none of what they preach is bible-based. They just make stuff up, and do extreme extrapolations.

[@TheresaReichley]

I think it’s a fault of low church Protestant leaders. They really don’t teach the basics, and I’d contend most people in their church haven never read anything beyond those very famous Sunday school verses and the ones about sex and sexual orientation and gender. They certainly never read stuff about feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, welcoming the stranger, visiting people in prison. I think a big part of the KJV-only chowder heads is that it’s much too difficult for most Americans to read for themselves and thus the pastor gets to tell them whatever he wants.

[@atlys258]

At this point god's clearly a supernatural 80's slasher movie monster, bro just will not die and stay dead.

[@pennywaldrip3774]

Burns, you missed it. "In order to give, the government must first take." This is s100% anti-tax. This isn't American Christianity - this is Libertarian anti-taxation "Christianity." These people... they can't even create their straw-men correctly.

[@cedaremberr]

It's cuz of prosperity doctrine bullshit. If your wealth is a sign of favor from God, taxation is like the government trying to give away God's favor to people who haven't earned it. Blasphemy

[@bjarkiengelsson]

​@cedaremberr so I'm poor because God's mean?

[@golddeagle7]

​@bjarkiengelsson I'd chime in your poor because you don't believe in God being on your side. He isn't helping you because you dont think he is. He lets you have your way its freedom. He's telling you oh btw without me the world will eat you. Is that a bad situation to be in probably do you have any options not really. Demons or God is your choice. You can be atheist but the demons will see your unprotected body and have their way with you.

[@golddeagle7]

Btw God's help comes in wild unexpected ways. The secret is basically pursue with all your heart him and what you want and everything falls into place. Do not chase money or objects chase the dream. With God as your writer and you'll be successful. If you let satan write your story its gonna be a sad story.

[@chrissonofpear1384]

@@golddeagle7 Adam and Eve apparently wrote our story. Big bits of it. And they were unskilled, rushed, labour. Satan also, has no firmly... established... right, to be upon Earth. If so - elucidate.

[@PROPAROXITONO]

Comparing the cultural revolution in China with what is happening in the West right now reminds me of what a friend of mine used to say: Marriage is like white cheese. and yes, he stops at this. no further words.

[@naftalibendavid]

An acquired taste? Delicate? Commonplace? Pure? What a projective. I love this expression.

[@ApexEater]

Did you know Thitl€r drank water?

[@aesop1451]

You're right. These Qanon Christian folks are not that bright. I actually didn't mind Biden winning in 2020. We've had both parties alternate for the past 40 years and things have stayed pretty much the same. But then I turned on the TV and saw Rachel Levine for the first time. So if I had to choose, I'm choosing the Christian Jihadis. I'm pretty sure that's why Drumpf won the popular vote.

[@Briggsian]

What more can he say, really?

[@julianduncan2548]

People also forget that the Cultural Revolution didn't just instigate religious persecution, but also widespread persecution of academics and artists and control of education which like...

[@chrisluckey2916]

Arkansas here. Hucka-Sanders is our freaking governor, and the state legislature is overrun with religious nuts...

[@ozpin8329]

Considering over half of Arkansas' counties are completely dry and the ones that aren't campaign to keep it that way so they can reap the profits of it, it's not that surprising.

[@LowTide941]

We need to pray to Jesus to save us from his followers

[@mattwightman3930]

Great video! As a Christian I appreciate you bringing in good Christian theology into this. I've been upset and standing against this weird political Evangelicalism for a little while right now. Most people who understand that it isn't real Christian don't seem to have an understanding of what Christianity really means. When you brought up how "loving your neighbor" is central, and not the metaphysical framework (or however you phrased it) that was amazing! So many Americans have seemed to have forgotten what is means to be Christian, and for some reason think that Jesus was essentially just an American trying to make people more American. Anyways, I appreciate the hardwork and research you put into this! I feel represented in your approach to Christian theology and how that overlaps with politics, even if we don't agree on how to live that out. This is the first video of yours I've watched, but I'm already gonna sub. Cheers!

[@maxanderson9293]

I agree, I am an atheist but the best thing about religion is togetherness, helping each other out, helping the downtrodden.

[@sammyvictors2603]

I'm opposed to all forms of Christian Nationalism and right-wingery. And I'm a Christian (and a Leftist)

[@ghintz2156]

I mean Jesus was a prototype leftist

[@QuickStudy4]

Same. I visited family for Thanksgiving and they were deep within this mindset. I almost bit my tongue off multiple times during the talk about politics and religion.

