A Philosopher Reacts to "God's Not Dead"

[@henny925]

"How can you hate someone... that doesn't exist?" He clearly hasn't watched any game of thrones episode lol

[@an8strengthkobold360]

Exactly, he's kinda an *ssh*le.

[@lancegambit9851]

Haha yes Ramsay Bolton is exactly the example i give anytime i hear this ridiculous statement.

[@jonathanstern5537]

Or read The Order of the Phoenix, or seen that season of Buffy with The Trio. There are plenty of detestable characters in fiction.

[@Shinkajo]

@@lancegambit9851 you can hate a character, but a fictional character is not a real person

[@georgeprchal3924]

Catelyn Stark.

[@andrewkind2820]

"How can you hate someone if they don't exist?" I hate all the characters in this movie and they don't exist

[@funkyfreak97]

Exactly. I hate God because his fictional existence has caused a cancerous growth to plague society for thousands of years, leaving billions dead in his wake.

[@moskovthefirst2227]

@@funkyfreak97 nice now show that same enthusiasm for all of mankind cause we do and did the same damn thing. Such ignorance and narrow mindness. One the other hand you should respect others faiths whether or not you believe or not believe in the same thing

[@360.Tapestry]

@@funkyfreak97 wow. so righteous

[@leyrua]

@@moskovthefirst2227 What if my faith demands that I commit human sacrifice? Should you respect my faith then?

[@moskovthefirst2227]

@@leyrua I'd probably be concerned but I cant convince you to think otherwise if you were a follower of said faith. At that point the law would handle that not me. But that's besides the point. But are asking this just to have a reason to mock others for their faith? But then again you were just asking a theoretical question to see how I'd respond and honestly i love debates like these

[@sketchygetchey8299]

How God’s Not Dead Should’ve Ended: Josh goes to the university office, reports the professor’s syllabus, gets the professor fired, goes to the concert. The End

[@highroller-jq3ix]

+Sketchy Getchey And then in the sequel, the former professor could become an alt-right and incle hero and make a gazillion dollars spouting Jungian woo-woo, harp endlessly on three Russian writers, and become and international celebrity misogynist and transphobe. Or, alternatively, he could become a not-so-famous anti-vaxxer and conspiracy theorist in conjunction with his equally delusional and equally fraudulent spouse.

[@luisfelipegoncalves4977]

And plus, the professor wouldn't be dead.

[@samlynn1652]

I'm not an attorney but this looks like a pretty clear cut case of religious bias.

[@Reed5016]

@@samlynn1652 Amen. Lol.

[@darksidems]

extremely late but yeah, bro could've just said that the teacher was skipping out on an extremely important part of philosophy due to religious bias and he would've been fired almost immediately

[@daneroberts1996]

If I was a student in Josh’s classes I’d be furious that my valuable and expensive class time was being wasted on this pissing contest between Josh and his professor

[@jaebird3077]

Yeah. You go to a philosophy class and end up in a theology class that only covers christian theology. *Confused Jackie Chan meme*

[@loturzelrestaurant]

@@jaebird3077 I have the silly hobby to ask people on YT if they'd like some nice recommendations of any kind. Science-Channel may be my favorite thing to share, but that's not all, as i have kept my Interests and Hobbys very diversified for my whole, entire life. So i got all you can imagine (except Sports!)!

[@jaebird3077]

@@loturzelrestaurant does science-channel have a lot on space? Like gravity, star formation, astronomy stuff?

[@loturzelrestaurant]

@@jaebird3077 Yeah? Such things and more are covered. But also 'How to Drink FIRE!!' (without hurting yourself) and other cool stuff. I mean, lets face it, science isnt called 'cool' by Scientists just as a Marketing-Trick, lol. 'Veritasium' has stuff covered like this. But i think presenting Science with Humor is even better, so arguably better than Veritasium would be 'Sci Man Dan'.

[@jaebird3077]

@@loturzelrestaurant it's probably the one time in media there are no marketing tricks haha I'll check them out for sure. Probably won't be drinking any fire though hahaha

[@stephenschiffman5940]

I love how in Christian movies, the main character is the only Christian around. Like, there's no way Josh would be the only Christian on campus in any real American university, he just wouldn't.

[@tamuk12able]

It's hilarious cause my ACTUAL college experience was being surrounded by at least 5 Christian Student Organization, 4 churches in the college town, many a bigoted preacher with posters, Westboro style, and constantly having to avoid corners for lunch as to avoid student evangelists *trying to teach me the word of God 🥰" I really hate western Christian culture. Did I mention that I went to a state school?

[@plapln9347]

The assumption of the film I think is that university has ~converted~ everyone else to atheism

[@PaintedHoundie]

@@plapln9347 super devout christians live in this fantasy timeline where nobody practices religion anymore but like 3 people like in closing end times prophecies or something. so you may be right, the college campus serves as a perfect microcosm as a godless anti-christian institution for them.

[@rickardkaufman3988]

People like Russell Wolfe who produced the film and co-founded Pureflix think colleges are a leftists Marxist safe space to create atheists and all types of genders to destroy Western Civilization and Christianity through atheism when it's all just feelings that these conservative Christians perpetuate for profit.

[@PaintedHoundie]

@@rickardkaufman3988 I never understood how people think our civilization is so fragile that we would crumble from people using they/them pronouns n shit. do these people even study how civilizations fall?

[@360.Tapestry]

they do a very good job recreating an introductory philosophy class where one or two students talk too much and nobody else has the confidence or care to join in

[@crowdemon_archives]

If that's the only relatively realistic part in the whole-arse movie, that's incredibly sad lmfao

[@AV57]

Good observation!

[@castrochris94]

Shit was so depressing in my ethics class lol. I just stopped showing up because it was me talking to the teacher

[@LimeyLassen]

@@castrochris94 god this is so relatable

[@joshelguapo5563]

That's definitely a good point.

[@KlaxontheImpailr]

I want the Monty python group to make a spoof called “God’s not quite dead: he’s getting better!”

[@wayfa13]

it's tough being a newt

[@Droemar]

SNL did "God is a Boob Man" and got quite a rise out of Pureflix for it.

[@tomokolovecraft3792]

@@Droemar that shit was hilarious. "God is a titty man!"

[@sayari2547]

🤣 fuck yeah , that would be gold

[@992turbos]

Just go listen to the God Awful Movies podcast. Monty Python was funny 40 years ago. Comedy has come quite a long way from that dry english humor.

[@TheVeryHungrySingularity]

I took two semesters of philosophy in college, the professor wore a cross necklace and it wasn't even a Christian college. There was never a religious focus for or against, it was more history, logic, and ways to approach thinking about things. These movies are basically "Tell me you didn't go to college without telling me you didn't go to college."

[@bookerc1]

“How can you hate someone that doesn’t exist?” *Professor Umbridge enters the chat*

[@darwinxavier3516]

Also: Henry Gyrich-X-Men Adami Winn-Star Trek DS9 Sentinel Prime-Transformers Animated Pong Krell-Star Wars Clone Wars Alfred Bester-Babylon 5 Amanda Waller-DC The Bishop-Castlevania Joffery Lannister-GoT Muruta Azreal-Gundam SEED Garrosh Hellscream-WoW Nui Harime-Kil La Kill Charles Magnussen-Sherlock Negan-The Walking Dead Robert Kinsey-Stargate SG1 Dr. Roderick Campbell-The Gifted Col. Hans Landa-Inglourious Basterds Adelai Niska-Firefly

[@memahselfni]

Read another book please

[@darwinxavier3516]

@Nicholas Nguyễn Umbridge herself doesn't exist, but there are plenty of real people just like her in the world. Pretty much anyone who's worked customer service has run into someone with a similar personality. The authoritarian who believes in unquestioning obedience to rules and power. The tool who thinks whoever is in charge is right. The power-hungry sycophant stepping on people to climb the corporate ladder. The petty middle manager abusing their position to feel powerful. The pompous bureaucrat getting in everyone's way in order to remain king of their tiny hill. Umbridge is more hated than Voldemort because way more people have actually run into people like her. People can hate fictional characters because of the types of personalities and values they represent. People can hate fictional characters because the idea of them can inspire and encourage real people to commit atrocities in their name and be general assholes to each other. Hating a character is very much like hating an idea. Its not impossible by any means and happens all the time. You and others trying to tack on additional baggage to a definition won't change that.

[@arc4859]

@@darwinxavier3516 Fuck Pong Krell. All my homies hate Pong Krell

[@loke6664]

3 words: Jar Jar Binks.

[@adamc5914]

They should’ve named this shit “Strawman: The Movie” Pretty easy to feel secure against your perceived opponents’ arguments when you make propaganda where the representatives you’ve chosen for them say exactly what you want them to.

[@thepaulwalkerexperience8727]

Ya' hit the bullseye. And they do this when talking directly to me in online debates. Theist: You believe the universe came from nothing. Me: No, I don't. My stance is that nobody knows why there is a universe. Including you. Theist: Well, you just hate God. And how can you hate something that doesn't exist? Hmmm? Me: Which God are we talking about? And if God isn't real, I can hate Him the same way I hate Darth Sidious or any other fictional villain. And so on. Every armchair apologist that goes on the internet for the first time does this kind of shit.

