The God Who Wasn't There

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Movie
Original title The God Who Wasn't There
Country of production United States
original language English
Publishing year 2005
length 62 minutes
Rod
Director Brian Flemming
script Brian Flemming
production Brian Flemming,
Amanda Jackson
occupation

The god who was not there (English for The God did not exist ) is an American documentary by Brian Flemming from the year 2005. The film focuses on the historicity of Jesus of Nazareth in question represents a Jesus myth theory , criticizes Christian fundamentalism and the core beliefs of Christianity.

content

introduction

The film begins by pointing out that Christians used to think that the sun revolved around the earth, an idea that has only recently ceased to be the dominant opinion. Interviews with friendly and positive Christians are contrasted with other Christians: Dena Schlosser, a murderer who believed God would ask her to cut off her baby's arms, which she did, the murderer Charles Manson , the hate preacher Pat Robertson , Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins , writer of the Left Behind series and the victims of the Branch Davidians tragedy of Waco .

Hypothesis of the Jesus myth

The focus of the film centers on the question of whether Jesus of Nazareth really lived. Flemming and his interviewees come up with a number of arguments against it, including:

  • The history of Christianity, especially the teaching of the early Christians, suggests that Jesus was a mythical character; historical details were added later.
  • It can be proven that Mark wrote the stories of the life of Jesus only around 40 years after Jesus' death, and all subsequent evangelists have referred to Mark.
  • The Pauline letters that were written before the Gospels show Paul as someone who only met Jesus in a vision. Paul only mentions the crucifixion , the resurrection of Jesus . Paul doesn't mention Bethlehem , Mary , Joseph , John the Baptist , Pontius Pilate or the entry into Jerusalem at all.
  • Christianity shares the story of death - resurrection - ascension with earlier mythologies and religions. Examples are: Baal , Osiris , Attis , Adonis and Tammuz . Already Justin Martyr had the similarity of Dionysus pointed myth with the story of Jesus. However, it was Satan's fault. The other mythical figures have in common: mixture of God and man, father is God, mother was a virgin, killed and resurrected.
  • Christians would have used other myths in the stories. The story of the child murder in Bethlehem is borrowed from an almost identical story from the Exodus .

Further criticism of Christianity

In addition to defending the Jesus myth hypothesis, the film criticizes several other aspects of Christianity:

  • Flemming argues that moderate Christianity is even more pointless than a fundamentalist interpretation of Christian doctrine. He quotes passages from the Bible that would actually make it impossible for a Christian to be tolerant of non-Christians. He quotes the Bible passage Luke 19,27 LUT ( But these my enemies, who did not want me to become their king, bring them here and cut them down before me. ).
  • Flemming sees God's demand that people believe in him or be damned as an essential foundation of mind control. He points to Mark 3:29 LUT ( ... but whoever blasphemes the Holy Spirit has no forever forgiveness, but is guilty of everlasting sin ) and the sin against the Holy Spirit . Jesus can forgive murder, theft and other sins, but never the sin of unbelief.
  • Because Jesus knows people's innermost thoughts, it is particularly problematic for the Christian to think about things that could cause doubt. For this reason, thinking is something that the fundamentalist Christian must avoid.
  • Flemming claims that Christians have not only been obsessed with blood sacrifice in the past. He illustrates this view with the reference to the immense success of the film The Passion of the Christ (2004) by Mel Gibson - a single orgy of violence.
  • The filmmakers refer to poll results that show that 44% of Americans believe (with varying degrees of intensity) that Jesus will come back to earth in their lives . This kind of thinking is not conducive to sensible long-term US government policy.

additional

The film shows and quotes sayings and demands of American Christian fundamentalists:

  • Pat Robertson, who ordered the US State Department to be blown up;
  • James Robison, who incited against liberals, communists and homosexuals ;
  • Dean Wycoff of the Moral Majority Movement , who called for homosexuals to be executed;
  • Railey Smith, who claimed that God would not hear prayers from Jews.
  • Jerry Falwell

Interviews and comments

The following people have their say in the film:

The DVD contains interviews with the following people:

The Christians interviewed for the film attended the Billy Graham Crusades at Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena , California on November 18, 2004.

Blasphemy Challenge

In December 2006, the atheist organization Rational Response Squad announced that it would be distributing free DVDs of The God Who Wasn't There to participants in the Blasphemy Challenge .

criticism

The commentary in the New York Times mentions that the film starts at the foundations of Christianity like no other film before.

See also

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Brian Flemming . The God Who Wasn't There  [ DVD ]. Beyond Belief Media.
  2. ^ Advisory Board , Secular Student Alliance, April 15, 2010.
  3. ↑ Christ is the Lord , The Raving Theist , December 22, 2008.
  4. ^ The Blasphemy Challenge Official Website February 18, 2007
  5. ^ The God Who Wasn't There (2005). Review summary. The New York Times, accessed July 27, 2014 (American English): “From the ignorance of many contemporary Christians as to the origin of their religion to the striking similarities between Jesus Christ and the deities worshiped by ancient pagan cults and the Christian obsession with blood and violence, this faith-shaking documentary explores the many mysteries of the Christian faith as never before. "