New movie Infidel is not for the weak of heart and not for the extremely holy churchgoer.
Hey there, this is Bishop Joseph Castillo's first blog. I think this may be fun as long as you don't tease me for my typos and grammatical errors. I actually don't like to write much so I type quickly and send it without much fine combing. So don't get caught up on the grammatical semantics.
So, INFIDEL. Organizing a Christian movie is harder than ever, especially when you're a pastor in 2020, lol. The new movie Infidel is a pretty much a real Christian movie but made "realistic" in that it has villains using the type of language that they would actually use.
Not sure if I'll get backlash from it, but I organized a group from our church to celebrate a member's birthday and support this Christian movie endeavor. Its message and work by Dinesh D'souza, American -Indian movie producer make Infidel a timely movie for our generation.
Dinesh is an Evangelical Christian who was arrested and put in jail due to political persecution (much like Roger Stone). He was highlighted for being a right-wing conservative in a selective prosecution, and on May 31, 2018, President Donald Trump granted D'Souza a pardon.
We live in a time when the good are arrested and prosecuted; and rioters, looters, pedophiles, and rapists are let out to roam the streets and continue as repeat offenders. But D'Souza, Stone, and many others thankfully have Trump in the White House to defend those who are fighting (sometimes too hard) for the salvaging of a fallen America.
It was also a breath of fresh air to see Jim Caviezel back on the big screen in a big way. I know, I know, he did the Apostle Paul movie, which was okay. But this movie is a much greater platform. I mean, it was like 15 years ago when The Passion with Caviezel came out, and Mel Gibson told him that if he did this role, he may never get a job in Hollywood again.
"Caviezel claims that accepting the titular role in The Passion of the Christ all but ensured the death of his Hollywood career. In fact, only minutes after Mel Gibson offered him the role of biblical proportions, the director tried to talk him out of it." He said, 'You'll never work in this town again,'"
It almost came to pass, but now on the heels of COVID-19, when there is almost nothing in the theaters to see, BAM! Watch this, America! The uncompromised power of the Gospel manifested in the life of a character who shows us how you can have strong faith yet doubt yourself, and be angry and even swear and punch someone in the name of Jesus under the right circumstance, lol. The movie was great, and if it didn't have the cursing in it, it would not have sold the story. I'm not encouraging anyone to swear, but when you're making a movie for the public and want to have full impact in your message, watering it down may not always be the most effective way.
If you're thinking about taking your church, make sure they are #1 over 18, and secondly, as I did, warn them of what will be in it. I used this website https://www.movieguide.org/reviews/infidel.html
But there's a compelling message in this movie about not compromising, even in the face of death. Today, Christians have become so weak and wrapped up in masks like mummies that the minute some mayor or governor tells you not to go to church or how many can attend your church, you blindly follow it without question. Lockstep obedience can lead to direct defiance of God's command, particularly relevant in these troubled times. Infidel is an on-time movie for a backslid, flaccid-spine 'd Church demographic.