[@sammyvictors2603]

@@QuickStudy4 It goes to show that right-wing Christian nationalists only want absolute control and authority over others. Like a toxic parent who wants their child to be completely subservient to them.

[@nathanrohde3440]

Historically the most enthusiastic oppressors of Christian have been... other Christians.

[@sourpoison1452]

@@sammyvictors2603 America first

[@hannhhk]

The biggest irony to me is the villain being named: “Kane” (aka Cain from the Bible that killed his brother). This is ironic because Cain asked God: “Am I my brother’s keeper?” It appears Kane is the candidate that advocates for healthcare and justice for all. Kane seems to be the candidate that best represents brotherly love.

[@ghintz2156]

For real the persecution complex...where I live I have to be very very sure before I tell someone I'm an agnostic atheist. These people have no idea what it feels like to be in a misunderstood minority.

[@ghintz2156]

"The principle of Jesus' teachings is... JESUS" made me lose brain cells. I hate how stupid religious faith makes so many people. It's an excuse to be soft brained since gaining knowledge was the first sin after all.

[@caiden3396]

Media has messed with everyone's perception to varying degrees. It's worse the more isolated people are from each other and the less educated people are. Homogeneity also doesn't help. Only interacting with people offline who consume the same or similar media and who are similar in a lot of other ways can result in an echo chamber.

[@ookamiblade6318]

The real telling of a minority is who can imitate who, think ‘put on your white voice’. I sure as hell can talk Christian theology well enough to argue with a deacon I know, yet I’ve yet to see a good portrayal of an atheist by a Christian let alone one that knows what atheism is enough to argue from the position of one.

[@markvickery5894]

Yeah I live in the Bible Belt, I don’t necessarily hide that I’m an atheist, if someone asks I’ll be honest with them, but I’m definitely not forthcoming with that information either lol. I also know a lot about the Bible bc I was a very devout Christian before I became an atheist(thanks evolution lol) so when people talk to me I can have really in depth conversations about the Bible and they just assume I’m a Christian. Granted I use the scriptures and conversation to push Jesus’ teachings of helping the poor, treating everyone as you want to be treated, and being charitable lol

[@msjkramey]

I encounter that as a Christian, too (usually from other Christians). It's aggravating. My longest relationship was with an atheist, and he was completely supportive and liked talking spirituality/religion. We just didn't try to convert each other and wanted to learn from each other's worldviews. My worst relationship was with a guy from my church. Absolutely. Living. Hell. He SA-ed me when we were teenagers and told everyone that I was easy afterwards. I essentially got driven out of my church during a period of my life when I was considering becoming a pastor. I stopped "hearing" God and gave it up. I didn't fully find my faith again until that atheist boyfriend who encouraged me to explore it again rather than run from those difficult feelings. Even though we're not together anymore and we had our problems, I'm really thankful for our time together

[@quickfrog57]

"Central to the teachings of Jesus is: Jesus. The only reasons that Jesus' teachings of 'love thy neighbor' resonates is because is because he was the son of God" And therein lies the core of conservative ideology: sacred figure good because they are at or near the top of the hierarchy. It was not the merits of what Jesus had to say that made people follow him, it was not his compassion, his love, his rhetoric; it was merely because his dad was famous and powerful. This dialogue really makes a convincing case that American Christians actually hate Jesus and Christianity, and certainly don't know it, care about it, or love it at all.

[@joshuapray]

Without a doubt. That this is the big applause line shows them really telling on themselves. The guy literally says Jesus' teachings are not the main point of Christianity and everyone claps. That's...really something.

[@tomboughan2718]

It is making Jesus into a strawman for their right wing politics, than really listening to what Jesus is saying here.

[@furiousfellow1583]

Blows my mind how that scene went thought their heads and thought this looks lood for us

[@grindhardt]

"WHAT DOES THAT EVEN MEAAN?!" felt that in my core.

[@HeavyRayne]

When he just said "jesus" he literally did the family guy "9/11" thing

[@watainiac]

"...it means pointing out that these folks aren't even offering perspectives that are intellectually coherent within their own tradition." There's a reason church is often described, even among many Christians, as "a book club where nobody's read the book."

[@lorriechristian7164]

This is the event of the year that I've been waiting for.

[@rowdyriemer]

"You can go to church in Sweden." I recently learned that you can go to a church in Sweden where they perform heavy metal worship music! Shit, I might would even go to church to see that!

[@ozpin8329]

Sweden and Finland have the most heavy metal bands per capita.

[@nexus5253]

Better than most Christian rock I’ve seen.

[@jarekgunther]

Jango Fett: Pack your things. We're leaving.

