Religious/spiritual movies

About the movie:
"For the BIBLE tells me so"

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"For the BIBLE tells me so:" a movie exploring homosexuality.

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Description of the movie by Tom Keogh:

For the Bible Tells Me So is a compassionate and insightful documentary about the contemporary face of an old conflict between Christian fundamentalists and gay and lesbian people. The film looks deep into the hearts of several families--a few of them quite famous--that have struggled with making sense of having a homosexual son or daughter in the fold. At the same time, For the Bible Tells Me So is a deconstruction of thin arguments that the Bible actually condemns homosexuality in a few passages and through the story of Sodom and Gomorrah's destruction. A number of clerics and scholars explain the cultural and historical context for Old Testament quotes routinely referenced as arguments against homosexuality, and point out translation confusion about the real meaning of the Sodom story. Unquestionably, the most compelling part of the film is its focus on various families, including that of former U.S. presidential candidate Dick Gephardt, who has a lesbian daughter for whose safety he worries. Also among the interviewees is Gene Robinson, a gay man who became bishop of New Hampshire©s Episcopal church in 2004, and his parents, as well as a gay teen whose folks joined him on the front line in protest of their church©s negative stance on gays. Not every story is affirmative: there are tragedies within these tales, too, as well as an indictment of so-called cures that supposedly banish the gay drive from homosexual men and women.

Amazon.com's Product Description:

Winner of the Audience Award for Best Documentary at the Seattle International Film Festival, Dan Karslake's provocative, entertaining documentary brilliantly reconciles homosexuality and Biblical scripture, and in the process reveals that Church-sanctioned anti-gay bias is based solely upon a significant (and often malicious) misinterpretation of the Bible. As the film notes, most Christians live their lives today without feeling obliged to kill anyone who works on the Sabbath or eats shrimp.

Through the experience of five very normal, very Christian , very American families - including those of former House Majority Leader Richard Gephardt and Episcopalian Bishop Gene Robinson - we discover how insightful people of faith handle the realization of having a gay child. With commentary by such respected voices as Bishop Desmond Tutu, Harvard's Peter Gomes, Orthodox Rabbi Steve Greenberg and Reverend Jimmy Creech, For The Bible Tells Me So offers healing, clarity and understanding to anyone caught in the crosshairs of scripture and sexual identity.

The most recent movie trailer:

Some comments by Amazon customers:

	"Joe:" Absolutely wonderful film. After spending years researching this topic much of information in the film was not new to me. However, this was best discussion on the subject I have come across. The sad truth is, most people just don't want to take the time to wade through information on the subject to intelligently discuss homosexuality as it relates to the bible. This film takes the effort out of researching and provides and excellent background for anyone who has ever wanted to challenge the notion that the bible condemns homosexuality.
	"Anon:" I had the privilege of seeing this film in a church near the hometown of director Daniel Karslake and he was there for Q & A afterwards. First we had the emotionally moving experience of seeing his masterpiece, then he spoke. He worked hard to get other fundamentalists to contribute. At first some agreed, only to change their minds as they heard more about the film. It is sad that some Christians are afraid to examine their beliefs in this way. This is a film about confusion and fear transforming into love and I was urging folks to see it even before it went on sale. You will never hear the word abomination in the same way again!
	Douglas D. Wood: I LIKE what this documentary says. I LIKE it - because I agree with it. I agree that fundamentalist Christianity (yes, I AM Christian!) has misinterpreted the Bible about homosexuality.   However, this documentary is one-sided. The fundamentalist view is presented in a negative light - and is ALWAYS refuted. In my training in debate - that's not fair. EVERYONE gets a rebuttal. Unfortunately, I find no documentary that rebuts these claims. What would I show to present a balanced view?

Film data:

	Actors: Gene Robinson, Episcopal Bishop of New Hampshire, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, retired primate of the Anglican Church of Southern Africa, Albert Schwei, Imogene and Victor Robinson, parents of Gene Robinson, and Isabella "Boo" McDaniel.
	Director: Daniel Karslake, producer of the PBS news and public affairs series In The Life.
	Format: Color, Dolby, DVD-Video, NTSC, Widescreen
	Language: English
	Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
	Number of discs: 1
	Rating:
	Studio: First Run Features
	DVD Release Date: 2008-FEB-19
	Run Time: 99 minutes
	Average Customer Review: 5 stars out of 5! (Of 18 reviewers, 15 rated it at 5 stars and 3 rated it 4 stars)
	Amazon.com Sales Rank: # 556 in Movies & TV. In the category Movies & TV/Special Interests/Religion & Spirituality it was rated: #1 under Bible, #1 under Christian DVD, and #4 under Spirituality.

References used:

1. YouTube has many videos and comments on this movie at: http://www.youtube.com/
    

Copyright © 2008 by Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance
Originally written: 2008-APR-12
Latest update: 2008-JUL-16
Author: B.A. Robinson

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