Secular films about Christianity for Holy Week

Bill Knight column for Thurs., Fri., or Sat., March 29, 30 or 31, 2018

This Holy Week, the motion picture “Paul, Apostle of Christ” starring James Faulkner and Jim Caviezel is scheduled to be released and a new, live version of Jesus Christ: Superstar: with John Legend is scheduled Easter Sunday. Other theatrical films about Christianity range from Sherwood Pictures’ “Fireproof” and “Courageous” to the Erwin brothers’ “I Can Only Imagine” to the relatively inferior “Left Behind” efforts based on Jerry Jenkins’ and Tim LaHaye’s novels; and online movies such as “Dear Viola” and “God’s Not Dead” from Pureflix.com

Of course, faithful filmgoers should no more limit their viewing to such sermonizing movies than readers should reject independent booksellers to exclusively shop at Christian bookstores. Value can be found in numerous places – even multiplexes or home screens, where many thoughtful, reverent films are available.

“If we think of theology as rooted in story, it should come as no surprise that some of the most profoundly theological works of the past century have been movies,” writes Theresa Sanders in her book “Celluloid Saints: Images of Sanctity.”

Movie fans who enjoy stories featuring elements of faith have plenty of choices beyond obligatory spring showings of “The Ten Commandments”: “Ben Hur”; “Hail Mary”; “Jesus of Nazareth”; “Joan of Arc”; “Maximilian: Saint of Auschwitz”; “Miracle of The Bells”; “The Nazarin”; “Quo Vadis”; “Risen”; “Romero”; “The Silver Chalice” … Here’s a dozen other top choices:

“Barabbas” (1962). Anthony Quinn has the title role in this well-acted film based on the Gospel episode where Pilate frees the revolutionary instead of Jesus. Here, that haunts Barabbas. Its cast features Jack Palance, Arthur Kennedy and Ernest Borgnine.

“Brother Sun, Sister Moon” (1973). Franco Zeffirelli directed this biography of St. Francis of Assisi, who changes from an Italian soldier to a man surrendering his family’s wealth to devote his life to others. Graham Faulkner stars.

“The Greatest Story Ever Told” (1965). The road from Galilee to Calvary is explored in an all-star treatment starring Max von Sydow as Jesus, with Sidney Poitier, Telly Savalas, John Wayne, Van Heflin, Roddy McDowell, Claude Rains, Angela Lansbury, Jose Ferrer and Charlton Heston.

“Jesus of Montreal” (1989). Nominated for an Academy Award, this drama follows a man (Lothaire Bluteau) directing a Passion Play for a Catholic shrine. While working, the cast is challenged by its members, the community and Christ’s teachings.

“King of Kings” (1961). Director Nicholas Ray’s visual sense is impressive in this version of the Gospels, starring Jeffrey Hunter as Jesus, with Robert Ryan and Rip Torn.

“The Last Temptation of Christ” (1988). Martin Scorsese’s film became controversial because of protests by “Fundamentalists, most of whom had not seen the movie,” according to Religion Newswriters Association president Hiley Ward. But “one theologically trained letter writer in Christian Century magazine claimed it was the best Jesus movie ever made.” Despite its emphasis on Jesus the Son of Man (Willem Dafoe), the movie – based on Nikos Kazantzakis’ book – matter-of-factly depicts Christ’s miracles and message, ending with a confident Jesus accepting crucifixion with joy. It co-stars Barbara Hershey, Harvey Keitel, Harry Dean Stanton and David Bowie.

“Miracle of Our Lady of Fatima” (1952). Based on a true story of three Portuguese kids who in 1917 saw the Virgin Mary, this Oscar-nominated production is inspirational, starring Sherry Jackson, Gilbert Roland and Frank Silvera.

“The Passion of The Christ” (2004). Mel Gibson directed this graphic, moving portrayal of Jesus’ final hours, with James Caviezel as Christ and subtitled dialogue in reconstructed Aramaic. The depiction of His scourging and crucifixion appropriately rates this R (restricted).

“The Reluctant Saint” (1962). This unusual drama is a provocative biography of Giuseppe Desa, a 17th century farm boy who’d grow up to become St. Joseph of Cupertino. Maximilian Schell has the title role, and it features Ricardo Montalban.

“The Robe” (1953) With its sequel “Demetrius and the Gladiators” this epic stars Victor Mature as a slave to Roman tribune Marcellus (Richard Burton), who copes with the Crucifixion and the birth of Christianity. The Oscar-winning film co-stars Jean Simmons, Susan Hayward, Michael Rennie and Debra Paget.