[@dangeldoll]

we literally have Christian Rock in the Church every Sunday, electric guitars and live singers, in Poland, it’s always the last mass of the day between 7-8 pm it’s for the younger people, literally every mass is dedicated for different age groups

[@rowdyriemer]

"it's a cycle that breeds dependency..." Capitalism breeds dependency. We've become dependent on corporations to provide us with opportunities to provide for ourselves, to produce the things we need, etc. In many cases, capitalism has lead to robbing communities of their self sufficiency (peasants in Europe, indigenous people living in areas with resources that capitalism wants, etc.) We depend on capitalism to communicate with people we don't see face to face every day. Like it or not, we're going to be dependent on a system that involves some degree of state government, corporate rule, etc. With government, we at least have some degree of hope of having a government that reflects the will of the people. Corporations are mostly just worried about pleasing major stock holders.

[@Burgerzaza]

So much of modern American Christianity is obsessed with the aesthetic of faith, and the community surrounding that aesthetic perceiving individual people as good Christians. And in this superficial downright materialistic obsession with presentation and spiritual status, they forget the shit that Jesus commanded his followers to do. They call themselves Christians, and almost all their scripture comes from the old testament or Paul.

[@jriver226]

I do like that they cast the devil from reaper as the "evil" liberal

[@WisecrackEDU]

yeah I love that.

[@twilitezn]

Oh, and that his name is…….CAIN. Subtlety…..Gotta love it. 👍🏾

[@colonelweird]

It warms my heart to watch a Wisecrack video quoting theologians I've heavily relied on in my understanding of my faith - Hauerwas, Yoder, Boyd, Boff. (Though I should mention that Yoder was revealed to be a sexual predator late in his life.) Trying to bring this stuff into dialogue with the God's Not Dead movies is a valiant task, but I spent years trying to respond to people who thought this way, and they would just stare at me as if I was crazy. I was a Christian bookstore manager when the first GND movie came out, and everyone around me loved it. I tried to avoid it, but eventually I had to watch it, and it was far worse than I ever expected. To me the biggest question is: how can people fall for this stuff again and again? I have no answers.

[@nathanrohde3440]

When you're angry and frustrated in life, appealing to people's poorly defined identity and giving them a stream of strawmen will hit the spot. "Gods not Dead" is theological junk food.

[@doodleprophet]

I've called it Thoughts Without Thinking (uncritical thought) They don't stop to think about the contradictions. It's all about confirmation bias. These movies exist because there is a sizeable market for affirmation of American Christian culture and they don't have anyone with any considerable talent to produce anything better or more compelling. What blows my mind is how much Christianity is suffused into our culture and they cannot recognize or appreciate it

[@iwatchyoutube523]

Nobody likes it when I try to express myself through scent.

[@ilovemesomme]

It's a terrible shame that there isn't a Jars of Clay, POD, or Audio Adrenaline equivalent to the Christian film industry.

[@JALaflinOfficial]

There used to be. Sort of. I assume you're talking about old school Audio Adrenaline before that got franchised like Newsboys?

[@davidplantz2112]

In the early 2000s, there was a book written by filmmakers who were Christian yet rising stars in mainstream Hollywood. One of those people mentioned: Bryan Singer. I have the book but can’t find any traces of it online

[@DaveJohnson-d7i]

​@@davidplantz2112do you know the name, I'd love to read that

[@beccangavin]

I used love Jars of Clay. I still for the life of me can’t figure out why Christian music is so soulless when it should be very possible to derive meaningful art from this source. Jars of Clay did it. Flood was great. And Boy on a String was fantastic.

[@saynotocupcakes]

Arkansas resident here. It’s a theocracy here. Read up about Arkansans for Limited Government trying to put abortion rights on the ballot. The governor sent state police on peaceful petitioners. The idea that anyone other than an outspoken conservative Christian would get office is absurd.

[@AbsurdlyGeeky]

Arkansas is like Alabama's less-educated cousin.

[@eldrickemc4602]

can you'll smoke weed there? Here in Oklahoma you can get high so it helps a little.

[@Lrbearclaw]

As a Christian, I have always hated this movie series. It acts like we are the underdog when this has never been the case. At very least, not since the Roman Empire. The Church isn't the small, defenseless kitten. It is a predator. (There is a joke there I am choosing to ignore as it is beside the point.) Hell, if you just look to the Bible itself, Revelation talked of how the Church would fall for the "whore of Babylon" and they thought it would never happen... and then it did and most "Christians" convinced themselves that they are right. This is the Christian-Nationalist movement. Edit: The debate part with David's "gotcha" reminds me of the AMAZING Todd Agnew song "My Jesus". The lyrics say: My Jesus would not be welcome in my church, the blood and dirt on his feet mihht stain the carpet.

