Despite the reality that religious institutions enjoy a plethora of benefits, chief among them tax advantages, which secular institutions do not, in right wing/Fox world Christians are being persecuted, by the evil secular government, at a rate not seen since the days of lions v Christians. But just to make sure that Christians know just how persecuted they are, Christian movie makers will be releasing a movie about this egregious oppression on May 9th. The name of the movie is - wait for it - "Persecuted" and its cast includes Fox's very own Christian warrior queen, Gretchen Carlson who plays a TV host. It also includes Fox fabulous (and very Christian) funnyman, Brad Stine who threw the CPAC Christians some sacramental red meat before a very special CPAC screening of the film.
The plot, about Christian victimhood (what else!), is straight out of Fox central casting in that it's about an evil government … "mandating political correctness while covertly waging a war against religious organizations… [and about] the coming storm of persecution that will threaten the moral ethics and freedoms of America." The plot centers around John Luther (hmm, will Catholics buy into that metaphor?) a well respected (?!) evangelist and the last bulwark against a rising tide of government enforced secularism. After his daughter is kidnapped and he is framed for a murder, "an unprecedented era of persecution is unleashed."
The ever cogent Stine told his audience that although Christian conservatives have a "sense of despair," they need not worry because "it's not too late" and that movies like "Persecuted" are "one way conservatives can have a say in the culture wars." His assertion, that he wants to "watch political correctness die in my lifetime" and "watch it suffer," was met with "hearty laughter" from the same Christians who probably reacted the same way back when Ann Coulter "joked" about poisoning a liberal Supreme Court judge. And given the newest Pew polling data on the lack of religiosity in the "millennial" generation, his comment is funny, but in an ironic sense!
Anyway, thanks to Fox News, we have a little trailer that you can - ahem - enjoy!
Plot summary found here.
The guy who played Dexter Morgan’s father is a holy rolling pastor that, despite being set up as not having the trust of the religious community, is aired to more people than the evening news… (plot hole #1)
He’s approached by a guy who’s either supposed to be Bill Clinton or Teddy Kennedy, and told to endorse a bill the Christians are fighting, despite that there’s no way he couldn’t know most US Christians don’t trust him… (plot hole #2)
And, when Pastor Springer (Don’t care what his real name is, I’m calling him that) here stands his ground, the best evil senator can do is frame him for the murder of some random teenage girl, instead of leaning on his show, his sponsors or enforcing his already ill repute… (Plot hole #3)
So, in retalliation, Pastor Springer goes on the run, and spends his time as a fugitive trying to help the person who just framed him for murder, once again throwing out that his reputation is questionable… (plot hole #4, #5, #6)
Shall I keep packing on? I should try my hand at reviewing movies to point out all the holes I picked up off the trailer alone.