(beeping) - [Ben] This message is for Sam. Sam, hi, it's Ben. I know this isn't the
right way to do this, but here it goes. You're a great girl, but I just don't think we
should see each other anymore. You got a few things here. I'll leave them out for you to pick up. I guess that's it. Have a good life. (beeping) This message is for Sam. Sam, hi, it's Ben. I know this isn't the
right way to do this, but here it goes. You're a great girl, but I just don't think we
should see each other anymore. You got a few things here. I'll leave them out for you to pick up. I guess that's it. Have a good life. (beeping) This message is for Sam. Sam, hi, it's Ben. I know that. - So I guess that means you'll be sleeping here tonight, huh? Don't be sad. He wasn't that cute anyways. - Morning.
- Right. Sam, I've told you a hundred times that when you leave the side door open, the dogs get in the garage
and turn over the trash. - Yes. Mr. Landlord. - No, if I was your landlord, that would mean I'm
collecting rent from you. - Zach, Kelly's gonna be late for school. - Come on, Kel. - Bye Sam.
- Bye sweetie. - Bye mom.
- Bye honey. Have a good day. - What's with him? - He told you not to leave
the door open when you come in at five o'clock in the morning. - Oh, so that's it. It's not the what, but the
win and the who, right? - Well, when we invited you to live here, we didn't think our home
would become a revolving door for you and your boyfriends. - Whatever. - So why are you all dressed up? - [Sam] I have a job
interview this afternoon. - Do you need to borrow my car? - No, I'll take a bus to Ben's apartment, then I'll just catch
another bus across town. - Why do you need to go by Ben's first? - To collect all of my
worldly possessions. Maybe I can talk to him. - You know it's Wednesday. You can go to church with us tonight. There's a dinner.
- No thanks. I got stuff I gotta do. - Suit yourself. It's your loss. - Yeah. I guess I'll have to find another place where people can shake their heads at me. (soft music) Ben. Ben, open up, it's me. I don't believe this. (soft music) Excuse me. Excuse me, is this the downtown line? - Yeah. (man speaking Spanish) - Can you believe this? It's bad enough they
won't learn our language. They come around panhandling too. (man speaking Spanish) - Hey, hey, hey, hey. Learn some English and maybe I'll give
you some help, alright? And then the love of Lord. (men speaking Spanish) - He just needed directions. - Hi, have you ever thought about where you'll spend eternity? Do you know the path that
your sin is leading you to? - I'm just waiting for the bus, okay. - Come on Blaine, we gotta get going. - Let me leave you with this gift. God bless you both. - You didn't see alter boy being so nice when that guy needed directions. - Selective compassion's
a big problem these days. - You too? - Hmm? - Oh, I'm sorry, I was, I was just agreeing with you. I. - It's okay, I think you can trust me. - Yeah, no offense. I don't trust anybody. - Nobody at all? - What? - You just said you don't trust anybody. And I said nobody at all. - I'm sorry, I really
don't wanna talk about it. I mean, I don't trust strangers. I don't trust my family. I sure don't trust men. - Good plan. - What is? - Not putting your trust
in all those people? It's bound to wind up disappointed. - Trouble is, that doesn't
leave much, does it. - No it doesn't. Accept God. - What? - You can always trust God. - What did those guys leave you here as a plant or something? - No. - You a preacher? - Used to be. - Do you quit or get kicked out? - Neither. How about you? - How about me what? - Do you quit the church
or get kicked out. - Excuse me. - You've obviously got
a problem with religion. - Why are we talking about this? - To pass the time. - All right, let's just
say that churchy people and I don't mix. - Is that who kicked you
out, the churchy people? - Look, nobody kicked me out. I stay away because I choose to. - [Jesus] Why were you
there in the first place? - It's just the way I was raised. I mean, everybody goes to church. Case closed. - That's it? - That and my sister, our dad was a minister. So she thinks that if I just go to church, then there'll be some big transformation. - So your sister thinks
you need to be transformed? - Yeah. - Transformed into what? - I don't know, the person I should be. - What's wrong with
the person you are now? - Huh, the bus will be here long before I could get into all that. - How about you gimme a condensed version? - My life is just a
little off norm right now. - Really? How so? - Well, for starters, I'm a 30 year old woman with no job, no husband. I live with my married
sister and her family. Not exactly where I'm
supposed to be in life. - Says who? - Everybody. This is what my life has come to, telling my sob story to
a stranger at a bus stop. I'm like one step away
from being that old lady with the 50 cats. - You're not quite there yet. So where does everybody say
you're supposed to be right now? - I don't know. I guess a little more settled. - You're not settled? - Hello, 30 living with the sister. - I know some cultures where people live with extended families their whole lives. - Yeah, ell, not the
culture I have to deal with. - What's in the box? - My whole life. - You live around here? - No, I was just visiting. I have a job interview in the city. I didn't even know the
downtown line came by here. - Did you say downtown? This is the Walcott. The downtown stop is five blocks that way. - Great. - It'd be a lot quicker
to cut to the park. - [Sam] Thanks. - [Jesus] Here. Let me give you a hand. - [Sam] Well listen. - [Jesus] Why don't I walk with you? - No, well you can't do that. You have to catch your bus. - I'm not gonna hurry to get anywhere. A walk in the park sounds good. - [Sam] Whatever. - I, I think it's this way, Sam. - [Sam] How did you know my name? - Because I have great
