God S Not Dead Arguments Essay

Submitted By kappy12
Words: 6699
Pages: 27
Open Document
God’s Not Dead Revisited by Roger Patterson on August 5, 2014

In a vital discussion focused within the church, this book explores the foundational issues around the debate on the age of the earth revealing that the debate has a much more compelling and simple core truth—scriptural authority.
Read online | Buy the book
In a previous review of the movie God’s Not Dead, I claimed that the film used the big bang and biological evolution to support the existence of God. As a film that is explicitly Christian, this is problematic. As a result of the first review, many AiG supporters raised concerns about the critical nature of the article. I do not offer this second article as a defense of my own character, but to offer an example of thinking carefully about the messages we receive today through various forms of media—even if they have some truth in them. We are called to take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5). I pray that this article will reflect a critical mind in testing all things and holding fast what is true without reflecting a critical spirit.
As I stated in the initial review, “As with lots of movies, an astute and mature Christian can use this film as a teaching opportunity by opening up the pages of Scripture with those who have seen it to explain the real origin of suffering in the world as well as the real hope of salvation by repenting of sin and trusting fully in the Creator God—Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is not dead: He is risen and seated at the right hand of the Father. Let us boldly proclaim that He is the Judge of the living and the dead rather than putting ourselves in His rightful place.”
As this article is being posted, the God’s Not Dead DVD is being made available to the public, and promotional kits including sermon outlines, a DVD-based study curriculum, study guides for adults and students, and other promotional resources are being sold to churches. While these resources will surely contain many biblical explanations and encouragements to stand strong in the faith and proclaim the truths of salvation to all, there will likely be elements that are unbiblical and promote various forms of evolutionary ideas as compatible with the Bible.1 This article is intended to help you think critically about those aspects, whether or not you choose to use these resources with the movie.
Receiving Correction
I acknowledge that I could have done one thing better in my initial review: I could have acknowledged the helpful elements of the film in a way that was more approving of those aspects without endorsing the negative aspects. After receiving many negative comments through social media and emails regarding the article, I thought it would be wise to view the movie again to consider the concerns raised by the commenters. Some of those comments fell far outside the prescription of Ephesians 4:29 and several likened me to a pawn of Satan getting people to not watch the movie. After watching the film again with another trusted brother from the ministry and transcribing the sections of the film that dealt with the scientific and moral arguments, I stand by my original review without hesitation and with only one caveat.
THE NAME OF JESUS WAS PROCLAIMED AS THE HOPE OF SALVATION, AND TRUTHS FROM THE BIBLE WERE CLEARLY COMMUNICATED AT SEVERAL POINTS IN THE FILM.
In hindsight, I should have said more positive things about the effect a movie like this can have in encouraging Christians to be bold in sharing and defending their faith. Based on the success of the theater release, this is surely the case with God’s Not Dead. Exhibiting a willingness to challenge the thinking of fellow students and stand up to professors who would try to indoctrinate students rather than teach them to think critically is a commendable, Christ-like trait, and I am sure this movie has had that effect for many. It also admirably demonstrated a willingness to trust Christ and do the God-honoring thing despite the
Show More

Related Documents: God S Not Dead Arguments Essay

Essay on george Berkely Idealism

logical reasoning to get their argument for why it is logical (or necessary) to believe in God's existence heard. Aquinas uses five different examples to explain the reasoning of beliefs. His five examples are: The argument from change, the argument from causation, the argument from contingency, the argument from degrees of excellence, and the final, argument from harmony. Pascal uses the logic of probability. He states that what is the worst that can happen if you believe God exists and he does exist…

Words 1368 - Pages 6

Proof For The Existence Of God

God The mere claim, that there could be “Proof for the Existence of God,” seems to invite ridicule. As far as the ideal, that the Earth might be round. Not always are those who laugh first and think later right. Many well-known scientists now admit that certain discoveries tend to indicate that God rather does exist than not. However, if I picture God as being everywhere, surrounding us like air or awareness then, an understanding of what God is suddenly becomes real. Simply by looking at what…