[@adamc5914]

@@thepaulwalkerexperience8727 I hate Jar Jar Binks and he fortunately doesn’t exist either.

[@thepaulwalkerexperience8727]

@Bharath G I wasn't aware of any angry rants. I'm just being truthful. They always try the same things over and over, thinking we've never heard them before. It's wash, rinse, repeat.

[@cryofpaine]

Even giving it the credibility of a strawman is generous.

[@arthurcleary6361]

what?

[@edorasmarauder5761]

I'm sorry but when the professor said, "I see no God up here other than me," basically, I laughed.

[@Anonymous_Gambito]

That reads like a tumblr shitpost

[@Nuadin]

He forgot he was only a half-god....

[@thejedisonic67]

its like a Duke Nukem quote

[@wayfa13]

clearly, the professor is a cat

[@lacabraasada]

Jesus could walk on water. I can walk on ice, which is 100% water, therefore, I am 100% Jesus

[@frostyguy1989]

"Why do you hate God?" "I don't hate that which doesn't exist." "So you hate Him?" "No. There's no such thing as God." "What happened to make you hate God?" "Nothing. I already told you, there's no such thing." "But why do you hate God?!" I swear, Christian conservatives are literally unable to comprehend the concept that some people not only don't subscribe to their religion and religious ideas, but DON'T BELIEVE THERE IS A GOD.

[@sebastiannolte1201]

Ask them "Why do you hate Zeus?"

[@GoodAvatar]

@@sebastiannolte1201 What about Ares or Athena or Hermes or Amen-Hotep or Thor? What about *THOR* , Sebastian? The God of Thunder didn't help kill all the Frost Giants because he wanted to be forgotten!

[@RanaltheBeetle]

Except that the professor admitted that he hated God, or did you miss that fact? Whoops 😅

[@GoodAvatar]

@@RanaltheBeetle GD, that movie is bad.

[@CharlotteSWeb-oh7ou]

@@RanaltheBeetle That's the point, idiot. Imagine thinking the fictional character created by evangelicals for the purposes of arguing against a strawman supports your argument. Did you miss the part where the movie isn't real?

[@bretwilliams249]

Can we also just appreciate how the film fails to recognize that the professor is, uhh... NOT AN ATHEIST! He's mad at God, and therefore doesn't lack belief in God's existence. Not an atheist, by definition.

[@TheRandomDog]

Late but that's how they see atheists -- no one *actually* believes God doesn't exist, they just had some trauma that made them turn their back on him that some nice Christians have to help them get through.

[@irishdc9523]

What is actually called misotheists

[@pipp9003]

@@TheRandomDog what do they do about people who never heard of your god? They turned their back on someone they don't even know one thing about? It's also quite rude to just ignore the stated believes of someone. I can't just say "You may think you are a Christian, but you just had some trauma and turned your back on Krishna or Hylates", that would be rude and wrong of me...

[@KunouNoHana]

@@pipp9003 Nah, they just Romans 1:20 you, and say that EVERYONE knows god exists and so there are no atheists per the "does not accept the claims of a god's existence" definition of atheism, so you must be a misotheist or a heretic or a proponent of "ATHEISM" which is some kind of competing religion rather than a lack of belief in their god claim.

[@pipp9003]

@@KunouNoHana yep, sounds exactly like my mother in law

[@Sing4ever9]

The thing about this movie is that it portrays what evangelical Christians THINK is happening in universities and the big thing they think is happening is secular indoctrination. They deliberately skip the fact that this is not what university is for so that they can continue to have that antagonism towards critical thought. They do not see what THEY do as indoctrination.

[@derekyonkers332]

No one in a group that’s very ensnared in the psychological phenomena of groupthink will see indoctrination as such

[@tcarroll777]

That's why I think some of these are the biggest cults. There are David Koresh types that have been treading the line just right.

[@RickReasonnz]

God's Not Dead - Otherwise known as Strawman The Movie

[@sebastianbass2219]

you are correct. The problem with the Church today isn’t that there are outside forces that are corrupting youth into turning away from God, but the church is just failing in raising Christians in an actual faith.

[@Evelyn_Okay]

It also scares parents out of sending their kids to a non-Christian college/university, therefore, continuing their cycle of bs

[@JABRIEL251]

Seriously, the whole time I was thinking "isn't this a philosophy class?", why is there so much emphasis in discrediting physicists?

[@markgrudzinski914]

Because all science is baaaad. Jesus cries when you use the scientific method. Evangelicals have got to be the most intellectually lazy people on the planet.

[@flowingafterglow629]

Hey, notice that Sigmund Freud's name was on the board, too.

[@wayfa13]

@@flowingafterglow629 yeah but he was a hack, crazier than a handful of rats, and wanted to have sex with his mother

[@YouMakeMyMotorRun]

Cause it's easier to admit that than to read any course on European philosophy and suddenly realize that... oh, philosophy was a very Christian thingy for CENTURIES xD

[@Gwyndolin-hk4ql]

@@YouMakeMyMotorRun The problem is, centuries of development in Christian philosophy, the development was quite limited. Thomas Aquinas was a good one, but that bunch of centuries couldn't even match the time from Kant to Hegel🥲. These 2 are "believers" but would have been hanged if they speak before enlightenment.

[@GamingEmpire520]

Professor: “I’m not going to waste my class time talking about the existence of god. Everyone admit he doesn’t exist.” Also professor, 5 seconds later: “what’s that? You can’t do it? Spend the entire semester teaching my class about god!”

[@loturzelrestaurant]

I have the silly hobby to ask people on YT if they'd like some nice recommendations of any kind. Science-Channel may be my favorite thing to share, but that's not all, as i have kept my Interests and Hobbys very diversified for my whole, entire life. So i got all you can imagine (except Sports!)!

[@ddjsoyenby]

"i'm gonna bully this one student" "i could tell the dean what your doing, but i'll just do this instead"

[@RanaltheBeetle]

First of all, it wasnt the entire semester. It was three days. Second of all, it wasnt entire class length per day, it was the last 20 minutes of each class length per day. In other words, the debate took place within the last 20 minutes of class time for three days straight.

[@nenmaster5218]

Theres is a NEW God-has-no-HP-anymore Movie. Renegade Cut and other Atheist-KZbinrs covered it. Beliefe It Or Not unfortunately hasnt, but oh well, his channel is still awesome.

[@toaster4141]

God*

[@Nicole-xd1uj]

I'm fairly convinced that the lack of research done on this film was deliberate. It's a simplistic validation for a simplistic audience.

[@couldntgetagoodname]

"Research" From the clips in this, it's clear that the filmmakers sat around a table and talked about what they *think* atheists say about them, and what they imagine a philosophy classroom is like

[@allenjessica2203]

Hello Nicole

[@ScubaSteve5]

No cap detected

[@gabbodelaparrawrites]

#facts I see no lies in your post! why does it rain? there's someone with a bucket up there, duh. 🤣🤣🤣

[@raidermaxx2324]

well i would argue that any christian (including those who made this movie) engage in the practice of lacking any research, in every aspect of their lives.

[@damonlongstreet8630]

The story made no scene, So the kid proves God exists by proving the antagonist isn't really an Atheist. Wat?

[@tuffjiggly8566]

Don't you see? He really believed in God the whole time, he was just too angry at him to admit it. And he's the one saying God is dead, but he hates the one he's saying is dead so he can't be dead and therefore God is real. Doesn't it make sense to you? Yeah me neither. Honestly though I think the whole point of the film was just to say people who don't believe in God are either ignorant, irrational, or just angry that something bad happened to them

[@flyingphoenix113]

They did a bad job of trying to handle the problem of evil. The professor can absolutely be an atheist and simultaneously hate the concept of the Christian God. He can hate it for cultural reasons (inescapable references to and affirmations of "Christian values" in America), political reasons (the way religion invades American politics), etc. But, the film makes him out to be this weird satanic entity instead of an actual athiest.

[@Jaspertine]

​@@tuffjiggly8566 Yeah, that about sums it up. It's about making it seem like anyone who doesn't believe in God has strictly shallow and easily debunked reasoning behind their positions. I've met christians who are capable of putting forth intelligent and compelling arguments for their beliefs, but I've also met plenty who rely on these dumb, ready-made "gotcha" arguments, and argue under the assumption that the only reason you don't believe in God is because you haven't "really" thought about it.

[@Shinkajo]

Don't expect religion to make sense

[@goldencalf13]

While a lot of the logic in the movie is not great if you stuck it within a science class instead of a philosophy class it would make a lot more sense.

[@AlanLiebheart]

5:55 Not only this would never happen. The profesor who is a PHILOSOPHER used a wrong interpretation "God's is dead" does not mean what the profesor said. That phrase from Nietzsche is supposed to express his concern for humanity not having an objective morality due to distancing from God. It was ironically, a criticism to atheism.

[@Ruosteinenknight]

That and Übermensch are the one what gets misunderstood most often.