supernatural powers. And it's written on your box. So your old life's in here, huh? - Oh, I was kidding about that. You could say my life is
well represented there. - Who's the guy? - My latest mistake. - Mistake because you trusted him? - Yeah, trusted. If you only knew how
many guys I've trusted in the last three years. - Is that what caused the rift
between you and your sister? - I don't know. Tracy thinks her churchy friends see her as some kind of failure because she hasn't turned me around. - Hmm. That's interesting. Now I met a girl once. She'd had more than her share of guys and the whole town knew about it so much so that she would wait
to run her errands in town at a time when she knew
nobody would be around. - How'd you meet her? - I was on my way to preach somewhere and I happened to be passing through. We ended up having a
pretty long conversation. - You talked to her or she think you were hitting on her? - No. No, I broke the ice in a real simple way. I asked her for a drink of water. - She was just carrying water around. - That was a few years back. Anyway, she knew I was a preacher and she knew I wanted to talk about her. - Oh, I bet that made her day. - She tried to deflect the conversation, talking about religious politics and how I was in the wrong
part of town to be who I was. But I cut through all that and I told her, I know all about your history
and it doesn't matter to me. - You gave her a free pass? - Well, no such thing as a free pass. I mean, don't get me wrong, her life was all messed up at that point. But I was less interested
in what she'd done as I was and what she was doing now and what she was gonna do next. And I told her that. - [Sam] And? - She didn't see me as a threat anymore. She didn't mind talking about herself. (water flowing) So the church is a big
thing to your family? - Somebody as perfect as
Tracy and Zach, you bet. They usher me around to all their friends who in turn treat me like so much scum with their little bracelets. Would Jesus really do that? - No, I wouldn't. - What? - You know, that's not the
church was ever meant to be. It was never intended to
be a museum for saints. It was supposed to be more like, like a hospital for sinners. - I thought sinners were the
ones who didn't go to church. - Meaning people who
go to church don't sin? - Some more, some less. - For example? - Well, the perfect
people at Tracy's church, they seem to have it all together. I mean at least more so than most people. - So you think they sin less? - I assume they do. - You think that makes 'em
better than other people? - [Sam] They think they are. - Do you think they are? - [Sam] No. Not better. Definitely closer to going to heaven. (soft music) - You want some ice cream? - Sure. Do you have any French vanilla? (woman speaking Korean) - What is it today? (both speaking Korean) - Sorry, only fudgesicle today. (both speaking Korean) - She's here from Korea
visiting her friend. The friend asked her to watch the stand while she ran to the store. - So you work for the
United Nations or what? - Sometimes. (gentle music) Back to the people at
your sister's church. You ever been in a wedding? - Yeah, my sisters. - Well, let's say right
before the ceremony, right before she was about to go out, she was eating a big fudgesicle and dropped it and it made a big stain on in front of her dress. Could she still wear it
out for the ceremony? - No, it'd be ruined. - All right, let's rewind and say she was eating a fudgesicle and just a few drops of
chocolate got on her dress. Is it okay to wear now? - No, it'd still be just as ruined. - So a few drops of chocolate
ruined the whole white dress just like a big stain, right? - Well yeah. I have no idea what you're talking about. - Well, God says that sin disqualifies
people from going to heaven. Even a little sin. So it doesn't matter if the people at the church sin a little or a lot, they're still ruined just like the dress. - But that would make it impossible for anyone to go to heaven. - Well that's where
the sacrifice comes in. - Talking about the crucifixion. - You said your dad was a minister. You believe Jesus is
the son of God, right? - [Sam] Yeah. - And that he was sacrificed on the cross and rose from the dead. - Yeah, I learned when I was a little kid. - Who do you think he did it for? - For the people in the church. - The perfect people? - Yeah. - Why bother saving someone
who's already perfect? - Well I don't mean they're Jesus perfect. I mean they've gotten
themselves to a place where they can get to heaven. - What's your plan for getting there? - Dude, I don't even have a plan for my bus fare home tonight. My life is just complicated, you know. I'm not one of the perfect
people and I'm okay with that. How do the water girl feel about church? - About the same as you. Thought that only the best of the best got to go to heaven. - What'd you tell her? - Same thing I'm telling you. If the sacrifice was made
for the imperfect people, the news flash is all people are imperfect all way short of qualifying for heaven. - Well that means everyone goes to heaven. I mean, if we're all imperfect and Jesus died for the imperfect, then we're all set, right? - There's a little more to it than that. Incoming. Is this yours? Well, do you want it back? - Thank you. - [Jesus] You're welcome. (gentle music) - [Sam] So go on. There's more to it? - Let's say when we get the
other side of this park, you're gonna be really thirsty. - [Sam] Wait a minute, does this one end up with
fudgesicle all over me? - Not this one. Now we get the other side. I buy you a bottle of
water and hand it to you. Now you're standing there with your bottle of water unopened. Are you still thirsty? - Well, I will be till I take a drink. - So even though the water
was made available to you, you'd have to do your part and drink it before your thirst would
be quenched, right? - [Sam] Sure. - That's what I meant when
