By Elizabeth Uwandu

What happens when a 12 year old boy watches his christian mother dies of cancer? What happens when a graduate with good grade commits suicide after years of unemployment?, And, what happens when God decides to keep mute when you desperately seek his answer? These are some of the issues that have forced millions, including Christians  all over the world to ask over and over when faced with crises, “Does God Exist?

In trying to proffer answers to the above questions, the Vice President, Catholic Youths of Nigeria CYON,  of St. Dominic ‘s Catholic Church, Yaba ,Mr Raphael showed the film, “ God’s Not Dead” Saturday last week at church premise.

The movie, an American Christian drama  directed by Harold Cronk and produced in 2014 by Pure Felix Entertainment with the following casts, Shane Harper, Kevin Sorbo David A. R, White and Dean Cain tells the story of an evangelical Christian Josh Wheaton (( Shane Harper) whose faith is challenged by a philosophy JefferyRadisson (Kevin Sorbo), who informs his students that they will have to discard, in writing, the existence of God on their first day in class, or risk a failing grade.

An action that did not go down well with Josh who believes in God’s existence. So he sets up to challenge the professor with indepth study of the word of God and other books to the dismal of his girlfriend who gists him and having to face his disillusioned collegues who see him as an rebellious fellow.

A scene from the film, Does God Exist

GOD’S NOT DEAD cuts together multiple stories of faith, doubt and disbelief, culminating in a dramatic call to action. The film educate, entertain, and inspire christians to explore what they really believe about God, and also raise their faith in him. As the truth remains that God does exist, if only one will have trust,  patience and faith in him, seek God’s word, spiritual counselling and prayers to survive.

These above principles saw Josh Wheaton prove God’s existence after several trials of being a loner,  and having to defend his believe in the presence of his coursemates and his atheist professor. His classmates got converted after his last defence, while his atheist professor gives his life to Christ on the verge of dieing.

Another lesson from the drama is that most people that become atheist do so as a result of circumstances they faced. This was seen during the last of Wheaton defence of his faith, when he asked his professor,” What happened to you? And the Lecturer answers him,” What happens when all you loved get striped from you? What happens when  a 12 year old boy watches his christian mother who served God dies of cancer?

One also, gets to see the importance of study and knowing what one believes. In other words, many people who believe in God lack knowledge of who he truly is and this make them fall during trials. Wheaton through his research was able to know that God’s a mystery and everything he does has a reason. This Christian evangelist was able to counter the notion of God’s inexistence through his indepth anaysis and study of the word of God and other relevant books,

Love as a theme was brought to bear. Love made the Profesor, after reading his late mother’s letter to him to recind on his stand and seek for God.

Speaking on reason for showing the firm, CYON vice president,Raphael  said,  “The need to let people defend their belief in God and give a meaning to their faith inspired him”.

For  Lazarus Okorie, who heard about the film when he came for morning mass said, “this film is awesome and wonderful. This is the kind of debate I like to engage in to go out and tell people that, this God actually exist. What touched me most is the word,”Believe” the need to hold on to our believe at any point in time.”