How a spiritual awakening on a Birmingham football team turned hatred into love

August 24, 2015

WRITER

Movie director Jon Erwin joined Glenn on radio Monday, to share some details about the new movie, Woodlawn, which will premiere on 8/28 in Birmingham as part of Glenn's Restoring Unity event.

"It's a story of a high school that was going to close from violence due to integration. 1973 Birmingham, my home town," Erwin said. "And nothing could fix the problem. Nothing could fix the hatred. You know, policy couldn't fix it. Police. And it was a spiritual awakening that happened on the football team. The entire team decided to make a decision together to love God and love each other."

Watch the Woodlawn trailer below.

Erwin also shared a few details about preparations now being made for the Restoring Unity march and stadium events.

"We have some surprises. We have a blimp that's going to be there to display Never Again Is Now. We'll do a lot of cool things," he said.

Watch the following clip of the segment or read the full transcript below.

Below is a rush transcript of this segment, it might contain errors.

GLENN: Welcome back to the program. We have Jon Erwin with us. He is the director of Woodlawn which is this great new movie coming out in October. And we're actually doing the premiere of it on Saturday night. The world premiere is going to be in Birmingham, Alabama, because it is a story that happened in Birmingham, Alabama. Tell me the story, Jon.

JON: Oh, Woodlawn is incredible. I mean, it's timely. It's a story of a high school that was going to close from violence due to integration. 1973 Birmingham, my home town. And nothing could fix the problem. Nothing could fix the hatred. You know, policy couldn't fix it. Police. And it was a spiritual awakening that happened on the football team. The entire team decided to make a decision together to love God and love each other.

GLENN: And this happened -- the guy in the movie who plays it is Sean Astin. And you know Sean Astin, he played Samwise Gamgee in Lord of the Rings. And so he's a big actor. And he just comes in during a program. Who is the real guy?

JON: You know, that's the amazing thing. Sean Astin's character is based in part on my father and one other minister that worked with -- so this is literally a family story that I've heard. My brother and I always wanted to make this into a movie. As we did the research, the story not only met what we had been told as kids, but far exceeded it. And it led to the largest game that's ever been played in Alabama, on a high school level. And it really was the way the city began to heal.

And it led to Birmingham's first African-American superstar, Tony Nathan, that was heavily recruited by Bear Bryant who is played by Jon Voight in the film. So it was a real treat. From Birmingham, as a die-hard Alabama fan, to have Jon Voight played Bear Bryant. And just to tell this story, it puts our city in a really good light. And I feel like it's needed. Because it's a story of love conquering hatred. And a commitment to love each other, you see the blatant effects of it. It's a true story. And I think there couldn't be anything more relevant.

GLENN: I just -- I was reading some of the things on Facebook this weekend. You know, people will say, yeah, Glenn, you know, I hear the love thing. I got it. I got it. I got it. But we need really solutions. And I keep saying in my head and keep saying it out loud, that is a real solution. In fact, that's the only solution. And people just for some reason don't take that one seriously.

JON: It works. That's my point. I love to study what works and find what works. And we need answers, you know. I remember when we were filming the video, you know, we didn't know what was going to happen. We decided to make this film last summer. We didn't know how timely it was going to be. And one of our actors was from Ferguson. And Ferguson was happening as we were shooting the movie. And we said, look, you need to go home. Like, we'll redo the whole schedule. He said, no, this is why we're here making this movie because this is the answer.

And I think, look, thousands of years ago, Christ said, love God with all your heart, soul, and mind, and love your neighbor as yourself. And that is a very real answer that produces very real results. And this is an absolutely true story at a public high school. This is what worked. And if it worked then, maybe it could work now.

GLENN: So we're doing the movie premiere. This is 7 o'clock on Saturday night. The same arena that we're doing the event. Jon Voight is coming. Tell us a little about -- because if we're asking people to come, you can be a part of all this. Who is coming for the movie premiere.

JON: I mean, that's the great thing. You know, my last film was Mom's Night Out. And we did a premiere in LA. And we've never done anything in Birmingham to say thank you to celebrate the city, to celebrate what we've done. And so this will be an incredible event. And I think it just ties so nicely to what you wanted to come to Birmingham to do. We're absolutely unified around your vision and your idea. It was an absolutely natural idea. You meet the cast. There's going to be red carpet. We'll rev up the film. You typically never do a premiere this big. So it's pretty cool. This will be one of the larger premieres that I've ever heard of. And I think it will be a lot of fun and I think it will be great to have your audience and also have Birmingham, get to have a sneak peek at Woodlawn six weeks before it's out in theaters.

GLENN: Tell me a little bit -- because you are actually on the ground. And I come on Thursday to start doing -- start looking at the program and everything else that we have on Saturday. Tell people what we're planning on.

