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Is Christianity Good for the World?


t0ddlg

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I have been following the production of this just released to DVD documentary for some time. I talked to the movie producers and Alamo Drafthouse and Houston (Katy) gets a theatrical screening: Friday, Nov 13 7:00pm; Saturday, Nov 14 3:30pm and 7:00pm; and Sunday Nov 15 3:30 pm and 7:00pm .

More info on the movie can be found here:

Official site

http://www.collisionmovie.com/

Alamo Drafthouse info page

http://www.drafthouse.com/mason/shows.php?id=488

Facebook fan page

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=162405204885#/collisionmovie?ref=ts

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OVERVIEW

In May 2007, leading atheist Christopher Hitchens and Christian apologist Douglas Wilson began to argue the topic “Is Christianity Good for the World?” in a series of written exchanges published in Christianity Today. The rowdy literary bout piqued the interest of filmmaker Darren Doane, who sought out Hitchens and Wilson to pitch the idea of making a film around the debate.

In Fall 2008, Doane and crew accompanied Hitchens and Wilson on an east coast tour to promote the book compiled from their written debate titled creatively enough, Is Christianity Good for the World?. “I loved the idea of putting one of the beltway’s most respected public intellectuals together with an ultra-conservative pastor from Idaho that looks like a lumberjack”, says Doane. “You couldn’t write two characters more contrary. What’s more real than a fight between two guys who are on complete opposite sides of the fence on the most divisive issue in the world? We were ready to make a movie about two intellectual warriors at the top of their game going one-on-one. I knew it would make an amazing film.”

In Christopher Hitchens, Doane found a celebrated prophet of atheism. Loud. Funny. Angry. Smart. Quick. An intimidating intellectual Goliath. Well-known for bullying and mocking believers into doubt and doubters into outright unbelief. In Douglas Wilson, Doane found the man who could provide a perfect intellectual, philosophical, and cinematic counterpoint to Hitchens' position and style. A trained philosopher and and deft debater. Big, bearded, and jolly. A pastor, a contrarian, a humorist--an unintimidated outsider, impossible to bully, capable of calling Hitchens a puritan (over a beer).

It was a collision of lives.

What Doane didn’t expect was how much Hitchens and Wilson would have in common and the respectful bond the new friend/foes would build through the course of the book tour. “These guys ended up at the bar laughing, joking, drinking. There were so many things that they had in common”, according to Doane. “Opinions on history and politics. Literature and poetry. They agreed on so many things. Except on the existence of God.”

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I have been following the production of this just released to DVD documentary for some time. I talked to the movie producers and Alamo Drafthouse and Houston (Katy) gets a theatrical screening: Friday, Nov 13 7:00pm; Saturday, Nov 14 3:30pm and 7:00pm; and Sunday Nov 15 3:30 pm and 7:00pm .

More info on the movie can be found here:

Official site

http://www.collisionmovie.com/

Alamo Drafthouse info page

http://www.drafthouse.com/mason/shows.php?id=488

Facebook fan page

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=162405204885#/collisionmovie?ref=ts

post-1041-12569510537982_thumb.jpg

this is exciting. this sort of debate is long overdue. i hope it leaves the viewer thinking rather than simply high-fiving people of like minds

OVERVIEW

In May 2007, leading atheist Christopher Hitchens and Christian apologist Douglas Wilson began to argue the topic “Is Christianity Good for the World?” in a series of written exchanges published in Christianity Today. The rowdy literary bout piqued the interest of filmmaker Darren Doane, who sought out Hitchens and Wilson to pitch the idea of making a film around the debate.

In Fall 2008, Doane and crew accompanied Hitchens and Wilson on an east coast tour to promote the book compiled from their written debate titled creatively enough, Is Christianity Good for the World?. “I loved the idea of putting one of the beltway’s most respected public intellectuals together with an ultra-conservative pastor from Idaho that looks like a lumberjack”, says Doane. “You couldn’t write two characters more contrary. What’s more real than a fight between two guys who are on complete opposite sides of the fence on the most divisive issue in the world? We were ready to make a movie about two intellectual warriors at the top of their game going one-on-one. I knew it would make an amazing film.”

In Christopher Hitchens, Doane found a celebrated prophet of atheism. Loud. Funny. Angry. Smart. Quick. An intimidating intellectual Goliath. Well-known for bullying and mocking believers into doubt and doubters into outright unbelief. In Douglas Wilson, Doane found the man who could provide a perfect intellectual, philosophical, and cinematic counterpoint to Hitchens' position and style. A trained philosopher and and deft debater. Big, bearded, and jolly. A pastor, a contrarian, a humorist--an unintimidated outsider, impossible to bully, capable of calling Hitchens a puritan (over a beer).

It was a collision of lives.

What Doane didn’t expect was how much Hitchens and Wilson would have in common and the respectful bond the new friend/foes would build through the course of the book tour. “These guys ended up at the bar laughing, joking, drinking. There were so many things that they had in common”, according to Doane. “Opinions on history and politics. Literature and poetry. They agreed on so many things. Except on the existence of God.”

i'm looking forward to this.

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Part of me really wants to weigh in on this thread. Another part of me wants to wait and watch and see how this unfolds.

You might say I have an angel on one shoulder and a demon on the other, and they're both whispering into my ear, trying to influence my decision.

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^Yeah I'm with you. Definitely going to try to attend one of the screenings. And I definitely have Hutchins on both sides of my shoulder so this will hopefully provide some interesting insight from "the other side."

Why single out one religion?

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Why single out one religion?

Everyone can bash on Christianity because we are expected to turn the other cheek and forgive them and blah blah blah ! If it were titled...."Is Islam GOOD for the World ?" it would have instantly become racially and ethnically motivated and DEMANDED not to be released by the Reverends Jackson and Sharpton, and Fahrakhan minions would be rioting in the streets. This is just speculation however.

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Everyone can bash on Christianity because we are expected to turn the other cheek and forgive them and blah blah blah ! If it were titled...."Is Islam GOOD for the World ?" it would have instantly become racially and ethnically motivated and DEMANDED not to be released by the Reverends Jackson and Sharpton, and Fahrakhan minions would be rioting in the streets. This is just speculation however.

Then I say we should ban all religions.

Its only fair.

That's like saying we should cast all people from one race into an oven to be rid of it.... oh wait, I think someone tried that already.

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Why single out one religion?

I didn't single out anything. I am on a quest to learn more about it since I don't know much. Hutchins is an atheist so of the two main people in the movie, he's who I can identify with more.

An aside -- That being said, I am on a long quest to find people that were raised in a non-religious household (like me) but that have become religious later in life. I haven't been successful yet but I really want to hear their stories.

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I didn't single out anything. I am on a quest to learn more about it since I don't know much. Hutchins is an atheist so of the two main people in the movie, he's who I can identify with more.

An aside -- That being said, I am on a long quest to find people that were raised in a non-religious household (like me) but that have become religious later in life. I haven't been successful yet but I really want to hear their stories.

Well, it wasn't aimed at you, but simply the topic title. I'm on the phone so I can't really peruse through the links that have been provided.

I think your quest will be a difficult one because to get the information you want, you will have to get many people to open up to you about a very private subject.

Anyway, in reality, its RADICAL religious people from christians, islam, and catholics that have been the major instigators of violence because of their lack of tolerance of other religions.

Then again, I never heard of a Radical Amish person...

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