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{{Short description|2005 film by Brian Flemming}}
{{Infobox_Film | name=The God Who Wasn't There
{{Infobox film
| image=TGWWT.jpg
| name=The God Who Wasn't There
| director=]
| image=The God Who Wasn't There DVD cover.jpg
| writer=] | starring=] (narration)<br>]<br>]<br>]<br>]<br>]<br>]<br>]<br>]
| producer=]<br>] | director=]
| writer=Brian Flemming
| distributor=]
| starring=Brian Flemming (narration)<br />]<br />]<br />]<br />]<br />]<br />]<br />Scott Butcher<br />Ronald Sipus
| released=], ]
| producer=Brian Flemming<br />]
| distributor=Beyond Belief Media<br />Microcinema International
| released={{Film date|2005|05|21}}
| runtime=62 mins | runtime=62 mins
| language=English | language=]
| imdb_id=0455507
}} }}
'''''The God Who Wasn't There''''' is a 2005 ] ] written and directed by ]. The documentary questions the ], examining evidence that supports the ] against the existence of a ], as well as other aspects of Christianity.<ref>{{cite news | url = http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/g/a/2006/02/13/findrelig.DTL&type=printable | title = Finding my religion | author = David Ian Miller | newspaper = ] | date = 2006-02-13}}</ref>
<!-- see talk page for a copyright disclaimer -->
'''''The God Who Wasn't There''''' is a 2005 ] written and directed by ] which questions the ] and examines evidence that supports the ] argument against the existence of a ].<ref name="FindingMyReligion">{{cite news | url = http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/g/a/2006/02/13/findrelig.DTL&type=printable | title = Finding my religion | author = David Ian Miller | publisher = ] | date = 2006-02-13}}</ref>


==Overview== ==Overview==
===Christ myth theory===
Statements made by Flemming and interviewees in ''The God Who Wasn't There'' include the following:
Most of the film is a presentation of the argument for the ]. Flemming and those he interviews in the film make these claims:
* The history of Christianity, especially the doctrine of the earliest Christians, is consistent with Jesus having been a mythical character, with historical details only added on later.
* The ], which were written before the ], show no awareness on the part of the author that Jesus had recently lived. Paul mentions only the ], the ], and the ], presenting them occurring in a mythic realm rather than an earthly one.
* The ], suggesting that the Jesus character was inspired by similar forebears, divorced from any tangible experience on Earth.
* Other details of the Jesus biography offered in the Gospels have precedent in earlier writings of ]: for example, the ] appears directly inspired by a nearly identical story in the ].


===Other criticisms of Christianity===
*The divine ] was based on older, ] "savior figures" such as ], ], ], ], ], ] and ], arguing that these figures shared most of a set of key characteristics with Jesus, including ] on December 25, being killed on a cross or tree, being visited by Magi from the East, riding donkeys into the city, being betrayed for 30 pieces of silver, etc. Flemming accuses Christian leaders of being reluctant to teach early church history because it supports, rather than debunks, the idea that ] rather than a historic personage.
Besides defending the Jesus myth hypothesis, the film criticizes some other aspects of Christianity:
* Flemming argues that moderate Christianity makes even less sense than a fundamentalist interpretation of Christian doctrine, asserting that the Bible contains many messages incompatible with toleration of non-Christians who reject Jesus as the ] of Christian doctrine and must therefore be regarded by Christians as damned.
* Flemming sees God's demand that people believe in him or be damned as essentially mind control. He interprets {{sourcetext|source=Bible|version=King James|book=Mark|chapter=3|verse=29}} and ] as ] anyone who doubts the existence of the ]. He is appalled by the notion that Jesus will forgive murder, theft, and any other sin but not this type of disbelief.
* Because Jesus knows people's innermost thoughts, and that therefore one must police one's thoughts to avoid any doubt, Flemming summarizes this idea with the statement that the greatest sin in fundamentalist Christianity is "to think."
* Flemming asserts that Christians have historically been obsessed with blood sacrifice, and illustrates this viewpoint by pointing out that ]'s 2004 film '']'', which contains very few scenes that do not feature graphic violence or suffering, was more financially successful than any previous film about Jesus.
* The film references poll results indicating that 44% of Americans believe, to some degree, ], and that this sort of thinking is not conducive to long-term governmental policies.