[@Ghi102]

Nietzsche is as easy to misunderstand as his name is hard to write on the first try (at least, for an English speaker). Will to power, God is dead, Ubermensch, I'm sure I'm forgetting other concepts that are misunderstood or have been deformed by multiple people over the years

[@nenmaster5218]

@@Ruosteinenknight Theres is a NEW God-has-no-HP-anymore Movie. Renegade Cut and other Atheist-KZbinrs covered it. Beliefe It Or Not unfortunately hasnt, but oh well, his channel is still awesome.

[@Ruosteinenknight]

@@nenmaster5218 Yeah. "We the people". And only thing i'm positively surprised that despite the name, it isn't about promoting election fraud-conspiracies. Maybe they get there in a hypothetical fifth movie. "God's not dead 5: truth will set you free" or something like that.

[@CsnvLsRnst]

I think It was a criticism of nihilism, rather than atheism itself. But yes, you're absolutely right. Radisson found his Philosophy degree in a cereal box.

[@somechinubankid1615]

To be honest the most unbelievable part of this movie is the quality of these PowerPoint presentations

[@crowdemon_archives]

I guess you can say that the presentation can be so fucking animated is because he didn't spend time thinking about his actual argument in the first place.

[@sayari2547]

😂

[@sebastianbass2219]

As a Christian myself, I find movies like these to be cringy, insulting and embarrassing.

[@supersmashbro596]

you know, i was formerly a christian. and it wasn't gods fault that i stopped being one, it was man. even if i were still christian, i'd be right there with ya. and the way this film portrays non-christians is... just ugh. not every person who isn't of faith is an athiest guys. some of us still believe in god and jesus but are so sick of mans twisting their words into propoganda.

[@MrDicehead]

Same. Clearly the movie makers did not actually study any philosophy when making this movie. Movies like these feel more like propaganda or confirmation bias than to actually challenge the audience watching. The Christian music and film industry is massive. Music and movies like these feel disingenuous and as if they were solely being made for a quick buck.

[@kewinmikoajczyk1616]

+1

[@kingchickenwing4887]

Why?

[@kingchickenwing4887]

@@supersmashbro596 So what do you believe then? And why would you stop believing something you thought was truth just because of people being annoying?

[@Alakaizer]

For some reason, I feel the need to clarify that Professor Herculean Failure was a misotheist, not really an atheist.

[@Extinctanimals22]

Damn straight.

[@feminico2613]

Ahh yes the Miso soup gods

[@pabrielgomez8563]

Yeah, I agree as well.

[@IceMetalPunk]

@@feminico2613 I prefer the Macandcheesitheists.

[@vee1267]

IceMetalPunk on a related note, let us all take care not to confuse Macandcheesitheism with it’s more famous cousin Pastafarianism -The Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster

[@Arkantolas]

this movie should be renamed to "strawman: the movie" also yes please cover the other two i need this

[@petemccutchen3266]

I’m a lifelong atheist- literally; I always thought it was obvious nonsense. But if one of my professors had tried to make me sign an atheist loyalty oath, I would have refused.

[@bryantuttle8894]

May God bless you with wisdom and understanding of the truth in Jesus name amen

[@unknowndane4754]

@@bryantuttle8894 What? the apocalyptic preacher who pissed off people and got excecuted.

[@jaclo3112]

@@bryantuttle8894 What? the genocidal maniac in the bible who drowned toddlers and commanded his favourite people stab them to death so he could watch?

[@mauchacon8471]

Yup same here. Also I would try to defend the existence of God cus I love to play devil's advocate. Also when the professor said he will give extra points to the guy that wrote "god" instead of "God", that was cringy

[@BigJay039]

@@bryantuttle8894 Cool story, bro.

[@Seraph.G]

The fact that the end of the movie is supposed to be a happy ending really reveals how morally bankrupt the film creators are.

[@Chaosmancer7]

Yes, this is the thing that sickens me, almost as much as the rest of the movie. "This is a good day." Is not how you describe killing a man with your car, unless you care more about converting an atheiest than human life.

[@ShawnBirss]

@@Chaosmancer7 Holy fuck. The preachers are the ones that hit him? And they say it is a good day?

[@Chaosmancer7]

@@ShawnBirss Yep. Because a non-believer was converted to God... No consideration that they just killed him.

[@ShawnBirss]

@@Chaosmancer7 omfg that's so fucking hateful. Most of this film is bad. That is downright evil.

[@theknottygamerguy1466]

Hey let’s try to convert this man and not try to save his life because reasons

[@isaacdelarosa3349]

I’m glad that both atheists and Christians dislike this movie

[@paytonburrows2325]

Unless of course you live in the Bible Belt like yours truly and everyone eats up Pure Flix film like biscuits and gravy.

[@tcarroll777]

@@paytonburrows2325 I was so disappointed when I saw my grandma had War Room on DVD lol we do live in central Texas though.

[@danielrazo450]

As a Christian Philosopher I hated this movie.

[@cobracommander8133]

@@500ccRabbit Sure you did shlomo

[@gabrielwilson3248]

Sad to report that I know many Christians (my own mother among them) who love this movie

[@StarTrekLivz]

Among the list of philosophers who believed in deity/deities: Socrates, Plato, Aristotle. Hard to teach an intro to philosophy class without mentioning them...

[@wayfa13]

people aren't perfect, and they had a more limited understanding of the universe then than we do now so it can be forgiven. that being said, they had some great and forward thinking ideas despite their belief in deities. they're not like some religious folk who's only desires to drag us back into the dark ages because science baaaaaad, or to see the world go up in flames when they're raptured.

[@Titan_TM]

Late comment but they were all followers of hellenic paganism, it's not exactly the same as the Abrahamic god, the Greek gods were aspects of life, the ocean, the sky and War itself. They did believe in gods cause to the Greeks, the gods were just part of nature.

[@Movel0]

@@wayfa13 That someone believed in God because 'they didn't know any better', is missing the point as much as this movie did. Congratulations.

[@jonharrison9222]

The ancient Greeks also studied their own shit to predict the future. Judging by the floor of the average pub toilet on a Sunday morning, the future looks a tad bleak.

[@jackbarman7063]

I literally majored in Philosophy and Secular Studies. My most openly atheist professor, the head of the department, was quite open and upfront with his personal positions but still had us read Christian and theistic writings and made damn sure discussion remained respectful in class. He wasn’t even a philosophy professor, but instead sociology. I have found most philosophy professors take great pains to try and avoid making their own positions influence how students think about issues. It’s because learning how to do philosophy is about the reasoning and argument and how you reach the conclusion, not just about the conclusion you reach.

[@ayvi8850]

A student sitting in the back: "Do we pay money for this? I just needed a humanities course for the semester!"

[@thirdeyetwenty]

Another student sitting next to him: "I mean, an A for writing down 'God is dead' once? My pastor said he's jealous he never got such an easy GPA boost."

[@anarchomando7707]

Fuckit I'll do anything to get a better grade

[@gremlinfifty2308]

So no actual reading where do i sign up.

[@richardarriaga6271]

Be a troll and sign on Good Friday 😉

[@m_valentinee]

Forced by a church that I went to as a kid to watch this film. They cried during it... As a 13 year old I felt cheated out of weekend morning cartoons.

[@StephySon]

You could’ve been watching KidsWB not some fucking propaganda

[@francescoghizzo]

This is actual child abuse!!

[@PaintedHoundie]

I watched this with my family when I lived with my minister uncle, I was so disappointed in how comfortable they were with the movie. My mom legit thought the professor character was realistic because "but that's how it is!". Pretty sure she unironically thinks Atheists are just dummies who are lashing out at a bad thing that happened to them and blame god

[@TomisaLami]

And you were a kid. There are still adults who are impressed by this movie blows my mind

[@joshwood944]

I watched this as a homeschooled pastor’s kid and remember having a lot of feelings about it. Then I went to college and got degrees in theology and philosophy and got really frustrated at my life up till then.

[@LucAnderssen]

Normal decent human beings: hey, that guy was hit by a car lets call an ambulance right now! Christians in the movie: this guy is dying anyway lets force him to accept our savior since we belong to a death cult.

[@Ruosteinenknight]

To be fair, they deducted (with x-ray vision, I guess) that he has sustained so bad injuries that he isn't going to make it. Still, telling a dying person that they should be happy that they're dying because they get now a "second chance" is pretty cold. It's even at best tone deaf and outright insane at worst. It doesn't help that one of the pastors afterwards cheerfully remarks that "today was a good day", making it look like they're dancing on his grave.

[@hoppytoad79]

As a Christian, I was mentally screaming at that. HATED IT SO MUCH! I would've been doing first aid and working to save his life. That scene was HORRIBLE! Other Christians saw absolutely nothing wrong with it, which disgusted me. Hey-o, people, you can preach the Gospel to him AFTER SAVING HIS LIFE!

[@zk5228]

@@hoppytoad79 Seriously. I grew up in an evangelical church, then went to an Episcopal school, and lean more agnostic these days. That scene shocked me, because I can totally imagine my little evangelical self thinking of it as a happy ending. But to me now it's nauseating, and reads like a death cult indoctrination. I'm just glad this movie wasn't out when I was in middle school.

