Aside from a random atheist on the street who is ganged up on and screamed at, this man faces no criticism at all regarding his methods and beliefs.
Sure I can see he's a raving lunatic, but those too young or too naive will have no such way to process what they're hearing from him.
I agree. Criticism should have came from other Christians, psychologists, therapists, non-believers, etc.
Terrible.
I finally got to see this whole movie (I had seen the ending before). It is surprising to me how generally positive the film is about Justin. Usually these types of documentaries go overboard on the "look how crazy and evil these Christians are" view.
One interesting thing was that he was Catholic. Usually you expect to see that kind of zeal from a Pentacostal or charismatic background. I actually think it's a good thing to show that Catholics can be passionate about their faith as well as Protestants.
Overall, I like Justin and what he is doing, although honestly he would probably get on my nerves real quick if I was around him. He seems to have some ADD in him, he's so hyper. But it's cool that God uses that.
I don't agree with all the methods. The mock crucifiction scenes he put on came across as a little too S&M to me. I half expected him to get in trouble by having some white kid pretend whipping a black kid. And I'm not so sure about the value of the "fat girl" comments. But Justin did say his way of doing things wasn't perfect, and invited those who didn't like what he was doing to do it better. Extreme love indeed. So while I'm sure there were a lot of kids who just thought he was weird, clearly he is having his share of successes. People are often converted to Christianity through a strong emotional experience, and that appears to be what Justin is providing.
It's definitely not perfect. Try being the fat girl, in Vermont that was my job. I went with him and my friends to Vermont and spoke at the high schools, and I worked at his ministry in Syracuse. Sure he's had his share of successes, but he has issues with following through with the kids. It's a big reason his ministry in Syracuse is failing now.
shareWhat I find disturbing is the labeling of this film as a "documentary." It is not. I am not even talking about the subject matter. A documentary film is supposed to be a factual chronicle of something - an event, a person.
This film is lopsided, a loving view of Justin Fatica (remember please, people, these posts are opinions). This film was created as a "donation tool" for Hard as Nails. I like documentaries and enjoy learning about a subject and making MY decision about the event or person. This film was NOT a documentary. I'm not sure why Hard as Nails received national release. Justin Fatica and the film, Hard as Nails, my personal feelings placed aside for this post only, should have stayed within the Catholic Church where they belonged.
Okay, okay...SHAME on Justin Fatica for taking advantage of vulnerable, young, scared teenagers. I see no "Christian" behavior in how he conducts himself or how he treats others. As for the Catholic Church? I am not surprised. After losing hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of churchgoers over the past twenty years, they are trying evangelism. Why not? Another Inquisition can't be far behind.
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