“Song of Bernadette” (1943). Jennifer Jones won an Academy Award for her portrayal of a real-life, 19th century French girl who saw the Virgin Mary and dealt with the ensuing controversy. A moving tribute to faith and courage, it co-stars Lee J. Cobb and Vincent Price.

“Therese” (1986). This biography of Therese Martin shows the 19th century woman fighting to be a cloistered nun and struggling to remain a faithful sister through terrible troubles. Portrayed by Catherine Mouchet, Therese died at age 24 in 189; in 1925 she was canonized as Therese, the Little Flower of Lisieux.

Free-speech argument should work both ways

Bill Knight column for Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday, March 26, 27 or 28

The presence of conservative U.S. Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch, appointed by President Donald Trump, leads many to predict that the court will rule 5-4 in “Janus v. AFSCME” that organized labor can’t collect any fees from workers for whom unions are obligated to negotiate. However, some unionists and even conservative legal scholars say that if the Court decides against labor, unintended consequences could result – some in labor’s favor.

 “Janus” would damage public-sector unions representing police, clerks, nurses, prison guards, food inspectors, etc., by taking resources. The premise brought by Illinois state employee Mark Janus –  as the Chicago Tribune editorialized March 3 – is “forc[ing] someone to pay for the advancement of political positions without his or her consent is incompatible with the First Amendment.”

Of course, workers still have First Amendment rights as individuals, but if that claim prevails, some say it would apply in many other ways. For example: issues at government workplaces could make almost anything a “federal case,” and beyond workplaces, that new understanding of the First Amendment could cause the collapse of many financial transactions now taken for granted.

Courts for decades separated government-as-employer from government-as-civic-authority. Upending that arrangement could cause chaos.

The same reasoning that established the requirement for workers represented by unions to share costs of negotiating pay and benefits lets government act as an employer, not as the state. If that’s struck down, the circumstance arguably returns to the government as government, not a taxpayer-funded employer.

If “money is speech,” as conservatives have declared after the Court’s 5-4 decision in “Citizens United v. the Federal Election Commission” case in 2010, isn’t ANY compulsory contribution an unconstitutional coercion? Today, employers can refuse to bargain on anything except wages, hours and working conditions; discharge workers for “disloyalty”; and require workers to attend meetings attacking unions. Wouldn’t such powers or policies become unconstitutional?

 “All of these practices are vulnerable to First Amendment challenges as government restrictions of workers’ speech,” said Shawn Richman, former organizing director at the American Federation of Teachers. “They become more vulnerable if the Supreme Court rules in ‘Janus’ that every interaction that a union has with a governmental subdivision is inherently political.”

Say a local village worker’s complaint about scheduling is ignored; isn’t that a violation of the First Amendment, which says Americans have the right “to petition the government for a redress of grievances”? If a penitentiary’s supervisor examines corrections officers’ emails, wouldn’t that violate the Fourth Amendment, which protects us against “unreasonable searches”?

In fact, two “friend of the court” briefs filed by conservative voices express concerns with overturning the status quo. Conservatives Robert Post of Yale and Harvard’s Charles Field say ruling against AFSCME would make every employment dispute a Constitutional question and become a precedent that would “unsettle other constitutional doctrines that distinguish between the government as employer (or proprietor) and as sovereign.”

Two other conservative legal minds, William Baude and Eugene Volokh, support labor’s position, arguing that groups require contributions all the time. Americans can’t “opt out” of paying taxes; doctors and lawyers must pay for continuing-education obligations to remain licensed; drivers must buy insurance, etc.

Meanwhile, Operating Engineers Local 150 in Countryside, Ill., suggests First Amendment challenges to laws that prohibit unions from organizing, and also suing to opt out of all political spending, including lobbying – especially activities pushing anti-worker agendas – incurred by government entities, even pension plans that include municipalities.

 “We’re going to immediately respond [if Janus wins] by filing suits to say these laws are unconstitutional,” said Local 150 president James Sweeney. “We’re going to put corporate powers in a position where they’re forced to explain why workers should only have free speech when it serves [corporations].”

Last month, Lincolnshire resident Dixon O’Brien used language from Janus’ case to argue that his tax dollars are being used by organizations that lobby against his interests. He’s suing the Village of Lincolnshire, a member of the Illinois Municipal League, and asking for an injunction on using tax revenue for political or lobbying expenditures. Interestingly, Fried and Post’s brief also cites the precedent established in 2006’s Supreme Court case “Garcetti v. Ceballos,” which gave government “the broad discretion they need to manage their workplaces,” stated in the majority opinion written by Justice Anthony Kennedy – a swing vote in “Janus.”

