The radical right has really gone overboard with this one. - Persecuted (2014) Discussion

[–] Enrique-8 10 years ago

This is:

Manipulative and inflammatory garbage explicitly made in order to scare Republicans to hate Democrats even more than they already do - all wrapped up in a pseudo-thriller.

Enrique Sanchez

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[–] smallbiziowa 10 years ago

I agree, but it's doing far worse then that. My spouses Aunt, (a lifetime Democrat is considering voting republicant this year, because she believes in this kind of garbage.

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[–] rufusspeed50 10 years ago

Because Democrats love Republicans.

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[–] moviewarriorpex 10 years ago

No one hates more and tries to censor more (political correctness) than the hard Left. Most of Hollywood and the mainstream Media take shots at the religious right and Christians all in time in their films, etc- all wrapped up in careful worded scripts, jokes and statements.

There are many films that criminalize and/or make fanatical religion. So why is a religious man/faith being the one persecuted in a film so threatening?

Have to understand that according to the bible ... in the end of days governments will turn on religious and those that practice its belief. Just look how the USA was on this topic 10 years ago and look forward to what it will be 10 years from now. Not a hard stretch to believe those in power will find religion as a threat to their method control.

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[–] thormn8 10 years ago

You are engaging in the Persecution Fallacy and you are clearly filled with resentment. You see this as some sort of a game in which you feel entitled to score some points whenever you imagine that you've been offended. Extremely childish.

Incidentally, political correctness means refraining from the use of derogatory language. People like you use it like a cuss word. I think you know better.

Grow up, Christian.

** Well, Hip-Hip-Hooray for your cheap climax! **

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[–] footnotegirl 10 years ago

Let us remember our playground lessons, shall we? When you have had the ball all day, someone else getting to have the class ball for even a short time is not persecution.
Christians are not persecuted in this country. They are the majority of citizens. They are the majority even moreso in public office. Heck, there are 6 states that have laws on the books (completely unconstitutional laws, mind you) restricting atheists from holding public office.
Not getting to have your way all the time is not persecution. You are not being persecuted by not being the state religion. You are not being persecuted by not being allowed to have the government spout your prayers, your holy book, and laws based on your morality.
Persecution would be not being allowed to buy your books. Not being allowed to get the bible in the public library. Not being allowed to worship openly. Not being hired because of your religion.
Christians in this country are so far from being persecuted that it's not even funny. In fact, in the face of children being ripped from the custody of their loving parents simply because those parents AREN'T christian, buddhist students being told by their public school teacher and principal that they should convert, and doctors being murdered? Its a bleeping tragedy.

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[–] kevrhon-1 10 years ago

Wow. Just...wow. Thank you. As a Christian myself, I am so glad you said this. And you made the point so clearly and so well: free of the sort of venom and vitriol that is all too common on the Internet.

I tend to avoid the IMDB forums, as things quickly degenerate into (or begin with) trollish behavior and flaming or flame-baiting. It's nice to read something so strong and yet so eloquent.

I applaud you, madam.

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[–] gymrage6 10 years ago

Well said and sadly true. You should start this as a new topic. Some need to be reminded of the TRUTH!

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[–] rhoop 10 years ago

to:
footnotegirl

You should be on mainstream TV news!!! Twisting the truth, and a lot of accusations with no links to backup your comments! Just like most of the news and movies put out today!
Instead of commenting on the quality of the movie, you and others use this as a chance to bash those you don't agree with.

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[–] footnotegirl 10 years ago

Atheist dad loses custody of kids:
http://www.alternet.org/story/149037/shocking%3A_agnostic_dad_loses_cu stody_of_kids
(I could find you dozens more examples like this, this was just the FIRST link that came up on my search)

Buddhist student being told by public school teacher and principal to convert:
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/01/26/1272634/-Buddhist-student-har rassed-ridiculed-told-to-accept-it-leave-school-or-convert#

Doctors being murdered:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assassination_of_George_Tiller
(Again, I can get more examples than this for you)

*mic drop*

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[–] bizzach34 10 years ago

The movie is godawful.

