HOLLYWOOD'S TOP 12 CHRISTIANS?

I didn't know there were 12 Christians in Hollywood! (Just kidding.) According to beliefnet, here's the list (and here's the article from FOXNews). I wish there was a bigger Christian presence in Hollywood, but I suspect it is hard work to stick to one's faith in that godless industry. For those who keep it real, I tip my hat. See some video here.

1. Mel Gibson 40% - despite all his problems (which I definitely DON'T like, e.g., his DUI, his arrogance, his womanizing, his anti-Semitism - all of these are serious problems, in my opinion), I still like him. For "Braveheart" and "The Passion of the Christ," I shall be eternally grateful.

2. Tyler Perry 14% - African-American director, writer, producer, actor

3. Patricia Heaton 4% - outspoken former Catholic, now an evangelical Protestant; was Raymond's wife on "Everybody Loves Raymond." I like both her acting and what she stands for publically. Involved with "Feminists for Life," a pro-life organization.

4. Denzel Washington 24% - We all know this dude, the king of cool. I love his movies. Didn't know he claimed to be a Chrstian.

5. Ralph Winter 2% - lots of movie credits (search for him at IMDB); producer of "The Screwtape Letters," (in pre-production)

6. Angela Bassett 2% - famous African-American actress; didn't know she claims to be a Christian

7. Martin Sheen 7% - we know this guy; I think of him as your typical Hollywood wacko, know-nothing, liberal nut-case.

8. Martha Williamson 4% - wrote teleplays for "Touched By An Angel"

9. Kristin Chenoweth 0% - actress; was in "The Pink Panther" with Steve Martin; some of the images I found of her on Google stretched the definition of "Christian;" I admit though, I can see why people think she's hot. Didn't know she claims to be a Christian, though.

10. Philip Anschutz 3% - he made "Holes," "Because of Winn-Dixie," and "A Sound of Thunder;" also purchased rights to Narnia books; attends an Evangelical Presbyterian Church (EPC)

11. Howard Kazanjian - Executive producer for "Raiders of the Lost Ark" and producer of "Return of the Jedi"

12. Scott Derrickson - director of "The Exorcism of Emily Rose"

I'm embarrassed to admit that I didn't know who most of these people were!

More Reviews of "God's Warriors"

More reviews of CNN's "God's Warriors." Brian Lowry of Variety TV writes:

That said, given the overheated rhetoric that characterizes the discourse surrounding the "war on terror," such contextual analysis is sorely needed -- highlighting the fear that prompts religious orthodoxies to lash out at modern society, while reminding us that no major religion is unpolluted by dangerous zealotry.

"...no major religion is unpolluted by dangerous zealotry." Of course, we could also say "no major ideology is unpolluted by dangerous zealotry," or "no major population group" or "no major region of the world" or "no major historical period" or ... you get the picture. Read his whole review here.

"All told, it's a welcome departure from cable news' baser instincts, where predators, missing women and kids, and celebrity foibles command centerstage on a daily basis, with scant time devoted to the expensive, theoretically ratings-deflating proposition of providing a wider window onto the world."

Here, here! Very true. If I hear any more about Lindsay Lohan's alcoholism, I'm going to vomit. I may have disagreements with Amanpour's presentation, but at least we had some intellectually stimulating television to watch.

Ted West of "The Naked Conservative" calls Amanpour a "female Michael Moore." Ouch.

Barry Garron of Yahoo!News asks questions Amanpour does not answer:

What Amanpour doesn't do -- and what needs to be done -- is to point out the contrasts among these groups [Jews, Muslims, Christians]. Do they all have the same strength within their religions? Do they receive support, tacit or otherwise, from governments? Do they plan to achieve their aims peacefully? Are they, in fact, God's warriors, or are they more like God's missionaries?

A good review, but I can't get a link to work. Ted West (above) links to it.

I think even disinterested secularists get the point. When comparing Jews, Muslims, and Christians, there are major, major differences, despite surface similarities.

God's Warriors?

Last night concluded the final installment of Christiane Amanpour's series on CNN entitled "God's Warriors." Tuesday night she explored "God's Jewish Warriors," Wednesday night was "God's Muslim Warriors," and last night was "God's Christian Warriors." I watched the first and last episodes, but missed the middle one. Thankfully, there is an encore presentation starting Friday, Aug. 24 through Sunday, Aug. 26, at 9 p.m. ET. (Check the CNN TV schedule.)

Unfortunately, despite Ms. Amanpour's seemingly best efforts, bias abounds. I wondered why she excluded "God's Hindu Warriors," for militant Hinduism is certainly on the rise. She also excluded "The Anti-God Warriors: Secularists;" that would have been an interesting expose. Aren't secularists on a crusade to rid the public square of all references to religion? Is the ACLU a docile, tame, organization? What about "The Economic Warriors: Communists." Both of these movements are also quite militant, or at least we could say they have their militant elements. I also noticed that only the "conservative" wings of these movements were considered warriors, as if being liberal disqualifies a person from being militant. But wouldn't Gene Robinson, the gay bishop in New England, be considered "militant," since he is taking the church in a radically different direction?

Aside from the obligatory reference at the beginning to rabid killers of abortionists (who speak for no sizeable block of Christendom), Amanpour essentially spent her time on "God's Christian Warriors" examining various conservative religious groups who were attempting to motivate a voting block. I kept thinking, "All this is legal! Why is she focusing on an example of 'democracy in action'?" I thought it was quite unfair to draw a moral equvalency between, on the one hand, Jewish settlers in occupied territories who violate both Israeli and international law, and Islamic jihadists who are training to wage war on all infidels, and, on the other hand, conservative evangelical Christians who are working very hard to accomplish their political/cultural goals within the American political system. One thing should have been very clear: given her definition of "warriors," among Christians, THERE ARE NONE. Hmmm....

What do my readers think?