April 21, 2010 1:17 PM
Lord, please save us from your followers - free movie downloadoad on
ChristianCinema.com is hosting a premiere online showing of "Lord Save Us From Your Followers." You can watch the movie in full for free today only.
Filmmaker Dan Merchant spent 2 years traveling the country trying to find out why the Gospel of Love is dividing America; why people like Jesus but really dislike Christians:
I'm planning on watching at 3 today - let's discuss afterward.
Comments
This was a powerful movie! I watched the whole thing and was laughing out loud (the nativity and Easter bunny scene) and crying (Katrina and the confession booth). This is were I am right now. I brought a lot of my prideful attitude with me when I became a Christian. As a liberal, pro choice, vegetarian, feminist I knew what was best for everyone and shouted it at the top of my lungs. I brought that with me but just changed my message to the polar opposite. I got so caught up in telling people they were wrong I forgot about THE PEOPLE! Reading the book unChristian (along the same lines as the movie) really opened my eyes to MYSELF instead of worrying and judging everyone around me. I know so many loving wonderful Christians. Like the people under the bridge or in Biloxi. But unbelievers don't want to hear about them. That is frustrating for me but who cares really? I mean, what does it matter what other people think as long as the work is getting done? I'm feeling more and more that religion SHOULD be separate from politics. We should promote justice and equality, which can be a 'conservative' solution (I just went to a Tea Party), in whatever context we can. Bono in this movie was a perfect example of that. He worked very closely with President Bush with issues in Africa even though people in the entertainment industry HATED Bush. Most liberals don't know anything about what Bush did in Africa. They don't care because it doesn't fit in their box. I don't want to fall into that same mindset. Okay I'm done rambling. Thank you so much for posting this movie.
Posted by: Alison | April 21, 2010 4:00 PM
It is about time someone make a documentary like this.
Unless you can set down your ego and admit to being a sinner nobody is going to give a damn about what you think because they will think you are just trying to affirm your own choices by getting others to believe it too.
Posted by: paigeu | April 21, 2010 5:55 PM
Or like Barbara Johnson said, "No one cares how much you know until they know how much you care."
I'm halfway through the film - had to stop to fix dinner. It's fascinating and I plan to finish it when the kids are settled.
Posted by: Barbara | April 21, 2010 6:56 PM
I loved this...also thought it was high time someone made it. I think that although part of the blame lies with us Christians and our pride, part of the blame lies with the secular community who cannot accept that Christians ARE sinners. I feel like you hear a constant chorus about how if a Christian screws up, it's over...the secular person will never trust another Christian again. I also think that although it's our job to live out the Gospel, it's very hard for others to realize that Christianity demands something from its believers. They may not like that there is a higher standard for us; we are not living for ourselves and the here and now.
Anyways, who knows. I think we all have a LONG ways to go, for sure, and again, I'm so glad the movie was made and the points examined.
Posted by: Amanda | April 21, 2010 7:45 PM
I liked the movement and agree with a lot of the commentary, especially the point about how embracing consumerism is the biggest threat to the Christianity, not the culture wars. However, I think the movie downplays the significance of abortion. Unlike some of the other issues the movie addresses (e.g. homosexual marriage, prayer in school, Christian expression in public places) abortion is fundamentally about love, compassion, and justice. No other human beings should be able to decide whether another human lives or dies. Abortion is a great injustice and the command to love the least of these requires us to stand up for the unborn.
That being said, I believe 100% that the Church has an obligation to love the women who have had an abortion and to let them know that Christ died for their sin. And every single pregnancy center I know about has a ministry for woman who have terminated.
Posted by: Michele | April 21, 2010 10:31 PM
Thanks for telling us about this film, Barbara. Excellent piece of work! I was especially moved by the interview with Sister Timothy Mary (for your reader's sake, he's a man in nun's clothing).
I have seen videos of him at different demonstrations, and like he said, he comes across as a weird guy in a nun's suit yelling at people. However, in the interview, he was very well-spoken, articulate and sincere, and I couldn't help but like him. He seemed sorry to have to go through all those shenanigans to try to yell louder than the Christians. I would love to have coffee with him sometime. Under all that provocative make-up he's probably a very handsome, thoughtful, well-educated man who any mother would be proud of.
This film certainly reminded me that everyone needs to SEE Christ in us, before they HEAR Christ's words from us.
Posted by: Marie | April 22, 2010 8:13 AM
Not to be the lone voice of dissent but I found the movie rather troubling. It does a fine job of pointing out how Christians need to do a better job of projecting the love of Christ (which is true and important), however it seemed to largely ignore the fact that Christ also had standards of behavior. He never looked at a sinner and said you are forgiven now go back and live any way you choose. He always admonished them to live up to a better standard. The message of love without presenting the standards of behavior that God has set before us is slanted. It reminded me of over permissive parenting that sets no standards for children (all love and no rules) and ultimately is found to be harmful to children. I think that trying to apply that same approach to Christianity would result in equally harmful results. Now that is not to say that I think Christians should be all rules and no love (that is equally as harmful). I think we need to strive for a balance, love and kindness to all, but that does not mean acceptance and approval of all actions.
Posted by: Diane | April 22, 2010 7:35 PM
While I like this film a lot - because it is a good wake-up call for many Christians who need it - I think it forgets a very important problem.
There are many Christians who really grasp that we are all sinners and that homosexuality is not worse than other sins. We have no trouble loving gay individuals we meet.
The problem is that this is not enough for gay activists. And those of us who deliver cultural/political commentary - no matter how much we care for individual gays - are reviled for stating our opposition to gay marriage, gay adoption, or public school indoctrination or kids as young as 5.
Suggestions that children should be brought up in a home with a mother and a father - even by those who know in their hearts that they are free from hatred - are greeted by charges of hate speech.
The film-maker ignored this problem completely - acting as though this was a one-dimensional problem and that if we Christians could just be more loving and accepting, the problem would be fixed.
The fact is that many of us have been loving, yet because we haven't embraced the gay activist agenda, we are continually bullied and harassed.
The balance between love and the law is always a delicate one. And while I think this film is helpful in some ways, like Diane, I think it ultimately is guilty of what Tripp and I call Sloppy Agape.
I really appreciated and learned form everyone's comments. Love that we could share this experience.
Posted by: barbara | April 25, 2010 9:26 PM
I guess what I struggle with is why do we expect people who aren't Christians to act like Christians? I hear what you're saying Barbara about the balance. I feel like I'm walking a tightrope sometimes. And this REALLY is a struggle for me right now. But shouldn't we just preach the life changing power of the gospel, spoken and acted out in love, and then let the Holy Spirit take over? Just like I can't 'save' someone I can't change them either, right? Help me!!! LOL.
I totally agree about the gay agenda--especially in schools. I have two young children. I think it's ridiculous for 11,12,13 year old kids to be making determinations about their sexuality. It's crazy. I do think the anti-bullying message is important but that it applies to all children not just gay children.
Posted by: Alison | April 26, 2010 9:06 AM
