Press "Mute"

In the concluding verses of Romans 16, the apostle Paul actually makes note of certain people who were beneficial to the cause of Christ. Elsewhere in Scripture, he actually calls out those who have been detrimental to the Church. Beginning in verse 17, he writes:
17 Now I urge you, brethren, note those who cause divisions and offenses, contrary to the doctrine which you learned, and avoid them.
18 For those who are such do not serve our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly, and by smooth words and flattering speech deceive the hearts of the simple.
19 For your obedience has become known to all. Therefore I am glad on your behalf; but I want you to be wise in what is good, and simple concerning evil.
 

That is quite a challenge - and we have to make sure that we are pursuing the unity of the body of Christ. None of us certainly wants to be marked as a divisive person, someone who causes offense. We can be devoted to the truth while being compassionate toward those who do not adhere to it. We're told in Scripture to be bold and brave, to exhibit a steadfast heart toward the things of God; even when we're criticized for it, we can be devoted to following the instructions of the Scripture. 

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Christians are called to stand strong on the truth of Scripture, to be steadfast, and not to engage in behavior that will damage the cause of Christ. Paul writes in 2nd Thessalonians 2:
13 But we are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God from the beginning chose you for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth,
14 to which He called you by our gospel, for the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
15 Therefore, brethren, stand fast and hold the traditions which you were taught, whether by word or our epistle.
16 Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and our God and Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope by grace,
17 comfort your hearts and establish you in every good word and work.

You can say art imitates life, and if you just happened to watch the groundbreaking series, All in the Family, you can see the actions of a provocateur named Michael Stivic, better known as "Meathead," the character used by show creator Norman Lear to poke fun at Archie Bunker. 

Rob Reiner is the son of the legendary Carl Reiner, who made an indelible imprint on comedic entertainment. And while son Rob has exhibited a comedic touch through films such as The Princess Bride and This is Spinal Tap, his latest project is quite unfunny.

According to The Daily Wire, Reiner has another film in the works called, God and Country, which, according to the article, will be "decrying the alleged clear and present 'danger' presented by Christian Nationalism."  It goes on to say:

Reiner shared the trailer for the film, which “explores right-wing religious extremism and the danger it poses to both the United States and Christianity itself,” according to The Hollywood Reporter.

“Christian Nationalism is not only a danger to our Country, it’s a danger to Christianity itself. Our film will be coming to theaters In February. Watch the trailer here,” Reiner posted via X.

I'm not sure what sort of expert that Reiner is on defending Christianity from Christians, but it appears he had plenty of help carrying out his agenda. A Deadline.com article says that: "The film directed by five-time Emmy nominee Dan Partland...looks at the implications of Christian Nationalism and how it distorts not only our constitutional republic, but Christianity itself. Featuring numerous prominent Christian thought leaders, the question it asks is, what happens when a faith built on love, sacrifice, and forgiveness grows political tentacles, conflating power, money, and belief into hyper-nationalism?

So, Reiner has become a self-appointed crusader to protect Christianity from overzealous Christians.  What sort of thought leaders has the director amassed to carry out this noble mission? Well, start reading the list: "Among those offering expert commentary in the doc are political commentator and author David French; VeggieTales co-creator and Holy Post podcast host Phil Vischer; pastor, author, and Holy Post podcast host Skye Jethani; historian and author Kristin Kobes Du Mez; Christianity Today editor-in-chief Russell Moore; historian and author Jemar Tisby..."  These and others have been some of the most vociferous critics of evangelical Christianity and the importance of taking one's Christian faith into confronting the culture and hopefully changing it for the better. 

Reiner says: “Not since the Civil War has our country been so divided...GOD & COUNTRY throws a spotlight on the role that Christian Nationalism has played in stoking that division. With the deepest respect for Christians who are sincere in their faith, but who are misinformed about the dangers and history of Christian Nationalism, I was compelled to produce this film to use my voice to draw awareness to the threat it poses.”

Of course, one has to question what is meant by "Christian nationalism" - a term without a clear definition, but which has been used to try to mute the voice of the Church.  Certainly, you have people who practice their faith in an unbalanced manner in which the political seems to be more important than the spiritual, where God is less than country.  But, the term has morphed to become a catch-all critique of all Christians who believe that God has a plan for our nation and that we are participants in the fulfillment of how He wants to work in our country. 

