So.....why would I want my faith challenged all of time? Or am I to pretend for the sake of your column, that I don't live in a culture that isn't shy about doing so?
Maybe I just once, want to go to a major motion picture that supports my faith.
Is there something wrong in that?

"and it seems that in an effort not to offend those people, we got a movie that will appeal only to them... maybe."

Ah, indeed. How silly that someone would make a movie so as not to offend them... those ignorant bigots that already have a million and one movies respecting their beliefs...

"Slavishly reverent, it is accidentally hilarious in its earnestness -- "

Yes, you were laughing out loud, having a rollicking good time.

"and in its sincere attempts at a touch of humor; it will please believers who don’t want their faith tested in the least, who don’t want to entertain any ideas that might undermine what they accept as true, even if the questioning eventually only strengthened their beliefs."

Once again, MaryAnn Johanson reminds us that the purpose of a movie is to undermine one's beliefs*. What a great cause, MaryAnn! May Hollywood be ashamed for not producing more movies that attack Christianity.

*Namely Christian beliefs.

Ditto what Keith and Kirk said.

MarryAnn, you use the most outrageous premise for critiquing a movie. Because it doesn't twist and distort the facts it must not be good? If I wanted to see a movie that insulted my faith, I would watch Dogma.

I didn't even read the review. I just saw the red light, and gleefully scrolled down for the inevitable christian whine-fest. Which reminds me, I should check the comments to your Passion of Mel Gibson review. They should be good for a laugh too.

I love it when people get defensive over someone's opinion of a movie. I love it even more when they use the word "fact" in association with anything to do with the bible or religion, and fail to see the irony.

I wonder, Claudia, if any of these other commenters have even seen the film. Preaching to the choir can make a movie tedious, if that's *all* a movie does, even if you're in the choir and are sympathetic to the preaching.

I also wonder why a devout Christian would come to an avowed, public atheist for an opinion on a movie like this one. I am not the audience for this film -- what do they expect me to say?

Exactly. Doesn't the quote on your homepage say that you are "biast?" lol. When it comes to religion or lack of it, everyone is biased, so going to an athiest to hear her sing the praises of a Christian film is like going to a Red Sox fan to hear him sing the praises of the Yankees.

Well, although you caustic comments about Christianity would lead one to believe that nothing that this movie did would meet your approval, I do have to say that this movie was horrible.

My husband and I hated it. It had possibilities, but it was grossly inaccuarate, incomplete, choppy, morose, and boring.

The cast of characters was rather like having Mercedes and only driving it up and down the 10 ft driveway- never more.

I think it was the only time in my life that I ever felt like I did not care about Mary, Joseph, the baby or anything- I just wanted to get away from this morose story. Anyone with clinical depression should stay away. :D

I WANTED to like this movie, but wow, did it turn me off. It COULD have been a good movie, but wasn't.

If I wanted to see a movie that insulted my faith, I would watch Dogma.

Far as I can see, *Dogma* is one of the more profoundly Christian movies I've ever seen. My review:

http://www.flickfilosopher.com/blog/1999/11/dogma_review.html

Maybe I just once, want to go to a major motion picture that supports my faith. Is there something wrong in that?

I didn't say there was anything wrong with that. But it makes for a movie that will appeal ONLY to people who want their faith supported. Which means it's not going to appeal to people like me, and people who read my reviews for guidance on moviegoing because they're of a like mind to me. Get it?

I love it when people get defensive over someone's opinion of a movie. I love it even more when they use the word "fact" in association with anything to do with the bible or religion, and fail to see the irony.

I could care less about seeing the film. Its the ridiculous reasoning behind MaryAnn's arguments that should bother everything---Christian or not.

"Facts" are unjustifiable apart from an eternal, omniscient, revealed god, which is why so many atheists are universal skeptics*. So it looks like the irony is on you. :)

*read: fools

I also wonder why a devout Christian would come to an avowed, public atheist for an opinion on a movie like this one. I am not the audience for this film -- what do they expect me to say?

You could admit upfront that you hate biblical Christianity, instead of hiding behind hypocritical nonsense like, "Movies should always test our beliefs. And by beliefs, I mean Christian beliefs."

Sorry, but can you point to where I said or implied that "movies should always test our beliefs"?

