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Fernandez suggests that the movie was too religious for audiences: "Some feel that the version of the screenplay that was green-lighted had much of its funny bulldozed by Shadyac's effort to frontload the religious message. What was amusing about 'Bruce [Almighty]' was the way it illustrated what a human being would actually do with godly power — namely, abuse it. But the remote-orgasm and punishing-your-enemies wish fulfillment of 'Bruce' became an eye-glazing Sunday school sermon about submitting to God's will in 'Evan' — a sermon many moviegoers were happy to miss."

Maybe. But Weblog noticed a trend among some of the kinds of viewers Universal was trying to reach with the film: conservative Christians. See, for example, Tim Challies' blog post, where he says the film "necessarily project[s] a false image of God, a false understanding of Him" or CBN's repeated defenses of the film against the anger of its readers. James Dobson called it "bad theology and a radical distortion of Scripture."

While Jay Fernandez says the movie bombed because of a disconnect with the "film faithful," it may be a disconnect with the other kind of "faithful viewer" that really hurt.

5. Should police avoid arrests during church services?
On Sunday in Springfield, Illinois, Robert Collins reportedly drove away from police officers during a traffic stop and fled to his church, Abundant Faith Christian Center, which was in the middle of services. Police followed him as he ran in, grabbed him, and arrested him.

Pastor Jerry Doss wasn't happy, and told The State Journal-Record, "I often ask myself, would this have happened at one of the [predominantly white] west-side Catholic churches? Would they have just barged in unannounced, without making me aware of anything or any of our leadership aware of anything?"

The debate has continued in the paper for several days.

Quote of the day
"Jesus calls on us to love one another. Size doesn't matter. Being relevant matters."

— Bob Edgar, former director of the National Council of Churches, rejecting concerns about the radical decline of attendance at mainline churches. Is relevance really the highest value?

Index | Romney and Mormonism | Politics | Church & state | British politics | UK floods | Cathedral video game | Anglicanism | Catholicism | Seven Wonders of the World | China and Catholicism | Akinola | Nigeria | Religious rights | Islam | Bossi | Crime & lawsuits | Argentina chaplain war crimes trial | Abuse | Arrest in church | Life ethics | Assisted suicide | Homosexuality | Missions & ministry | Church life | Muslim-Anglican priest | Lufkin crusade | Education | People | Media & entertainment | Science | Other

Romney and Mormonism :

• Romney faces uphill battle for evangelical voters | His Mormon faith raises the fur of some conservative Christians (All Things Considered, NPR)
  
  
• Explaining the underpinnings of Mormonism | An interview with Richard Bushman about the teachings of the church, and the differences and similarities between Mormonism and Christianity (All Things Considered, NPR)
  
  
• Romney: Abortion okay if mother's life in danger | Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney on Tuesday said he would support abortion in cases where a mother's life is in danger (Associated Press)
  
  
• Romney criticized for hotel pornography | Republican presidential contender Mitt Romney, who rails against the "cesspool" of pornography, is being criticized by social conservatives who argue that he should have tried to halt hardcore hotel movie offerings during his near-decade on the Marriott board (Associated Press)
  
  

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July (Web-only) 2007, Vol. 51