From LA Times

How private faith is going public among the African American elite of Hollywood

Last January, in the parking lot of the West Angeles Church of God in Christ, Robi Reed had a moment that propelled her career toward evangelism.

After the Sunday service, Reed, a veteran casting director whose credits include "Antwone Fisher" and "Malcolm X," walked up to fellow churchgoer Denzel Washington and asked after his family. The longtime friends exchanged pleasantries until Reed casually mentioned her latest project. "I'm producing and casting an audio Bible with an African American cast. It's the Old and New Testaments."

Reed remembers that Washington interrupted her, saying, "I have to do it." The Oscar-winning actor didn't talk about lawyers, money, agents or publicists.

"I was trying to be very cool as he said to call his assistant with all the particulars," recalls Reed, a slender woman with waist-length twists. Then she got into her blue BMW, exhaled, screamed a couple of times and began praising the Lord again and again. "I just knew it was the start of something big."

Washington was the first A-list star of more than 200 celebrities--including Samuel L. Jackson as God, Angela Bassett as Esther, Blair Underwood as Jesus and Cuba Gooding Jr. as Judas—--who have lent their voices and acting talents to "Inspired By . . . The Bible Experience," a fully dramatized and scored, 70-hour, audio recording of the Holy Scriptures. The New Testament edition hit stores earlier this month. Washington reads the Songs of Solomon with his wife, Pauletta, for the Old Testament edition, which will be available digitally as early as next year. Why would megastars publicly associate themselves with religion, I wondered? What could they get out of it? The answers revealed something surprising and refreshing about that godless den of iniquity known as Hollywood. READ IT ALL

From the AP

Mel Gibson said in an interview his anti-Semitic tirade last summer may have been set off by criticism of his 2004 movie "The Passion of the Christ" even before its release and by
Israel's war in Lebanon.

In the interview broadcast Friday on ABC's "Good Morning America," Gibson also said he was "ashamed" by his remarks about Jews after his drunken-driving arrest, explaining that "when you're loaded, you know, the balance of how you see things -- it comes out the wrong way."

The interview with Diane Sawyer, parts of which were broadcast Thursday, was the first time Gibson has spoken to the media since sparking a storm after his July arrest. Gibson told the arresting officer: "The Jews are responsible for all the wars in the world," and asked him, "Are you a Jew?"

"Let me be real clear here, in sobriety, sitting here in front of you on national television," Gibson told Sawyer, "I don't believe that Jews are responsible for all the wars in the world. I mean, that's an outrageous, drunken statement."

He said his words may have come from resentment following criticism he received before the release of "The Passion of the Christ." READ IT ALL

[Thanks Misty]

We knew Chuck Norris was a little Christiany, but we didn't know he was this far gone. [via religious freaks]

Read the story here. [Thanks Heather]

Will Farrell from Talledega Nights Pat Boone

Not content offending the musical tastes of billions worldwide, 'musician' and evangelical nutjob Pat Boone is now a regular columnist at WorldnetDaily. As blogger Ed Brayton jokes: "I guess Perry Como was busy." His columns include diverse topics such as "What is an American patriot?" (July 8) and "Are you an American patriot?" (July 1). Here are some of Pat's other highlights:

From Lay off Mel Gibson, for Christ's sake!

I know both individuals personally, Mel and Christ—and my friend Mel is no anti-Semite....

Mel Gibson anti-semitic? Don't make me cry.

Gradually, people are being reminded that he's always been exceedingly ''hyper,'' possibly obsessive-compulsive, wildly energetic and driven, and he's admittedly an addictive personality. ..

[H]e deserves our empathy, the forgiveness for which he has asked abjectly, and our understanding of the all-too-human condition from which he suffers—humanness.

From The ACLU: Malignant—and growing

"Sit down, Mr. Citizen. I hate to tell you this, but I guess the best thing is just to spit it out. You've got cancer.

"And not just a localized cancer, but a malignant, fast-spreading strain of cancer. It's already attacked all your vital organs and is infiltrating through your circulatory system to even your outer extremities. Unless we take every action available to us and attack this disease on all fronts with the strongest possible treatments, you will surely die a painful, lingering, wasting death.[...] Well—whether we realize it or not—you and I are living right now under such a sentence, such a diabolical attack. The disease is called ACLU.