I said there's more to it. The sacrifice on the cross was like handing you the bottle of water. Unless you do your part and take it, the bottle won't be opened
and you'll still be thirsty. In fact, you'll always be thirsty. (gentle music) So why you always so hard on yourself? - I think my problem is always
hook up with such losers. - And that makes a difference how? - Well, if my last few boyfriends had been doctors or lawyers. - And how long have you
been defining yourself according to the person
you're currently with? - Well, I-- - Well Sam, you don't have value because of your job or the job
of the person you're dating. You have value because
the Creator of everything gave up his life just so the
two of you could be together. - I'll remember that. So how'd you leave things
with the water girl? - Well, after I explained to her that heaven was just as much hers as the people that looked down on her, she started looking at
things a little differently. - Meaning? - Meaning she cared less
about what people thought and more about what God thought. - So she felt better about
the whole religion thing? - Sam, God isn't about some stuffy religion. Religion by definition means to bind up. God's about a relationship. A relationship is where two
people talk to each other and two people do things
because they love each other. It's a big difference. - Yeah. - Come on. I better get you to your bus. (gentle music) Listen, don't give up on the whole church just cause a few people don't get it. Why don't you go back
there and read his word. Give him your praise. I guarantee you'll find other
people there just like you. - Maybe. I just get, you know, discouraged about the whole thing sometimes. - You like old movies, right? - Yeah, how'd you know? - You know when they said to Ben-Hur right before the big chariot race scene, Charlton Heston went to the
director and he told him, you know, I really don't
know that much about horses. I think I could stay up in the chariot, but I don't think there's any way I can actually win the race. And the director told Charlton Heston the same thing God tells you, you just stay in the race. I'll make sure you win. Remember, the church is just a building. Loving God, letting him love you starts right here. Have a good interview. - Hey, aren't you gonna
go back to catch your bus? - Huh? I think I'd rather walk. - Hold on. You know I was going to
totally bag this interview and go beg my boyfriend
to take me back, but now I'm not. So you probably saved my life. - I did that a long time ago. - I know. (gentle music) (lively music)
(people chattering) - Hey Martha Lee, you busy? (lively music)
(people chattering) - Order up. (lively music)
(people chattering) - Thurman, what's taking so
long with those pancakes? - Hey, you know we almost outta corn meal? - And why would I know that? - [Thurman] You in charge of ordering. - I'm in charge of everything around here. - Well if that's the case, then you should know we out of corn meal 'cause you in charge of ordering. - I'm also in charge of firing. How was your breakfast? - The eggs were a little--
- have a nice day. (lively music) - The couple at 14 just
left money on the table. - Better be all here. - I'm sure it is. They seem like nice people. - Yeah, I bet. If you're nice people shorted us, it's coming outta your tips. - Whatever. (lively music)
(people chattering) I'm sorry I didn't see you come in. I'll be right back to take a drink order. - It's okay, no rush. - [Mary] You guys doing okay? - So when are you gonna
break down and marry me, huh? - Well how can I do that? I'm supposed to marry Frank. - But you ain't ever seen
us side by side before. - Oh gosh, this isn't easy. You're both just so striking. That's it, there's just
no way I can decide. Guess I'll lose out to somebody else. (jazz music) Coffee? - Yeah, that'd be great. Thanks. - [Mary] I'll give you a few minutes. We are so busy this morning. - Like I said, no rush. - Mary, take this to the old
geezer in the back booth. - I'm busy with table two--
- So am I, here. - Order up. - Ready to order? - You know, I think I'm fine with
just coffee for right now. - Oh, okay. - Table three is up. - Mary! - I'm on it. (jazz music) - How many covers we do this morning? - I lost count. - Would you mind explaining to me how we're supposed to know how many breakfasts we served today? - Check the trash can and see
how many dishes Ellis broke. - You see this? - Yes, Thurm, I see it. What about it? - These are supposed to be new potatoes. The produce man brought
two boxes of Idahos. - Can you not improvise? - Not when the specials board says pork chops and new potatoes. - Then I guess you need to
change the specials board. - Well, how do I just--
- Forget it. I'll do it. - Look, I don't mind to--
- I'll handle it. - I'll talk to you real soon, okay. - He's nice. You know I overheard him talking
to somebody else earlier. He's said he's been all over the world. - [Martha Lee] Like where? - I heard him say Switzerland, Africa, the Middle East, Australia. - Yeah right. How long is he planning on
nursing that cup of coffee? - I asked him twice if
he wanted anything else. He said no. - Well maybe you should tell him this isn't a park bench where you can just plop down all day. - Maybe he doesn't have any money. - Well then he and I are
gonna have a little problem. - Can you gimme a piece
of pie outta the box? - What for? Oh no, we're not running
some charity ward here. - Here, keep the change. - You doing okay? - Great, thanks. - Listen, a customer ordered this pie and then left without touching it. It's perfectly all right. Made fresh this morning. - It's very nice of you. - Forget it. Do you mind if I ask you something? - Not at all. - Have you really been all over the world? - Yes, I have. How about you? - Nowhere but here. I was up state at school, but I had to quit to help out here. - Hmm. This your sister's place? - You'd think so to look at it. No, it's, it's both of ours. Our dad used to run it,
