"If you were to meet ten average Americans on the street, nine of them would say they believe in God. So why is the Gospel of Love dividing America?"
The simple EASY answer: Not everyone believes in the same God.
Ok, I have to post this disclaimer: I have NOT seen the movie yet. It's only playing in one theatre, so I have a reasonable excuse, though I do hope to correct that today. I have seen nearly every clip that is available on the internet, and I'm assuming that those little vignettes are sufficient to give me an ideological centerline to the movie. I have read MOST of the book. I'm thinking that the book and the movie are parallel in their ideology. I could be wrong, but I seriously doubt that. If anything, the book is usually MORE comprehensive in its presentation.
I jumped into the fray initially out of concern for the title. The title speaks from an anti-Christian perspective "Lord, save US from YOUR followers." It doesn't matter that Merchant could mount a counter argument to my claim, because it is sufficient that many non-believers are quickly, and easily identifying with such a title.
Let us not be fooled into believing that Dan Merchant, et al, did not carefully consider the title. The title is the first thing that you will most likely consider. If you see a poster for the book/movie, you will see a giant Jesus holding the sign of the same title, superimposed, and centered, upon an outline of the United States. The imagery is clear, Jesus is dividing America - or, according to Merchant, His followers are dividing America. But even Jesus said that His ideas, when implemented in a believer's life, would divide between himself and others who rejected Christ.
To me, the question naturally comes, "Why is it that a Christian would advance such concepts TO THE WORLD COURT OF OPINION?" After all, isn't the Bible explicit in its commands against that very thing? Here's what the Bible says about Christ's followers airing their dirty laundry before the world:
When one of you has a complaint against another, do you take your complaint to a court of sinners? Or do you take it to God's people? Don't you know that God's people will judge the world? And if you are going to judge the world, can't you settle small problems? Don't you know that we will judge angels? And if that is so, we can surely judge everyday matters. Why do you take everyday complaints to judges who are not respected by the church? I say this to your shame. Aren't any of you wise enough to act as a judge between one follower and another? Why should one of you take another to be tried by unbelievers? (1 Corinthians 6:1-6)
Now, the context is taking a matter between two Christians to a worldly court/legal system. How is this any different than Merchant's movie being offered to the world as a means of convincing Christians that we ought to do what the world believes? The world judges by A DIFFERENT STANDARD than us. Their opinions on a subject rarely coincide with God's opinion on that same subject. And that is why Paul admonished Christians to settle matters amongst ourselves.
Going to the world not only opens up Christians to mockery, but Christ as well. I don't want to be guilty of that!