[@Me-pt7ik]

Christians have and are always the underdog. It just happens that the opposition to living a Christian life comes from supposedly Christian institutions that produce stuff like God's not dead.

[@whitey00112]

Ooooooh oh oh! I love this one. By the main character’s own example: how is the government collecting taxes any different from the collection bowl at church? Both believe they are providing a service to the public. But both require the collection of funds from the masses to do so. Just some food for thought.

[@ozpin8329]

The Bible even says "render unto Caesar that which is Caesars" - meaning to pay your taxes!

[@Somerandomjingleberry]

@@ozpin8329yup. Render unto Caesar that which is Caesar’s, render unto God that which is God’s. It’s often interpreted as being about more than taxation alone, but also the importance to not blatantly rebel against governing forces you don’t like unless push really truly comes to shove. Which it can, it absolutely can, but ya gotta be smart and also empathetic about your approach… is my two cents anyway.

[@Somerandomjingleberry]

Admittedly, a collection bowl IS sort of different in that you are actively given a choice of how much to put in. The only thing forcing you to put anything in would be social pressure. On paper, the idea of being able to choose how much money you can or will part with is nice. Your support of whatever you’re giving money to is more willful than obligatory that way. The trouble comes, of course, with not being able to trust some people to be charitable. Obligation is an important weapon, and one that can be misused like any weapon in general. The thing with the Christian nationalists, I think, is that they don’t want to pay anything to anyone they don’t trust. And they don’t trust ANYONE except their churches. You can see how that becomes pretty scary pretty quickly…

[@danielmikula1375]

I feel like there's something you're missing with the assumption near the end about Christianity being about love, self-sacrifice, and the like: as said in the movie, the way THIS version of Christianity goes, obedience to God is paramount. That means that the Old Testament God of wrath becomes compatible with their understanding of theological thought. It the wicked must be brought low, even though that might not be Jesus' teachings, if it is the Will of God it must be done. That's why, frankly, christofascism terrifies me.

[@AbsurdlyGeeky]

If every Christian I met was just a kind person who never talked about their faith without being asked, that would be nice.

[@Ivar-V]

I’m a Christian and I think it’s about practicing the teachings not about tribalism. That’s exactly where it sprang forth. Forcing people to become Christian is not conversion. It has to come from free will. Voting on your convictions and values is virtuous. Using religion to manipulate people is not new. Re-liga, what it all ties back to is the aim. Whatever your faith or tribe we should seek the common good. What is the common good? The flourishing of humanity. Amen

[@williamg780]

A helpful document to point people towards when someone claims America is a Christian nation is Madison’s “Memorial and Remonstrance Against Religious Assessments.” Now, the question of if America’s founding was a Christian one is a bit more complicated than either side wants to give it credit for. But, almost by virtue of the fact that a substantial number of the founders opposed to infusion of Christianity into our legal systems kind of, by default, means that we were not founded as a Christian nation.

[@ak-ub1ym]

11:31 on that point , (to my knowledge on topic and relevance in discussion) In the recorded End of world Greek / Norse mythology: Kronos & Odin were just warned about their downfall via the fates , JUST WARNED. It was themselves who triggered their downfall when 1) Kronos ate his own children leading to age of titan ending led by Zeus. 2) Odin sped up ragnarok and ended the world of norse gods. So the prophecies are a warning to avoid the pitfalls and abandon the path they are on BUT ironically these prophecy reinforced the idea of doom and gloom that sped up the act. That is what these fear-mongering prop pieces do.

[@danwoz]

5?! 5 movies and God hasn't been in it yet?

[@AbsurdlyGeeky]

God's Not Dead 6: Oh, Shit, God's Dead! God's Not Dead 7: Jk, God's Not Really Dead, Give Us More Money God's Not Dead 8: God's Not Deader God's Not Dead 9: Buy Merch God's Not Dead 10: DiD yOu KnOw YoU cAn StIlL gO tO cHuRcH?!

