Review of The God Who Wasn't There (2005) by Ed S — 09 Feb 2014

I always feel a little strange on the inside whenever I say this, considering my background, but Christianity is dangerous. In fact, I consider it the most dangerous and manipulative of all faith-based beliefs this side of Scientology.

For those who, like me, were raised in Christian households and began to question the doctrine, this brief but thought-provoking documentary is a must-see. Director Brian Flemming takes us on a journey to uncover the origins of Christianity and its similarities to Paganism, look inside the lives of modern Christians and their obsession with blood sacrifice and the end of times, as well as Flemming's own history as a Fundamentalist.

This includes his controversial interview with the Superintendent of Village Christian Schools where Flemming was educated as a boy. Some have considered it childish and embarrassing that he would corner a "poor old man" with questions about his faith and then outright deny the existence of the Holy Spirit in the VCS Chapel.

All I have to say on the subject is that people need to lighten up and get the picture. Fundamentalist Christians teach their youth that it is not only imperative to accept Jesus Christ as their personal savior in order to be saved, but to never question anything or else they will be eternally damned.

Worst of all, they must believe this on faith with no evidence to support it other than the Bible. On the other hand, this begs the question: if this really is the way the world works why must we rely on faith as opposed to evidence to believe it? With this in mind, which of these two possibilities seems the most accurate: Flemming is nothing more than a whiny child wanting revenge against a school that sentenced him to eternal fire and brimstone, or that Sipus realized that he had no leg to stand on and wrongfully accused Flemming of dishonesty so as to avoid coming to grips with the reality of the situation? In my opinion, not only would I choose the latter, I would also describe Flemming as very brave for being able to ask these difficult questions and to say without fear that he does not believe Christianity in the very chapel where he was told he would go to hell for uttering such blasphemy.

All in all, this film will provide a tremendous amount of relief for all those who wish to speak truthfully about their feelings regarding Christianity but can not because of their fear of suffering for all eternity.