AS I SEE IT: [Spoiler Alert! - I will share things about the film, ''God's Not Dead" that may affect your enjoyment of the movie before you get to see it. You may wait to read my following comments till AFTER you've seen the movie.] I generally enjoyed the movie and would suggest every college student AND teen (Christian or not) to see the movie. It will leave you with more talking points than probably any movie you've seen in awhile. I especially liked 1) the excellent apologetic material presented by the main character in refuting his philosophy professor, 2) the fact that it stresses the need for Christian students to be bold and not back down when their faith is challenged during their college (or high school) years (God led me to confront one professor after class (should have done it during class). I also met many arrogant professors during the years I spoke in college classrooms as a guest speaker so I know the prof characterized in the movie is not that unusual.), 3) the scene toward the movie's end when the prideful businessman speaks to his mother suffering dementia; it gave me chills - excellent, and 4) though rather dramatic, the death of the professor at the end served to make the point that we may never know when we will have our final opportunity to get right with God. My reservations about the movie: 1) the main character became belligerent at the end, and seemed more interested in winning the confrontation that expressing God's truth in love. THAT was definitely the WRONG example to be set for how we should present the gospel. When he discovered the personal pain the prof was experiencing in understanding God, he could have addressed the man's need. 2) the stories of the different characters - while very possible - were rather melodramatic, tending to paint those opposed to God's truth as cold-hearted if not evil, which is not always so clear cut, and 3) though one of the characters does express a desire to trust in Jesus at the end, it overlooks that nothing in the student's presentation itself spoke of Jesus nor our need for salvation. And yet, with all that said, I say again that it is a film worth seeing with others just for the great discussion it should lead to after you stop for some refreshments afterwards. (P.S. - Be sure you don't need to take a bathroom break DURING the movie. You just may miss a great scene you don't want to miss.) - Stan]
Do your college-age kids know that reports of God’s death, to paraphrase Mark Twain, are greatly exaggerated?
April is college acceptance month for many high school seniors. All over the country, students are jumping up and down over acceptance letters, and many, with their minds already turning to next fall, have a strong case of senior-itis. And many parents, tasked with paying for their kids’ education, also have a case of the flutters, both financially and emotionally!
Our kids should be excited over this coming transition into adulthood. “Going to university,” as the Brits say, means learning new things, being on one’s own, facing new adventures (perhaps cooking and doing one’s laundry), and making new friends. But a serious challenge to a young student’s faith might also be just around the corner. This is in the new movie “God’s Not Dead.” The film tells the fictional story of a philosophy professor who requires his students to write “God is dead” on a sheet of paper, sign it, and turn it in. The fun begins when one of his students, who is a Christian, refuses.
This is not just a movie scenario. In real life, unfortunately, too many Christian young people wither under the secular assault they face on our college campuses. But, it’s usually not so in your face as the movie portrays. Most aren’t going to face an overt intellectual attack by a professor—although some will. I’ve met few college students who leave the faith because of such a direct assault.
For most, their faith dies by a thousand little cuts . . . doubts about the Bible’s truthfulness, Christian morality, or about the Bible’s view on sin, sex, marriage, human value, and so on. A well-placed snicker or raised eyebrow is just as devastating as any philosophical argument. And don’t forget the morally compromising hook-up culture that they will face. Too many are sadly ill-prepared.
So how do we prepare them in these last few critical months before packing up the car to not only survive spiritually while in college, but to prosper—to go from being a potential victim to a confident witness? Well, I’m glad you asked!
First, I’d be remiss if I didn’t remind you of Summit Ministries, where I’ve taught for the last dozen years. Summit Ministries offers a two-week summer boot camp in worldview analysis and cultural understanding for young people, and trains them to articulately defend the truth when it’s challenged—even by a college professor. They’ll explore the big cultural questions of our day and learn how to develop a biblical worldview in response.
I also want to tell you, however, about two excellent books. The first is “How to Stay Christian in College,” by J. Budziszewski, who was one of our friend Chuck Colson’s favorite thinkers, and mine too. “How to Stay Christian in College” helps prepare Christian young people to answer the standard “lines” they’ll hear in college with soul-satisfying truth, such as the assertion that to make good choices about sex, you have to experiment. Budziszewski’s book will help them understand that many of the most common lines that they’ll hear will express a false worldview.
The other outstanding book is by my friend Jonathan Morrow, “Welcome to College.” Morrow covers a lot of the practical issues that young people face both inside and outside of the classroom. There’s intellectual heft here, but it’s also very reader-friendly.
Each book is great in its own way. And personally, I recommend that you get both. And you can find them at the BreakPoint online bookstore. They’ll make great gifts for your high school senior or anyone who wants to respond to today’s challenges on campus from a Christian perspective.
And come to BreakPoint.org and click on this commentary. I’ll link you to an excellent review of the movie “God’s not Dead.” And we’ll also give you more info about the Summit Ministries summer conference. Hurry, the sign-up deadline is coming up fast. Our kids are worth it, right? After all, God isn’t dead! And their faith in Him doesn’t have to be either, just because they go to college.
[bold and italics emphasis mine]
FURTHER READING AND INFORMATION
Prepare your high school and college-age students to defend, not lose, their faith. Sign them up for a Summit Ministries conference here. And as John mentioned, you can get copies of "How to Stay Christian in College" and "Welcome to College" at the online bookstore.
RESOURCES
Welcome to College: A Christ-follower’s Guide to the Journey Jonathan Morrow | Kregel Publications | February 2008
''God’s not Dead: Dealing with the Reality on Campus'' - Tom Gilson | BreakPoint.org | March 19, 2014; http://www.breakpoint.org/features-columns/breakpoint-columns/bp-columns-archive/entry/2/24816
How to Stay Christian in College - J. Budziszewski | NavPress | April 2004
Summit Ministries website - http://www.summit.org/
