God Is Not Dead

As a Christian myself, I found this movie a complete embarrassment. The portrayal of atheists as all having some sort of psychological problem makes everything else irrelevant. There aren't any arguments here, just a decent boy who believes in God being hounded by an idiot professor. Josh (the boy), is never able to make a cogent argument on the points, but you feel so sorry for him, he wins on likability.

There are several lives followed, but the main lives concern a freshman named Josh Wheaton and an arrogant philosophy professor named Prof. Radisson.

Radisson forces everyone in the class to sign a piece of paper stating that "God is Dead" so that the class can "move-on" to the important aspects of philosophy. Of course everyone signs but Josh. He can't sign the sheet in good conscience and thus is asked to prove that God is not dead over the next three lectures. He is belittled by Radisson publicly and often throughout the entire movie.

Josh's life is intertwined with an attractive blonde girlfriend named Kara. She also believes in God, but wants Josh to either drop the philosophy class or to just sign the paper so he can focus on her and the rest of his difficult college schedule. Kara, who at first appears to be a supportive and lovely girlfriend, proves to be self-centered. She demands that Josh drop the class, or drop her. She childishly demands his full attention, arguing that either the relationship comes first or Prof. Radisson—it is Josh's choice. Josh argues that God comes first. Of course she promptly dumps Josh.

So it is clear now that Josh is up against the world. Even his mother coaches him to take things easy by dropping the class to focus on his other studies this first semester. But Josh is a stand up person. He does not shy away from a challenge. He visits a church where a reverend 'Dave' provides some Bible verses to make Josh feel guilty about not taking on the challenge.

Radisson has a girlfriend too. She is a beautiful young former student named Mina. She believes in God, but is so psychologically weak she latches onto Radisson for security, and thus suppresses her belief in God. Radisson regularly bully's and belittles her in private and public. It is clear that Radisson is merely tolerated by his colleagues—no one likes him.

Josh's first lecture focuses on the creation of the universe. Specifically how the universe was, for thousands of years, believed by scientists to be always in existence. But then evidence of a "big bang" was found. Physicist Stephen Weinberg (atheist) and Belgian astronomer George LeMaitre (theist) seem to agree on the beginnings of the universe. LeMaitre says the big bang is consistent with how the Bible portrays creation of the universe when God says ""let there be light." It is unclear how any of this proves, or disproves, God is dead or not dead.

After Josh is done, Radisson belittles Josh again, saying that Stephen Hawking says something else. Radisson makes sure that the class knows that Stephen Hawking is the greatest physicist to ever live, and that unschooled Josh is arguing with the greatest physicist who ever lived.

Hawking is mischaracterized and then used as a defense against divine creation. But the argument does not really matter. What matters is that Hawking makes the argument, thus it must be right. Radisson is clearly a numb-skull philosophy professor using an appeal to authority. Actually, that is all anyone does in this movie.

After the lecture Radisson roughly corners Josh attempting to intimidate him. Radisson's exchange with Josh is very arrogant and mean—as if by a ruffian on the streets of New York.

Josh's second lecture takes on Hawking's mischaracterized statement. Josh finds mathematician and philosopher John Lennox to refute Stephen Hawking. Again, this argument is a mischaracterization, but it does not matter. Josh takes this as a refutation. What matters most is that Lennox and Hawking disagree, and Lennox is no dummy. Professor Dummy, I mean Radisson, then asks Josh arrogantly, if he is arguing with professor Hawking. Of course Josh now responds with a no. He isn't, but Professor Lennox of Mathematics and Philosophy IS! Also, Josh finds Hawking making the following statement "Philosophy is dead." This is gem for Josh. Now he can force Radisson to choose either to dump Hawking all together, or to accept that philosophy is dead.

And so it goes on...

There are other characters in the film too. A Muslim raised girl named Ayisha who gets beat up by her demanding Muslim father. An atheist young woman reporter Amy Ryan facing cancer. Marc Shelly, an arrogant businessman who is dating Amy Ryan, but conveniently dumps her in her time of need. Reverend Jude, who seems to be the only non-wavering Christian. Martin Yip, an atheistic Chinese American who is impressed with Josh and thus wants to believe in God. And Willie Robertson, a caricature of Duck Dynasty's Phil Robertson.

Usually when they make a movie out of an urban legend it is an amusing urban legend. The atheist professor dumbfounded by the brilliant young student (usually Einstein) has been making the rounds on the internet for some time now. It reminds me of the Underpants Gnomes episode of South Park: Step one, steal underpants. Step two, ???? Step three, profits. Same deal with the meek student and arrogant professor. All the variations on the internet are the same, a big hole in their reasoning when it comes to proving the existence of God. Hoped this movie would be different, it wasn't. Hoped it would at least be interesting and well written or acted, oh well. Please don't waste your time. I gave this movie a chance because I thought Kevin Sorbo could make anything funny by going tongue in cheek. The poor man had no chance. A final thought, if you can prove God exists, wouldn't some cleaver philosopher or scientist done so by now, and dispensed with the need for faith? And fortunately the need for this movie.

This film is ridiculous and insults the viewer's intelligence. This "story" has so many mistakes and flaws that I am ashamed of having spent almost 2 hours on it. I had hoped that at least the debates would be interesting, a mistake.

* Absolutely horrible acting: All acting ability in every God Not Dead movies are absolutely horrible. Cannot digest it even if trying to watch it for finding a possitive review * Absolutely useless idealogy and debates: Every characters idealogy and debates in this movies is mockery and dumb and waste of times. Like some questions have answers in itself already, and still take out for an debates * Absolutely waste of money: Instead of making this wasted of times and money movies you should using money to donate to every poor community, Jesus doesn't want this way * This movies destroy actors reputation.

To live up to the religion of George Carlin - oh my Pesci!

This makes me physically ill. This is pure propaganda and should be branded as such. If they produced a documentary on religion it would be different, in that I would gladly listen to the opinions of any of the people in the movie.. This should be illegal! I'm surprised it didn't spur more controversy.

Most baffling of all is that any of the actors were willing to participate in this absolute drivel They must be seriously strapped for cash.. Has to be the worst movie ever made - at least until no. 2 comes out.