For
those who believe in God, no explanation is necessary. For those who do not
believe in God, no explanation is possible. — From the film, The Song of Bernadette.
For decades there has been a
constant relentless meme from Social Conservatives that Hollywood elites have
been engaged in a subversive cultural war against the religious values of the
majority of Americans. They point to such films as The Miracle Woman, Elmer Gantry, Inherit the Wind, The Night of the Hunter, Agnes of God, The Last Temptation of Christ, The Name of the Rose, Priest, The Magdalene Sisters, Carrie, TheBoys of St. Vincent, Life of
Brian, Dogma, Wiseblood, Heaven, The Meaning of Life, Bad Dreams, Heaven Help Us, Silent Hill, Deliver Us From Evil, The Golden Compass, Saved, Leap of Faith, There Will Be Blood,
and Religulous, as evidentiary documentation for this case.
But there are several sterling counter-examples throughout the years which
challenge this assertion. These heroic movies have stood the test of time.
These films directly herald courageous persons of faith and integrity, and
vilify the political authorities persecuting their deep commitment to
principle. Eight of the most outstanding are The Song of Bernadette, The Miracle of Our Lady of Fatima, The Fugitive, The Passion of Joan of Arc, The Sound of Music, The Prisoner, Sophie Scholl: The Final Days; and For Greater Glory. Three excellent follow-up
books related to these subjects are Earthly Powers: The Clash of Religion and Politics in Europe, from
the French Revolution to the Great War, Sacred Causes: The Clash of Religion and Politics, from the Great
War to the War on Terror, and The Catholic Martyrs of the Twentieth Century: A Comprehensive
World History. Four of these films are presented below:
(Link to website for more)
Charles
A. Burris [send
him mail] teaches history in the Murray N. Rothbard Room at Memorial
High School in Tulsa, Oklahoma.