Maybe They Said the "J" Word

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Weblog: Evangelistic Movie Earns PG rating - Christianity Today Magazine

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Facing the Giants is a faith-filled football film, which "resembles a fusion of the Book of Job and a homemade Hoosiers," reports Terry Mattingly. The film is scheduled to open in 380 theaters in September. Alex and Stephen Kendrick, brothers and associate pastors of media at Sherwood Baptist Church in Albany, Georgia, wrote and produced the film, and naturally, they gave it an overt Christian message.

Mattingly writes, "The movie includes waves of answered prayers, a medical miracle, a mysterious silver-haired mystic who delivers a message from God, and a bench-warmer who kicks a 51-yard field goal to win the big game when his handicapped father pulls himself out of a wheelchair and stands under the goal post to inspire his son's faith." It also includes a scene in which the football team's coach tells a player to follow Jesus.

That scene, according to the Motion Picture Association of America, seems to be on par with brief nudity—either of which is enough to turn a G film into a PG one. Facing the Giants, which has no nudity, is too evangelistic for parents to think it is safe for children to watch without parental guidance, says the MPAA. Kris Fuhr, vice president for marketing at Provident Films, said the MPAA told her that "the movie was heavily laden with messages from one religion and that this might offend people from other religions. It's important that they used the word 'proselytizing' when they talked about giving this movie a PG. … It is kind of interesting that faith has joined that list of deadly sins that the MPAA board wants to warn parents to worry about."

It is one of the central tenants of the 522 that unbelievers fear the Gospel. God's word unleashed is frightening, even in a feel-good family film. This is just more proof.