[@lactobacillusprobiotic7029]

They also touched the dead professor’s phone which I’m pretty sure that’s tampering with a crime scene.

[@hoppytoad79]

@@lactobacillusprobiotic7029 You're totally missing the point of the movie, which is GOD'S NOT DEAD! Who cares about tampering with crime scenes as long as God Wins and everyone sees that atheists are WRONGWRONGWRONG! /s Christian media in general is garbage, and I'm in a position to know--I'm a Christian. I get to hear all about it and if I want to consume any media that's faith-centered, there's a good chance what I'm watching or reading (the music's not terrible as long as you stick to a genere you like) will end up being so bad I'll either want to smash the TV/chuck it across the room, screaming.

[@flameonyouyesyortube]

As a Christian I really appreciated this review. When I first watched this movie I felt sick.

[@manvslife271]

This is what happens when you think philosophy is just a bunch of "gotcha" moments like its social media instead of actual discussion

[@BigBoss-sm9xj]

Yep surface level shit

[@bernardoheusi6146]

@@500ccRabbit you are an imbecile

[@nuclearcatbaby1131]

We don’t even get any actual discussion in college classes.

[@mjz5254]

@@500ccRabbit Wow Mr. Edgelord here everyone watch the fuck out, don't get cut. My man is SHARP.

[@arthurcleary6361]

it is

[@thrash208]

The amount of times the professor would be fired or sued is just mind boggling.

[@Ruosteinenknight]

The people who this movie is made for believe that places of learning are controlled by "cultural marxists" (What they try to say is "frankfurt school" or postmodernism. They've started to use now word "woke" instead) who are protected and enabled by the liberal cabal(also known as "new left" at times: when leftist speak about liberals, they mean neoliberals). Despite that majority of colleges and universities in US are leaning towards political center in studies. Hell, when asked about their campus climate, over half of conservative and liberal students responded that they are afraid of sharing their views due to backlash of their peers. That indicates that there's not so much organized persecution going on, but that both "sides" are just afraid of each other....which is kinda sad. Then again, they're so far right that "rule of law" sounds communist indoctrination, so logically they would think that anything not them = communist.

[@andrewkolandjian9449]

@@Ruosteinenknight wtf are you talking about. There are plenty of statistics and studies that show a slant in political leanings of professors, you're just being dishonest with yourself. Can you honestly tell me you've never had a liberal professor take a bit of class to rant about something? What about how speakers on campuses seem to be disproportionately shut down.

[@Ruosteinenknight]

​@@andrewkolandjian9449 Aww, missed your crumb of opression this morning? Fear not, christmas is coming. You have plenty of opportunities to have a meltdowns when someone says "happy holidays." I could of course link studies that have concluded what I said, but you'd just call them "Fake, biased, communist" or then put some anecdotal drivel here as a counter-argument. So let's just skip that and go our separate ways, confident that the other one is wrong.

[@lactobacillusprobiotic7029]

And half or most of the class would have dropped due to the professor going off topic for most of the class.

[@wayfa13]

@@Ruosteinenknight based

[@MarceloGarcia9]

“The characters are fictional, my rage is real”

[@jacknickels8341]

my private christian school made my class watch this movie when we were in 7th grade. Honestly its disgusting to think about how they pushed this on us so young

[@nukclear2741]

Honestly... I forgotten everything about it.

[@siddhantbanerjee3328]

I don't think its bad if you watch it the way this video presents it, where you discuss each of the points made in it. But yea if you were made to watch it as "an example of what is right" then its brainwashing

[@Jackaldraws]

BRO SAME. That “how can you hate something that doesn’t exist“ line killed in my class, which is perfect because the whole movie feels like it was written by someone who only had middle school education

[@royallebanini9375]

Crazy coincidence my Catholic private school made us watch this during our Easter Class party. Like even then some of us called bullshit but can you imagine eating thinly sliced pizza from a napkin while a grown man fucking dies while his students boo him at a rock concert

[@animeveteran]

The "all atheists are just mad at God" stance is so irritating. As if there's no other possible reason for someone to just choose a different set of beliefs. Edit: No, please don't subject yourself to the sequels. Please. For your own sake.

[@s.l.3281]

As someone who has trouble believing in god, I can say that the biggest detractor for me are the believers, not god itself.

[@turtlezinthesky]

Atheism =/= misotheism

[@stephenschiffman5940]

Exactly. These types of movies ignore all of the valid reasons not to believe in God (especially not to believe in the Judeo-Christian God specifically) in favor of "If God is real, why did my dog die?"

[@NobodyC13]

There's also a reoccurring problem within fundamentalist communities for believing that being a Christian is the only valid way to have a moral code. They assume being atheist is shorthand for being a sociopath. It never occurs to them that other people could belong to other faiths and still share their idea of right and wrong, or that while an atheist might not believe in God or an afterlife they still believe all life is worth preserving or protecting.

[@alynames7171]

This was my first time being exposed to that particular argument, but I was struck by how similar it sounds to the, "people who are angry about wealth inequality are just jealous" shtick. Coincidence?

[@ian6303]

I think "both professor big penis, and josh are bad at philosophy" is one of my favorite quotes of all time

[@MirekHeikkila]

'philosophy ,it's dead. why does he still have a job...

[@fred2411]

It could be a franchise. A sort of bizarro Rick and Morty.

[@BillAbendroth]

@@fred2411 You da man, Fred! Professor Hercules and Josh, as a spiritual bizaro Rick & Morty.... Yelling at each other, insulting each other.... I'd totally watch that.

[@wesmahan4757]

Oh shit. As an ex-evangelical of 46 years and ex-missionary in Europe (and now atheist), this movie "God's Not Dead" seems to encapsulate all the brain-dead world-view that I used to embrace. Thanks Wisecrack for your accurate analysis. I just subscribed to your channel.

[@bryantuttle8894]

Just remember Jesus is the author and finisher of ur faith. Sorry to hear u have fallen from grace. May God bless you with wisdom and understanding and shower u in His love that passes knowledge in Jesus name amen

[@RafaelRodrigues-rx9ry]

Congratulations, sir. Welcome to the free thinking community.

[@wayfa13]

@@bryantuttle8894 I'm sorry to hear your brain fell out of your head, hope you get well soon. the fact is that he exercised his own wisdom and understanding, and that's how he got himself out of that evangelical cult nonsense.

[@bryantuttle8894]

@@wayfa13 cult??? I just don't want to burn in hell for denying what Christ did. People like u would cry getting beat up lol how r u going to handle Hell. Fact is everyone needs Jesus just some won't realize until ur all alone, nobody to help, Lord willing it's before judgment

[@YouMakeMyMotorRun]

@@bryantuttle8894 Realizing that zealotry, paranoia, blind faith and a violent/condescending disposition towards any person that doesn't think exactly like you is bad does not necessarily mean that you'll reject Jesus, God or Christianity as a whole... Just saying

[@guardianoftheledge4966]

Love the inclusion of a "Because singing killed my grandma!" scene.

[@ForeverTraitor]

Christian persecution complex movies are depressingly successful.

[@annaairahala9462]

This one recieved a lot of backlash, one of the lowest rated movies

[@annaairahala9462]

@@500ccRabbit because its "christian message" is entirely flawed an laughable. If you're a christian I'd argue you should dislike movies like this because it gives the "christian message" a bad name

[@an8strengthkobold360]

@@annaairahala9462 to be fair the message is basically: every non-Christian is bad.

[@TravisHouze]

@@500ccRabbit the difference is these “Christian” movies treat anyone who’s not a Christian as overly critical with Christianity when that’s not the case at all. Too much on the nose dialogue and just heard to view as a movie and more as a Christian prosecution complex. The antagonists have no nuance and God’s Not Dead is a prime factor

[@annaairahala9462]

@@500ccRabbit it's not in any way similar to the semantic usage of justice and crime. You're talking about philosophy or theology vs that of language and usage, it's not the same thing at all

[@nietzschesghost8529]

As a philosophy professor, I use this movie to construct my entire syllabus, which consists solely of Richard Dawkins and 75 different renditions of the problem of evil argument. I make all my students register Democrat. And for extra credit, I have my students drive slow on the roads on Sundays to make Christians late for church.

[@JebeckyGranjola]

Username checks out.

[@anarchomando7707]

If I didn't know any better it would be karl Marx

[@hobbitjaffa]

@@anarchomando7707 Karl Marx is left, he would never support the neoliberal democrat pieces of shit

[@royaltyblessed2454]

As a Christian, I really pray this is a trolling post because if it is real then man I really pray for you that we are that much on your mind buddy. Peace and love mate.

[@bigmanbarry2299]

@@royaltyblessed2454 Hes not joking. They literally use bibles as toilet paper as a hazing technique in the university he teaches

[@agathabooks9578]

I am a progressive Christian and I am writing a theological review on Christian propaganda. Thank you for your insight.

[@michaal105]

Hi. What is a 'progressive' Christian?