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[–] ojbrookes 10 years ago

You are a moron.

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[–] kevrhon-1 10 years ago

Well that certainly adds a great deal to the discussion. What a brilliant and insightful comment. Thank you so much for you contribution, and God bless you.

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[–] neliberal 10 years ago

I'm curious...did you read about the Republican, conservative and self-professed Christian mayor of Warren, MI?

He established an area of city hall, in which different Christian faiths are allowed to set up displays or informational booths. Thus far, I'm not aware of any non-Christians who've applied for one, but there was a request by an atheist group to set up a display stand.

He refused to allow it, claiming atheists, by simply not believing in God, engage in hate of Christians and he won't allow any group that hates Christians to use City Hall...despite the fact that these atheists are citizens who paid the taxes that support that City Hall...

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[–] Terrapin2212 9 years ago

There are very few films, however, that criticize radical Islam.

When someone does make on, like Theo Van Gogh, he is killed. That plus the liberalism of Hollywood.

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[–] saspaeth 10 years ago

"to scare Republicans to hate Democrats"
The tactic Democrats have used for 40 years.

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[–] Enrique-8 10 years ago

The tactic Democrats have used for 40 years.

And it is finally turning the tide, it has worked, now we loathe you.

Enrique Sanchez

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[–] saspaeth 10 years ago

Hence the fundamental difference. Bullying vs trying to help people.

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[–] Mr Blue-4 10 years ago

And the bullying is from the right/Republicans, while the left/Democrats are just trying to help people.

Just get that part straight.

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[–] Gobias_Vandelay 10 years ago

Wow. Such ignorance. But hey if the "MSM" said it it must be true.

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[–] 10 years ago

[deleted]

[–] Nice-Guy-Eddie 10 years ago

This is:

Manipulative and inflammatory garbage explicitly made in order to scare Republicans to hate Democrats even more than they already do - all wrapped up in a pseudo-thriller.

Enrique Sanchez

Just because you post something multiple times doesn't make it true.

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[–] Enrique-8 10 years ago

Just because you question my propaganda multiple times doesn't make your propaganda true.

Enrique Sanchez

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[–] dorrisdave 10 years ago

Correct. Being true is what makes it true.

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[–] wwinter86 10 years ago

"The radical right has really gone overboard with this one."

and could we not say the same of the left with V for Vendetta?
Yet no-one moans about that.

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[–] PizoDeMadera 10 years ago

NO, cause V for Vendetta is an allegory for the weakest rebelling against the tyranny of the powerful, not the other way around like in this miovie. That's why true art almost never portraits the powerful people as victims, and you know why that is? Cause they are NOT!

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[–] m1rock 10 years ago

Ummm yeah you just described the plot of this film. Way to be oblivious to your own words.

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[–] ChknSoupForDaFanboysSoul 10 years ago

Way to be oblivious to his point and reality. Christians are the ones in power.

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[–] revsteven67 10 years ago

That's why true art almost never portraits the powerful people as victims, and you know why that is? Cause they are NOT!

Assuming that you are including "V For Vendetta" and other major studio films with liberal agendas as "true art" (which is debatable at best) then your comment has no credibility since we're talking about movies made by major studios, ie those "in power". I would argue that "true art" is not produced by those with the most power. And in Hollywood, liberals are definitely ones in power and to think otherwise is naive.

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[–] Mr Blue-4 10 years ago

Wow, you are totally lost on this point.

Actual "art", as in storytelling, is usually focused on the "underdog" for dramatic purposes. In order for there to be drama or suspense, the protagonist has to overcome great odds. This is why we don't get movies showing millionaires just buying their way out of problems. Or why James Bond movies have him overcoming a multitude of bad guys, not just one 98 lb weakling.