[@ChefBuckeye]

Well, the new testament only has God talk or really play as an active visible character a few times. Meanwhile God is just openly talking having conversations hundreds of times in the old testament, and the writings of some of the texts could make sense as being written/narrated by God (to clarify: the author/narrator sounds like a god figure, it doesn't prove or mean God wrote it.) So it makes sense 99% of the movies wouldn't have God involved, or at least only represented through Jesus. Being a bit of a cinema nerd though, the simplistic and dramatized plots don't make good movies, or perhaps play upon someone's thoughts and ideas of current life for themselves rather than the possible value the audience gets out of it. The first one kind of has a professor just so blatantly kind of makes a completely unproven claim of God not existing in a public university, in front of a diverse class of students, with some guarantee there will be some that are Christians; all so he doesn't have to be annoyed by students wasting time debating God's existence. Then the professor acts like an absolute dick at times. All just to feed the trope that non-Christian schools are all aimed at hacking up your kid's religion, every professor is going to say it again and again "you believe in a sky daddy, shut up or leave." Never once has a professor even made a statement really at all about religion. Second one has a teacher go into a classroom in detail response to a student asking if Gandhi had similar values to Jesus, which went beyond giving a simple academic and non-religious response (which she does in the movie, but crosses out of academic when she starts quoting scripture.) Who decides its worth fighting in court over, puts up a dramatic scene where she testifies herself over it. And only for the sneaky quiet Christian who was picked because she looked like the most atheistic juror possible to replace a pastor who got food poisoning. When I was 15 and 16 and didn't know good storytelling from bad, especially when there's an attachment with the religion rather than the story, great movies then. But now, the plots are cheesy, could even perhaps be picked apart as containing very unrealistic portrayals of non-Christian culture. And between those two, God only seems to be in the first one, or most discussed... I just wish there were more Christian movies that tried to nail the cinematic part as much as they do the religion part, or even made more universal movies that focus on living a good dignified life. There's only one Christian movie that seems to at least balance both of those elements enough that it doesn't feel exactly like a Christian movie I know of, and doesn't seem many outside.

[@mikejohnstonbob935]

"Central to the teachings of Jesus is Jesus" That's why Jesus is famous for starting every sermon like "Let's start off by giving thanks to me. Jesus. Cos I'm the center of this teaching bruh"

[@Commandosoap777]

I remember in my catholic highschool they made us watch these movies in class and i legit came out of it completely understanding r/atheism (still a Christian today but man it was rough)

[@MaxRamos8]

Oof how did none of the faculty vent the movie first 😬 my HS only showed official "cstholic" films and the only non Christian one we saw was "Walkout"

[@Somerandomjingleberry]

Even as someone who still thinks that subreddit is full of very self-important assholes… I still get it. Quite a bit.

[@hannya404]

New wisecrack video let’s go!

[@Gaswafers]

You don't need scripture when you can find Jesus in your heart, the same heart that says the poors shouldn't have healthcare.

[@michaelcockburn9273]

I am from Arkansas. The vast majority of people are Christian and they assume you are one too unless you are wearing a Slayer T-shirt or a turban or something. This is slightly less the case in Northwest Arkansas (Fayetteville/Bentonville/Rogers) and the Little Rock area. Anyone running for political office in Arkansas who doesn't at least claim to be a Christian is not going to win.

[@brucebaker903]

“Just doing America stuff and calling it Jesus stuff.” Yup that’s been my experience growing up as an evangelical. For the record I’m still and evangelical, just a different kind.

[@-N0V4-]

As a non Western Christian, I do not know anywhere else in the world where Christianity is the least persecuted like the West

[@nikovallenius3871]

Their protagonist looks like the bad guy. He talks like the bad guy. And the bad guy seems to make much more sense. And they choose the baddie in the movie and irl. This is just so bonkers.

[@AGuyThatKnowsALittleBitAboutIt]

If there was ever a video I wish you didn't have to make, it would be your previous installment about God's Not Dead 3. The fact that you have subjected yourself to another 2 installments after that is worthy of a recognition of valor. You are truly taking one for the team.

[@Pikaroth]

What a world we live in when a film about loving God and the Bible is against healthcare, and years ago the great film Saw VI from the Saw saga tackled healthcare reform and how everyone should have access to it. Jigsaw wants universal healthcare, and Pastor Dave does not. So odd.

[@TheresaReichley]

This film must be made…. Jigsaw vs the evangelicals.

[@lunarspunk]

lemme know when we're watching "G's not D VII - Adrian's Revenge"

[@SpoopySquid]

Can't wait for the spin-off, God's Not Dead: Revengeance

[@lunarspunk]

@@SpoopySquid revengeance 2: the re-avengeaning is where the story gets good - god gets themselves preggrant, hilarity ensues

[@brandonriley8329]

As always…. Love your stuff, helps even more in the craziness of the time we’re in… keeping doing what you do

[@OLD.GREASE]

24:10 just impeccable writing from the God's Not Dead team, as always.

[@nabeelfarooq6272]

Genuinely been waiting on this one

[@weatheranddarkness]

I'm not even two minutes into your video and I'm all "HOL UP!!!!" what kind of monster looks at that woman and says that? What the actual fudge?