but he died last spring. - I'm sorry. Lee's place. Lee your dad's name? - [Mary] Yeah. He may still have his name on it, but it's not the same place. - How so? - Just a little more tense around here. Oh, and we're also open on Sundays now. - Really? - Martha Lee came up with the bright idea that we were missing out on
the church crowd business. She stopped going to worship so she could be here to open up. - Hmm. How about you? - I never miss church, I, I still go every Sunday and still read my Bible. - You don't sound very confident. - To be honest, I still wonder about a
lot of things, you know. - [Jesus] Like, why life
changed so abruptly? - I don't know. It's like nothing seems right anymore. I gotta tell you, I pray a lot, but sometimes I wish Jesus
would just come down here and answer a few questions for me. - Really? And what would you ask him? - I'd ask him why daddy
had to die so suddenly and why Martha Lee's fiance
moved away and never came back. And why I had to quit school so I could spend every day
slinging hash for $2 tips. - No discipline seems
pleasant but painful. But later it produces a harvest
of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. - Where have I heard that? - Figure it out. - It almost sounds like-- - Excuse me, did I miss something? Are we closed now? Those lunch menus aren't
gonna put themselves out. - Excuse me. - How's the pie? - Very nice. It was sweet of your
sister to buy it for me. - Yeah, she's a real sweetheart. She'd adopted every customer that comes in here if I let her. - Something wrong with that? - It is if you wanna keep
the electricity turned on. - The Bible. - What? - That guy quoted something
and it was from the Bible. I knew I'd heard it someplace before. It was bugging me to death. - Congratulations. - You know what? I bet he's like some kind
of missionary or something. That will explain why he is
been to all those countries. - Make sure you were the jelly
off those breakfast menus. (jazz music) - By Miss Mary. - Bye Kelly. Have a good day. So I lived on campus the
first part of the semester, then I moved to a little apartment. - What's your major? - Well it was history
with a geography minor. Not that it matters now. - Mm. Things have a way of changing. You can still get back there. - Wouldn't that be nice. So tell me something. - Uh huh. - Are you like a missionary? - In a matter speaking. - I knew it. So what's Africa like? - Hot. - [Mary] How about Switzerland? - [Jesus] Cold. - Egypt? - Really sandy. - You owe me for that pie. - It's not brain surgery, Ellis. Each play setting gets one fork, one knife, and one spoon. A regular spoon. They only get a soup
spoon if they order soup. Otherwise that's just extra
silverware we have to wash. - [Ellis] Sorry. - Looks like your
sister's having a bad day. - [Mary] My sister's been having a bad day for about a year now. - What happened a year ago? - Well that's when daddy
started getting sick and she had to start running the place. He died six months later and that's when I moved
back to help her out. - Hmm. So has it always been
just the three of you? - Uh huh. Mom died when we were real young. So dad had to raise us all by himself. He worked so hard
keeping this place going, making sure we had everything we needed. - And what were you and your sister like when you were little? - A lot like we are now. Martha Lee was always so determined, always had to get the best grades, do the best in sports, sing every solo in church. She always knocked herself
out to win my dad's approval. - How about you? - I was just the opposite. I could care less about his approval. I just wanted him, you know. When I was a little girl, I, I loved crawling up in his lap, listening to his stories, feeling his big bear hugs. When I got a little older and I started working
here on the weekends, sometimes when it was
just me and him we'd, we close early and sneak
away and go fishing. - Mm, fun. - Then Martha Lee would yell at us for being irresponsible
as soon as we got home. And she was only 14. (Jesus chuckling) You know, it's kind of funny. - What is? - Even though daddy's gone it, it's almost like she's still
trying to prove herself to him. - Like how? - Like the way she's working
herself to death here. Taking charge of everything. It's almost like she's out to prove she can keep the place
running the way he did. - Is it the way he ran it? - Not really. I never heard my dad
raise his voice to anybody that worked here. He was always friendly to the customers no matter how shorthanded he was. And if a homeless person ever
came in looking for a handout, daddy never turned him away. There'd always be a cup of coffee and a sandwich waiting for them. - [Jesus] Sounds like some dad. - He was. So listen, enlighten me. I've always wanted to
visit the holy land 'cause for a semester I had this
class in Middle Eastern-- - Well, look who was sitting here. What a shock. - Martha Lee. Remember the place I showed you on the globe the other night? He was actually in the same-- - There's a case of new salt
shakers under the counter. I need you to take all the old shakers and pour the salt in the bin, then fill the new shakers
with the old salt. Then when you're finished,
come help me in the store room. Thurm, is Mary in the kitchen? - I haven't seen her. I think she might be out front. - How long does it take to
fill a few salt shakers? - But it's the scientists that say the miracles
don't line up with history. - So what you're saying, the Creator of the universe
can't perform miracles? - But what about those miracles, like Joshua marching around Jericho and Moses is parting the Red Sea? - Well, you know, modern archeologists
have already discovered the ruins of the city of Jericho. And the city wall fell exactly the way the Bible described it. - Really?
