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'The Beast' movie: Jesus didn't exist; Former Christian director's secretive film
WorldNetDaily.com ^ | Tuesday, October 12, 2004 | Ron Strom

Posted on 10/12/2004 2:54:10 AM PDT by JohnHuang2

A movie whose purpose is to prove that Jesus Christ never existed and that demonizes Christian fundamentalists is scheduled to open on June 6, 2006 – that is, 06-06-06, the "666" biblical mark of the Beast.

Directed by Brian Flemming, who is described on the film's website as a "former fundamentalist Christian," "The Beast" promises to spread the theory he claims is "gaining credibility among scholars" – that Jesus was made up out of thin air.

"The authors of the Gospels, writing 40 to 90 years after the supposed life of Christ, never intended for their works to be read as biographies. There are no credible non-Christian references to Christ during the period in which he is said to have lived," states the film's site.

Currently in pre-production, the film's cast and crew are "legally sworn to secrecy," the promotional site says.

Here's how the film's promoters describe its plot:

When her father, a biblical scholar, mysteriously disappears, a Christian high-school student named Danielle investigates. She discovers that he had stumbled across a cover-up of Christianity's best-kept secret: that Jesus Christ never existed.

Now that she possesses proof of this dangerous fact, Danielle must confront two strong forces: a band of fundamentalist Christians who will stop at nothing to suppress the truth, and her own desire for Jesus Christ to be real.

Diving into factual territory well-explored by scholars but largely hidden from the view of the public, "The Beast" is an epic story of innocence lost, faith in crisis and the astonishing power of the truth to survive.

On the trailer, which is viewable on the film's site, ominous music plays while these words flash across the screen: "Centuries ago, a legend was invented… forgery … fraud … coercion … wealth … greed … torture … murder … war … gave it the power to dominate the world." The words are displayed on a background of a painting of Christ's face.

The producers offer a newsletter for those interested in following the making of the movie.

Fleming is touted on the film's website as "internationally acclaimed."

States the site: "Flemming's work has been called 'a parallel universe' by the BBC, 'jaggedly imaginative' by the New York Times, and 'immensely satisfying' by USA Today. The Fox News Channel dubbed him 'a young Oliver Stone.' Flemming won the New York Times Claiborne Pell Award for Original Vision for his groundbreaking feature film 'Nothing So Strange,' which was released theatrically in 2003 and is currently distributed on DVD in more than 200 countries."

Supporters of the film have participated in a discussion forum on the site.

Says one excited poster: "I must say, I highly commend this director for his immense courage on putting something like this out!! The fact that he has the courage to put out a movie about the possibility of Christ never existing after all the controversy surrounding a movie about the LIFE of Christ (well death really) is just amazing!!

"Mad Kudos (and thanks) to EVERYONE involved in the making of this movie and good luck in handling all the 'adverse' reactions!!"

Another participant enthused, "I'm so excited! I can't wait until it's released! This is DEFINITELY the age of Aquarius!!"

Greg Koukl is head of Stand to Reason, a Christian apologetics organization. He says this kind of story line is not unusual among books and movies.

"It always turns out that fundamentalist Christians are the bad guys," he told WorldNetDaily.

"The problem with this is the evidence they draw from is always out on the fringes of academic scholarship" – evidence, he says, that is not even used by the leaders of the leftist Jesus Seminar.

Koukl noted historians that have no affinity for fundamentalist Christianity certainly write about Jesus and his impact on history.

"Nobody is trying to explain the indelible mark of Jesus of Nazareth on history by saying he never existed," he said. "That's way beyond the pale. No credible historian would make that claim. … It's a bizarre statement from an academic perspective."

Koukl wonders what motive anyone would have to invent Jesus and then "fool everybody."

He dismisses "The Beast" promoters' argument that because no non-Christian accounts of Jesus exist from the time of his life, he must be a fictional character.

"It may be the case that only Caesar wrote about the Gaelic wars," he explained, "but just because there are no other writing about the Gaelic wars doesn't mean we can't trust Caesar," mentioning the four Gospels are themselves four separate accounts of Christ's life.