[@elise2892]

@@michaal105Hi! Not the original commenter, but figured I may as well answer anyway. As a progressive Christian (Well, Catholic for me) I believe that my progressive and Christian values can coexist. For example, I fight for LGBT and trans rights despite them not often being defended by many Christians. This probably wasn’t the best explaination and I’m certainly no philosopher, but I hoped that might help.

[@michaal105]

@@elise2892 Ok but how can you do that when in 1 Corinthians 6:9 God says persons who practice homosexuality won't inherit the kingdom of God, in Romans chapter 1 He calls homosexual sex shameful and in Leviticus 20:13 God calls is 'detestable'? Do you honestly believe the words of God approve of progressive values? That they approve of homosexuality?

[@TheForceApplied]

"I wonder what's God's GPA?" I shouldn't have taken a sip right then.

[@heehooligan]

I have family that love this movie and genuinely believe in the arguments therein. It concerns me deeply.

[@inc3000]

Yeah, That's Pretty Responsible. I suggest showing them "The Good Place"

[@thecoolaxolotlnova8523]

You have family that are unintelligent lol

[@willscott8923]

Omg same I feel you and my grandma won't watch The Good Place lol

[@inc3000]

@@willscott8923 Because in the first 5 minutes Michael said "every religion guessed about 5%" ?

[@willscott8923]

@@inc3000 that's one reason she won't watch the show, another is that there is a romance between a white woman and black man and she won't like that

[@bryand1182]

This movie has nothing to do with Philosophy - it's about reveling in the Christian persecution fantasy. Trying to evaluate it's philosophical significance does it too great a service.

[@monoclesquid9667]

@@500ccRabbit what are your thoughts on alden’s number?

[@TAP7a]

@@500ccRabbit people are exactly as harsh on the movie as the movie deserves, which is absolute evisceration for being trash just like all the other Lifetime and Hallmark garbage. Except these ones also have the potential to have actual consequences beyond helping middle class straight white American women pass the time, such as attacking the separation of church and state, encouraging policy decisions to lean more towards an increasingly committed bloc of evangelical voters in Electoral-College-vote-efficient states, literally endangers gay people, trans people and people with alternative religions in regions with the highest concentrations of the most militant (and therefore most receptive to these movies) evangelists, so if anything these movies deserve an even greater degree of explicit rejection and tearing apart.

[@Buglin_Burger7878]

"the study of the fundamental nature of knowledge, reality, and existence, especially when considered as an academic discipline." It is the study of the reality and existence of persecution fantasy put into a movie. The philosophy of the movie.

[@utubepunk]

@@monoclesquid9667 Professor Vaush B. would like to see you after class.

[@Shinkajo]

@@500ccRabbit Kevin Sorbo believes in the persecution myth. That's why he is making shit like this. He is pretty hardcore Christian and right-winger. This movie has a real agenda behind it.

[@ALE-of4vk]

I used to consider myself a conservative when I was in college, but lately the phrase "conservative thought" has really become a oxymoron. This movie is what you call a straw-man argument where you argue vehemently against a position NO ONE is actually taking. Of course, you can neither prove nor disprove the existence of God, and all Professor Hercules is going to accomplish is to get really bad student evaluations at the end of the semester (I hope he is already tenured). This movie is laughable, but it also encourages young conservatives and religious types to not attend what they THINK is college. The result is an ignorant, resentful AND socioeconomically disadvantaged underclass. And why? What I learned from intro to philosophy was about all the geniuses of the past that DID nevertheless believe in God (Descartes, Kant, Kirkegaard, Adam Smith). It's actually movies like this that have driven me toward atheism,

[@samuelbedsole5089]

Before I went to college i actually thought this film actually made sense. Then when I went to college and took a critical thinking course I finally saw the slew of fallacies and mistakes presented throughout, not to mention how unrealistic it depicts college.

[@wildhias6195]

Hercules literally starts his philosophy class with an argument from authority: those smart guys didnt believe in God therfore God does not exist

[@dahlrjay63]

* Philosophical cringe *

[@Nerdsammich]

It really tells on the filmmakers and what they think a convincing argument looks like, doesn't it?

[@sherrianbriscoe2231]

God does exist

[@allenjessica2203]

@@Nerdsammich hello

[@allenjessica2203]

@@sherrianbriscoe2231 hello

[@JackSmith-ns1uq]

As a Christian, The worst part for me was him insisting that "God needs me to defend him". Yes, the God of the universe needs you to defend him in your college class. 🤦🏽‍♀️... I'm fully aware that some people do think like this.

[@arlenlucrezia6287]

We are to always defend our Faith and defend the NAME of GOD when someone tries to diminish or slander it, which is what the Philosophy teacher was doing. What the young man did in the movie was exactly what GOD wanted him to do. To defend his Faith in GOD. This has been done in SCRIPTURE itself an example being with the disciples in the Book of Acts. When the governors commanded them to stop preaching about JESUS, they defended their Faith and said we are to obey GOD rather than men. "Paul practiced what he preached; in fact, defending the faith was his regular activity (Philippians 1:7). He refers to apologetics as an aspect of his mission in the same passage (v.16). He also made apologetics a requirement for church leadership in Titus 1:9. Jude, an apostle of Jesus, wrote that "although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt I had to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints” (v.3)." -- 1 Peter 3:15 - But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and [be] ready always to [give] an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear: 2 Tim. 4:1-6 I charge [thee] therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away [their] ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry. For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. Titus 1:9 - Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers

[@mistertea603]

He is literally White Knighting God...

[@arlenlucrezia6287]

@@mistertea603 No, he was showing and having reverence for GOD. No true Christian would sit through a class where a teacher slanders the LORD and trashes HIS NAME. They would speak up or walk out. That's all, not caring about a grade. We defend the Gospel as we are commanded and we will defend our Faith in HE that is our LORD.

[@mistertea603]

@@arlenlucrezia6287 I'm not attacking you, or your faith.

[@mistertea603]

It was fully a joke Flaming, I grew up in the Baptist faith, and I recognized the call to action that most Christians take upon themselves. And then belittled it... Was it unfair? Perhaps, and if it was I'm sorry...

[@erichenningfeld]

Imagine my horror watching this movie with my old youth group after completing intro to philosophy and philosophy of religion in colleges. I wanted to die the whole time.

[@torres4148]

i find it kind of odd that there is 100% student engagement in the class, usually there is at least 2-3 students falling asleep or not paying attention or texting

[@sebastianesilva398]

Spoiler alert: the Angry Atheist™ character isn't even an atheist as it turns out.

[@jamesmason7979]

That was one of the film's greatest fails. In this "debate" of Christianity versus atheism, there was no one there that actually represented atheism.

[@ajburgess6843]

It seems like every time that dude is in a Christian film, he plays the same character.

[@chrissnyder4439]

Of course he isn't. I can't imagine an atheist being in a movie to promote Christianity, nor would one purposefully misrepresent what an atheist typically is.

[@lysanamcmillan7972]

There are people who profess atheism but practice anti-monotheism instead. Fighting what doesn't exist means you give the non-existent credence, the last I checked. And that's the sort of "atheist" who argues with the Christians who care to do so online every time the chance exists. I used to read FARK when those threads opened up eating virtual popcorn because the arguments never changed. (I'm a polytheist who agrees with Hume's statement about the divine being beyond human cognition to understand or define, let alone prove. This is why I find absolutists bickering about it really funny.)

[@b2gills]

@@chrissnyder4439 Sebastian meant that the character isn't an atheist.

[@companyincorporatedproduct4335]

"Why do you hate goldfish? "Because they took everything from me!"

[@proctorritter5176]

“Yes! I hate goldfish! All I have for them is hate!”

[@user-cm9ch7qe4w]

Oh yes, those snacks are amazing~

[@jamesparson]

F’ing goldfish

[@hughjanos3992]

"how can you hate somefish if it doesn't exist"

[@victoriaashley3216]

I had a Christian roommate try to make me watch this movie after I told her I was agnostic. The girl would constantly send me clips of the film as a way to try to convince me and would bring it up often even though I'd avoid talking about religion with her. I actually watched a Pureflix movie with her and her Christian friends when I first moved in and so when I told her my beliefs I guess she just couldn't believe it. She told me that people like me who lack religious (specifically Christian) beliefs do not know right from wrong and she was surprised because I seemed so kind. Needless to say, I had a very toxic experience living with her because she wouldn't give it up, and she was very offended when I tried to make some boundaries. I have no problem at all with people being religious or following a religion, and it makes me happy if someone close to me really feels like they have a connection or if they feel better with God or some other religious figure in their life. But, to have someone imply to me that I'm not a good person and that I lack a moral compass based on the sole fact that I'm not particularly religious is ridiculous. It's something that I just won't tolerate. This girl was also a major bully in our apartment, so I feel like she never practiced what she preached. She was always making her best friend (who is also Christian) cry all the time. I know that she is not representative of every Christian - her friend actually became a friend of mine and was very open and accepting - but it was a really bad experience.

[@jonharrison9222]

American, I take it?

[@JL_Lux]

Not surprised she also was a bully.