Furthermore, since an important quality for actual artists is EMPATHY, creators of movies tend to have a greater sympathy not only for outcasts and misfits, but for the real "losers" in the world. Minorities, the poor....people who really struggle or are really persecuted.

None of that applies to Christians in the US, and absolutely none of that applies to the right wing religious right who keep acting as if not getting their way all of the time (due to actual laws in a secular democracy, which is what the United States is designed to be) is akin to "persecution".

You're the one that's being naive if you suggesting that the "true power" in Hollywood is "liberal." What is actually true is that the most successful artists and many of the most powerful people are more socially liberal than in other businesses and other parts of the US. But that's not really "power". Because many truly liberal projects have not been greenlit. Because the corporate overlords that really run Hollywood don't care much if the product features gays or harps on climate change, but they won't allow offending Chinese sensibilities about their lack of freedom. And anything that really goes after those conservative interests with Real Power is eliminated or reduced.

So the whole argument that "liberals" are the "true power" in Hollywood only holds water if you're a right winger that thinks the "normal" state of affairs would be everything run like Fox News. Which is why this movie isn't art as well. It's clearly a piece of crap for stunted and weak minds that need to feel superior and persecuted at the same time.

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[–] Tracey73 10 years ago

Actual "art", as in storytelling, is usually focused on the "underdog" for dramatic purposes.

Art in any form is subjective. There is no such thing as "actual" art. One may consider a movie a work of art, while another would disagree. Neither is wrong in this scenario because art, whether it is a movie, song, picture, etc is subjected to opinion and taste.

She had the saddest look I've seen in years, A kangaroo cry ~ Blue October

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[–] kingmob8813 10 years ago

Plus V for Vendetta was originally a graphic novel published in 1982, and was a satirical poke at Margaret Thatcher's regime and the nationalism that the UK had at the time.

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[–] wintermonk 10 years ago

"With 77% of this Country considering themselves Christian..."

A very loose definition of Christian. A huge portion of those "Christians" would be people who don't attend church, don't read the Bible, have no interest in God. They were baptized once-upon-a-time and tend to think there probably is a god, so for demographic purposes we call them Christians. Some of these so-called "Christians" in America today are probably actually atheists. Certainly many of them live as though there is no God, so they are functional atheists.

"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven." Matthew 7: 21

"Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble." James 2: 19

The point being, talk is cheap. A person can claim to be a Christian just as a person can blame to be a tuna. If someone claims to be a Christian, I will expect to see evidence of this. Just as if a person claims to be a tuna, I would expect to see fins and gills.

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[–] SelfProclaimedHuegonot 10 years ago

Nicely stated. To be a Christian, a person must follow all precepts dictated by Jesus Christ. Not the ones that are easy or that you change the meaning of to suit your purpose. All of them.

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[–] dbenasic 10 years ago

Nicely stated. To be a Christian, a person must follow all precepts dictated by Jesus Christ. Not the ones that are easy or that you change the meaning of to suit your purpose. All of them.

When do you plan to give away everything you have?

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[–] vernuf 10 years ago

Nicely stated. To be a Christian, a person must follow all precepts dictated by Jesus Christ. Not the ones that are easy or that you change the meaning of to suit your purpose. All of them.

No. To be a Christian, a person must believe Jesus was the Messiah.

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[–] vernuf 10 years ago

And no true Scotsman would wear pants.

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[–] Chaosbourne 10 years ago

I'm Christian and think this is absurd. However, I also believe in simple economics, and if there are people that will pay money to see a crappy movie, well then......why not??!? Someone has to make money off the Evangelical Right!

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[–] kingsgratefuldaughter 10 years ago

Oh, boy, are you asleep.

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[–] EdCarden 10 years ago

"With 77% of this Country considering themselves Christian, it is highly unlikely that any Christians will be getting thrown in jail anytime soon, just for being Christian. They may go to jail for physically attacking Muslims, they may go to jail for physically attacking Gays and Lesbians."

