God's Not Dead 2

The film "God's Not Dead 2" is a 2016 American Christian drama film, the sequel to the 2014 film "God's Not Dead." The movie takes place several years after the events of the first film, and it follows the story of a high school teacher named Grace Wesley (Melissa Joan Hart), a well-respected and beloved educator in her community. The story begins with Ms. Wesley's class discussing issues related to faith, doubt, and the existence of God. A student named Charlie (Triniti Cordova) raises her hand and asks, "If I were to ask Jesus to heal someone who had a disease, would he do it?" Ms. Wesley, being a devout Christian, responds that according to the Bible, Jesus did heal many people, and there is no reason to doubt that he would not heal someone today if that person had faith. She then cites examples from Scripture, including the story of Jesus healing a blind man (John 9:1-41) and raising Lazarus from the dead (John 11:1-44). Unbeknownst to Ms. Wesley, a student who is not present in the class, Joel (Hector Uribe) has a mother named Brooke (Erin Bethea) who is a strict atheistic blogger. When Brooke discovers that Joel's mother was asked to remove him from Ms. Wesley's class, she launches a social media campaign to expose Ms. Wesley's faith and accuses her of promoting Christianity in the classroom. However, in actuality, Ms. Wesley had not promoted Christianity in class, but rather had responded to a student's question. Brooke becomes increasingly incensed and files a lawsuit against the school district for what she perceived as an infringement on her son's rights. Ms. Wesley finds herself facing charges of "advocating" for Christianity in the classroom, which the district attorney, Rydell (Jesse Metcalfe), decides to prosecute. As the case unfolds, Ms. Wesley becomes increasingly embroiled in a battle for her rights as a teacher, her faith, and her freedom of speech. With the help of her lawyer, Mina (Erin Bethea), Ms. Wesley begins to dig deeper into her faith and to seek guidance from her church community. Meanwhile, her relationships with her family, friends, and colleagues begin to suffer as a result of the stress and the pressure of the lawsuit. Throughout the film, several subplots emerge. One subplot involves two of Ms. Wesley's students, Josh and Amy (Paul Kwo and Triniti Cordova), who are struggling with their faith. Josh, a former student from the first film who has since become a Christian, tries to help Ms. Wesley with the lawsuit. Amy, on the other hand, is a struggling Christian who begins to doubt her faith as a result of the controversy surrounding Ms. Wesley. Another subplot involves a character named Reverend Dave (David A.R. White), who serves as a spiritual advisor to Ms. Wesley. As the case unfolds, Reverend Dave finds himself increasingly concerned about the implications of the lawsuit on the freedom of speech and the right to hold and express one's faith in public. The film ultimately culminates in a dramatic trial, where Ms. Wesley is called to testify on her faith and her response to the student's question. With the help of her lawyer, her church community, and her faith, Ms. Wesley stands firm and asserts her right to express her faith publicly. Ultimately, the film ends with Ms. Wesley being vindicated, having won her case and asserted her right to express her faith in the classroom. Although the film's message is clear, the ending is intentionally muted, leaving the audience to ponder the implications of the film's theme. "God's Not Dead 2" is a film that raises important questions about faith, free speech, and the role of Christianity in public life. The film is a sequel to the first film, but it also stands alone as a powerful and thought-provoking drama that explores the intersection of faith and public life.