[@Uhsnuh]

In college when I was taking a chemistry lab class where we were split into different groups. My group was very nice and we got along well, until they brought up what denomination of christianity they all were started talking about it excitedly like schoolgirls. When it got to me I was honest and told them I wasn't really religious. They immediately ostracised me and ignored me for the rest of the class. It was insane lol

[@macysondheim]

The reason Atheists don't believe the gospel is not a cognitive problem, it is a spiritual one - “They are spiritually blind” (John 3:3). In other words, it isn't a rational decision they make, it is an emotional choice: they don't want God to exist. But they know he exists and hold the truth in unrighteousness - “They live in denial of reality” (Romans 1:18-22).✝️☦️

[@Xiassen]

Wouldn't it be delicious if the whole dramatic feud was set up as a test to see if Josh read his very first assignment?

[@777SilverPhoenix777]

that certainly would have been better however give that the professor didn't even teach anything in class it was kinda hard to make an argument of should have read this huge book before next class LOL. the narrative structure needed MAJOR overhauls.

[@cs3705]

My favorite part is when the guy is laying in the street, clearly in need of medical attention, but instead just gets harassed by some priests in his final moments.

[@entarochrist3927]

They weren’t even priests. But I get your point. XD

[@couldntgetagoodname]

Right? They're like, "F**k a doctor, get a Christian"

[@Toviyah]

@@couldntgetagoodname I think bringing someone to God is better than letting them die and go to eternal damnation

[@couldntgetagoodname]

@@Toviyah conversely, seeking medical attention might keep them with the living, to allow them to come to that decision without the fear of death facing them 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@Toviyah]

@@couldntgetagoodname I guess so

[@DissectingThoughts]

The closest thing to a teacher behaving like Prof. Hercules I ever encountered doing my philosophy degree was a Christian teacher. And he wasn't even that bad. I had lots of atheist teachers. All of them refused to discuss their personal beliefs in the class-room, but told students who asked to come see them after class if they really wanted to talk about it.

[@VikingNewt]

i went to school in the uk and it took me four years to figure out my politics teacher, and a similar length of time for my exphil. they were utterly dedicated to the idea of letting us make up our own minds on the evidences and discussions. i found out how both of them were inclined the day after i left the school and met them in the pub, we all sat til closing :)

[@stiimuli]

A relative of mine said of this movie "but its just a feel-good story". I have to wonder if he was on some serious drugs or just watched a different movie by mistake O_o

[@wayfa13]

religion is helluva drug

[@spacecat8511]

Eyeeahhhhh…feel good story for who exactly. I haven’t been made to watch this movie in years by church members but like. Literally everyone who isn’t Culturally White Male Evangelical gets mocked and either infantilized or brutalized. Then ends with a dance party on a guy’s grave with everyone so smiley about it.

[@ceceburns9787]

I was at a sleepover once where my friends dad found out I didn’t believe in God and then he made us watch this movie in an attempt to convert me lol

[@aswfabt]

lol sleepover ruined

[@maxanderson9293]

My man, that not a sleep over anymore its an attempted crossover

[@KittySnicker]

This should be called “That Happened: The Movie.” Also the sentence “God is dead” sounds like an admission that he was once alive and therefore existed.

[@astaroththedaeva9717]

If I remember correctly, Nietzsche was specifically addressing the death of morality by equating it to god. I am a bit rusty so I may be wrong. But yeah.

[@reuteratwork8983]

Well, except Prof Hercules explained that, in the clip they used in this vid -- so...no...

[@KarlSnarks]

"And then everyone clapped: The Movie"

[@BygoneT]

@@astaroththedaeva9717 That's correct. Even if god exists, it doesn't matter if we're under assault by numerous more attractive values, and the chaos resulting from this situation is the focus here. We'll never get enough water to wash away the blood, is also what Nietzsche said.

[@RosesAndIvy]

Yeah they conveniently left out the second part of the quote: "God is dead. ...And we have killed him".

[@blakemeads9225]

If my philosophy professor in college pulled half of the shit Sorbo’s character does in this movie, he’d be out on his ass so quick, it’d make his head spin.

[@seangeiger45]

@@500ccRabbit Tenure will not save you from physically assaulting students or threatening their academic progress.

[@mirzaghalib8659]

Blaaaaake

[@jessemiller4953]

as someone who has attended one singular semester of philosophy, the premise of this movie actually killed me. I am dead now because of how stupid this was.

[@bryantuttle8894]

Well May God help you in Jesus name amen. Because if u truly die without accepting Jesus u will go to Hell.

[@wayfa13]

@@bryantuttle8894 are you brain dead or smth? what the fuck is your problem telling ppl they're going to hell. religion is like a penis, most people have one but nobody wants them waving around in public. keep it in your pants, fkn psycho.

[@albeon_draken]

The closest thing I saw to Prof. Hercules' diatribe in college was in my Evolution class. The professor just said that it was a class on science, not theology, and we had a tight syllabus, so religious creation narratives would not be discussed or debated. Fairly reasonable given the focus of the class.

[@shillinhite3911]

Sounds like that prof had gone through some shit in the past of people trying him XD

[@albeon_draken]

@@shillinhite3911 Yeah, and some shit still wound up coming up during class, particularly around human evolution. Funnily enough, it wasn't even evangelicals doing it. It was two Hindu girls. My university has a reputation for being extremely diverse and very unfriendly to conservatism, so the Christian wingnuts just stay away.

[@GoFidoGo]

Hercules is mad at dad.

[@hemidas]

Kratos: "That's cute, kid!"

[@richardlegrand4697]

@@hemidas Frankenstein's monster has entered the chat.

[@DeconvertedMan]

Zeus is a better God then yahweh :D

[@aramwatters]

HAAAA!!!!!!! 😆😆😆

[@exceedcharge1]

@@DeconvertedMan The only thing zeus is better at is being a dad

[@LightsOnTrees]

Wow Mike is really carrying the team since Jared left. Much respect man.

[@AnyaSavina1994]

Why did he leave?

[@LightsOnTrees]

@@AnyaSavina1994 We don't really know outside of the short message he gave, is probably still in there video history. I think things just changed for him and something moved in a different direction.

[@juanandrade2998]

That's sad, Jared may be one of the founders of the interesting side of youtube. The guy made those days bearable, him with wisecrack, 8bit philosophy, every frame a painting and Lessons from screenplay where the ones that gave youtube some value during that time.

[@smatt7771]

@@juanandrade2998 ......Jared? Did you mean Jared?

[@juanandrade2998]

@@smatt7771 ahahaha... yes Jared... Dont know why I said Josh.. lol So influential i couldn't even get his name right.

[@StealthMarmot_]

In fairness, the professor is Hercules and the God of Hercules is Zeus and hating him is pretty understandable

[@davisandman8027]

Bro, you should have used Simone de Beauvoir's argument instead of Sartre's. In her book The Ethics of Ambiguity, she claims that "If God existis, everything is permisable" once He can forgive and pardon your sins. If God doesn't exist, we have to think, act and live with the consequences of our actions for the rest of our lifes.

[@shaunmorrison6448]

The real message is that if you diss god, he's gonna take you out.

[@RandomPersonProbably]

Why do you think the dinosaurs went extinct? They dissed god one too many times

[@ussinussinongawd516]

@@RandomPersonProbably dinosaur dissy make god mcpissy

[@rattian1976]

God can take me out to dinner any time

[@gkarak1996]

@@RandomPersonProbably he sent a meteorite to spin the flat earth and throw them out of it

[@melon3860]

@@gkarak1996 nah the impact that the meteorite made fling all the dinosaurs out of earth like the food you knocked over when you were small

[@SuddenJeff]

Seems like the thesis of the movie is "Don't send your kids to a secular college... They'll indoctrinate the Christianity out of them!"

[@kittygrimm7301]

Unless, of course, they're strong enough to stand up to the secular system and defend God.

[@danielghirghi3958]

the classic conspiracy of "everyone who is smarter than me is trying to destroy me"

[@murraybeachtel8585]

I went to a Christian college and my parents think I am a heathen because it challenged and evolved my beliefs. My wife went there as well and worked the call desk hearing from parents saying our school “ruined” their kids. Like, all our college did was teach us how to digest information to make our own decisions. We came out still Christian, but anything but a dumbed down version of it like reflected in God’s Not Dead isn’t accepted by many. So sometimes even the religious schools are not good enough haha. I went to a small college called Messiah University if you want to look it up. Overall I was happy to have went there, but still learn how to think for myself and to respect people that think differently than me.

[@b2gills]

@@murraybeachtel8585 Now imagine if you were an atheist where you are actually persecuted. People have been fired for coming out as atheist. Children have been kicked out of their homes for coming out as atheist. Children have been yelled at and punished by teachers and principals for coming out as atheist. Now me as an atheist, I think that you stopped halfway on your journey. (Sort of how you would feel about a child that doesn't believe in Santa, but still believes in the Easter Bunny.) I also feel for your situation. The quickest way to make your parents see you the way they once did is to pretend to be someone you're not. Which is not healthy way to live. You may be able to improve your situation though. Ask them to tell you the exact requirements to get into heaven. Continue to ask them questions about their beliefs until they accept you for who you are.

