God on my side
0 comments | Posted by Steven Layson on 12 May 2007 in From Steve's Study ::
Andrew Denton’s film “God On My Side” premiered at the Sydney Film Festival in June 2006, and then at main-stream theatres not long after. It was filmed at the 63rd National Religious Broadcasters Convention in Dallas, Texas, where the delegates comprised some 6,000 Christian communicators. It was a predominantly evangelical, fundamentalist gathering, whom Denton queried not only about their personal faith stories, but also about how faith affects their perception of their world, their country-and their president.
The film was certainly thought-provoking as it gave a “fair”, though at times contentious, picture of the views in this small corner of the Christian world. Denton himself was very moved by those he spoke to. “I think the people interviewed embody and believe they embody the Christian ideals of love,” he said. “But one of the points of the film is that absolute faith can blind you to the consequences of the actions you allow. It can tell you it’s okay to drop bombs on another country, or that it’s okay to hate a group of people such as homosexuals.” “What I hope people will take away from the film is a clearer ear for the absolutes of faith,” Denton concluded. “I think anyone, no matter what their faith, who says ‘There’s only one truth, I know what it is, and if you don’t ascribe to it you’ve got it coming to you’… anyone like that needs to be looked at carefully.”
But is he right? Is it really a dangerous thing to ascribe to “one truth”? Is it true that we should feel free to believe whatever we like, but not imply or insist that others believe it too?
One wonders what Denton would have said to Jesus who said, “I am the way, the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father except through me” (Jn 14:6). Jesus made exclusive claims about himself and the salvation he offered. Are we right to claim his promises for our own? Is God our our side?
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