An editorial from the Sunday Gazette-Mail
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Wounded Iraq War hero Jessica Lynch — this newspaper’s West Virginian of the Year in 2003 — has a remarkable new role: She’s the leading lady in a religious movie about a government takeover of churches.
Filmed at Rock Hill, S.C., the show titled “One Church” is called “a true story that hasn’t happened yet.” It’s to be screened in 500 churches across America.
The movie’s Web site warns that America’s rising secularism will cause turmoil for evangelical believers. It says:
“Consider: Every year more than 4,000 churches close their doors — every year 2.7 million church members fall into inactivity — 1,400 pastors in America leave the ministry monthly — the vast majority of churches have an attendance of less than 75 — 30 percent of married, churchgoing women worship without their husbands — 90 percent of children will leave the church after high school.”
In the film’s plot, fading belief brings a nightmare in which “the government controlled all the churches.” The script outline says: “As churches are closing in record numbers and people are trying to find common themes in worship, it’s a perfect storm for the government to begin regulating the diversity of religions and unifying one message.”
But some people fight back…