'God's Not Dead 2' tackles separation of church and state
Melissa Joan Hart, Jesse Metcalf and Robin Givens co-star in the faith-based film
A billboard for “God’s Not Dead 2” has been prohibited from going up at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Meanwhile, convention attendees will reportedly see a billboard that proclaims "We establish no religion in this country," which was purchased by the atheist group Freedom From Religion Foundation.
The "God's Not Dead 2" billboard reportedly features actress Melissa Joan Hart with the slogan, “I’d rather stand with God and be judged by the world than to stand with the world and be judged by God.”
The billboard company Orange Barrel supposedly turned down the billboard citing rules that prohibited “scandalous” messages at the RNC. The billboard's message was reportedly deemed "incendiary” and “too political.”
Pat Boone, who is in the film, told FOX411 the billboard issue comes at an interesting time in American history.
“I think it’s very ironically appropriate that this thing should arise right while the American people are trying to come up with and reexamine how we are going to be governed,” he said. “Are we going to be governed by people that have no place for God in their lives or are we going to be governed by people who recognize like Thomas Jefferson did that we receive our rights and liberties by endowment by the creator.”
Pure Flix, the film’s distributor paid Orange Barrel a reported $64,100 for the billboard.
“I’m perplexed," Pure Flix CEO Steve Fedyski said. "They dragged us along for weeks. Now, right up against the convention date, they say we aren’t approved, and they give us no logical rationale. My speculation is that someone, somewhere didn’t want our message out. It’s hard to understand, considering we’ve used the same marketing on CNN and other national networks.”
Boone explained America was built on biblical and Judeo Christian principles.
“The Constitution and Republic form of government was created by men who were Bible believing, Bible quoting, Church going men and women (mainly men at that point), who deliberately patterned the government of America on biblical and Judeo Christian principles.”
“God’s Not Dead 2,” the sequel to “God’s Not Dead,” tells the story of a public school teacher whose Christian faith and career come under attack when she answers a question about Jesus with scripture.
And Boone said believers are going to have to be bold.
“Bottom line is believers in God are going to have to be as least as bold as Atheists are.”
The film will be released August 16th on DVD.
Pure Flix did not return FOX411’s request for comment.
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