==Interviews and commentary==
*Christianity's global success is based on its claim to historical accuracy, as compared to most other mythologies, which exist in the realm of metaphor and moral parable, such as those of the ancient Greeks, who did not claim that Zeus walked the earth thousands of years ago, or the followers of Mithras or ], who never claimed to have documentary proof of the physical existence of their gods. Flemming argues that Christianity bases its claim to moral authority on the assertion that God placed his own essence on Earth at a particular time and place, which can be documented, and that the evidence typically offered for this does not withstand close scrutiny.
Several notable personalities make appearances in the documentary:
* Scott Butcher is the creator of the Rapture Letters.com website.
* ] is an atheist activist and scholarly writer on the Christ Myth Theory, who holds a PhD in ancient history from ].
* ] was an ] and ]. Until his death shortly after being interviewed for the documentary, he was Professor of Folklore and Anthropology at the University of California, Berkeley.
* ] ], philosopher, and author of '']'', '']'', and '']''.
* ] and ] are the founders of ].
* ] is Professor of Biblical Criticism at the ]'s ].<ref name=student>, Secular Student Alliance, accessed April 15, 2010.</ref>
* Ronald Sipus, principal of ], which Brian Flemming attended as a youth. Sipus walked out of the interview, accusing Flemming of misrepresenting himself and his reasons for the interview.


The following only appear on the DVD's commentary track:
*The letters of ], which were written before the ], omit most of the events from the traditional life of Jesus, which Flemming argues Paul would never have omitted from his arguments unless he had never heard of them. Flemming asserts that Paul mentions only the ], the ], and the ], and presents them as having occurred in a mythic realm, rather than an Earthly one.
* ] is an ] and science writer who has argued for atheism, such as in his book '']''.
* ] is a contemporary advocate of the Jesus Myth theory and author of '']''.
* The Raving Theist is a lawyer and former atheist blogger, who has since converted to Christianity.<ref>, , December 22, 2008.</ref>


Among the Christians shown in the film were attendees at a ] Crusade event at the ] in ], ] on November 18, 2004.
*Jesus's life as a living person can be disproven by the fact that Paul seemed unaware of Jesus's life despite writing shortly after Jesus was supposed to have died, with Jesus's biography first provided by the Gospels of Mark, John, Matthew, and Luke, written around the end of the first century A.D. The film suggests that modern Christians aren't taught about early history of their religion because doing so would call the historicity of Jesus into question.


== Reception ==
*Moderate Christianity makes even less sense than a fundamentalist interpretation of Christian doctrine, because the Bible contains many messages incompatible with toleration of non-Christians, particularly Jews, who reject Jesus as a savior and are therefore damned.


=== Critical reviews ===
*God's demand that people believe in him or be damned to eternity in hell as essentially mind control. He is appalled that Jesus will forgive murder, theft, and any other sin but will not tolerate one doubting in God's existence. Because Jesus knows peoples' innermost thoughts, and that therefore one must police one's thoughts to avoid any doubt, Flemming summarizes this idea with the statement that the greatest sin in Christianity is "to think."


A reviewer for ''Impose Magazine'' wrote that the film "poses some serious questions" and said, "if nothing else, this film should be recognized as an important addition to the study of ]. Film scholars should take note. This is an idiosyncratic film that weaves the arc of Flemming's transition from a religious life to a non-religious life into the larger questions surrounding the dilemma of a 'belief in God.' It's a bold undertaking and he pulls it off."<ref>{{cite magazine |url= http://www.imposemagazine.com/music/film-review-the-god-who-wasnt-there |author= Happel, Anthony Mark |date= November 28, 2011 |title= Film Review: ''The God Who Wasn't There'' |magazine= Impose Magazine |access-date= December 18, 2015}}</ref>
*] deliberately emphasized the graphic violence and suffering in his film, '']''. Flemming quotes a number of scenes from the film, and a running tally of depictions of violence, suffering or bloodshed is shown. Flemming sees the success of ''The Passion Of The Christ'' as evidence that Christian audiences do not deplore, but rather revel, in the bloody, violent or even sadistic undertones of the Jesus myth.


