Atheists Rally Behind New Movie Thriller: MyFoxHOUSTON.com
HOUSTON - It’s Christian vs. Atheist in a new thriller released Friday.
Except the Christian is the bad guy. And atheists are saying this film could be their “Brokeback Mountain,” which broke down barriers for gays six years ago.
The atheist director of “The Ledge” is hoping to start a similar conversation on behalf of non-believers.
“Really, The Ledge is at the beginning of a movement toward more open discussion of atheism and agnosticism,” says Matthew Chapman, who also wrote the film.
In Chapman’s cliffhanger, Christianity is wielded as a weapon. And the hero may be Godless but he’s not gutless.
There’s a lot to like, for the organizer of Houston Atheists.
“I'm just excited that it's going to be showing an atheist in a positive light,” says Staise Gonzalez. “Films don't do that. Ever.”
But the film is taking flak from religious groups, including the Catholic League.
“People of faith, especially Catholics, are used to being trashed by Hollywood,” said Bill Donohue, the organization’s president. “But they are not accustomed to films that promote atheism."
Gonzalez says, she can relate to having her belief – or lack thereof – “being trashed by Hollywood.”
“Usually the atheist, or the person that's not the Christian, usually ends up being the villain,” she says.
For Chapman - a Brit - the real villain in American culture is the elevation of faith over reason.
His great-great-grandfather was none other than Charles Darwin, who sketched out the foundations of evolutionary biology back in 1859.
“I never really thought about being Darwin's great-great-grandson,” Chapman told FOX 26 News, “until I came to America and saw that creationism was still at war with evolution.”
In any case, it’s a war that won’t be decided on celluloid, points out Staise Gonzalez.
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