In this short film, part of the New York Times Op-Doc series, a former Pentecostal preacher starts a secular congregation in the heart of the Bible Belt.
“In much of America, tolerance rules, but in some communities, especially in the Bible Belt, churches can still compel conformity in ways that make atheism a very costly choice. As we have followed the topic, we have met young people estranged from their families and others fired from their jobs. Perhaps most poignant for us are the people we’ve met who sit quietly in the pews every Sunday, pretending to share in a faith they do not have. The time we have spent with Mr. DeWitt has helped us to see that the freedom of religion we cherish in this country is meaningless — unless it is accompanied by an equally valid freedom from it.”
A film by Jason Cohn and Camille Servan-Schreiber of Bread and Butter Films. Watch here.
