ENGAGING CULTURE

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These “conversations” are based on the best-selling books by Neal Donald Walsch. Canadian actor Henry Czerny (”The Exorcism of Emily Rose”) plays author Walsch, who was at his lowest point when he found a new purpose for his life.

According to this version of events, the once-homeless Walsch finds fulfillment in his stint as a weekend radio host, only to see the station go belly-up. Shortly afterward, he begins hearing a voice that he believes is God, trying to comfort him and share his wisdom. So Walsch begins writing down these supposed two-way “conversations” with the Almighty, to share with others the insights he has learned.

Rating: PG for one strong scene of violence (an auto accident) and scattered use of mild profanity. Running time: 108 minutes.

While my review may not be as scathing as this one, I do agree with the general consenus.

To me, this is the worst kind of movie; worse than one promoting satanic rituals or Islamic doctrine. Why? I have two reasons.

This is not God. This is supposedly a film about God but the god portrayed is nothing but a charlatan. A wolf in sheep’s clothing. The message that this “god” has for Walsch and the readers of his books is nothing but self-help mumbo-jumbo and bumper-sticker theology.

They portray God as a happy and content God who doesn’t “want anything from you except for you to be happy.” If that is the case then God is money, because that is what most people want, even Walsch. Their God says, “You think you are below me, when in truth we are all one.” Then why would I even want to talk with this “god” I might as well chat with my friend on the cellphone.

Do you really want your god to be an equal who allows you to be “your own rule-maker”? or do you want a God whom you can stand in awe of and worship. A God who is benevolent and holy and all powerful. A God who not only wants the best for us but also has the infinite resources to bring it about. God wants far more from us than our happiness. God wants us to be happy, but not with worldly pleasures or the praise of men. God wants us to be ultimately and fully satisfied in Him.

So this is the worst kind of movie because it is slanderous to the nature of God. But even if the God portrayed here was the God of the Bible, the God and Father of Jesus Christ, I would still be upset with it. Why?

Because, God deserves a better movie. This felt to me like one of those commercials for “The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.” It was sappy and corny and it seemed that all but Czerny had never stood in front of a camera before. The fake beard that Czerny wears is laughable. The story jumps around in the main characters storyline with no real discernible pattern. So overall it looked as though it was developed by a group of middle schoolers at a Neal Donald Walsch summer camp.

God is a creative God, just look around you at nature and try to argue that fact. Our God loves beauty. And this movie is neither creative nor beautiful. It should be called “Conversations with Publishers” because the main character cares far more about his lucrative book deal than the message of the “god” he’s promoting.

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