God’s Not Dead 2 parents guide

God’s Not Dead 2 Parent Guide

This courtroom drama blows things a little out of proportion, but it does ask an interesting question: "If you were on trial for being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you?"

Overall B

A teacher (Melissa Joan Hart) who makes religious comments in her classroom finds herself in court with the future of her career in jeopardy.

Release date April 1, 2016

Violence B+
Sexual Content A
Profanity A
Substance Use A

Why is God’s Not Dead 2 rated PG? The MPAA rated God’s Not Dead 2 PG for some thematic elements

Run Time: 121 minutes

Official Movie Site

Parent Movie Review

“If you were on trial for being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you?” That’s the sort of question that gets asked in a Sunday School class to motivate participants to reflect upon their personal expressions of faith. It really isn’t the sort of situation one would expect to face in a court of law, especially in a country that professes to champion freedom of religion and freedom of speech. Yet in this fictional movie, that is the exact predicament the main character finds herself.

Grace Wesley (Melissa Joan Hart) is a high school teacher facing legal action because she mentioned Jesus and The Bible during a history lesson. It is true that Grace answered the direct question of a student (Hayley Orrantia) about the religious figure and quoted his words while engaged in a discussion about passive resistance. Gandhi and Martin Luther King were mentioned too, but it is only her comments about Jesus that the seventeen-year-old girl’s parents (Maria Canals-Barrera and Carey Scott) take exception to. Their outrage turns into formal charges against the teacher for “preaching and proselytizing” in the classroom. If found guilty, Grace stands to lose her job, her livelihood and her credentials.

The courtroom drama that follows might be accused of blowing things a little out of proportion too. While the scriptwriters claim to have used real cases for their inspiration (a list of their sources appears in the closing credits), some melodramatic elements have been included in this presentation, such as an evil prosecutor (Ray Wise), prejudice witnesses (Robin Givens, Natalie Canerday) and a biased judge (Ernie Hudson). Grace’s council (Jesse Metcalfe) is an inexperienced lawyer, creating a David and Goliath scenario. And when experts testify in the defendant’s behalf (like J. Warner Wallace who really is the author of Cold-Case Christianity), the witness box feels a bit like a pulpit.

However, the film’s good intentions are felt in the depiction of Grace. Despite being publicly judged, facing community criticism and even feeling like her God has forsaken her, this professed Christian holds onto her faith. With the exception of some verbal harassment and augmentative dialogue, the film is devoid of the usual content objections.

There is never any doubt how the trial will end—the title of the movie affirms its conclusion. And it is pretty obvious the film is preaching to the choir. (If you aren’t part of that group, it is unlikely this story will prompt you to change your tune.) Yet for sympathetic viewers, waiting for Grace to receive her miracle will provide some time to ponder a few personal questions like: What kind of commitment do I feel for the things I profess to believe? Does my conviction show? How do I feel about the statement, “God’s not dead”?

Directed by Harold Cronk. Starring Jesse Metcalfe, David A.R. White, Ray Wise. Running time: 121 minutes. Theatrical release April 1, 2016. Updated

God’s Not Dead 2
Rating & Content Info

Why is God’s Not Dead 2 rated PG? God’s Not Dead 2 is rated PG by the MPAA for some thematic elements

Violence: Characters deal with grief over the loss of a loved one. Parents and children argue over religious differences. A father smacks his son in the face. Verbal arguments occur. Courtroom debate is depicted. Protesters shout angrily. Characters are mocked, threatened and bullied for expressing their opinions or beliefs.

Sexual Content: None Noted.

Language: None Noted.

Alcohol / Drug Use: None Noted.

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God’s Not Dead 2 Parents' Guide

How do you feel about religion in public schools? Is there an appropriate place for discussions about faith to occur? How might a policy enforcing only unbiased information to be presented be its own form of bias?

Is it possible to defend the rights of freedom of religion and freedom of speech without having to allow others with opposing ideologies to your own to also be allowed to express their points of view? Why does a quest for tolerance and open-mindedness sometimes lead to intolerance and close-mindedness? Why do some ideas become old-fashioned and out of style, while other gain popularity?

 

News About "God’s Not Dead 2"

From The Studio: Welcome back to Hope Springs ... home not only of Hadleigh University, but also Martin Luther King Jr. High School, where beloved teacher Grace Wesley helps students understand and enjoy history. Her love of teaching, her love for her students, and her love of life all come from the same place: her love of Christ. So when Brooke, a hurting student grieving the loss of her brother, reaches out to Grace, their coffee-shop conversation naturally leads to Grace sharing the hope she finds in Christ. When Brooke later asks an honest question about Jesus in the classroom, Grace's reasoned response lands her in big trouble-almost before she even finishes giving her answer. With the principal and superintendent joining forces with a zealous civil liberties group, Grace faces an epic court case that could cost her the career she loves and expel God from the classroom-and the public square-once and for all! - Written by Pure Flix Entertainment

Home Video

The most recent home video release of God’s Not Dead 2 movie is August 16, 2016. Here are some details…

Home Video Notes: God’s Not Dead 2
Release Date: 16 August 2016
God’s Not Dead 2 releases to home video (DVD) with the following extras:
- Deleted Scenes
- Man, Myth, Messiah with Rice Broocks
- Between Heaven and Hollywood with David A.R. White
- Visual Effects of God’s Not Dead 2
- Filming in Arkansas
- First Liberty
- Trailers

Related home video titles:

This film is the sequel to God’s Not Dead. In the 1960 film Inherit the Wind, the opposite side of this argument is depicted: A biology teacher is taken to court for teaching Darwin’s Theory of Evolution instead of The Bible in the classroom. Another teacher tries to prove the reality of Jesus Christ in his classroom in the film, The Investigator. In Mr. Holland’s Opus, a public school teacher finds himself having to defend the right to arts education when his music program is cancelled.