Jason Buchanan, in a '']'' review summary, thought that the documentary "attempts to do for religion what ]'s '']'' did for the fast-food industry" with a "bold quest to seek answers to the difficult questions that few are willing to pose... From the ignorance of many contemporary Christians as to the origin of their religion to the striking similarities between Jesus Christ and the deities worshipped by ancient pagan cults and the Christian obsession with blood and violence, this faith-shaking documentary explores the many mysteries of the Christian faith as never before."<ref>{{cite news |last= Buchanan |first= Jason |title= The God Who Wasn't There (2005) |url= https://www.nytimes.com/movies/movie/331933/The-God-Who-Wasn-t-There/overview |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20140812105055/http://www.nytimes.com/movies/movie/331933/The-God-Who-Wasn-t-There/overview |url-status= dead |archive-date= 2014-08-12 |department= Movies & TV Dept. |work= ] |date= 2014 |access-date= December 18, 2015}}</ref>
*Nearly half of Americans believe, to some degree, that the ], or the ], will occur in their lifetime (the next 30 or 40 years), and that this sort of thinking is not conducive to long-term governmental policies.


=== Responses and controversy ===
== Appearances ==
In ''Christian Communications Worldwide'' Susan Verstraete offers four criticisms of Brian Flemming's arguments.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Verstraete|first1=Susan|title=Brian Flemming's The God Who Wasn't There A Critical Review|url=http://www.ccwtoday.org/article/brian-flemings-the-god-who-wasnt-there-a-critical-review/|website=Christian Communications Worldwide|date=9 April 2005 |access-date=June 8, 2015}}</ref>
*Several notable personalities make appearances in the documentary:
**Scott Butcher is the creator of the website.
**] is a philosopher and historian studying ancient science at Columbia University in New York, where he received a Master's degree in ancient history. His articles have been published in ''The History Teacher'', '']'' and ''The Encyclopedia of the Ancient World''. He served as editor-in-chief of the Secular Web for several years. His latest book is ''Sense and Goodness Without God''.
**] was an ] and ]. Until his death shortly after being interviewed for the documentary, he was Professor of Folklore and Anthropology at the University of California, Berkeley. In ], he became the first American to win the Pitre Prize's Sigillo d'Oro, the top international prize in ] and ]. His books include ''Holy Writ as Oral Lit: The Bible as Folklore'', ''The Morphology of North American Indian Folktales'', and ''Folklore Matters''.
**] is a researcher into the ] of religious belief, and author of '']'' and '']''.
**] and ] are the founders of ], a website that explores, confirms, and debunks ], Internet hoaxes, and other popular beliefs.
**] is Professor of Biblical Criticism at the Center for Inquiry Institute. His books include ''Beyond Born Again'', ''Deconstructing Jesus'' and ''The Incredible Shrinking Son of Man''.
**Ronald Sipus, principal of ], which Brian Flemming attended as a youth. During the interview, Sipus accused Flemming of misrepresenting himself and the reasons for the interview, and walked out.


First, the comparison of Galileo's difficulties with the Catholic Church with arguments about the existence of Jesus are a ''non sequitur''. "t’s like saying that because your dentist isn’t an expert on small engine repair, your family doctor probably can’t diagnose ]."
*The following only appear on the DVD's commentary track:
**] is an eminent ] ] and popular science writer. His best-selling books include '']'', '']'', and '']''. Dawkins is a staunch ] and an established critic of ].
**] is a modern pioneer of the Jesus Myth theory. His 1999 book '']'' lays out evidence for a mythical Christ.
**The Raving Atheist is a lawyer and atheist blogger read widely in the ].


Second, to assert that "Christianity" is responsible for things like the "], ], ] and other unbalanced, psychotic people who claimed to be doing God’s will" is a '']''&mdash; "an inference about ''all'' Christians on the basis of a poorly selected sample."
The Christians shown in the film were attendees at a ] Crusade event at the ] in ], ] on ], ].