[@gustavlarsson7494]

Saying "That's an argument for God" carries absolutely no weight at all if the argument is fallacious.

[@sharathsh9987]

My intro to philosophy professor told us to divide ourselves by religious and non-religious (i.e. atheist, agnostic etc.). When we moved among ourselves and formed into two distinct groups, he told us today we'd be arguing about the existence of God(s). The caveat was, we'd be arguing for the other side, so the non-religious group would put forth the religious argument and vice versa. This was by far the most productive and philosophically interesting discussion we've had. Although my professor was very clearly an atheist, he would encourage us to think about the "other side" of the aisle and steelman their arguments. This has been pretty much the norm with professors in university, in my personal experience. They always encouraged us to critically think about issues instead of trying to force feed like the professor from this atrocious "film." Even the more opinionated professors I've met were more than tolerant of dissent, especially engaging dissent.

[@TylerJBrown192]

A Philosopher Reacts to "Gilmore Girls" next, please!

[@Shinkajo]

So straight men actually watch that? Or am I confusing Gilmore Girls with Gossip Girl?

[@heartpng]

@@Shinkajo fellas, is it gay to watch tv shows with female main characters?

[@ta.barbaro1952]

That would be an improvement.

[@sebastian1236669]

Yes please! Gilmore Girls is my favorite show of all time and I would love an episode about it! I think a dive into the minds of the Emily, Lorelai, Rory, and most importantly Paris would be fascinating!

[@ttt3377]

@@Shinkajo [[

[@sierrafarnum9689]

I remember watching this at 14 (forced to by parents) and at a certain point I got so mad at how stupid it was that I walked out of the theater. My Christian sister went after me and asked why I was upset, we talked about the arguments in this movie and things past it, we got so wrapped up we left the theater so we wouldn't be forced to go home, and after a few hours my sister became an agnostic. Which is funny bc this movie was supposed to make people Christian and it did the opposite...

[@gonebye7109]

Well its already sad that a whole movie defined 'christianity' for you all. But you guys do you.

[@jessicahardacre6035]

It's a good movie the existence of God is out there or the proof of Gods existence is out there

[@sierrafarnum9689]

@@gonebye7109 lol. I highly doubt I've been exposed to less Christianity than you, I've yet to meet someone who lived in a stronger religious environment. Have you read the Bible front to back with an open mind yet?

[@gonebye7109]

@@sierrafarnum9689 Ive read certain parts of the bible, some parts open minded, other parts not much. But overall my comment was referring to the part you said "Which is funny bc this movie was supposed to make people Christian and it did the opposite" You shouldnt let a movie do that to you. You can question Christianity, I question it myself too, but I ask others who know bout it more so I could gain some answer. Goodnight.

[@sierrafarnum9689]

​@@gonebye7109 Did you think I was a Christian before I watched the movie and I watched it and just spontaneously changed my mind and never thought about it again? The comment was a joke referring to how it was a discussion opener for me and my sister which led her to become an agnostic. I started doubting Christianity when I saw a brain at 12-13 which led me to learn about cognitive bias which led me to learn about fallacies which led me to learn about how children believed whatever their families told them which led me to read books from both sides and study every day for years and most importantly actually read the bible front to back. It's not like I saw a brain and was like "yep, not a Christian anymore, that's all I need to know". (Btw the fact that you haven't read the bible isn't surprising, it's a fan of child sacrifice and slavery and genocide and misogyny etc.). Also, no one decides to be gay. I'm pickin up some homophobe vibes, which isn't surprising lol.

[@AlbinoCrow]

I remember watching this when I was in HS and studying in a Christian school for years. After I watched the film I followed the ending and messaged a bunch of people in my contacts that "God is not dead." Now I am an atheist for 7 years and gay. Hahahahahah!

[@emilyalucard]

When you said I wonder what God's GPA is I almost dropped my phone and laughter did not expect that question

[@eckmann88]

Nietzsche: “Our society has abandoned religious morality, and whether it is factually true or not, we are in a great crisis of needing to determine a structure of meaning in the world for ourselves.” Professor Philosophy Man: “Sky man no exist because smart man say so.”

[@darlalathan6143]

A lot of people misunderstand Nietzsche, partly because his Nazi sister rewrote his books after he got schizophrenia.

[@XarXXon]

There's no such thing as religious morality. Following orders from a ancient text has nothing to do with morality.

[@oscarchavezavellan2738]

@@XarXXon The point is Nietzsche NEVER intended to deny the existence of god and the fact that the writers tried to make it look that way just shows how ignorant they are about philosophy

[@AlexanderGieg]

@@XarXXon There is a thing like religious morality, but not for the reasons religious people think. It comes from natural selection. Societies and cultures live in competition with each other, and their success or failure, in strict evolutionary terms, comes from how much they help or hinder its members surviving and spreading their genes. Now, look at Judaism and consider: its set of "divinely mandated" orders has helped, and continues to help, Jewish genetic lines to survive and spread for 3,000+ years even in face of recurrent ethnic persecuting. Hence, it makes _a lot_ of sense for Jewish people to continue following them. They're extremely effective at the _only_ metric that truly matters on the long term, the same being valid of all other successful religious moral codes. Does this mean non-religious moralities cannot be as successful? Not at all, nothing prevents it. But nothing guarantees they're going to be successful either. Non-religious moralities are all very new in historical terms, most have less than 200 years, so the question of their long term evolutionary effectiveness is open. In a few millennia we'll have enough data to know one way or the other. Meanwhile, if one wanted, for whatever reason, to chose the optimal set of morals so as to have the highest centuries-long continuation likelihood for their extended family's genetic line, then a historically very successful religious morality is the rational choice _irrespective of_ its metaphysical beliefs being true or not. Those moralities have withstood the test of time, so the likelihood of them continuing to do so remains pretty high.

[@XarXXon]

@@AlexanderGieg All religions incorporate "secular" morality and claim it as their own. Most animals, especially mammals have some form of morality, yet none (that we can tell) have religion. Meaning morality predates religion and doesn't require it.

[@nadiacalembe1546]

I mean even in my high school philosophy classes we would discuss God, philosophy, and its relation to theology. I remember at the time I was the only atheist in the class, and we had this whole discussion about why we each believed the things we did and how we could prove it. It was very interesting, especially because I was the only atheist, also the only foreigner, and the only black student. I think that the environment that my teacher created in which we could discuss our beliefs so freely and without judgment, he even said he expected more atheists, really created in me a lasting love for philosophy and respect for people's beliefs.

[@bryantuttle8894]

May God bless you with wisdom and understanding that He loves you in Jesus name amen

[@jaredgreathouse3672]

I'm 24 now. For 2 years in high school, as an IB student, I took courses in Theory of Knowledge. We discussed PLENTY of shit like this. I'm certain I was the only open atheist in my class. I had a teacher, cool guy, named Mr. Noonan. He's.... Presbyterian, if I recall correctly. But if you were in class, you pretty much would never know it. He let us take the reigns and handle the discussion amongst ourselves, assuming we did the readings, that is. I'm not a fan of religion. At their core, I think religion is pretty stupid, actually. But I didn't come to that conclusion by irrational, personal beliefs, I came to it as an empiricism. Movies like this don't suck because its politics suck, movies like this suck because the creators are obviously so far up their own ass it's beyond being funny.

[@rembrandt972ify]

@@jaredgreathouse3672 I disagree. I never studied anything like the Theory of the Big Know-Knows, yet the reason this movie blows goats has nothing to do with the fact that the creators are obviously so far up their own ass. The reason this movie is so ridiculously stupid is because the creators pandered to a target audience with the mental agility of a roofing tile. The secret of wealth and power in the post-millennial U.S. appears to be sowing hatred and distrust of any out-group you can find. This was a low-budget means of targeting the gullible with an over 2000% return on the investment. If that leads to more distrust in our society, who cares? You should never trust the out-group, if they weren't evil, they'd be in the in-group. I'm probably wrong about this, I'm just an idiot who likes to voice my opinion.

[@jaredgreathouse3672]

@@rembrandt972ify I mean I agree with you, but how is being far up their ass very much different from pandering to an audience with a room temp IQ? I mean I guess they can be mutually exclusive, but I imagine they often go together

[@mkjirak]

I actually did my final project on A Brief History of Time by parsing it through a philosophical lens rather than scientific. I probably didn't do it very well, but I learned a lot about how I think.

[@kellybrown849]

I love how I got an ad for the most recent “God’s Not Dead” movie on this video

[@lynchwurzel9691]

“How can you hate someone that doesn’t exist?" *DIES OF CRINGE*

[@natthasiriboon8145]

Well, I hate Umbridge from Harry Potter. And I know full well she doesn't exist.

[@hepty3179]

@Sergio Marc I stopped watching the first season,so I just pretend everyone of them is just stuck in Aincrad.