If the "Christians" are in power/control as you are implying (and others who have posted on this board are saying) then why have they lost the fight against legalization of gay marriage? Why is abortion not only legal and funded in part by their tax dollars but also pushed in the media as being the norm?

If the Christians are so powerful and mighty why has the Federal Government classified them as potential domestic terrorists? You may consider Christians terrorists because you disagree with their beliefs but if they had the power and control you are suggesting they certainly would not let the government call them potential domestic terrorists.

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[–] wwiisgttom 10 years ago

Tides turn. Majorities can become minorities. It wasn't too long ago that the majority would have said abortion shouldn't be legal or gay marriage shouldn't be legal. Now it is probably the other way around or at least 50/50. Regardless of what you believe things can and do change.

Anyhow is this film claiming to be some kind of prophesy? Why can't people take it as fiction which is what it is?

Hows the pie?

Sooo good.

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[–] twilightsol4 10 years ago

Nothing wrong with religion. I know a great deal of wonderful people who follow many different religions. Nothing wrong with Christianity, when followed like Jesus dis it can be very powerful. The problem is hubris on both sides. Christians think they are better then everyone else, atheists think the same. What we need is more humility in our beliefs. What we need is more compassion, which is what Jesus was all about. Movies like this just foster fear which isn't very Christian. Also without the right wing, and left wing ,flapping together this eagle isn't getting off the ground.

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[–] kingsgratefuldaughter 10 years ago

Real Christians do not think they are better than everyone else. They believe in giving of themselves and their resources in every way they can to help the less fortunate and providing the truth of Salvation to those who do not know Christ.

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[–] mustangguy809 10 years ago

It is foolish to say Christians think they are better than everyone else. One should not even consider themselves a Christian unless they've fully surrendered to the fact that all mankind is equal in sin and brokenness. How could you need a savior if you don't think you need to be saved? I don't know what kind of 'christians' you hang around but I find your rationale faulty in such a claim.

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[–] ChknSoupForDaFanboysSoul 10 years ago

Please provide evidence for the government classifying all Christians as a potential terrorist threat. With 99% of congress identifying as Christian, I imagine this to be BS. It's political suicide to identify as atheist you know.

Losing the war against gay marriage?? The tide is turning in secular favor, but it is still only legal in 19 out of 50 states. The fact that we think equality before the law should be majority vote issue and not a legal issue in 2014 after we've been through this over and over again in our history shows that we are very tied to religious sentiments.

The liberal media says that abortion is the norm? How so? Tax payer funded abortions? Where?

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[–] footnotegirl 10 years ago

A) Because not all christians are anti-choice. There are plenty of churches that are pro-choice in this country. Also, this is a secular country, which means that quite frankly, religious belief, even if it is the majority belief, does not get to make the laws if there is no proof that it doesn't affect anyone else.
B) Also, abortion is not, and never has been, funded by tax dollars. That is an outright, barefaced lie. Isn't that one of the ten commandments, not lying?
C) Gay marriage, again, not all Christians are anti marriage equality. For instance, the Episcopal church, the Methodist church, the Quakers, the Presbyterians and a number of the Lutheran synods are pro-equality. And, once again, religious litigants have had a difficult time proving that gay marriage has any negative effect on anyone. Because it doesn't.
D) The Federal Government has not classified 'Christians' as a potential domestic terrorist group. The SPLC and the Government have declared some offshoot, hyper fundamentalist Christian sects as hate groups. And in fact, as with fundamentalists of ANY stripe, some of them are. But by no means does this reflect on all Christians.

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[–] MyloMan30 10 years ago

First, if you look at gay marriage, those are being struck down by judges as unconstitutional bans. It's not(for quite a few of those states) that people voted FOR gay marriage, it's that judges stuck down bans on gay marriage.

And abortion is still a hot button issue after all of these years and you STILL have conservatives trying to completely outlaw abortion in deep red states. They know they can't just outright ban abortion because it's unconstitutional, so they try to over-regulate the abortion clinics so that they can't operate.