- Yeah. And as for the Red Sea, if you just give scientists
a few more years, they're eventually gonna
discover this great big-- - Look, I don't know
why you're still here. Would you mind telling me what's going on? - [Jesus] How do you mean? - You came waltzing in
here early this morning. You take up a booth for the whole day. You keep distracting Mary from working. - Martha Lee-- - And all there is to show
for it is a glass of water, a free piece of pie. - Hey, I paid for it. - And a cup of coffee, which you may or may not
be planning on paying for. So I don't care if you're selling Bibles or looking for a donation or wanting to ask Mary out. Would you just please finish your business and get out! - I am so sorry. - It's all right. - No, it's not. Excuse me. What's wrong with you? - I'll tell you what's wrong with me. That old dishwasher is broken down again. We need knew light
fixtures in the men's room. And Ellis just told me he
needs to be off a whole month to have foot surgery. - No, I don't mean what's
wrong with you today. I mean, what's up with you every day? - I don't have time for this, Mary. - You order everybody around. You act like the world's gonna end if somebody's salad gets an extra crouton. And you just try to throw
out one of the nicest people that's ever come into this place. - It's called taking responsibility and you should try it sometime. - What is that supposed to mean? - If it was up to you to run this place, it wouldn't last five minutes. - I wouldn't wanna run this place. - Of course you wouldn't. You'd rather be dancing through life, reading books and picking flowers. People like me have to pull your load so the world can keep
revolving around you. - Opening on Sunday. - What's that? - [Mary] I said opening on Sunday. - Yeah, what about it? - Daddy is turning over in his grave knowing you won't even let
this place rest one day a week. - Look little miss rest and relax, something daddy never thought of is that the extra money coming
in from opening on Sundays is what's gonna pay for things like a new dishwashing machine. - Do you really think Daddy would've cared more about some stupid dishwasher than seeing you sitting with
him in church Sunday morning? - Daddy knew and God knows that a person who works hard
is doing the Lord's work. He'd be proud of what
I've done with this place. - But he'd be ashamed
of what you've become. How long was I back there? - Listen, I'm sorry I
blew up at you like that. You can stay in here as long as you want. - [Jesus] I appreciate that. - It's been a very long day. - [Jesus] I totally understand. So Mary tells me you used
to be quite the athlete. - Yeah. - [Jesus] So what do
you think about Auburn starting a freshman quarterback? - Look, Mary's your chit chat girl. I gotta get back to work. - [Jesus] Yeah, you got
a lot depending on you. - Yeah, would you mind telling her that? - I just did. - But we weren't created to work ourselves to
death every waking hour. - [Jesus] No, of course not. - But I know we also
weren't put on this earth to just sit back and let
responsibility fly out the window. - No, not at all. - God helps them to help themselves. It's in the Bible. Look it up. - [Jesus] No, Benjamin
Franklin said that not God. - [Martha Lee] Whatever. So who's right? - Excuse me? - You're a churchy guy. Which one of us is right? - [Jesus] Both of you. - No, come on. Somebody has to be wrong. - [Jesus] You're right. You're both wrong. - You know, I don't see the humor in this. - Sorry. What I mean is it's good to live life the way Mary does. Just enjoying creation
and everything in it. But it's just as important to work hard for the
people that depend on you and to meet people's needs
and be an honest worker. - Yeah, but--
- But, in God's eyes, it makes no more sense to spend all day just smelling the roses then it does to work
yourself to exhaustion. - So what are you supposed to do? - Well, enjoying God's love means balance. - That sounds like something on Oprah. You can't just expect to live your life 50% one way and then 50% the other. - I'm sorry, but I think so too. - Do you remember that
broken down old playground across the street when
your girls were little? - How'd you know about that?
- Yeah. What about it? - [Jesus] Do you remember what your favorite thing there was? - The seesaw. - It was our favorite thing because it was the only piece of equipment that wasn't busted. - Well yeah. - And it worked the best and it was the most fun when both of you were perfectly
positioned on either side. And if one of you should lean too far. - One of us went flying and
the other one busted our butt. So what? - Well do you remember
what your dad used to do to make the game interesting? - Did you tell him all this? - Yeah, he would stand up on
the middle of the seesaw with one foot on her side
and one foot on mine. And then he'd shift his
weight from side to side. You had to lean with him. - To keep from busting your butt. - And what was the best way to make sure you were perfectly balanced? - You had to keep your eyes, you had to keep your eyes focused on him. - And if you looked away, you might fall. (glasses breaking) - [Thurman] Little help in here. - Excuse us. I feel like, have we ever met before? - Many times. - I thought so. I just felt like doing that. - I'm so glad you did. - [Martha Lee] Mary. - I, I better get back there. - [Jesus] No problem. - I told him a hundred times
I just stack those things, so. - Oh. He's gone. - I'm sure he'll be back. - [Customer] Y'all open? - Yes, we are. Mary. Mary. - Oh, sorry. You can sit anywhere you like. Hi, how you doing? - Hello, how are you? - [Mary] Great. (gentle music)
(people chattering) - [Dr. Banks] McDonald. Manly. Morrison. Or, Hey, listen up people,
let's get through this. Norris. Perez. Is Anna Perez here? - [Anna] I'm here. - Railing. Underwood. Watley. Williams. Worthington and Young. Welcome to Humanities 401, an examination of faith. This class is designed
to expand your horizons while at the same time advancing your knowledge
of the myths and legends that have characterized much of the world since the beginning of time. Now, since this is a
graduate level course, I will be expecting
graduate level thinking and understanding. So can someone please
tell me what is faith? Oh, don't be shy. It's gonna be a long year. Right here. - Something you believe in. - Well, I believe I'm standing
in front of this class. I believe I'm standing on this floor. Is that necessarily faith? Anybody else? Right here, blonde hair. - It's something not
limited to what you see, but what you know to be true. - What's your name?