Michael Cantrell writes at PJ Media: "...apparently, the idea of having that kind of world, where the traditional family unit is the accepted and celebrated norm, movies and television aren't saturated in filth, and markets are free is terrifying to the godless heathens like Reiner who seem to think CN means forcing all people to become Christians and attend church."

Cantrell goes on to say:

What's even more disturbing, however, is that there are a ton of Christians who are joining forces with Reiner to make this film. Think about this for a second. Christians are supposed to settle "in-house" disagreements on doctrine with each other, not turn to people like Reiner who don't even believe in the existence of God. What in the world is going on here?

It's pretty clear that Reiner isn't making this movie because he is worried about the future of Christianity. He just wants an opportunity to drop the hammer down on all of his enemies at one time. And the very ones he's targeting are helping him do it.

Of course, now you have some participants who are saying that they didn't know about Reiner's involvement.  OK, let's take them at their word (which I don't, but for the sake of argument).  You knew what this was about, right?  You agreed to be filmed for a documentary and you had no idea what it represented?   Do you not "vet" the projects in which you participate?

Another participant, writer Andrew Whitehead, tweeted out on X: 

Just so we're clear, I (and I'm assuming pretty much everyone else in the documentary) said yes and then recorded our portions BEFORE Rob Reiner came on as a producer.

So this weird narrative that he is playing some nefarious role that influenced us all is just that--weird.

To which Megan Basham of The Daily Wire responded: 

Not only is this not true (this was Reiner’s project from the beginning), in May 2022, Reiner said that the evidence that Christian nationalism is a danger to the US was the overturning of Roe. So French, Moore, Tisby, Du Mez, Whitehead, are all helping him spread his view that Christians are dangerous for working to end abortion.

John Zmirak writes at The Stream that God and Country is "... a warning by a political elite that a certain kind of citizen is too dangerous to be allowed to vote his conscience and his interests. That chaos, tyranny, and the violation of basic human decency will result, unless 'those people' are kept in 'their place.' He goes on to say:

What are the outrages which this new tribe of primitives threatens against good, upstanding people? The publicity materials for this film make it clear: If believing, faithful Christians are permitted to vote their beliefs, they will threaten the sacred right of abortion. Indeed, the overturning of Roe v. Wade was one of the catalysts for this film. Also, those mud-daubing Bible thumpers oppose the chemical and surgical castration of children recruited by school counselors or social contagion to the ranks of the “trans” community. No more than elites would tolerate race-mixing in 1873 will they allow such assaults on basic decency in 2023.

That Daily Wire article I mentioned earlier notes:

Students For Life President Kristan Hawkins noted that one of the film’s “villains” was Scott Smith, the Virginia father who was arrested for “disrupting” a school board meeting in Loudoun County because the school had failed to address the sexual assault of his daughter.

“Showing the arrest of the dad at that school board meeting because his daughter was sexually assaulted, as if *HE* is the bad guy, is a WILD narrative choice,” she posted.

Kyle Mann of The Babylon Bee said on X, according to the article, "Is this like a funny Spinal Tap mockumentary? If so it’s brilliant..."  Zmirak echoed that sentiment, writing: "...this new Rob Reiner movie is a ludicrous parody of the subject matter it covers. Unlike Spinal Tap, God & Country is intended to be serious, an “important” film that warns us about the rise of violent theocrats who wish to seize our freedoms."  By the way, This is Spinal Tap is a film that is a parody of a rock n' roll band. 

Let's make one thing clear - to put anything about your love and devotion to Christ is idolatry.  If your desire to follow and participate in politics is a higher priority for you than spiritual growth, then politics has become an idol for you.  And, if you "worship" a politician, as even some believers are prone to do, things are definitely out of balance. 

But, some examination is needed when you have certain people in influential positions who have taken it upon themselves to protect the pursuit of Biblical Christianity from the Christians who are pursuing and practicing it.   For some, their harshest criticism is for fellow believers rather than the godless cultural trends that are damaging the Church.  And, to partner with someone who wants to essentially oppose Christianity and Christians is highly offensive.  

So, buyer beware when you see a movie entitled, God and Country - it may not be what you think it is. We also have to recognize that some want to silence the voice of the Church, which is the voice of the Bible, of Scripture.  Being the Lord's representatives should be our basis for all that we say and do. We must make up our minds not to be silenced.  And, we have to make sure that we are not entering into partnerships or associations that will weaken our witness.