I use to be a Republican in my late teens and early 20s, but the actions of conservatives and the Tea Party in 2010 and what they actually focused on when they got into power made me flee to the Democratic party. I still didn't vote for Obama, but I would tend to agree with more Democratic ideas then Republican.

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[–] Mr Blue-4 10 years ago

I love how bad this post by EdCarden is. I always welcome the chance to demolish this nonsense.

"If the "Christians" are in power/control as you are implying (and others who have posted on this board are saying) then why have they lost the fight against legalization of gay marriage?"

Because is there even a FIGHT over gay marriage? Why are there even laws against it? That reflects the political POWER of the religious right, who are thoroughly WRONG on this issue. You can't vote on someone's rights, and the majority can't vote on the minority's rights. Only in a country where religious lunatics were in power would there even be a fight against this.

"Why is abortion not only legal and funded in part by their tax dollars but also pushed in the media as being the norm?"

First off, there shouldn't even be a debate over abortion being legal. Women have a right to it. Again, only in a country where the religious right had such power would there be a question about it. Legal abortion IS the norm: the fight against it is a reflection of a warped religious right.

Not to mention that the religious right has seen to it that tax dollars do NOT pay for abortions. So you're totally wrong on that.

"If the Christians are so powerful and mighty why has the Federal Government classified them as potential domestic terrorists? You may consider Christians terrorists because you disagree with their beliefs but if they had the power and control you are suggesting they certainly would not let the government call them potential domestic terrorists."

You're being disingenuous. The Federal Government has classified CERTAIN Christians as domestic terrorists. That would be the ones that are behaving...like domestic terrorists. The ones that shoot abortion doctors and threaten to blow up abortion clinics. Only in a country that had so many religious lunatics in power would anyone even question it.

And the fact that you act as if all "Christians" are being called this when it's clear that it's specific ones being labeled that way cement that you have no credible argument, just a lot of religious right talking points that secular folks like myself blow apart.

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[–] gymrage6 10 years ago

YES! And you certainly blew that apart my friend! Excellent, fact-filled points. Glad you're on my team! :) This "Persecution Complex" nonsense has got to stop as it steamrollers into a false power...divided we fall...

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[–] Tracey73 10 years ago

Mr. Blue, so much tolerance in one post (sarcasm) ... Those who are pro-life has just as much right to believe the way they do as we who are pro-choice believes. Those who are against gay marriage have just as much right to believe the way they do as we who are for marriage equality believes.

Just because you or I believe a certain way does not give us the right to be intolerant against those with different beliefs, including calling them names and saying there should be no debate over a certain topic. If you are preaching for tolerance, please use tolerance to preach it.

She had the saddest look I've seen in years, A kangaroo cry ~ Blue October

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[–] jesse859 10 years ago

First of all, the radical left goes overboard in a number of movies that come out every year. You want to talk about fear tactics? Ok. Many movies like "Red State" spread anti-Christian paranoia. And with such paranoia rampant in our day, it is not difficult to see that true Christian churches in America may soon be forced underground, just as they already have been in other countries. There is more Christianphobia today than anything.

Second, many professing Christians in the west are further from biblical Christianity than they realize. That is true of professing Christians who would physically attack Muslims or gays too, and I would say that they are just as lost as anyone else....but I am a bit annoyed that it goes ignored by so many whenever Muslims physically attack Christians. Have people become so cold that they don't even care about stuff like that? The following article has a bunch of links at the bottom which show anti-Christian persecution that has been taking place around the world, including America: http://jdlarsenmn.tripod.com/persecutors.htm

This is my signature: http://jdlarsenmn.tripod.com/megiddo.htm

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[–] nakedprey 10 years ago

Red State was made by somebody who actually claims to be a Christian (Kevin Smith). His inspiration was the Westboro Baptist Church and he thought that radicalism taken to violent extremes was a good idea for a horror film. They even bantered with him via Twitter about it at the time of its release since it was so obviously a spin on their whole mystique.