[@andreaolivas8516]

HAHAHA my mom still thinks this is a whole ass clever argument to prove that God exists 🥴

[@vasyajx]

How can you cringe at something that doesn't exist

[@onijester56]

@@hepty3179 You must have stopped watching REAL EARLY into the series, since the first season had a solid 90% of the people who lived escape Aincrad at a little past the halfway point. (Being technical, they did escape Aincrad...however, the 10% that did not return to their bodies were funneled into a tangential game-world, Alfheim, which uses the same seed and was developed by the co-designer of Aincrad). Also, that means you miss the awesomeness of "Gun Gale Online" (read: first half of Season 2), or Asuna's actually-treated-like-a-real-person role in the "Mothers Rosario" side-story (part of the latter half of Season 2).

[@devinosland359]

I can't get over the fact that atheists can pretty much always make more compelling arguments for god than Christians can really ever muster

[@kneesnap1041]

It's because you athiesm is usually grounded in philosophy. Religion isn't about finding what's true or pushing the limits of reason, philosophy is. Religion is really about community, and easy explanations of the world. Religious people generally don't care about being right, they know they are. (Incorrectly) Basically, it's because philosophy is about exploring logic and reality, it will give better possibilities than people who just believe.

[@wayfa13]

imo it's cuz non-hereditary atheists generally are people that questioned and explored their beliefs previously as believers, why they believed them and/or read all the lore books. So they are generally more well read than the people who just take at face value what the preacher tells them to believe and the like.

[@jayaom4946]

Narcissists don't suddenly confess personal stories and feelings when someone (who is like an enemy) suddenly asks "what happened to you?". The narcissist would likely just assume you were saying something is wrong with them and insist "nothing happened to me!" Josh does what the narc would be afraid of, he uses that personal information against him in front of all his students. 🙄

[@brianharper1611]

I haven't seen the movie, but narcissism is a spectrum with the most extreme being narcissistic personality disorder. So saying there are no narcissistic people who would do what the professor does isn't necessarily true, just perhaps not generally true.

[@Mythodiir]

My grandson had an Atheist professor in collage. He tried to convert grandson to Atheism by the sword, but grandson prayed to G-dawg and G-dawg sent down a beam of light and it hit the big mean Atheist in the middle of the forehead and he disintigrated to trillions of micro-particulates of dust. At home we make our own philosophy, that's healthier and with better flavours.

[@myroc1]

I don't mean to judge those who didn't go to college, but whoever wrote this didn't ever attend one. Not just because of the bad writing, but how they think college works.

[@idmann17]

Lol...

[@richardarriaga6271]

Some people go to very conservative Christian colleges or base their whole idea of college on a few anecdotes or TurningPoint USA articles. They don't study philosophy in depth or let their biases get in the way of actually discussing God

[@mboettcher349]

The fictional victim mentality of American Evangelicalism on full display. So glad my dad, who was both a scientist and a pastor, didn’t raise me to be this intellectually lazy.

[@Aikman94]

I'm so happy to know that Christians disagree with this movie because it is so absurd. As an agnostic, I simply cannot believe the ridiculous claims made but sure intelligent religious people do recognize this nonsense.

[@scoopishere7881]

I love how they frame the "How can you hate someone who doesn't exist?" line as the mic drop of the movie. God doesn't exist but you can still hate the concept because of how it has fucked up humanity beyond repair.

[@kcbondurant7959]

omg I enjoyed this. Especially the end. "In philosophical terms this is what we call... 'what the (bleep)?' ". Awesome stuff.

[@matthewoehler2472]

Seriously, I clicked into this and got my first Pureflix ad. ever, let's hope it doesn't keep

[@sw0rdf1sh2326]

Same, then an ad for Epoch Times pushing a "Corona was a Chinese Communist Party inside job" theory

[@e.lycopersicon9720]

Install an ad-blocker and throw some cheddar at your favorite content creators.

[@devonmurden4724]

Do they all star the same guy? Lol I just got a pureflix ad too for a completely different movie but the star was still the professor

[@Goodbrew84]

I hear Hell is just a room where the only thing you have to do is watch Pureflix.

[@hernans901]

Mine closed with a PragerU ad.

[@randomgirl01300]

I watched this movie as a Christian kid and I loved it. I tried to rewatch it as an Atheist adult, and let me tell you... This movie was written by someone who never took a philosophy course in college.

[@wayfa13]

that's why they indoctrinate them young; well, that's how they got me. and the eternal fire n brimstone shit was pretty fkn scary as a 5 year old ngl. I'd be lying if I said I've made a full recovery 30 years later. emotional damage x'D

[@lifeontheledgerlines8394]

@@wayfa13 sorry if it isn't, but was "emotional damage" a Steven He reference?

[@nox6687]

@@lifeontheledgerlines8394 ye

[@Sarah-re7cg]

never took a philosophy or literally any college course*

[@jady_vanity4015]

And you forgot that the director of this film as either never met an atheist or he has but never listened to why they don’t believe and just said to them that they know better than them on why they don’t believe

[@JadeyCatgirl99]

What I find interesting is that although Josh did not really argue philosophy, he did do a great job of speaking to his audience. Perhaps his whole plan was to win by making the professor look bad

[@ejonp]

The entire PureFlix catalog could be titled "Straw Man: The Movie, parts 1 through 99".

[@thesquirrelisking]

Pureflix: I like my men like I like my hay bails. Made of straw.

[@an8strengthkobold360]

Thankyou for this quote.

[@RoseEyed]

You are a gift to mankind, Squirrel

[@Hel1mutt]

beautiful

[@b2gills]

This made me laugh so much that I have a tear in my eye. (To be fair it is 3am.)

[@preachez]

As some one who double majored in philosophy and religion and watched this when I was a kid at summer camp ... I always hated this movie

[@johnlewis8934]

Ok but why ? Please explain

[@preachez]

@@johnlewis8934 the film creators are not educated in neither philosophy or theology. The false dichotomy established between the two schools is largely nonexistent. The creators could’ve easily used philosophers that were also theologians to argue but instead relies on logical fallacies throughout the movie

[@jackbarman7063]

I was a secular studies and philosophy double major. There is so much wrong with this movie with regard to philosophy alone. It seems like the creators never went to a philosophy class or any college class for that matter.

[@b2gills]

They also don't know what an atheist is. Considering their main atheist character isn't an atheist. He hates God for taking away his mother. He therefore believes in God. The one defining characteristic of an atheist is that they don't believe in any gods. He therefore was not an atheist.

[@cellblocknine5385]

Why did you feel the need to list your credentials?

[@TheMessiahofGamesMJDevilDog]

I can't believe I got an ad for the new Gods Not Dead movie while watching this.

[@theeightbithero]

I wish there was a how it should have ended for this film where Josh just writes in his paper, “your mom is dead.”

[@theskeptic7713]

As an Atheist, When I watched this for the first time. I jumped off a cliff in mind and died a thousand time.

[@DJSpacePug]

Bruh, if you died 1000 times, that means that you reincarnated 999 times, proving a) both Prof. Dingus Nut and Josh Weebsus are dumb frick-McNuggets b) Atheism and Christianity are false, Buddhism is true mayhaps c) you can now play as LUIGI. Luigi’s Not Dead: The Movie

[@amys6987]

@@DJSpacePug now this is a mantra I can get behind 👏🏻

[@PA-1000]

@bible Reader u didn't spell jesus right.

[@Itz_BombasticFrebaEye]

@bible Reader How?

[@chedertarrance1127]

Same.

[@zombei_kid]

I almost 100% promise this story is based on a story that was passed around in churches a lot. The entire brain thing is from that story.

[@digitalbrentable]

Give me the director's cut where Kevin Sorbo is revealed to be Alebert Einstone and gives the student $100% from his deathbed via passenger eagle while everyone claps and sings the nation jingle.

[@michaeljmeyer3]

I am a Christian and watched the movie. I have seen this movie pushed mainly by certain church circuits. As a religion, we Christians suffer a lot from our own groups misgivings. The idea that something is good, accurate, or enjoyable simply because it is "Christian" is a plague we have endured since the corporation of the Christian Church. Or as I call it, the Crony church. I watched this movie with my family, we are all Christian. They were really into it, and I had to critique this to much the same vain. The trick, I tell them, is to remain both right and morally righteous. This movie failed in both. It was simply self righteous. That said, looking past t he cringe moments and such, it was a fine enough movie albeit a little 90s sitcom feeling. The more I talk to Christian peers, the more similar mindedness around the Crony Church I find. Many people attend and appreciate their existence not in their truth, but their experience. Which is just typical of people. I mean, US politics results in bloodshed of innocents and terrible crimes every year, but we a abide it because it makes things more palatable - or so we think. If anything, this movie is a meta-existential rip into the audience and critics as it simply represents the cognitive dissonance people every where seem to feel about something.

[@Cuythulu]

Glenn Beck said him and his daughter walked out of the teather because they found the portrayel of atheists to be offensive. Glenn Beck.

[@Vyvyarth]

So my first year philosophy teacher was a devoute christian...it never came up in the school year! The whole concept of the teacher imposing beliefs on the a class makes no sense. Yes we spoke of some religious stuff but even then i could not tell what my teacher's personal views were 😐