He mentioned there are a "number of historical references to Christ outside Christianity, which buttress the fact he did exist."

Ted Baehr, founder and publisher of MovieGuide and chairman of the Christian Film & Television Commission, predicts "The Beast" will bomb with American moviegoers.

"Generally, these movies do very poorly at the box office," he told WND. "'Saved!' which had a lot of publicity, did about $6 million at the box office. … That's pitiful."

Baehr said bringing the film's contentions into the light of day in the media works well to expose the agenda of its promoters.

"The way you pull the teeth of a false argument is bring up the argument first and show that it's frivolous and fallacious," he said. "Of course it's frivolous. The original apostles wouldn't have gone to their death for Jesus if they didn't believe he was real."

Baehr said, "There is a small group of teenagers who will see ['The Beast'] who will be convinced it is the truth. … It will have an impact on a susceptible few."

One of the film's producers, Amanda Jackson, was contacted for this story but did not respond by press time.




TOPICS: Front Page News; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: fundies; getagrip; movies; stupidfundies; thebeast
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To: fortheDeclaration
The one fact that the historians will not touch is the Resurrection which makes Christianity different then any other religion. We have a risen Saviour, all other religions follow dead teachers. (1Cor.15)

BTTT

2nd Timothy 2:8

Maranatha!

(Romans 10:17).......not by BBC/TV......movies)

21 posted on 10/12/2004 3:17:38 AM PDT by maestro
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To: Uncle Vlad

Josephus, a Jewish historian and non Christian wrote about Jesus.


22 posted on 10/12/2004 3:17:43 AM PDT by shineon
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To: CourtneyLeigh

Yep, I can see how that peace and love thing would really upset people.


23 posted on 10/12/2004 3:18:43 AM PDT by Uncle Vlad
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To: JohnHuang2
G.A. Wells is the leading advocate of the Jesus didn't exist school. Wells is a retired German teacher and wannabe theologian. You can find an analysis of his theory at: http://www.errantskeptics.org/G_A_Wells.htm.
24 posted on 10/12/2004 3:19:20 AM PDT by GarySpFc (Sneakypete, De Oppresso Liber)
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To: Uncle Vlad; hiredhand; Lexinom; Havoc; Indie; Northern Yankee
I'm gonna go see it! I want to know exactly what the enemy of Our Lord is training up innocent teens and young (non-believers) into excepting as okay!

I'd recommend to all, God fearing, Bible believers to see this film, so that they are prepared to give an answer at work, and other times. This is Satans tool, why not keep one up on the ol' serpant, and know some of it's tricks!?

25 posted on 10/12/2004 3:19:56 AM PDT by CourtneyLeigh (Why can't all of America be Commonwealth?)
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To: shineon
Oh, c'mon now, Josephus? You know perfectly well that he wrote nothing but fiction, like that story about Masada. Never happened. (sarcasm off)
26 posted on 10/12/2004 3:20:06 AM PDT by Uncle Vlad
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To: Uncle Vlad
Well, see. You see the peace and love thing. Many who don't go to the Lord;E.G. Atheists, agnostics, and heretics aren't stupid, they are ignoring the light of the Lord, for it shines onto them, showing their sins. It judges them, and gives them a chance to be whole in Christ.

But many people, too many are enjoying "The pleasures of sin for a season" What they don't know, is their season will end before they get a chance to recant their lifestyles!

27 posted on 10/12/2004 3:23:36 AM PDT by CourtneyLeigh (Why can't all of America be Commonwealth?)
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To: CourtneyLeigh
"Secularism" is becoming the religion of the Left. It has a very simple dogma: America is always wrong, big government is the only solution, and the only other religion that secularism tolerates is Islam, because radical Islam hates America, too.
28 posted on 10/12/2004 3:23:49 AM PDT by Uncle Vlad
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To: Uncle Vlad
Don't forget mysticism.

E.G. Eastern Religion (chinese, japanese, india, etc). These are highly accepted and practiced by millions of americans. Even christians.