- Maddie Foster. - All right, Foster. But what if everything we
believe on the inside in reality has been forced on us and
we don't even realize it. Like Christianity, any beliefs at all should make you think twice
about what you really believe. (soft music) Most everyone believes in
a greater power or entity. This all started at the beginning of time. Primitive men believed in the
sun gods and thunder gods. So why are we in modern society so desperate to believe in
power greater than ourselves? Yes. - To explain the unexplainable. - [Dr. Banks] Good. Anyone else? Yes. - So people can have hope. - Hope. Yeah, I think I'll take that. Anyone else? Yes. - To give their own lives meaning. - [Dr. Banks] Excellent. - To have somebody to blame
when things go down a toilet. - Hey, don't laugh, he's not that far off. If a a Baptist or a
Presbyterian messes up, then the devil may them do it. Or if there's an earthquake or tornado and it's divine will, am I right? Well, what's another reason why people have a need to
believe in a higher power or God, if you will? Foster. - Because he's real. - [Dr. Banks] Would
you repeat that please? - Some people believe
in God because deep down they know he is out there. - [Dr. Banks] Now how can
they possibly know that? - Because there's an
emptiness in their lives they can't explain. - Let me guess. Christian. - [Maddie] Yeah. - And I assume you grew up in a conservative Bible thumping family. - Well, no. Nobody ever thumped anything. My dad was a deacon. - [Dr. Banks] And your
family's whole belief system is based entirely upon the notion of a personal relationship
with Jesus Christ. - Well, yeah. - Well, I hate the bust to
bubble on your belief system, but it's technically impossible to have a relationship with
someone who died 2000 years ago. - [Maddie] I know. - You know? - I know he died, but he also came back to life. - I think we all know
where this is headed. So let me save everyone from
past the collection plate. Open your books to 237, Greek and Roman gods and goddesses. (soft music) How many of you consider yourselves to be people of faith? Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Scientology, animism, witchcraft. Now, what's the one thing that strikes you about this
vast division of beliefs? Yes. - The fact that they can't all be right. - Exactly. But amazingly enough, each
of them claims that they are. Is that reasonable? Yes. - No.
- And why not? - Because only one of them can be true. - [Dr. Banks] And I'm willing to bet you think the true in is Christianity? - Well, yeah. - [Dr. Banks] That's what I thought. But for some unknown reason, it's the Christians that not only seek to have the corner on truth, but the arrogance to force it down the throats of other religions. This whole line of reasoning
crumbles when you realize, much like evangelical Christians who try to set the
standard for what is right, what is moral, what is
obscene, what is acceptable. They even make a practice of it. I've always wanted to ask one of those religious right people, is it okay to abort a baby if you know he's gonna grow
up to perform abortions? And the people living in that cult have the same justification
to believing that crystal as the average Methodist has to believe that Jesus Christ will return and take all away one day after. - No, I've been meaning to. Well, you know what? I've just been really busy
the last couple weeks. Mom, it takes time to find a new church. It's, it's not like picking out a gym. Yeah, they're all fine. I think I'm gonna drop my
humanities class though. Well, the professor uses me like daily as an illustration and I'm
starting to get tired of it. All right, listen, I, I gotta go. I got a paper due. Yes, I'm eating. All right, give dad a hug. Love you too, bye. - Mine was the same way. - What? - My mother was always worried
I wasn't eating enough. - [Maddie] Actually, I, I think she's more concerned that I'm getting ready to drop this class. - Trying to pull too many hours? - [Maddie] Oh, no. Nothing like that. - So what's the problem? - Well, it's supposed to be this class on all different faiths
and religions, right? - Yeah. - But I just sit there every single day and listen to the professor use it for his own personal attacks on. - On the way you feel about things. - Well, yeah. - So you feel like you're not
being true to those feelings by not standing up to him? - Yeah, I guess. It's just he's so arrogant
about how all beliefs are just different concoctions of the same theme. But you know what, the only one he really does his best to disprove is Christianity. - And you're betraying God because you're not doing a
better job of defending his case. - [Maddie] Well, I know God doesn't need me to be his lawyer, but I. - But what? - It's just that I've only ever seen the
world and black and white, and now my parents are paying my tuition for me to sit there and listen to a guy talk about nothing but gray and there's just, there's
not a word of truth to it. - Why'd you sign up for this class? - That's a requirement for my post grad. - Is that the only reason? - Well, I think about the
different people I meet every day. You know, the ones with
different backgrounds and-- - Yeah. - I wanna do mission work at some point. - So you thought this course would help you understand
'em a little better? - Well, yeah. So I wasn't just stepping all over 'em when I tell 'em what I believe. - [Jesus] But the only ones
getting stepped on this class are you and your God, right? - Yeah. - And that's not fair. - Well. It's sure not fun. - You might as well get used to it. The world, especially
the society you live in, thrives on the gray area, makes 'em feel safe, gives 'em less accountability
for their actions. - How do you mean? - Well, it's fairly simple. If you don't wanna be
forced to do something that you know is right, then the easiest thing to
do is to muddy the waters and pretend that there's no such thing as real right or wrong. It makes all choices equally balanced, less chance of consequences or guilt. You're free to do what feels good. - I guess I've been sheltered
most of my life, I just, I had no idea it could be as bad as what I'm dealing with in this class. - Like I said, you might
as well get used to it. - How did it all even get this way? I mean, we were just talking in one of my other classes about how America was predominantly
founded by men of faith, Christian faith like me. - How long has it been since