And from Please, leave marriage alone

I feel I'm watching a "reality" version of "Gulliver's Travels," in which a sleeping giant is gradually staked to the ground by little people and rendered helpless while he slumbers....

I do feel we're suffering, as a nation, a moral trichinosis—that little talked-about malady that occurs when worms, gaining entry through poorly cooked pork, infiltrate a person's muscles, gradually sapping strength and weakening the body beyond recovery...

[A]s recently as the 1950s our Supreme Court acknowledged that America is a Christian nation, founded on biblical principles...

[T]he apparent necessity to codify in the Constitution that the institution of marriage is to be confined and defined as a contract between one man and one woman is, to millions of stunned Americans, a very ominous "sign of the times," if not of "the last days" described in the first chapter of Romans in the New Testament.

Anybody who hasn't read that graphic depiction of an "end time" society and still cares what the Bible says should turn there immediately and fasten his seatbelt. It reads like a Gallup poll description of life in America today.

Time to toss out that Pat Boone Christmas record. You can read all of Pat's *inspiring* columns here.

Dr. James Dobson: The Evangelical Pope

From AP via Huffpost

Focus on the Family ministry founder James Dobson spoke in support Thursday of Mel Gibson and his film, "The Passion of the Christ," saying Gibson's drunken tirade during a traffic stop had nothing to do with "one of the finest films of this era."

Gibson, 50, was arrested for drunken driving Aug. 1 in Malibu, Calif., and launched an anti-Semitic rant toward the arresting deputy. Gibson reportedly said, "The Jews are responsible for all the wars in the world," and asked him, "Are you a Jew?"

Dobson said in a statement that "we certainly do not condone that racially insensitive outburst," but added "Mel has apologized profusely for the incident and there the matter should rest."

"Mel has also indicated his willingness to seek help to overcome his alcoholism, and has asked the Jewish community for forgiveness," Dobson said. "What more can he do?"

Gibson has had a troubled relationship with Jewish organizations since his violent 2004 blockbuster about the crucifixion, which some criticized for portraying Jews as responsible for Jesus' death. Supporters, including Dobson, say the movie followed the Gospel story.

"Our endorsement of it stands as originally stated. We did not believe it was anti-Semitic in 2004, and our views have not changed," Dobson said.

Not to be outdone by Mel Gibson's Passion of the Christ or The Da Vinci Code craze, the director of Titanic and Terminator 2 is producing a new documentary called The Exodus Decoded. The documentary hopes to "prove" that the Red Sea actually parted in Old Testament times, allowing the Jews to escape the pharaoh’s army. If Exodus Decoded is successful, maybe Jerry Bruckheimer can produce a documentary proving that Jonah lived inside orca's belly. [From The Sunday Times]:

Volcanic eruption 'triggered biblical parting of Red Sea'
THE greatest story ever told has acquired a Hollywood twist. James Cameron, the director of Titanic, is the executive producer of a new documentary that claims to have uncovered fresh evidence confirming one of the most dramatic episodes in the Old Testament — the parting of the Red Sea and the Jewish exodus from Egypt.

In The Exodus Decoded, a 90-minute documentary that will be shown in America this month, Cameron and Simcha Jacobovici, the Canadian film producer, claim a volcanic eruption on the Greek archipelago of Santorini triggered a chain of natural catastrophes recorded in the Bible as the 10 plagues that God visited upon Egypt as punishment for enslaving the Jews.

Cameron believes the parting of the Red Sea may have been a tsunami that destroyed the pharaoh’s army as it pursued the escaping Jews. The documentary claims the episode occurred not at the Red Sea but at the smaller Sea of Reeds, a marshy area at the northern end of the Gulf of Suez. An underwater earthquake may have released poisonous gases that turned the waters red.

Jacobovici said “the common wisdom is there isn’t a single piece of archeological evidence backing up the biblical story of the exodus”. Jewish scholars have reluctantly concurred that an episode central to their faith — commemorated each year at Passover — may never have taken place.

