East Ohio Conference

East Ohio Conference

≡
  • About Us
    • Welcome/Vision
    • Bishop's Office
    • Conference Staff
    • Districts/Churches
    • Annual Conference
    • Jurisdictional Conference
    • General Conference
    • General Agencies of The UMC
    • Christian Family Credit Union
    • Methodist Foundation of Ohio
  • Ministries
    • Connectional Ministries
    • Strategic Ministries
    • Missions & Community Engagement
    • Multicultural Ministries
    • Young People's Ministries
    • Higher Education
    • Camps & Retreat Ministries
    • Spiritual Formation
  • Disaster Response
    • Responding to Disasters
    • EOC Disaster Response Plan
    • Disaster Response Coordinators
    • Early Response Teams
  • Clergy
    • Pathways to Ministry
    • Board of Ministry
    • Order of Elders
    • Order of Deacons
    • Fellowship of Local Pastors
    • Retired Pastors
    • Clergy Directory
    • Clergy Well-Being
    • Changing Pastors?
    • Continuing Education
    • Sexual Ethics Policy
  • Laity
    • Pathways to Ministry
    • Board of Laity
    • Lay Leaders
    • Lay Servants
    • United Women in Faith
    • General Agencies of The UMC
  • Finance/Benefits
    • Financial & Administrative Services
    • Online Forms
    • Online Payments
    • Shared Ministry/Stewardship
    • Health Benefits
    • HealthFlex Wellness
    • Clergy Pensions
    • Death & Disability Benefits
  • Communications
    • About the Office
    • #BeUMC Campaign
    • Storyboard Podcast
    • Church Websites 411
    • Social Media 411
    • CCLI & CVLI Licensing
    • E-News
  • News
    • East Ohio News
    • E-News
    • Obituaries
    • Classifieds
  • Resources
    • Conference Journal
    • #BeUMC Campaign
    • Teach • Reach • Bless
    • Stand Against Racism
    • EOC Disaffiliation Pathway
    • Stand with Ukraine
    • Coronavirus (COVID-19)
    • Online Worship Services
    • The Rule of Christ
    • Safe Sanctuaries
    • Message in Movies
    • CCLI & CVLI Licensing
    • Archives and History
    • General Agencies of The UMC
    • UMC Find-A-Church
  • Calendar
    • View Calendar
    • Suggest Calendar Event
  • Events Registration

Home | Message in the Movies

MESSAGE IN THE MOVIES

Film strip

For They Know Not What They Do - Virtual Theater 3 Day Rental ($10.00). You may rent this film and support your local independent theater (I would highly recommend The Cleveland Cinematheque).

halo halo halo halo halo pitchfork pitchfork Not Rated

Directed by Daniel Karslake. Documentary.

It’s really hard to talk about movies during this season of home quarantine and social distancing. With theater viewing still on hold and dozens of options for streaming, including Netflix and Amazon Prime, people are literally never watching the same things (and therefore having little to talk about together). The free availability of Just Mercy has helped initiate a church-wide conversation about justice, poverty, and mass incarceration.

It’s time for another conversation, and it is going to cost you ten dollars.

For They Know Not What They Do shares the personal stories of four Christian families and how they deal with raising children who self-identify as gay, transgender and nonbinary. It is vital viewing for anyone who identifies as United Methodist and who cares about children.

In other words, you need to see it, especially if you are engaged in the current conversations about LGBT marriage and ordination and the current prohibitions in The Book of Discipline. I know that I have Christian friends whose opinions on this topic differ from mine. I have been praying for a film that could provide a common ground for conversation with them. This is that movie.

The four families depicted in this film are all families of faith; they all struggle to understand and love their children after they come out as LGBTQIA+. Rob and Linda Robertson are evangelicals who send their 12-year-old son Ryan (who cooperates in this approach) to Exodus International for conversion therapy. David and Sally McBride are Presbyterians who are moved from confusion and discomfort into growing support and advocacy for their transgender child. Victor Baez and Annette Febo are Catholic parents with Puerto Rican roots whose gay son Vico encounters tragedy at the Pulse night club. Harold and Colene Porcher are a mixed-race Episcopalian couple whose son Eliot struggles with depression after coming out as transgender.

All of the people in this film are Christians who realize how much they love their kids – and deal with it.

The film does not hold back showing videos of pastors and politicians who call homosexuality an abomination and cite chapter and verse in scripture to back it up. The movie also shows church leaders (including the retired gay Episcopal bishop Gene Robinson) with a message of acceptance and love for all persons – and a different way of reading the Bible. The United Methodist Church is not mentioned at all in this film, although one UMC church is name checked briefly.

There is nothing particularly flashy or innovative about this film and it mostly consists of interviews and a few home movies along with some additional documentary material. This kind of doc is normally called a “talking heads” movie. I prefer to call it a talking hearts film. If we can let the compassion and caring of these Christian families touch our hearts and minds, we may just discover a mutual place of healing and hope for our bruised and battered church family.

Halo and Pitchfork Rating:

Five halos: Love is central in this important film about faith and family.
Two pitchforks: Hate speech, harmful misinformation.

Comment:

Do you have comments about this movie or movie review? E-mail your comments. (Your name and UM affiliation must be supplied in order for your comments to be posted.)

 

≡
  • Current Review
  • Past Reviews

 

Bryant

Reviews by
Rev. Bruce Batchelor-Glader

COMMENTS! Do you have comments about this movie or movie review?
E-mail comments. (Comments will be posted to our web site.)

The East Ohio Conference Office:
located in North Canton, OH,
near Akron-Canton Airport.

Address:
8800 Cleveland Ave. NW
North Canton, OH 44720

Phones/Fax:
Local: (330) 499-3972
Toll Free: (800) 831-3972
Fax: (330) 499-3279

Office Hours:
Monday through Friday
8:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

 

  • Facebook Instagram Twitter Vimeo Flickr

  • Bishop's Office
  • Districts and Churches
  • Conference Staff
  • POLICIES AND PROCEDURES:
  • Safe Sanctuaries
  • Sexual Ethics
  • CCLI & CVLI Licensing
  • Terms of Use Policies
  • RESOURCES:
  • Conference Journal
  • E-News
  • News Archives
  • Archives and History
  • EAST OHIO CONFERENCE
  • 8800 Cleveland Ave. NW
  • North Canton, OH 44720 Map
  • (800) 831-3972
  • www.eocumc.com

East Ohio Conference Logo© EAST OHIO CONFERENCE. All Rights Reserved.