you read "Lord of the Flies"? - Which one is that again? - English boys, shipwrecked. - Oh yeah. A bunch of boys got
shipwrecked on an island, tried to set up their own society. - Do you remember what
finally happened to them? - I think by the end of the book they pretty much wound up
brutalizing each other. - And how did they come to
accept the brutality as normal? - Well, they were cut
off from civilization and I think they just gradually
forgot what was right. Or at least it got all mixed up for them. - That's right, it did. They had no compass to
guide their behavior. People today are the same way. They've cut themselves off from God so they've lost all sense
of how ugly sin really is. They live in a broken world,
but to them it seems normal. God is holy and just in an absolute way. But society has no point
of reference for this. That's why they're continually
trying to water it down just like Islam does. - Islam, we just talked about
that in class last week. But wait, isn't there a big
emphasis on God's justice and His punishment for wickedness? - That's what they claim. But ask one of them what
happens on judgment day? They'll tell you that if
you've done enough good deeds, Allah will overlook your bad ones and you can still get into paradise. - Yeah, so? - So that means there's
no penalty for wrongdoing if you've done enough
good deeds to offset it. It's kinda like someone being on trial for murder and the judge says, well, you were a good little league coach, so we'll just let it go. - Wow you, you really know your stuff. - Listen, you're on the right track with wanting to reach out
to people who don't believe. You have to make sure that you do it with love and understanding. - Even the mean ones? - The mean ones need
the most understanding. People have a lot of different reasons for wanting to attack the truth. You just had to be patient with them. And you better get moving. You don't wanna be late
for your psych class. - Gosh, yeah, you're right, I. Listen, thanks for your perspective. I was starting to think that I-- - Maddie. You don't wanna be late. - Right, okay. You, you know my name? Do you teach here? - Every now and then? - Oh. Right, okay. Gotta go. (gentle music) Could, could you explain this, please? - Well, what do you want me to explain? I thought your grade was pretty generous. - Pretty generous? It's a C minus. - Well, I gave you extra points for structure and presentation. - But nothing for the rest of it. - You made a big
overriding mistake, Foster. Each of your observations were based entirely upon
a very weak assumption. - What assumption? - That God exists, Creation is a fact, and that Jesus Christ
is a standard role model for all human behavior. (gentle music) Anything else? I was hoping you'd be here. - Hi.
- Do you know Dr. Hanks? - Teaches your faith course? - He makes me feel like I'm a moron for believing the things I do. - Read this? - CS Lewis. - He was a great thinker who struggled between
intellectualism and faith. So what's on your mind? - [Maddie] Well, this
is what I got yesterday. - Ouch. C minus. - I mean, many more of these and I'm, I'm barely gonna pass the class. - How do you want me to help? - I'm getting this because I can't make a strong
case for what I believe. Do you think deep down, I'm just, I'm not sure anymore. - Listen, all believers
have doubts sometimes even when they're sure of the truth and the evidence is right
in front of their eyes. Look at Peter. He denied the truth three times, but he still got back on track. Something else bothering you? - It's, it's something
Dr. Hanks said earlier on. - [Jesus] What did he say? - He said it was arrogant for Christians to think they had all the
answers and nobody else does. And part of me thinks
like, what if he's right? I mean, who am I to say that
I have all the answers and, and they don't. - Two men were sitting on an
airplane while it was boarding. After a few moments, they
struck up a conversation. One man was from New York and he was talking
about how anxious he was to see his family again. The other man was talking
about how excited he was to be visiting Denver for the first time. But the only problem was the
plane wasn't going to Denver. It was going to New York. And only the New York man realized that his friend had somehow
gotten on the wrong plane and wasn't headed for
his intended destination. - Even I wouldn't do something that dumb. I mean, these days, golly, you have to practically
pack your blood type and-- - Maddie.
- Yeah? - Not the point. So would it have been
arrogant for the New York man to tell his friend the truth while there was still time for him to get on the right plane? Or the best thing he could do would be just sit silently so as not to offend or embarrass the man and just let him think he was right. - You wanna do something with me? - [Jesus] Like what? - Like sit in on my faith class. Just as an observer. - Would it be all right with Dr. Hanks? - [Maddie] I'll be sure to ask him. It's it's 10:00 AM Bryce Hall room 134. - I'll be there. - [Maddie] Okay. - All right, let's settle down please. Let's settle down. Thank you very much. I would like to let you all know that observing our class today
is a guest of Ms. Foster. We would like to welcome him and hope he finds this class
to be a pleasant experience, as does Ms. Foster. All right, open your book to page 119. We'll continue where
we left off yesterday, the debate between faith and science. But this whole line of reasoning crumbles when you realize that it is
based upon the assumption that creation took place
in a biblical context. The suggestion that there's
anything without a beginning is a logical impossibility. Never has there been more
support in the academic community for the validity of Darwin's observation. The process we were referred
to as Macroevolution. Why do people of faith,
mainly the creationists, continue to believe the things they do despite scientific
evidence and simple logic? Yes. - Because science is so
much more intimidating and harder to understand. I guess faith is just the easy way out. - Good point. Good point. Anybody else? Yes, right here. - Because people are more
prone to live in the past and science is a present day thing that would cause them to give up their history. - That's another good point. I'll tell you what, how about we hear from
Miss Foster's guest. Ms. Foster told me you
are very knowledgeable in theological manners. Would you mind sharing
your viewpoint with us? - Not at all. - The question is, why do people of faith continue to believe the things they do despite scientific