[@michaelfoster4191]

My guy, you are very good at this and you have 3 million subs, you can find a sponsor that isn't DEEPLY problematic.

[@WisecrackEDU]

oh are they bad?

[@ghintz2156]

@@WisecrackEDU and y'all had just escaped Better Help too!

[@buttermoth5861]

Is scentbird bad? I haven’t heard anything about them.

[@michaelfoster4191]

@ Yeah man, their CEO has some takes that'll make your eyes water. I don’t want to make your comments section light up, but she's allegedly into a bunch of cult (and occult) stuff and has some wild opinions on a certain Austrian painter.

[@michaelfoster4191]

@@WisecrackEDU Yeah man, their CEO has some takes that'll make your eyes water. I don’t want to make your comments section light up, but she's allegedly into a bunch of cult (and occult) stuff and has some wild opinions on a certain Austrian painter.

[@jasonbelcher2224]

The "God's Not Dead" movies have achieved Poe's Law.

[@LonkinPork]

Perfect timing on this video, I'll be sure to throw it on the TV at my evangelical family's Christmas get-together this weekend 🫡

[@WisecrackEDU]

perfect!

[@luisalejandro2335]

You sure anyone wants you there?

[@LeninMcDonalds]

Let it rip Pork!

[@LonkinPork]

@@luisalejandro2335 do you need a hug bro?

[@sourpoison1452]

@@LonkinPork maybe don't go lol

[@sauravthegreat]

The entire theme of the bible is basically social justice without modern day identity politics

[@ultimatewrathofgod]

Kierkegaard tracker: 8 mins 15sec.

[@duskmare0000]

More Theology please! There's not enough good Christian representation out there and while I know you're not a Christian, your representation of it is accurate, as opposed to the nationalists using it for their own ends. As with all truth, it doesn't matter who tells it, it's the truth itself that matters. So your accurate representation is worth infinitely more than an inaccurate "real Christian's" representation.

[@ladyaj7784]

The thing that makes me laugh the hardest is, if you watched the movie with the sound off and the slogans blurred, you would immediately assume that Kane was the Republican and the other guy was the progressive Democrat. The cognitive dissonance about their own behavior is absurd!

[@TheRaven8]

Greg Boyd’s work was so helpful to the start of my deconstruction. I started passing his books around the cult I was in

[@magnusskallagrimsson6707]

And it turns out Pastor Dave was The Beast all along.

[@ElliottFLane]

Woo!! New vid. Can't wait for the watch along for GND4.

[@WisecrackEDU]

It's either fun or torture or both.

[@Lucipher07]

12:59 Is it weird my first thought to that was "maybe there's a story idea in the idea of these things being flipped around. Our "Soul" being things like our sense of morality, conscience, ability to feel etc would decay and die over time in contrast to our body being immortal and unaging" and realising I might have just imagined Dorian Gray?

[@jerrys.9895]

BREAKING: Guy writes, directs, and stars in a movie; accidentally commits a massive self-own to perpetuity

[@alexanderfloyd5099]

My favorite time of the year! I’m so goddamned excited to watch this.

[@ookamiblade6318]

Ignoring the fact that ‘creator’, not God was used in the Declaration is a distance from Christianity since most religions have a creator figure. Also to note the original drafts by Jefferson and Adams did not contain the word Creator so it was added to the final draft at some later point. All other references to a divine in the document are likewise unspecific to the Christian God and thus have to be interpreted as such rather than stated directly. I dunno, but maybe this was to invoke a meaning of these things being beyond a human capability to grant without having to name a specific granter which doesn’t scream Christian nation to me.

[@tomboughan2718]

I thought Creator is in reference to Freemason's version of God and a non-inclusive view of God.

[@jarekgunther]

I love that that was supposed to be the good guys' "gotcha" moment in this movie when that statement can be debated very easily.

[@ookamiblade6318]

@@tomboughan2718 since the actual draft where creator was added is unknown, we actually don’t know which of the founding fathers added it. So the exact reason for the choice is unknown, but yes you named the most prevalent theory. It still remains a distance from directly naming Christianity. And later letters on the matter by founding fathers suggest this was a calculated choice which culminates in the First Amendment leading to the principle of ‘separation of church and state’. The founding fathers themselves were not a monolith in their religious beliefs which is likely why they considered it important to protect those differences. Many were Deists, but even the Christians were of different denominations including Presbyterians, Congregationalist, Quakers, Lutherans, Methodists, Roman Catholics, and Dutch Reformed. Even isolating the Christians alone they would not have agreed on one Christian doctrine so preserving the right to choose the way in which you worship, or do not worship at all, would have been a salient issue.