Yoga, Chinese Good Luck, Eastern Meditation. You'll see it everywhere, it's even in the linen department at your local store. You'll not see any crosses or scriptures or things depicting Christianity, unless you walk into a church or Book Store.

29 posted on 10/12/2004 3:26:56 AM PDT by CourtneyLeigh (Why can't all of America be Commonwealth?)
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To: JohnHuang2
This film would have received high marks in the Stalinist Soviet Union and Red China during the late 40's and the 50's era. It's probably one of the 527 Marxist socialist atheistic Democrat Party fund-raising operatives that's making this possible. Poison the minds of the stupid government 'educated' useful idiots.

Tell a big lie long enough........

30 posted on 10/12/2004 3:27:21 AM PDT by Robert Drobot (God, family, country. All else is meaningless.)
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To: JohnHuang2
There are no credible non-Christian references to Christ during the period in which he is said to have lived

hmmm.. then what about the Roman stories complaining about the man Jesus who was stirring up trouble in Judaea-Galilee and whose followers were doing the same
31 posted on 10/12/2004 3:27:52 AM PDT by Cronos (W2K4)
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To: JohnHuang2

Bump for later!


32 posted on 10/12/2004 3:28:48 AM PDT by ThomasMore (Pax et bonum!)
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To: Casloy
"... I hope Christians ignore it and don't give it publicity it doesn't deserve.

I'm predicting dozens of FR threads about the movie, some of them numbering 3000+ replies. Someone will post a picture thread of a little band of fellows FReeping the movie theatre.

Now taking bets.

33 posted on 10/12/2004 3:29:32 AM PDT by The KG9 Kid (Semper Fi!)
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To: JohnHuang2

hmmmm... if anyone made even a non-fictional documentary on Mohammesd's life (padeophilia et al), he'd have his throat slit. We don't do things like that. Hmmmm.... are jihadis so bad after all?


34 posted on 10/12/2004 3:30:09 AM PDT by Cronos (W2K4)
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To: Cvengr

This theory generally includes the supposition that Paul was the one who invented Jesus.


35 posted on 10/12/2004 3:30:21 AM PDT by klute
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To: Uncle Vlad

One might chose to discount Josephus.

But then, there is Tacitus, who says:

"But not all the relief that could come from man, not all the bounties that the prince could bestow, nor all the atonements which could be presented to the gods, availed to relieve Nero from the infamy of being believed to have ordered the conflagration, the fire of Rome. Hence to suppress the rumor, he falsely charged with the guilt, and punished Christians, who were hated for their enormities. Christus, the founder of the name, was put to death by Pontius Pilate, procurator of Judea in the reign of Tiberius: but the pernicious superstition, repressed for a time broke out again, not only through Judea, where the mischief originated, but through the city of Rome also, where all things hideous and shameful from every part of the world find their center and become popular. Accordingly, an arrest was first made of all who pleaded guilty; then, upon their information, an immense multitude was convicted, not so much of the crime of firing the city, as of hatred against mankind."

Tacitus, ANNALS

He was a Roman historian who had no agenda except to document what had happened.

There are also a number of apocryphal gospels that provide much evidence.


36 posted on 10/12/2004 3:30:29 AM PDT by djf
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To: The KG9 Kid
LOL
Funny . . . . .
....................
................................
...............................................


Here's a hundred

37 posted on 10/12/2004 3:33:12 AM PDT by CourtneyLeigh (Why can't all of America be Commonwealth?)
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Comment #38 Removed by Moderator

To: shineon
Josephus, a Jewish historian and non Christian wrote about Jesus.

Bump.

39 posted on 10/12/2004 3:33:46 AM PDT by Sloth ("Rather is TV's real-life Ted Baxter, without Baxter's quiet dignity." -- Ann Coulter)
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To: klute

The first stages of arrogance include behavior which denies what God provides. Later stages of arrogance actually attack what He has provided in an attempt to counterfeit and openly defeat God.

Neither effort in arrogance provides life.


40 posted on 10/12/2004 3:34:24 AM PDT by Cvengr (;^))
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