Third, Flemming exaggerates the gap between the traditional date of Jesus' death and the composition of the Gospels, and picks and chooses elements from various mythologies to "prove that Jesus was a compilation of 'dying and rising god' myths."
==Criticism==
The film has been criticized by conservative Christian groups like ], which has taken issue with its scholarship.<ref name="FindingMyReligion" />


Fourth, she says that Flemming argues "] never believed that Jesus was a physical human being" because he "never quotes Jesus or talks about Jesus’ early life." In reply she says "Paul’s letters are not meant to introduce Christ to a new audience, and so understandably don’t reiterate the stories of the Gospels," and in addition she cites verses from the ] that do reference the humanity of Jesus.
Criticism has been leveled at the claim that Jesus was based Mithras. Some argue, for instance, that the Roman Mithras cult was in fact been influenced by Christianity and that Mithras did not share attributes such as a December 25 virgin birth, or twelve disciples, and that those attributes that are shared are attributable to all religious figures.<ref name="jesus-is-not-a-mithras-redux">{{cite web | url = http://christopherbutler.wordpress.com/2006/10/07/jesus-is-not-a-mithras-redux/|title=Jeus is not a Mithras redux|work=An analysis of Jesus vs Mithras}}</ref>


==Blasphemy Challenge==
Critic ], observed "... no major or well-known scholars are interviewed" and that, in conclusion "... film is a rehashing of the same hypercritical skepticism that has failed to convince even most skeptical scholars for decades."<ref name="Licona">{{cite web | url = http://www.answeringinfidels.com/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=87 | title = A Review of Brian Flemming's DVD "The God Who Wasn't There" | first = Mike | last = Licona | date = 2007-12-09}}</ref> Reviewer Cliff Vaughn of ethicsdaily.com criticized Flemming for characterizing all Christians by associating them with extremists who burn books, likening his approach to that of filmmaker ] by accusing Fleming of "relying on oversimplification for cheap laughs." Vaughn disputes Flemming's claim that the ] was not a perversion of Christianity, but an expression of it. Vaughn also criticizes Flemming for characterizing Jesus by a quote by him in ] 19:27, "But those enemies of mine who did not want me to be king over them—bring them here and kill them in front of me," by pointing out that in that passage, Jesus is telling a parable about the Ten Minas, and attributing that statement to the king in the story.
In December 2006, the atheist organization ] announced it would give free DVDs of the film to the first 1,001 people who participated in the ], an Internet-based project encouraging atheists to declare themselves publicly.<ref> Official site accessed on February 18, 2007</ref>

Flemming has responded to this criticism by claiming that Jesus often used parables to illustrate his own beliefs, and that in the parable in question, the King is obviously meant to be a stand-in for Jesus himself, in order to illustrate his view of those who disagree with him. Flemming has responded to some of his criticisms on the FAQ page of the film's official website.<ref name="faq">{{cite web | url = http://www.thegodmovie.com/faq.php|title=FAQ|work=The God Who Wasn't There's official website}}</ref>


==See also== ==See also==
* ] * '']''
* ] * ]
* '']''
* '']''


== References == ==References==
{{Reflist|32em}}
<references/>


==External links== ==External links==
*{{IMDb title|0455507}}
*
* interview with Brian Flemming by ''Christianity Today''
* {{imdb title|id=0455507|title=The God Who Wasn't There}}
* by Apologetics Coordinator at the North American Mission Board ]
*
**
*

{{Christ myth theory|state=expanded}}
{{Authority control}}


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Latest revision as of 23:52, 15 September 2024

2005 film by Brian Flemming
The God Who Wasn't There
Directed byBrian Flemming
Written byBrian Flemming
Produced byBrian Flemming
Amanda Jackson
StarringBrian Flemming (narration)
Sam Harris
Richard Carrier
Alan Dundes
Barbara Mikkelson
David P. Mikkelson
Robert M. Price
Scott Butcher
Ronald Sipus
Distributed byBeyond Belief Media
Microcinema International
Release date
  • May 21, 2005 (2005-05-21)
Running time62 mins
LanguageEnglish

The God Who Wasn't There is a 2005 independent documentary written and directed by Brian Flemming. The documentary questions the existence of Jesus, examining evidence that supports the Christ myth theory against the existence of a historical Jesus, as well as other aspects of Christianity.

