The main controversy over my recent film Apostle Paul: A Polite Bribe, (and my book of the same name) is the use of the word "bribe" in the subtitle. I understand that for many Christians, the books published over the last dozen years such as Jesus Interrupted, Forgery, The End of Faith, and God is not Great or the films like The Da Vinci Code, or more recently the "kabballistic" Noah have put them a bit on the defensive. And a word like "bribe" might only raise another red flag, or perhaps not.
First off, I've learned that trying to change the mind of a fundamentalist is like trying to scrape the paint off a footlocker with a tooth brush. A fact that I had not fully appreciated before the film's promotional tour and DVD release in the US and in UK (my book will be published by WIPF & Stock Cascade Books summer 2014). I was already aware that many Christians assumed the Bible as a divine source -- case closed. What I was surprised about is that exploring content in the actual bible should also be greeted with suspicion.
Read Full Article »