Also, could you point to where I said or implied that I "hate biblical Christianity"? And also, could you explain what nonbiblical Christianity would be, so I can figure out if I hate that, too?

"Facts" are unjustifiable apart from an eternal, omniscient, revealed god,

Um, what?

Wow, MaryAnn, did some Christian site link to you?

Facts are unjustifiable without God. That, you see, is why sciency folks think religious folks are looney. 1 + 1 = 2 is only true because there is God! And if God decided to change it, then 1 +1 = 3. I guess we're just lucky that he approves of gravity.

If you don't hate biblical Christianity, what do you think of it? The Bible claims to be absolutely true and that it alone provides the correct worldview. The Bible says that you are a sinner and will be judged by a holy God. This is very offensive, no?

it will please believers who don’t want their faith tested in the least, who don’t want to entertain any ideas that might undermine what they accept as true, even if the questioning eventually only strengthened their beliefs.

From this one can infer that having one's beliefs tested is a good thing. But this would also include your beliefs. Yet wouldn't a movie about God coming to earth as a man test your beliefs? After all, you are a naturalist. So you've condemned the movie for not testing the beliefs of some, even you should recognize that it does test the beliefs of others! But in that case, what are you complaining about? You're complaining as though the testing of beliefs is only applicable to Christians, thus my charge of hypocrisy.

Oh my, Magess... the irony is so vicious!

Mathematics is unjustifiable apart from God. Mathematics presupposes order and immaterial concepts---neither of which can be justified in a naturalistic universe.

For example, have you ever seen a number? Have you ever experienced a number? No. Numbers only exist in minds. Sure, quantities of things do exist, but the concept of "numbers" is abstract and immaterial.

Problem: According to naturalism, everything is material. So my question is, where are the numbers? Have you observed and tested them with the scientific method? If not, how do you know they exist?

Science itself presupposes God. Science presupposes induction, which presupposes the uniformity of nature. All natural laws presuppose the uniformity of nature, actually. But how do naturalists justify the uniformity of nature? "Because every time I experience nature it is uniform." Problem: this is an inductive argument, and the naturalist is trying to justify induction. Thus the naturalist is only begging the question---"I know it's true 'cause it is!" But that's no justification! However, I know that nature is uniform because God has promised that He will sustain and uphold nature in a uniform fashion.

These same types of transcendental arguments can be performed with regard to logic, memory, truth, morality, etc. In short, without God there is no knowledge.

I hope that makes sense!

It doesn't make sense. It's loony.

I can justify knowledge and intelligibility and you can't, and yet I'm the loony one.

Indeed...

You think you've "justified knowledge"? Wow.

Knowledge is justified, true belief. Proverbs 1:7 says that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge. I take this on faith. If I don't, I can't justify knowledge. This can be demonstrated through internally critiquing any other worldview, such as naturalism. Atheism is hands down the easiest worldview to refute, since its self-defeating in more ways than I can even count. (I take it back, postmodernism is probably easier to refute...)

Well, the Book of Bob says that bobism can be explained only through Bob, and I take that on faith. Because if I don't, then I can't justify my bobism.

There's a big difference between conceptual justification and actual justification... sorry. Your conceptual 'bobism' only results in conceptual knowledge. :-/

Still, clever try!

I do think it's a bit of a silly notion that this movie would have to undermine Christian beliefs to be interesting to you, Mary Ann. I already know that Romeo and Juliet die in the end, too; it's the storytelling that matters, challenging or no. I don't believe in Lord of the Rings the same way that a few hideous malformed trollgeeks (including some of my friends, and possibly my girlfriend) do, but I can still love the movies wholeheartedly.

Suffice it to say, "The Nativity Story" doesn't work in the same way that "Lord of the Rings" does, but asking this movie to challenge beliefs is silly. I wanted a religious version of "E.T." or something with this one, and I didn't get it.

I do think it's a bit of a silly notion that this movie would have to undermine Christian beliefs to be interesting to you, Mary Ann

You're right: that is a silly notion. Good thing I didn't say that.

Are you suggesting that there are people who "believe" in *The Lord of the Rings* the way that people "believe" in the Bible? Cuz there simply is no comparison.

Have you ever read, Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal? It does a much better job at postulating a "What If?" scenerio that's enjoyable even to a non-Christian like me.

Haven't read it. I like Monty Python's *Life of Brian* for an entertaining Christ-era what-if.