by Mignonne Bryant | Feb 26, 2015 | Uncategorized
Fifty Shades of Grey had record-breaking ticket sales, and according to Fandango, ticket sales were highest in what’s known as the “Bible Belt.” According to Fortune, the steamy film brought in $85 million it’s opening weekend, and it is Fandango’s fastest-selling R-rated movie in its entire history. “A lot of people reading the book were women,” pastor at Belmont Heights John Garner said. “And that’s very sad to me because this whole movie is about dominance and making women way less than they should be.” Garner suggests that the reason for the high sales in the “Bible Belt” may be tied to church life. “Here in the South, you have some repressed sexuality, and here’s an opportunity to explore new things and that kind of stuff,” Garner said. Some Lipscomb students have avoided seeing the movie or reading the books altogether. “I know a lot more people that kind of took a stand against it and did not go see the movie because of its content, because of the message it sent,” junior Cole Meador said. “I was not interested in going to go see it at all.” One pastor argues that the movie choices people make reveal what they support. “I would say to anyone thinking about watching: number one, any movie I watch or you watch, we’re saying almost we approve of this and here’s our money so you can make another one,” pastor at Judson Baptist Mike James said. “So as a believer – when we spend our money in theaters – we’re actually endorsing the theme and the values of that movie.” While it may have...
by Julie Shrewsbury | Oct 5, 2010 | News Slider
With the growing demand for separation of church and state, atheists who want to squash the mention of God and new religions challenging Christian doctrine, does God still belong here? Where did our early beliefs come from and will God be allowed to stay in America in the future? Lipscomb University hosted a screening of “God in America,” a new six-hour-documentary series targeted to air on October 11 at 8 p.m. and again at 10 p.m on PBS network. The documentary will examine over 400 years of religious history from the initial discovery of America to present day. The series was developed to heighten the understanding of the progression of religion in the United States. The documentary explores the multifaceted relationship between religion and democracy in the United States, how it is portrayed in the public eye, origins of spiritual liberty, the dynamics of the constantly changing religious marketplace and what role developing denominations have played in an ever-evolving society. Nashville Public Television paired with Lipscomb Human Documentary Film Series showed a one hour sneak preview of this documentary Sunday night. A panel of experts was present after the viewing to further discuss the documentary and answer questions. Rhonda Lowry, senior fellow in Lipscomb’s Institute for Christian Spirituality, first lady to Lipscomb University and mediator of the panel, asked thought-provoking questions. “How would you define religion?” Rhonda asked. “How is the religious marketplace portrayed and incorporated in the documentary? The diverse panelists offered unique responses to these probing questions. Gail Seavey, minister at the First Unitarian Universalist Church of Nashville, was on the panel. “One of the great things...
