A Matter of Faith

{{title-italics}}{{film}}
'''''A Matter Of Faith''''' is a 2014 [[creationist]] [[propaganda]] film made by the Christiano Brothers,<ref>[https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2587914/ A Matter of Faith] ''IMDB''</ref> which is full of [[evangelical]] [[Christian]] stereotypes and tired arguments concerning [[evolution]], secular society, and higher education.

==Plot==
[[File:Kaman-evolution.jpg|300px|thumb|left|The movie's villain, the seductive and charismatic ([[Poe's Law|no really]]) Professor Marcus Kaman engaged in the use of a rubber chicken joke to illustrate the reproductive cycle in order to "[[Not even wrong|illustrate evolution]]".]]
The main plot involves Rachel, an innocent [[Christian]] teen girl, entering the den of iniquity known to most as a "[[secular]] [[Education#Higher education|university]]". There, she enters the class of the villainous [[Professor]] Marcus Kaman, who is out to [[Indoctrination|indoctrinate]] his students with a (conveniently [[Straw man|strawmanned]]) version of [[evolutionary theory]].<ref>[http://web.archive.org/web/20191121032016/http://trollingwithlogic.com/godless-wolf/2016/03/23/a-matter-of-faith-review/A Matter of Faith Review] ''The Godless Wolf''</ref> Whilst in his class, Rachel has her faith weakened by the evolutionary curriculum, to the point where when her father opens her [[Bible]] when he visits her at college, he finds that the 50 bucks he had inserted into the Bible before she left are still there, and then realizes [[Molehill mountaineering|this must mean she hasn't been reading it the whole time.]]{{efn|This is an old trope in Christian [[Apologetics|apologetic]] [[chain letter]]-type stories, being, for example used on [[Conservapedia]].<ref>[https://www.conservapedia.com/Conservative_parables#The_Graduate.27s_Gift Conservative parables: The Graduate's Gift] ''Conservapedia''.</ref>}} Later, she goes to a party, and is corrupted by the [[evil]] secular party culture.

[[File:Cute cuddly white girl.jpg|300px|thumb|left|Rachel, the cute<ref>[https://www.scripts.com/script/a_matter_of_faith_1965 A Matter of Faith] ''Scripts''.</ref> and innocent teen girl.]]
Her father, incensed by this terrible thing happening to his daughter, flies into a mad rage. He [[Google|googles]] Kaman and is shocked to discover that he (like basically any other biology professor at a public university) accepts modern evolutionary theory. He pays a visit to his [[pastor]], who informs him that not only is evolution taught in nearly every secular university, but also in many Christian institutions of higher education. The father is alarmed at this, and even more so at creationism [[Teach the controversy|not even being mentioned]] in the university's biology curriculum. He also [[Willful ignorance|seems to be unaware]] that this sort of thing has been going on for more than a century. He pretends to go visit Rachel again, but actually storms off to Kaman's office to confront him on teaching evolution. In fact, he actually complains that Kaman shouldn't teach the university curriculum [[Special pleading|''because it goes against what Rachel's parents have been telling her for her whole life, not to mention his entire religion'']]. All of a sudden [[Non sequitur|Rachel walks in]], and Kaman suddenly challenges her father to a debate over the [[Origins debate|creation vs. evolution "controversy"]], to take place in a few months. Rachel is apprehensive of the idea, but Kaman points out that her father is [[Fundamentalism|passionate]] with regards to his beliefs, and predicts that will lead to a good debate. Her father, Stephen, agrees, which leaves Rachel visibly upset. Father and daughter spend time arguing over Kaman's beliefs and the [[Tone argument|tone]] in which he speaks. Rachel's father then decides that this debate is somehow personal — [[Think of the children|he has to save his poor daughter from this evil]].

Then, a student at the university, who works for a local newspaper, informs Stephen that a former [[biology]] professor at the university, Kaman's predecessor Dr. Portland, was fired for refusing to teach evolution in part due to Kaman's machinations. Stephen calls Portland for help on the debate, but is refused in his request.

