Not Approved

The Armor of Light

Limited Theatrical Release - Abigail Disney’s directorial debut, "The Armor of Light," follows the journey of an Evangelical minister who is trying to find the courage to preach about the growing toll of gun violence in America. The film tracks Rev. Rob Schenck, anti-abortion activist and fixture on the political far right, who breaks with orthodoxy by questioning whether being pro-gun is consistent with being pro-life. Reverend Schenck is shocked and perplexed by the reactions of his long-time friends and colleagues who warn him away from this complex, politically explosive issue.

Along the way, Rev. Schenck meets Lucy McBath, the mother of Jordan Davis, an unarmed teenager who was murdered in Florida and whose story has cast a spotlight on Stand Your Ground laws. McBath, also a Christian, decides to work with Schenck, even though she is pro-choice. Lucy is on a difficult journey of her own, as she tries to make sense of her devastating loss while using her grief to effect some kind of viable and effective political action—where so many before her have failed.

"The Armor of Light" follows these unlikely allies through their trials of conscience, heartbreak and rejection, as they bravely attempt to make others consider America’s gun culture through a moral lens. The film is also a courageous look at our fractured political culture and an assertion that it is, indeed, possible for people to come together across deep party lines to find common ground.
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Dove Review

“The Armor of Light” is a powerful film that examines a contemporary problem: gun control or the lack thereof. Do the NRA and conservative politics always go hand in hand? Does a person’s conviction ever turn into contempt for others? Is it wrong to want those who bear arms and cling to the Second Amendment to complete some kind of training? Pro-life and evangelical minister Rob Schenck, the founder of Faith and Action, explores possible answers to the overwhelming problem of guns harming innocent people, including a 17-year-old young man named Jordan. His mother, Lucy McBath, begins to lobby for more gun control, and Schenck, whose friends strongly support the NRA, begins to shift gears in his views regarding the issue of guns. Today, notably, McBath is a spokesperson for Moms Demand Action.

At a meeting, one man tells Schenck the issue is simply a matter of having guns to defend others. Schenck states that the good guy in the white hat doesn’t always kill the bad guy in the black hat, and sometimes things go wrong and innocent lives are lost. This documentary will force the viewer to examine his/her own beliefs and agree that, perhaps, some changes in current policies may be necessary.

The film also includes the story of a doctor who performed abortions and who was shot and killed in his home. This film shows both sides of the stand for or against arms and allows the viewer to decide what he/she thinks. Viewers should be aware that a person uses harsh language in the film at one point. Therefore, we are awarding this film our “Faith-Based” Seal. This documentary does a terrific job in asking, “Have Christians gotten away from the Armor of Light for their protection?” As Dietrich Bonhoeffer is quoted in the beginning, “Not to speak is to speak. Not to act is to act.”

Dove Rating Details

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Faith

None

0
Integrity

A man holds a small aborted baby in his hand and asks people if he or she was a choice or a baby; footage of shoving and pro-life groups disagreeing with pro-choice groups; police with clubs arrest people; the mention of shootings and mass murders; blood is shown on a street where a young man was shot; photos of corpses of Jews during the holocaust; people try out guns and shoot them; the sound of a fired gun.

1
Sex

Video of a bride and groom kissing.

4
Language

F-1; H-1

2
Violence

A man holds a small aborted baby in his hand and asks people if he or she was a choice or a baby; footage of shoving and pro-life groups disagreeing with pro-choice groups; police with clubs arrest people; the mention of shootings and mass murders; blood is shown on a street where a young man was shot; photos of corpses of Jews during the holocaust; people try out guns and shoot them; the sound of a fired gun.

1
Drugs

An analogy of heroin making someone feel better for a while but then being bad for the person, maybe even fatal.

1
Nudity

Man's chest seen through robe; cleavage in a photo; an image of shirtless Christ on the cross.

2
Other

A woman says she doesn't condone abortion but wouldn't infringe on a woman's right to choose what's best for her; a mother's great grief in losing her son due to violence; racial issues are mentioned; tension and disagreements between people.

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