God's Not Dead: A Light in Darkness Page #5

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a Christian school.

The church really should have

moved off campus 50 years ago

when the state

bought the university.

Instead, funding

is given disproportionately

to one religious organization

while other ones

are being denied.

So you add that to all of this

controversy and now violence.

You tell me, how can they justify

keeping the church on campus?

Thomas Ellsworth is making

the right choice here.

It's not the easy one,

but it is the right choice.

I think their intentions

are pretty clear.

Enough with writing letters.

Let's call 'em out.

Call 'em out

on what, stupidity?

Why are you so reluctant to

accept what's really going on?

Unbelievable. You guys love to

play the victim card, don't you?

- "You guys."

- Look, forget it.

I'm not engaging in a

false narrative with you.

I'm just... I'm not. It undermines

true religious liberty.

You're talking to a guy who went to jail,

who's now having his church stolen.

- How is that false narrative?

- Because it's never that simple.

The Christian church has a long

history of persecuting people,

and then those people push back,

and you guys want to cry victim.

And for every example of someone who's

misrepresented Jesus for some twisted reason,

there are a hundred others

who have done good in his name.

We can debate history all you

want, but I'm talking about now,

about getting my church back.

- Can you just help me do that?

- I'm right here, aren't I?

Just don't drag me

into your personal crusade.

[groans]

- Where you going?

- I'm going to bed.

Thank you, Pastor.

I agree.

- Appreciate it. Thank you.

- [hammering]

Okay.

Pastor Dave.

Keaton, how are you?

I'm okay. So, how's stuff

going with the church?

Have they found

the person who did it?

Not yet. They're still

investigating.

I just figured, like,

fingerprints or whatever.

Ah, it's not quite

like the movies.

It takes time, but I'm sure

they'll catch 'em.

What's gonna happen

when they find 'em?

Put 'em away, I hope,

for a long time.

The order's good for three weeks.

Can't be much longer than that.

Hey, what do you want me to say?

He's my brother.

Do me a favor. Send me some

briefs for Kelo vs. New London.

And what else?

Faith Temple vs. Brighton.

Okay, thanks.

Really, take it with you.

It's getting cold out there.

[woman] All right, bye.

[woman] Smells good.

Coming to collect

on that rain check.

You guys close

growing up?

Yeah. That's why

it was so hard.

Pearce was my hero.

I mean, he had

this strong faith.

But he was so cool

about it.

He made Christianity cool.

Yeah, I know the type.

Went off to law school

when I started college.

- And then something happened. I don't know. He changed.

- [acoustic guitar strumming]

How?

Uh, I don't know.

I guess he was struggling

in his faith.

But it was more

than just confusion.

It was darker than that.

I always hoped that he'd come

around before our parents died.

It was hard on them.

It felt like

they lost their son.

And you lost your hero.

Yeah. I guess I did.

[hammering]

[Meg]

That's amazing, isn't it?

That he can

look at that...

and see that.

You okay?

I feel a little bit

like I'm drifting.

Keep trying to tell myself all the things

that I would tell others who are struggling.

It's not helping.

Think I might

be bad at my job.

I doubt that.

I just want to get back

to the way things were.

How far back is that?

I mean, going back

doesn't really work.

And believe me,

I've tried.

I've gone back

to school,

gone back home,

back to brunette.

But I've never been able to go

back to the way things were.

I hope you're wrong.

'Cause if I can't go back,

I don't know where to go.

[hammering]

[bell tolls]

Are you doing okay?

I told you

to stop asking me that.

Oh, yeah. I forgot.

[Barbara] So, how much?

[Pearce] How much what?

We made you an offer. You're

here to counter, so counter.

Oh, believe me,

I wish I could.

Unfortunately,

despite my counsel,

my client is not

interested in money.

- So, what is your client interested in?

- I want my church back.

Dave, be reasonable.

Reason went out

the window, Tom,

when you brought a demolition

crew to my front door.

[woman] Look, a college campus is

about education, not religion.

We've got limited space. We need

to maximize it for every student.

None of that gives you the

right to tear my church down.

- Well, actually it does.

- Dana, stop.

We're wasting our time here. We both know

that this meeting was simply a courtesy.

And, Barbara, we appreciate it.

It's very courteous.

I get it.

It's a prime piece of land.

You know what I'd do

if it were me?

I'd put in a big student center

with a fancy coffee shop.

The kids would love it.

I mean, to me, that's more

valuable than a dusty old church.

No offense.

But he knows

how I feel about it.

Here's the problem.

What you're doing,

it's against the law.

'Cause eminent domain

doesn't automatically apply

just because you guys

don't like his church.

So, here's my counter.

Withdraw your claim or we sue. See

what a judge has to say about it.

We're done.

This case will never

make it to court.

They didn't look worried,

Pearce.

Oh, they are. That's their

job, to not look worried.

Listen, we gotta change the

conversation in the media.

Okay, we gotta put a

face to the opposition.

- Tom?

- Yeah, Tom.

He's the most visible. He's got the

most to lose. You okay with that?

I'll just tell the truth. People

need to know what he's doing.

Good boy. Let's go.

But Saint James built

Hadleigh University years ago.

Exactly. So you see how

far this has gone.

And now with

the school board's actions,

we've been given no choice

but to seek a legal solution.

All of these college administrators,

they go on and on and on

about diversity and

tolerance and inclusion,

but yet when it's asked of them,

they run you off of campus.

That doesn't sound very tolerant

or inclusive to me.

Tom Ellsworth

is trying to strip away

the foundational element

of this university

because he believes that

it is no longer convenient.

But truth

isn't about convenience.

And faith in God may not be as

popular on campus as it once was,

but people still have a right, a fundamental

human right, to express their beliefs,

even in a public square

at a state university.

If you agree, we're asking that

you make your voices heard.

Send an e-mail. Make a call.

Let Tom Ellsworth

and the university board know

that you believe the church

still has value.

[woman] The gauntlet has been thrown.

And we'll see how people respond.

[Pearce] Dude, almost three million views!

People are mad. This is good.

Does this buy us

the leverage we need?

Well, we'll find out

at the prelim.

Need the judge to let us argue

the case, but... this all helps.

- Nice work.

- Thanks.

[Dave] I think it's time for me

to get back preaching again.

I'm afraid I'm getting so caught

up in all this, I just...

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