Soon, the debate starts, with Stephen sounding like [[Ken Ham]], claiming that [[Evolution is a religion|evolution is a religion]] and [[Theistic evolution|is a direct attack]] on [[God]].<ref>[https://jarrodterry.wordpress.com/2016/06/30/movie-review-a-matter-of-faith/ Movie Review: A Matter of Faith]</ref> Kaman then [[God#For|points out that]] the idea of creationism [[Rational Response Squad debate with Way of the Master|has to be taken]] on [[faith]] due to [[Evidence against a recent creation|the slant of the evidence]]. Stephen attempts to respond, then breaks down, demanding his beliefs be [[Blind faith|taken on faith]]. Portland then suddenly shows up and gives an even more Ken Ham-esque speech with [[PIDOOMA]]s like "you have to take everything on faith" and therefore [[Balance fallacy|creationism and evolution are mutually valid]]. He then says the cause of people accepting evolutionary theory is [[Bulverism|because they just want to sin]], which, as a Patheos review points out, may have had something to do with him being fired.<ref>[https://www.patheos.com/blogs/rolltodisbelieve/2017/06/24/a-matter-of-faith-the-mega-review/ A Matter of Faith: The Mega-Review] by Captain Cassidy (June 24, 2017) ''Patheos''.</ref> He then goes on to claim he wouldn’t risk going to Hell and put his faith in Christ. Afterwards, Portland claims his pride forced him out of the university, apologizes to Kaman hoping that he would forgive him and the debate ends. Rachel's doubts about the One True Faith are then completely assuaged.<ref group=note>The whole thing could have been prevented simply if Rachel's father put her in a school that accommodated her beliefs in the first place, making the story pointless.</ref>
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==Tokenism==
{{main|Tokenism}}
[[File:Portland the Magic Negro.jpg|300px|thumb|right|Is anyone reminded of {{wpl|Uncle Ben's|Uncle Ben}}?]]
Given this film's background in [[Religious Right|conservative Christianity]], it should not be surprising that this film positively '''''reeks''''' of tokenism, and bullshit. For instance, Dr. Portland, with his wise<ref group=note>at least in the delusion-ridden minds of creationists</ref> speech discussing the validity of faith, his emergence from obscurity in retirement, and his saving the reputation and/or [[soul]]s of the two main white protagonists in the play, is a near-perfect example of the "Magical Negro" trope.<ref>[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/MagicalNegro Magical Negro entry on TvTropes]</ref>

In another weird case of tokenism, Rachel's mother is played by Iraqi-born Sarab Kamoo, who is evidently just placed there to be a brown person to diversify the cast (Portland likely has a similar role). Rachel is quite clearly very white, so having a Middle Eastern person cast as her mother would normally make no sense.<ref group=note>This only slightly less ridiculous than having, say, Octavia Spencer cast as Emma Watson's biological mother. Rachel does not seem to be adopted.</ref>

It is therefore clear that in this movie, minorities exist only as props, out there for the sake of not looking like a white Southern town in the [[Jim Crow]] era, which the makers are doubtless nostalgic for.
==Arguments==
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==Reception==
The movie received a 32% viewer score on Rotten Tomatoes.<ref>[https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/a_matter_of_faith_2014 A Matter of Faith, Rotten Tomatoes]</ref>

It currently has one star on Common Sense Media.<ref>[https://www.commonsensemedia.org/movie-reviews/a-matter-of-faith A Matter of Faith, Common sense media]</ref>

Ken Ham, [[Ray Comfort]] and the [[American Family Association]]'s Tim Wildmon praised the movie, with [[Answers in Genesis]] encouraging its followers to show it to their community and spread the word about it to unsuspecting [[Sheeple|dupes]].<ref>[https://answersingenesis.org/countering-the-culture/matter-of-faith-movie/ A Matter of Faith Answers in Genesis, 15 February 2015.]</ref>

==External links==
*[https://www.patheos.com/blogs/rolltodisbelieve/2017/06/24/a-matter-of-faith-the-mega-review/ Mega-review at patheos.com] TL;DR — "This movie sucks"
*[http://trollingwithlogic.com/godless-wolf/2016/03/23/a-matter-of-faith-review/ Another in-depth review and analysis] TL;DR — "This is so stupid"
*[https://jarrodterry.wordpress.com/2016/06/30/movie-review-a-matter-of-faith/ Another review, from a Christian viewpoint] "hollow and unsatisfying"
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kDhujk3AGjE The trailer] (A masterwork of cinematography.)

==Notes==
{{reflist|group=note}}

==References==
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[[Category:Creationism]]

Categories: Creationism