evidence to the contrary? - People seek deeper truths to fill in the gaps left
by science and logic. That's where faith comes in. - So you see faith as
the enemy of science? - No. Mainly because what passes
for science in one generation often changes in another. - Oh. But science doesn't change. - Sure it does. 600 years ago, everyone was sure that the world was flat and that leeches were the
best form of medicine. - Oh, that was a long time ago. - 50 Years ago, some scientists were saying that everyone would be driving a flying car by now. The founder of IBM predicted that there would never be a need for more than five computers
in the entire world. - Yeah, but we've advanced
a little since then. - Well, even today, the-- - Hey man, I'm sorry, I'm having trouble hearing you over here. - Would you mind standing so the people in the back can hear? - Even today, scientists can't figure
out how gravity works or how some fish can
migrate thousands of miles back to the exact spot
where they were born. - I have faith they'll
eventually find the answer. - You have faith? (class snickering) - Faith in science, the same science that put away
the Adam and Eve fairytale. - And gave you the Big Bang theory? Isn't that the one you subscribe to? - [Dr. Banks] Parts of it. - Which parts? - One big explosion. All matter and energy are formed. The entire universe came into being. - What caused it? - Nobody knows for sure. - How about in the beginning there was darkness and God said let there be light, and there was light. - That is a statement of faith, not fact. - Well, tell me this. What requires more faith, to believe that nothing became
everything all of a sudden for no reason or cause, or that something or
someone made it happen. - Is this talking about
intelligent design? - It doesn't take much
understanding to realize just how finally designed
the creation really is. Take your own bodies, for example. Do you know that
scientists can't figure out why people sleep or how it
heals the mind and the body? - [Dr. Banks] The point being. - The point being, if science can't explain one of man's most common physical needs, then how can it hope to
explain the spiritual ones? - You have no respect for science, do you? - I love science. I think it's an amazing
scope for comprehending the extent of God's creation. But what's perplexing is the people that claim
to admire the creation, but try to ignore the creator. It's like you kids trying
to convince yourselves that there's no such thing as parents. - So you want people to choose between secular science and religious faith. - Anybody name a famous scientist? - Sir Isaac Newton. - Albert Einstein. - Now, what did these
two men have in common? - [Student] They were both geniuses. - What else? They both held a strong belief in God. - Wasn't Newton the guy
that discovered gravity? - And cookies. (class laughing) - [Jesus] Isaac Newton
studied the Bible every day. He once said, "gravity explains
the motions of the planets, but it cannot explain who
set the planets in motion. God governs all things and knows all that is or can be done." Albert Einstein was convinced that the universe was so
elegantly put together that there had to be a supreme
intelligence who designed it. - Let's put science aside for a moment. How do you justify that more wars have been started over
religion than anything else? - [Jesus] That's not true. - I'm quite sure it is. - Well, tell me this. In all recorded history, what century would you say
held the most nonbelievers? - [Dr. Banks] If I had to
guess, I would say the last one. - Right. Between communism and atheism, fascism, the 20th century held more
people separated from God than any other. You agree with that? - [Dr. Banks] Probably. - So it's no coincidence
that during this time when people had gotten as far from God as they had ever been, we saw some of the
bloodiest wars of all time. - Oh, I wouldn't say
they were the bloodiest. - The were. The Russian and the Chinese revolutions, constant fighting in the
Middle East and Africa. World Wars one and two, Korea, Vietnam. That was nearly 200 million people dead and had nothing to do with faith. - What about the terrorists? They all claimed that
God was on their side. - Wars are fought for hatred, greed, power, sometimes to defend the oppressed. But some people try to honor
God by slaughtering innocents. Believe me, there's nothing more heartbreaking to God than people killing in his name. - How about the matter of freedom? - How do you mean? - Freedom from God is freedom
to be who you want to be. - Right. And also freedom to be selfish and freedom to commit atrocities
without a second thought and the freedom to deny the truth. - If we remove your God from the equation, then there is no standard truth and no reoccurring sense of
what's right and what's wrong. - Does anyone here
consider that a good thing? (soft music) - No, I don't. (bell ringing) - I believe that means the class is over. - Yes, class dismissed. - [Jesus] Thanks for having me, Walter. - Thanks for coming. (soft music) - Thank you. - For what? - For being there. - Always. - You know what, after my last class, I'm going right over to Dr. Hanks' office and I'm dropping this off. - What is it? - It's a written request
to have his class dropped and permanently removed from my record. - Maddie? - Yeah. - Do it in love. (soft music) - No, the judge said this
weekend would be okay. Gina, she's my daughter too. Gina? No. I haven't missed a meeting. Uh uh. Not one drop, not since last summer. Gina, Gina, can I just say hi to her please? Hi, Kelly. No, I won't be coming home tonight. I have to fix up something for mommy. Now listen, I don't think I'll be able to make it to your party on Saturday. No, I wish I could be there. But listen, Kelly, you
do what Mommy says, okay. Yeah, I love you too, precious. Okay, bye bye. Who's there? What can I do for you, Foster? - The syllabus said something about the final exam being oral, but the other day you mentioned something about it being written. - Written and oral. - I just wanted to be sure. Are, are you okay? - [Dr. Hanks] What's it like Foster? - What's what like? - To believe in something
so strongly with, with so much conviction? - Honestly? - [Dr. Banks] Yes, honestly. - It's the greatest comfort. - What would you do if you woke up one dead and it was gone? - I'd do everything I could to find it. (hopeful music) - Have a good evening, Maddie. - See you tomorrow. (hopeful music) (lively music)