[@ookamiblade6318]

@@jarekgunther yeah, and you don’t even have to cite non Christian sources for this debate. It was common consensus until pretty recently that a majority of the founding fathers were rationalists and even if they practiced Christianity they did so with a philosophical or reasoned approach. A lot of the heavier Christian themes (‘In God We Trust’ and ‘One Nation, Under God’) in our country were added during the era of the Red Scare as a way to differentiate the US with the Soviets who were seen as anti-Christian, which to be fair the Soviets did try to promote atheism as an unofficial policy in an effort to break loyalty to the churches and direct that favor towards the state only it wasn’t Christianity in specific that was targeted it was religion in general.

[@JaimeNyx15]

Never did I expect a shout out to Fighting In The War Room co-host David Ehrlich on Wisecrack, but I'm here for it.

[@vroitwyrd]

Money is at the core of modern conservative Christian values.

[@Mandelasmind]

Why do secular people say this?

[@tomboughan2718]

They already made a gold statue of Trump and drag that to church. I think it was Hank Kunniman, a so-called self-proclaimed prophet who said we should change timeline to Befor trump and Sfter Trump, thus showing they believe in Trump over Jesus Christ.

[@generic5412]

I never thought there would be a world where we got more than one of these movies

[@McCloudious]

It's like a children's movie for adults

[@ImmortalRevan]

It's much worse than that

[@MontwizyAFK]

This is the first I’m going to be watching one of these. Is there a playlist for this cause I feel like I’ll be missing a lot 😅.

[@NumeroSystem]

For the government to give it must first take is the primary lie that runs conservative economic thought. The fact of the matter is that the governemnt issues the money. No taxation required. In fact the reason why we have taxation, at all, is to stablize the capitalist market.

[@arianab.99]

For the end of 2024, I recommend to everyone book Your Life Your Game by Keezano. I’ve read it, and it truly changed my life. It beautifully shows how connecting with God and your inner self can lead to spiritual growth and family/career success. Amen

[@Enna_Willkins]

❤

[@riccky707]

l just bought it, thanks

[@anomalocaris2593]

Sadly tonme existence of god would bring nothing but misery

[@ellicurus]

Dressed like an aged college kid “or something” 😂 I feel you though, I’m only 5’1” and I think the only time I had students shorter than me was when I was tutoring 3rd graders lol

[@CBusCP]

20:11 I love that they cast that actor as the opposition. Years ago he played the devil in a sitcom

[@WisecrackEDU]

that show was kinda good.

[@Ddog666]

The actor is Ray Wise and the show was Reaper. It was a pretty good show, but only lasted a couple of seasons. He was also one of the bad guys in the original Robocop movie. I’m guessing times must be hard if he’s making crap like this.

[@itscrispy4469]

I just noticed on the opening credits Mike huckabee is one of the people who worked on the film. Wow

[@smacain]

It seems like the debate between Pastor Dave and Kane (could this be more on the nose) could also be analyzed as salvation through God’s grace alone, and salvation through both faith and works. To me, the left, specifically the religious left, much more personifies the latter, whereas the right thumps their Bibles and judges those who don’t believe their dogma, but when it comes to actually living out the commandment to love your neighbor, all of a sudden that’s someone else’s problem.

[@sammyvictors2603]

It goes to show you that right-wing Christians aren't interested in practicing what they preach. They just want absolute authority and control. Like a toxic parent who refuses to let their child be indepedent or grow.

[@SAlcocer12]

Thank you for putting yourself through the slog of watching these movies for us.

[@LonkinPork]

I can't wait for _Jesus Goes to Hell: the Final Death_ and the techno-reboot _Jesus X_

[@danielsantiagourtado3430]

Thanks For this early gift❤❤❤❤

[@masterthnag105]

Im disturbed by evangelicals alot of the time. They are frequently unthinking beyond anything their pastor told them.

[@GreatBigBore]

8:35 speaking of a weird misreading of the entire tradition, consider Jesus' famous line, "love thy neighbor". He was referring to a specific commandment in the Old Testament. The commandment is in Leviticus 19. If you read that commandment in its entirety, you'll find that your "neighbor" isn't your fellow man, it's your fellow Israelite. Elsewhere God expressly allowed them to make slaves of other races of people. Jesus knew it, and his listeners knew it. "Love thy neighbor" in the mouth of Jesus is pure racism

[@Sam-lr9oi]

Makes me think of the "Good Samaritan" Mitchell and Webb sketch

[@The_Sap_Lord]

Mathew 8:10-11 sees Christ emphasize faith over ethnicity. In Mathew 28:19-20, Christ commands his disciples to make followers among “all nations.” The letters of Paul explicitly states that faith in Christ make all the co-heirs to the Lords promises to Israel. In Galatians 3:28-29, Paul writes, “There is neither Jew nor Gentile…for you all belong to Jesus Christ. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” The entire point of the New Testament is to introduce a New Covent which clarifies God’s will via direct revelation through Christ, extending His promises to all of humanity. When Christ refers to “neighbors,” He’s referring to all peoples, not any one group. The whole of His teachings make this very clear.

