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Just in case anyone missed it first time around, here's a revised version of my very positive review of the documentary "Lord, Save Us From Your Followers", now playing in limited release:
... I saw an early screening of a really good movie a couple of weeks ago, the documentary Lord, Save Us From Your Followers: Why is the Gospel of Love dividing America? -- a thought-provoking, CIVIL, and ultimately mutually loving and respectful discussion of faith and values among people who believe in various religions and people who call themselves agnostics or atheists.
To some extent, it's focused initially on helping Evangelical Christians (the group with which the film's creator and presenter identifies, and whom he clearly loves dearly) understand how others may see them (the 'Body of Christ' which has become "Frankenjesus", rampaging around the countryside and stomping on the villagers it wants to help, etc.) and remember that acting like Christ (healing the sick, helping the poor, etc.) and loving people through charitable ACTIONS is far more important than raucous, mean-spirited arguments from either the left or the right over 'culture wars' -- a lot of WORDS whose only purpose seems to be to say 'we're right, and you're wrong, so there!'
Any movie made by an intelligent, honest, and very witty Evangelical which lifts up Tony Campolo, Jon Stewart, and Bono as 'prophets' of a more honest and constructive dialogue comes as a delightful and inspiring surprise . . . to me, at least. If you can keep a dry eye -- whatever your beliefs -- while watching the 'confessional' scenes towards the end, then you should probably consult an eye doctor soon, 'cause that can't be healthy.
Pardon my hyperbole, but I left that preview and the discussion with the film-maker afterwards with the feeling that "Lord, Save Us From Your Followers" is the best-made, most moving, inspiring, sad and joyful, humility-producing experience I've had in quite a while (including most of the sermons I've heard and/or preached in the last year or two).
Therefore, I recommend it HIGHLY for Christians (both liberal, snotty, intellectual elitists with a cynical streak a mile wide -- like myself! -- and conservative, judgmental, Fox News-watching 'bible-thumpers' like those the film-maker identifies with), as well as people of other faiths or no faith. It's something you can take your friends to, even if their beliefs and your beliefs (or their politics and your politics) are miles apart. "The Conversation Starts Now" is a good tag-line for this documentary, which opened in theaters 9/25/09 (it'll only be playing on one screen here in my city for the first week, at least, so anyone who wants to see it may have to look for it).
... I saw an early screening of a really good movie a couple of weeks ago, the documentary Lord, Save Us From Your Followers: Why is the Gospel of Love dividing America? -- a thought-provoking, CIVIL, and ultimately mutually loving and respectful discussion of faith and values among people who believe in various religions and people who call themselves agnostics or atheists.
To some extent, it's focused initially on helping Evangelical Christians (the group with which the film's creator and presenter identifies, and whom he clearly loves dearly) understand how others may see them (the 'Body of Christ' which has become "Frankenjesus", rampaging around the countryside and stomping on the villagers it wants to help, etc.) and remember that acting like Christ (healing the sick, helping the poor, etc.) and loving people through charitable ACTIONS is far more important than raucous, mean-spirited arguments from either the left or the right over 'culture wars' -- a lot of WORDS whose only purpose seems to be to say 'we're right, and you're wrong, so there!'
Any movie made by an intelligent, honest, and very witty Evangelical which lifts up Tony Campolo, Jon Stewart, and Bono as 'prophets' of a more honest and constructive dialogue comes as a delightful and inspiring surprise . . . to me, at least. If you can keep a dry eye -- whatever your beliefs -- while watching the 'confessional' scenes towards the end, then you should probably consult an eye doctor soon, 'cause that can't be healthy.
Pardon my hyperbole, but I left that preview and the discussion with the film-maker afterwards with the feeling that "Lord, Save Us From Your Followers" is the best-made, most moving, inspiring, sad and joyful, humility-producing experience I've had in quite a while (including most of the sermons I've heard and/or preached in the last year or two).
Therefore, I recommend it HIGHLY for Christians (both liberal, snotty, intellectual elitists with a cynical streak a mile wide -- like myself! -- and conservative, judgmental, Fox News-watching 'bible-thumpers' like those the film-maker identifies with), as well as people of other faiths or no faith. It's something you can take your friends to, even if their beliefs and your beliefs (or their politics and your politics) are miles apart. "The Conversation Starts Now" is a good tag-line for this documentary, which opened in theaters 9/25/09 (it'll only be playing on one screen here in my city for the first week, at least, so anyone who wants to see it may have to look for it).
(no subject)