Yet Cameron and Jacobovici claim to have unearthed more than a dozen archeological relics that suggest the exodus took place three centuries earlier than biblical scholars estimate. By reinterpreting artwork at museums in Luxor, Cairo, Athens and elsewhere, Jacobovici dates the exodus to around 1500BC.

That was about the time when some geologists believe the Santorini volcano, 400 miles north of Egypt, erupted in the eastern Mediterranean. Scientists and historians have long speculated that the 10 “plagues” suffered by Egypt might have been linked in a “domino theory” of natural causes.

Continue reading "Titanic Director Jumps On The Bible Bandwagon" »

Yes, he's on their team now too, along with Kirk Cameron and Lisa Whelchel. [From Arizona Republic via The Right Reverend Rabbi Judah]

Alice Cooper shook the rock world in the 1970s with on-stage beheadings and songs about dead babies; now he's opening a Christian youth center in Phoenix.

The $3 million center Cooper is establishing with Grand Canyon University in Phoenix will be similar to a Boys Club with a school of rock and roll, a concert hall and sports activities -- except all will have a Christian thrust, the Arizona Republic reported Tuesday.

The United States "needs a good hypodermic needle shot of morality," said Cooper, the 58-year-old born-again son of a Christian minister and grandson of an evangelist.

The singer of "Dead Babies," "No More Mr. Nice Guy" and "Welcome to My Nightmare" said the club called The Rock will offer a variety of wholesome activities free of charge to youth ages 12-18.

The project is still in the design stage and Cooper said he's looking to add corporate sponsors to help its funding with an eye toward starting construction next year.

In the fallout following Mel Gibson's bizarre anti-Semitic tirade, a planned miniseries about the Holocaust (which would have been directed by Gibson) has been cancelled. [from NY Times]

On Monday, Hope Hartman, a spokeswoman for Disney’s ABC television network, said the company was dropping its plans to produce a Holocaust-themed miniseries in collaboration with Mr. Gibson.

“Given that it’s been nearly two years and we have yet to see the first draft of a script, we have decided to no longer pursue this project with Icon,” Ms. Hartman said, referring to Mr. Gibson’s production company.

She did not connect the project’s termination to Mr. Gibson’s remarks. But his statements had already attracted sharp criticism from some who argued that he should be disqualified from moving ahead with the series, despite having apologized for several anti-Jewish statements.

“I don’t think he should be doing a film on the Holocaust,” said Rabbi Marvin Hier, founder of the Simon Wiesenthal Center, who had previously criticized what he saw as anti-Semitic overtones in Mr. Gibson’s hit, “The Passion of the Christ.” “It would be like asking someone associated with the K.K.K. to do a movie on the African-American experience.” [read it all]

This begs the question, why would such an obvious anti-Semite want to do a miniseries on the Holocaust anyway? If he gets convicted of a crime, maybe Mel will be reassigned. You know, as a public service advertisement.

The Passsion of the Christ director, Mel Gibson was arrested last night for driving under the influence. Of alcohol, that is, not Jesus. Turns outs, Mel, has "battled the disease of alcoholism for all of [his] adult life." Sounds like he's also battled antisemitism, sexism, and overall creepiness: [From TMZ]

The report says Gibson then launched into a barrage of anti-Semitic statements: "Fucking Jews... The Jews are responsible for all the wars in the world." Gibson then asked the deputy, "Are you a Jew?"

The deputy became alarmed as Gibson's tirade escalated, and called ahead for a sergeant to meet them when they arrived at the station. When they arrived, a sergeant began videotaping Gibson, who noticed the camera and then said, "What the fuck do you think you're doing?"

A law enforcement source says Gibson then noticed another female sergeant and yelled, "What do you think you're looking at, sugar tits?"

If that video becomes public, it's going to have an even bigger audience than his blockbuster, The Passion of the Christ.

We just hope they use the audio track from his Pulp Fiction speech as well:

"The path of the righteous man is beset on all sides by the inequities of the selfish, and the tyranny of evil men. Blessed is he who in the name of charity and goodwill shepherds the weak through the valley of darkness for he is truly his brothers keeper and the finder of lost children..."

Read the article here.