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[–] kingsgratefuldaughter 10 years ago

Oh, baloney.

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[–] kingsgratefuldaughter 10 years ago

Phelps was not a Christian. He and his group were being used by atheists to give Christians a bad name with the gullible. Looks like it worked. Please list the instances you can find of Christians attacking muslims, homosexuals or anybody else.

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[–] ChknSoupForDaFanboysSoul 10 years ago

No propaganda or extremist examples are required to give Christians a bad name. They need only open their mouths. I don't know a single liberal atheist who thinks the Westboro Baptist church are typical Christians.

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[–] sfdyoung-1 10 years ago

"Please list the instances you can find of Christians attacking muslims, homosexuals or anybody else."

How about Wade Michael Page, Timothy McVeigh, and Anders Breivik?

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[–] footnotegirl 10 years ago

Let's see... Phelps preached out of the Christian bible. He claimed to believe in Jesus Christ as the true son of God and belief in the Trinity as being the only way to heaven. You are indulging in the 'No True Scotsman' fallacy.
The WBC is a Christian Church. It is a fundamentalist, fringe Christian church, but it is a Christian Church.
You can't say "Please find instances of Christians doing X" and then self-define Christians as "People who don't do X."
How about David Spitz and the Army of God?
How about Eric Rudolph?
How about Father Edward Markley?

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[–] Tracey73 10 years ago

Let's see... Phelps preached out of the Christian bible. He claimed to believe in Jesus Christ as the true son of God and belief in the Trinity as being the only way to heaven. You are indulging in the 'No True Scotsman' fallacy.
The WBC is a Christian Church. It is a fundamentalist, fringe Christian church, but it is a Christian Church.
You can't say "Please find instances of Christians doing X" and then self-define Christians as "People who don't do X."

He may have been preaching from the Christian Bible and claimed to be a Christian, but he certainly was not applying the principals of Christianity, which includes the compassion that Christ wants us to show. The WBC claims to be a Christian church but there is not one Christian denomination, including the Baptist Association and non-denominational churches, which claims them or their beliefs.

Jesus would never advocate or approve of using hurtful, derogatory words to describe a sect of people. He would never approve of condemning anyone to hell. He would never approve of harassing and ridiculing others for the way they live their lives. He would never accept someone thanking "God for dead soldiers." He certainly wouldn't approve of protesting someone's funeral, causing even more hurt, anger and grief on the dead person's loved ones.

I think both you and I know that regardless of what Fred Phelps and the WBC claim to be, they misuse the Word of God to spread hate and hurt. Anyone and any church can claim to be any type of religion, but it does not mean that their beliefs or actions are in any way advocated or accepted within that said religion. Anyone can preach in the name of (insert religious deity), but it doesn't mean they are what they say they are. Just as those terrorists who caused 9-11 did not represent Islam, the WBC does not represent Christianity.

She had the saddest look I've seen in years, A kangaroo cry ~ Blue October

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[–] oddjrgensen 9 years ago

How about how a million muslims were killed during the genocide in Rwanda not that long ago? You had christian pastors inciting horrific violence against the muslim minority, and some even taking part in the massacres, where those not killed were maimed with machetes. Then you have the evangelicals that have done their worst to force through some rather heinous legislation in uganda and other countries such as Nigeria, where being gay is now a crime punishable by jail or worse.

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[–] kingsgratefuldaughter 10 years ago

Turn things around? That's what liberals are already doing and driving the country to destruction. Hope n' Change, Hope n' Change...As they drive us into the pit.

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[–] ChknSoupForDaFanboysSoul 10 years ago

Is this satire? It's the dumbest thing I've read I a while. 2009 just called. It wants its banal anti Obama rhetoric back.

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[–] ChknSoupForDaFanboysSoul 10 years ago

You see what I did there? :)

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