Words 2330 - Pages 10

Eric: Jesus and Mr. Strauss Essay examples

A Critique of “Why God Became Man” Lehman Strauss authored the article “Why God Became Man”. Mr. Strauss was a professor of Old Testament history for eight years at the Philadelphia Bible Institute, and served as pastor of the Calvary Baptist Church, Bristol, Pennsylvania, and Highland Park Baptist Church. He left the latter church in 1963 to devote full time to an itinerant Bible conference and evangelistic ministry. From the aforementioned article Mr. Strauss seems to be a well-educated man…

Words 703 - Pages 3

Character Motivation In Sophocles 'Antigone'

motivation is often used by the author to emphasize the major flaw the characters embrace. Introduce story and author: In the play Antigone, Sophocles incorporates several different characters who choose between their own reason and emotion. Introduce arguments: This is evidently motivated through the character's natural desire for love, fear and power. Thesis: Sophocles bases the story around characters who struggle to balance reason and emotion, inevitably leading to their determination to self- destruct…

Words 1383 - Pages 6

Huck Finn Satire

Bulrushers…but by and by she let it out that Moses had been dead for a long time; so then I didn’t care no more about him, because I don’t take no stock in dead people.” (p.2) Twain’s use of satire in this section is almost comical because it is so blatantly obvious that it is him speaking through Huck. Twain is refrencing the fact that most religion is lead by ancient and in every case dead people, which means certain religions are following the creeds of a dead man. Another stellar example of satire in the novel…

Words 1006 - Pages 5

The Nature Of The Revelation 20 Millennium

theologians such as Athanasius, Augustine and Edwards have maintained that this period of time is to be seen as symbolic; in effect, symbolizing the entire reign of Christ who is seated at the “right hand” of the Father. However, since the mid 1830‟s, a new Eschatological system has arisen to challenge this view. Dispensational Premillennialism asserts that the “thousand year” millennium is a literal, physical reign of Christ on earth. In doing so, the Dispensationalists depart from the sound tradition…

Words 5079 - Pages 21

Essay on Parallels between Carter and Euripides

by the gods, by me, and every human creature. No one but you raised the knife that butchered your children. No one but you destroyed my life” (Euripides 79). This passage shows the agony Jason is going through when he finds that his children have been murdered by the hand of their own mother. This quote shows that Medea ends up getting everything she wants out of this situation. Jason’s claim that the gods hate her is completely false; the carriage that escorts Medea was sent by the god Helios…

Words 1781 - Pages 8

Positivism Essay

Flaws in the Verification Principal By: Alushe Stafa In 1967, John Passmore, a very well known historian of 20th - century philosophy, made this statement: “Logical positivism is dead, or as dead as a philosophical movement ever becomes” and much like him many other 21st century philosophers century uphold a very similar view. This view has been largely attributed to the vague concept of the positivist verification principle of significance and many other problems this principle generated that eventually…

Words 2197 - Pages 9

Clive Staples Lewis Themes

of all ages for his seven volume series called The Chronicles of Narnia. By looking at The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, one can see that C. S. Lewis included the themes of redemption for mankind,the power of Satan, and the danger of gluttony because he wrote a lot about Christianity and religion; and all of the themes had something to do with God/Christ, sin, and or Satan. Clive Staples Lewis was born on November 29, 1898 in Belfast, Ireland. His parents were Albert James Lewis and Flora Augusta…

Words 1975 - Pages 8

Into The Wild Summary

rakauer starts Into the Wild by informing the readers that McCandless is dead, which takes away from the reader feeling intrigued to read on. Krakauer convinces the readers to read on by not including information about McCandless’s death, interests the readers to keep reading. Krakauer includes people McCandless met and what they had done for him also at the beginning. Krakauer includes an interview with Jim Gallien, a man who drove McCandless to the end of the Denali National Park where he would…

Words 1013 - Pages 5