[@AlexanderEllis-x7v]

Oh and too be clear. I myself am an ex-Christian and currently atheist. I am in no way a fundie nor right-leaning, just a little confused at what you say.

[@Somerandomjingleberry]

Isn’t a whole thing about Jesus that he opened things up to the Gentiles more, and the Pharisees hated him for that, though? At least one of the gospels sort of paints that picture. The New Testament’s “picture” of God is a lot less restrictive and cruel than the Old’s, and this is something people have been debating about for as long as these writings have been around.

[@The_Sap_Lord]

@@Somerandomjingleberry precisely. Imagine being a religious leader back then, believing a limited understanding of God’s Word for hundreds of years. When Christ shows up, He basically tells them they don’t have the full picture, upsetting the Pharisees. When the question His authority, He proclaims divinity. This proclamation is why they tried to stone Him.

[@edumazieri]

"without god democracy cannot endure" - wow, christianity and democracy, they pivoted hard :D but the best one "central to the teachings of jesus is JESUS" - oh yes, brings to mind one amazing quote from the sermon on the mount "me me me, me meee me meee, ME!", truly inspirational.

[@luisalejandro2335]

We’re just gonna casually forget that the Creators of Democracy, The Ancient Athenians, were super religious. They were polytheistic but still incredibly devout to the Olympian Gods.

[@edumazieri]

@@luisalejandro2335 there's really very little comparison between what "religion" meant for athens in the classical period (which is what I think you mean by ancient) and christian religious institutions 800 years ahead. Literally the second sentence on the wikipedia page for "ancient greek religion" is "The application of the modern concept of "religion" to ancient cultures has been questioned as anachronistic." Seriously, go check it out.

[@edumazieri]

@@luisalejandro2335 it's not forgotten at all, literally the second sentence on the wikipedia page for "ancient greek religion" is "The application of the modern concept of "religion" to ancient cultures has been questioned as anachronistic.". - it doesn't make sense to make that comparison.

[@MrMMochizuki]

I find it wild whenever I'm reminded that the core of neo-liberal Christian belief is authoritarianism. "This only matters because Jesus said it" means nothing Jesus said actually matters and we can ignore it. Truth can't exist. Good can't exist. Only God can exist.

[@joshuapray]

And that's the big applause line in the film. So remarkably shallow and unaware.

[@pt884]

16:51 Loved the reference to Leland as a Twin Peaks fan! (Spoiler alert)

[@xz0mbae]

I too, Mr. Burns, do not know anymore.

[@BobbyMoore2-mp8wb]

This movie is stupidly cringe 😬

[@eopatcjo]

Merry Christmas! IF I CAN EVEN SAY THAT ANY MORE! /s

[@thomasberry328]

Great work as always!

[@Ijustusethistocommentstuff]

We need someone to make a Pastafarian parody of the God's Not Dead series. Have it end Sharknado-style with a random-ass time travel plot.

[@RJ-pm2hp]

I think the amazing part is, in my opinion, how little of the 'villain's' dialogue you'll need to change to make them a good guy.

[@freespirit4574]

Great video.

[@FirstLight666-e9v]

enjoy your holidays everyone

[@GasparGa]

I love the fact that the supposedly "evil" liberal politician is actually the President from Red Alert 2

[@alexlewis5365]

Another fellow red alert 2 player! Yeah he was great in that game too

[@danielsantiagourtado3430]

Been waiting For this! And god is definitely NOT dead

[@MartijnterHaar]

For an actual good recent film with heavy Christian themes - it's even set at Christmas - watch Small Things Like These starring Cillian Murphy.

[@rynthepanda175]

I had to watch the first film of this franchise in my theology class back when I was in high school all four years of it(I went to a Lutheran school that would be mistaken for a Catholic school), I used to like that movie. Now I hate it. I haven't dropped my faith because of it, I just dropped that limited mindset of all atheists are evil and heartless, or whatever they portray in the films. It was stupid of me to think that way as a Christian, and looking back on how those days were and how I acted, I just start to cringe now. So, I'm glad I am watching this now as a 23 year old Lutheran Rebel.