No Nutritional Value: Constantine's Sword
I feel sort of bad equating a documentary with a C-level tween vampire flick from the 1980s, but Constantine's Sword is (pardon the pun) so toothless and obvious as to be the documentary equivalent of unflavored rice cakes. Documentaries can be calorie-free, too.
The basic premise is a disillusioned former priest discovering the history of anti-Semitism within the Roman Catholic Church and trying to make sense of it. Where did it come from? What kept it going? Except that he never does get into the whys and wherefores of anti-Semitism, he just gives a lot of examples of its manifestation in Catholic and Protestant societies. So the effect is less an uncomfortable examination of the basis of one of the most long-lived and vile prejudices ever to afflict men and women and more a summary of the unpleasantness and evil the Jewish people have endured over their many millenia of worship. "HOLY CRAP, THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH IS ANTI-SEMITIC" is hardly news. I bet this guy would keel over and die if anyone pointed out that there are anti-Semitic Jews.
Heart's in the right place, but the film and the author/narrator goes nowhere fast. It's one noteworthy contribution was in demonstrating how much of an utter douchebag Ted Haggard is. On the subject of men and women forcing Protestant values on cadets at the Air Force Academy, Haggard, that Constitutional scholar (and serial homophobic closet case and abuser of authority) of note, says something to the effect of freedom of religion = freedom to have to put up with his church's bullshit all the time whether you like it or not. Way to miss the point there, Pastor Ted. Ted Haggard wants you to know that it's totally cool to believe what you believe, but he and his are free to harass you about what they believe and you can't do anything about it and they're not going to stop short of you setting fire to them. In which case they would probably forget their principles and start taking Christ's name in vain as their rubber skin melted off to reveal the lizard/plant/pod/alien underneath.
I can't believe anyone ever listened to this ratfuck little taint. He's got this bug-eyed aspect and a smile so permanently fixed to his Crypt Keeper-face that even the Joker would appear to be frowning next to this dicksmack. Not surprised at all to hear that he got his jollies on drugs and male prostitutes. Ted Haggard just looks like the guy who spends his free time sniffing powder out of any available asshole. Jesus.
The basic premise is a disillusioned former priest discovering the history of anti-Semitism within the Roman Catholic Church and trying to make sense of it. Where did it come from? What kept it going? Except that he never does get into the whys and wherefores of anti-Semitism, he just gives a lot of examples of its manifestation in Catholic and Protestant societies. So the effect is less an uncomfortable examination of the basis of one of the most long-lived and vile prejudices ever to afflict men and women and more a summary of the unpleasantness and evil the Jewish people have endured over their many millenia of worship. "HOLY CRAP, THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH IS ANTI-SEMITIC" is hardly news. I bet this guy would keel over and die if anyone pointed out that there are anti-Semitic Jews.
Heart's in the right place, but the film and the author/narrator goes nowhere fast. It's one noteworthy contribution was in demonstrating how much of an utter douchebag Ted Haggard is. On the subject of men and women forcing Protestant values on cadets at the Air Force Academy, Haggard, that Constitutional scholar (and serial homophobic closet case and abuser of authority) of note, says something to the effect of freedom of religion = freedom to have to put up with his church's bullshit all the time whether you like it or not. Way to miss the point there, Pastor Ted. Ted Haggard wants you to know that it's totally cool to believe what you believe, but he and his are free to harass you about what they believe and you can't do anything about it and they're not going to stop short of you setting fire to them. In which case they would probably forget their principles and start taking Christ's name in vain as their rubber skin melted off to reveal the lizard/plant/pod/alien underneath.
I can't believe anyone ever listened to this ratfuck little taint. He's got this bug-eyed aspect and a smile so permanently fixed to his Crypt Keeper-face that even the Joker would appear to be frowning next to this dicksmack. Not surprised at all to hear that he got his jollies on drugs and male prostitutes. Ted Haggard just looks like the guy who spends his free time sniffing powder out of any available asshole. Jesus.