Finally, if the Supreme Court permits the First Amendment to be used as a bludgeon against unions, would the five possible Justices leaning against AFSCME be so blatantly anti-worker as to allow that ruling to apply only to labor unions?

Is bad news a symptom of a bad diagnosis?

Bill Knight column for Thurs., Fri., or Sat., March 22, 23 or 24, 2018

I had the occasion to recently drive solo in silence from central Illinois to Keosauqua, Iowa, using back roads, and handfuls of bright spots were overshadowed by junk cars, vacant storefronts and abandoned structures. From Raritan, Lomax and Dallas City to Niota, Fort Madison, Donnellson and other towns, a sense of decay hovered like a ready shroud in a hospital.

Is the nation suffering some ailment? Can anything be done or are we slow-walking ourselves to a cultural emergency room or worse?

Many people are personally mostly hopeful. However, when seeing possible symptoms of a terrible (if not terminal) condition, and then doing nothing, we may be witnessing our own mortality, a finality for which we’re complicit if we remain uninvolved.

No amount of Casey’s or Dollar General locations make up for lost local groceries, clothiers, bookstores and so on. Sometimes, there’s LensCrafters, Pearle Vision, Sears Optical, and Sunglass Hut, but they’re all owned by Luxottica, an Italian corporation. Such conglomerates often come from mergers, which seem lucrative for CEOs and stockholders but lousy for society. Besides Office Depot’s purchase of Office Max in 2013, pending or done deals include AT&T and Time Warner, CVS Health and Aetna, Dow and DuPont, Heinz and Kraft, and Monsanto and Bayer.

Some farmers fear that combining Bayer and Monsanto may mean paying higher prices for less choice, and more of the same falling incomes and rising seed prices.

            Big companies are “hollowing out these communities. In Iowa, we've seen half of our seed co-ops close in the last decade. This land is the most productive economically it's ever been, but the communities are thriving the least they've ever thrived,” said Austin Frerick, who ran in the Democratic primary for the 3rd Congressional District in southwest Iowa.

“When we talk about a farm crisis, what we're really talking about a rural community crisis,” he added.

Together with that business climate hurting rural areas and some urban neighborhoods, there’s a half-dozen somber examples that make dysfunctional Washington and Springfield look irrelevant (except for gutting schools and threatening nuclear holocaust):

Mass shootings: There’ve been 18 since the slaughter at the school in Parkland, Fla., and 11 so far this month, according to gunviolencearchive.com. That’s more than anywhere on Earth; little’s done.

Opioids. Few countries suffer from this “epidemic,” perhaps indicating that Americans are more vulnerable or more disturbed than most places, and we surrender to the drugs or seek them as an escape from situations we feel powerless to affect.

Forgetting the elderly. Whether it’s inadequate health care or Social Security, too many older Americans are “discarded,” facing loneliness, homelessness or futures of donning blue vests to work at big-box stores that contribute to communities’ vanishing businesses.

Loss of social bonds. It’s increasingly hard to care for others, and our life expectancy is now 80 years, 43^rd in the world, behind Europe, Canada, Israel and Japan, according to the CIA.

Indifference to the destruction of our country, continuing to work and shop and shelter within our walls as if things don’t merit our outrage and action.

Together, such phenomena infect the body politic. And culture. And society. Maybe even the family. One predictable response is to re-emphasize God in our home, communities and institutions, but He’s here – and has been all along. In Genesis, Jacob says, “The Lord is in this place – and I did not know it!” Poet Elizabeth Barrett Browning wrote, “Earth’s crammed with heaven...”

Nobody’s perfect, but we are His hands and hearts.

Maybe it’s human nature to ignore chronic pain or endure others being treated as trash; maybe that’s too pessimistic, if not treasonous (as Donald Trump might say). But America is no longer a world leader. Let’s hope.

“Should the world follow the American model – extreme capitalism, no public investment, cruelty as a way of life, the perversion of everyday virtue –  then these new social ‘pathologies’ will follow,” commented author Umair Haque, who wrote “Betterness: Economics for Humans” and director of Havas Media Labs. “They are new diseases of the body social that have emerged from the diet of junk food –  junk media, junk science, junk culture, junk punditry, junk economics, people treating one another and their society like junk –

 that America has fed upon for too long.”

Or, maybe winter travel through small towns is a cry for spring, renewed involvement and hope.