Overview

Christ myth theory

Most of the film is a presentation of the argument for the Christ myth theory. Flemming and those he interviews in the film make these claims:

Other criticisms of Christianity

Besides defending the Jesus myth hypothesis, the film criticizes some other aspects of Christianity:

  • Flemming argues that moderate Christianity makes even less sense than a fundamentalist interpretation of Christian doctrine, asserting that the Bible contains many messages incompatible with toleration of non-Christians who reject Jesus as the Savior of Christian doctrine and must therefore be regarded by Christians as damned.
  • Flemming sees God's demand that people believe in him or be damned as essentially mind control. He interprets Mark 3:29 and similar passages as damning anyone who doubts the existence of the Holy Spirit. He is appalled by the notion that Jesus will forgive murder, theft, and any other sin but not this type of disbelief.
  • Because Jesus knows people's innermost thoughts, and that therefore one must police one's thoughts to avoid any doubt, Flemming summarizes this idea with the statement that the greatest sin in fundamentalist Christianity is "to think."
  • Flemming asserts that Christians have historically been obsessed with blood sacrifice, and illustrates this viewpoint by pointing out that Mel Gibson's 2004 film The Passion of the Christ, which contains very few scenes that do not feature graphic violence or suffering, was more financially successful than any previous film about Jesus.
  • The film references poll results indicating that 44% of Americans believe, to some degree, that Jesus will come back to Earth in their lifetime, and that this sort of thinking is not conducive to long-term governmental policies.

Interviews and commentary

Several notable personalities make appearances in the documentary:

The following only appear on the DVD's commentary track:

Among the Christians shown in the film were attendees at a Billy Graham Crusade event at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California on November 18, 2004.

Reception

Critical reviews

A reviewer for Impose Magazine wrote that the film "poses some serious questions" and said, "if nothing else, this film should be recognized as an important addition to the study of Gibson's masterwork. Film scholars should take note. This is an idiosyncratic film that weaves the arc of Flemming's transition from a religious life to a non-religious life into the larger questions surrounding the dilemma of a 'belief in God.' It's a bold undertaking and he pulls it off."

Jason Buchanan, in a New York Times review summary, thought that the documentary "attempts to do for religion what Morgan Spurlock's Super Size Me did for the fast-food industry" with a "bold quest to seek answers to the difficult questions that few are willing to pose... From the ignorance of many contemporary Christians as to the origin of their religion to the striking similarities between Jesus Christ and the deities worshipped by ancient pagan cults and the Christian obsession with blood and violence, this faith-shaking documentary explores the many mysteries of the Christian faith as never before."

Responses and controversy

In Christian Communications Worldwide Susan Verstraete offers four criticisms of Brian Flemming's arguments.

First, the comparison of Galileo's difficulties with the Catholic Church with arguments about the existence of Jesus are a non sequitur. "t’s like saying that because your dentist isn’t an expert on small engine repair, your family doctor probably can’t diagnose chickenpox."

Second, to assert that "Christianity" is responsible for things like the "Spanish Inquisition, Charles Manson, David Koresh and other unbalanced, psychotic people who claimed to be doing God’s will" is a hasty generalization— "an inference about all Christians on the basis of a poorly selected sample."

Third, Flemming exaggerates the gap between the traditional date of Jesus' death and the composition of the Gospels, and picks and chooses elements from various mythologies to "prove that Jesus was a compilation of 'dying and rising god' myths."

Fourth, she says that Flemming argues "Paul never believed that Jesus was a physical human being" because he "never quotes Jesus or talks about Jesus’ early life." In reply she says "Paul’s letters are not meant to introduce Christ to a new audience, and so understandably don’t reiterate the stories of the Gospels," and in addition she cites verses from the Epistles that do reference the humanity of Jesus.

Blasphemy Challenge

In December 2006, the atheist organization Rational Response Squad announced it would give free DVDs of the film to the first 1,001 people who participated in the Blasphemy Challenge, an Internet-based project encouraging atheists to declare themselves publicly.

See also

References

  1. David Ian Miller (2006-02-13). "Finding my religion". SF Gate.
  2. Advisory Board, Secular Student Alliance, accessed April 15, 2010.
  3. Christ is the Lord, The Raving Theist, December 22, 2008.
  4. Happel, Anthony Mark (November 28, 2011). "Film Review: The God Who Wasn't There". Impose Magazine. Retrieved December 18, 2015.
  5. Buchanan, Jason (2014). "The God Who Wasn't There (2005)". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. Archived from the original on 2014-08-12. Retrieved December 18, 2015.
  6. Verstraete, Susan (9 April 2005). "Brian Flemming's The God Who Wasn't There A Critical Review". Christian Communications Worldwide. Retrieved June 8, 2015.
  7. The Blasphemy Challenge Official site accessed on February 18, 2007

External links

Christ myth theory
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