God, it seems, is still not dead. In fact, he’s about to prove it again in Iowa on Sunday.
Tickets sold out in 24 hours for a pre-screening of the movie God’s Not Dead 2, hosted by former Arkansas governor and 2016 Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee. The first of Huckabee’s two pre-screenings will be on Sunday, Jan 31, the eve of the Iowa caucuses.
After the unexpected success of God’s Not Dead (the film made over $60 million on a budget of $2 million), the Pure Flix creators were encouraged to try for a second. The Harold Cronk-directed picture, which deals with religious liberty and free speech, is due to be released on April 1.
The film is nothing if not timely. The Little Sisters of the Poor are in a landmark Supreme Court case over their refusal on religious grounds to provide ObamaCare-mandated contraception to employees, and the marriage crisis for government workers like Kim Davis are being forced to issue same-sex marriage licences, while the left spews anti-Christian vitriol with impunity.
Huckabee commented that the film reminds us how important “preserving religious liberty” is for this election.
Melissa Joan Hart plays high school history teacher Grace Wesley, beloved by her students, who is approached by Brooke, a student grieving over the loss of her brother. Grace shares her love of Christ with Brooke, leading Brooke to ask a question in class later about the similarities between Jesus’ teachings to those of Martin Luther King and Mahatma Gandhi. The teacher responds, landing herself in a lawsuit with the principal, superintendent and a civil liberties group for answering a question about Jesus in class.
Pat Boone, Ray Wise (Robocop), and Mike Huckabee all make cameo appearances.
Other cast members include Jesse Metcalfe playing Grace’s lawyer, Pure Flix CEO and producer David A.R. White as Rev. Dave, Ernie Hudson (Ghostbusters) as Judge Stennis, and Sadie Robertson (Duck Dynasty).
Michael Scott, producer and co-founder of Pure Flix stressed the importance of the film for American culture today.
“Cases like these – where the religious freedoms of everyday men and women are being restricted by courts and government agencies – are sadly quite common today,” Scott said. “Our hope is that we can start a conversation in the country with this movie about how critical the right to believe, and to talk about that belief in public, is to our nation.”
Last year’s God’s Not Dead burst out of nowhere to capture the interest of movie-goers around the country. It resonated with many Christians who do not often hear their views and hopes echoed anymore in American culture.
Here’s hoping this year’s installment makes a solid case for religious liberty and encourages those dealing with a lopsided judicial system.