JON: Yeah, yeah. Well, I think that -- first of all, I think that when I heard just of the idea of Restoring Unity, it was something that I had to be a part of. And I think it's time -- it's absolutely time for those of us who believe in the same values to come together and show it. And it's time for a blatant public display of unity. And the fact that you would step forward and do that is incredible.

But I think some of the things that we'll do is just going to be awesome. I mean, the people that are going to be there. We have some surprises. We have a blimp that's going to be there to display never again is now. We'll do a lot of cool things. But we'll march. And that was your vision. And I think that's important. And I think it's timely. And it's something that I have to be a part of and I want to help empower. And then the program that you have, you know, the whole day in taking a break and revving the red carpet and showing people Woodlawn. That night, I think it will just be a blast. And I think anybody that would -- we have to stop complaining. And we have to start taking action. And we have to start taking action together. And we have to start unifying beyond our differences. And I think that Restoring Unity can be a big part of something that can last years. It's more than one event and it's something I'm happy to be a part of.

GLENN: I was in church yesterday. And I was in a men's meeting at church. And one of our -- one of our dear friends and fellow church members has cancer quite horribly just ravaging him. And he's just one of the nicest, most optimistic guys you've ever met. And we were sitting there, and what was nice was, all of us just took action at the time. You know, he was really down. So we just all gathered around him and prayed. And I think that that needs to start happening outside of our churches as well. We just need to not be afraid. And in the South, it's different than it is up North. It's not as unusual in the South. But it's still -- it's still something that people don't do enough. And in the North, they certainly don't. You just don't talk about God.

JON: Yeah. I think we've become more lonely. I think the people that you can call upon in the event of a life crisis has been steadily declining since the '50s. We've gotten so connected. We've gotten so lonely. And I think a lot of us feel that. And I think a lot of us want to see beyond. I mean, we can look all day at the things that divide us and we can let those things separate us, or we can transcend those and look at the things that unite us. And we can champion those together in a very public way, and I think anybody that believes that should come to Birmingham.

GLENN: You're really a great example because you're Southern Baptist. Aren't you?

JON: Yeah. Born and raised.

GLENN: Yeah. I'm LDS. And those two are not supposed to get along. And you came to my ranch when I was on hiatus and told me you wanted to volunteer your services and your team wanted to help produce this. And at one point, we started talking about our faith. And how our faiths are supposed to be at war with each other. We're supposed to disagree with each other. And we do disagree theologically on things. But that doesn't mean we can't work with one another on big things.

JON: That's exactly right. That's the beauty of something like this. I just think today, culturally, we're in this unify or lose territory.

GLENN: We are.

JON: And I feel, are there differences between myself as a Southern Baptist and yourself as a LDS? Of course there are. Is there a time to talk about those differences openly and debate them? Absolutely. But I don't believe that time is today, at least not at the public square. And I think that it's time for evangelicals, Catholics, Mormons, our Jewish friends, to take cultural opportunities to unify around what we value. And to do that in a very, very loud way. And I think Birmingham is a chance to do that. And I would just challenge everybody that is listening. If you believe in the same things that we believe in, why are we sitting in this place of inaction on the sidelines? And when someone like you steps up and says, let's do this. Let's do something. I can't sit idly by. And I have to do that. And I've come to deeply respect both your friendship and your -- and your beliefs and I think God is doing a great work in your life as he is in mine. And I'm glad to be able to do something together and make a statement together and I challenge everyone listening to come make that statement with us.

GLENN: I knew that when you were doing Woodlawn and you needed a place to show it here in the Dallas area, and we opened up the movie studio doors immediately to you guys for the same reason because anybody who is on the same path -- you're on the same path, man. Anybody who is trying to make a difference for good, we have to stand together.

JON: That's right. I just think unity is our problem.

GLENN: It is.

JON: And unity is our answer.

GLENN: That's why we're being divided right now. That's why everyone is trying to divide us. Between black and white, rich and poor, Republican/Democrat, North and South. No matter what it is, they're all trying to divide. Because they know, we're not scary if we're divided. If we stand together, that's when we have real power.

JON: Oh, I'm brokenhearted for my culture. I'm brokenhearted for a generation. I'm brokenhearted for what my business of entertainment is doing to a generation. And, you know, in the evangelical church, you know, millennials are leaving faster than before. We're losing an entire generation, and I'm brokenhearted for that. And so anyone that will help take back the microphone to get to a generation --

GLENN: How daunting was it for you to do a movie -- you know, because your idea is, I'm not just going to do a little faith-based movie. I want a blockbuster. You're like, why can't we have a blockbuster?

JON: That's the goal. That's the idea. I think it's time that we stop trying to compete with each other, with other Christian films or other faith-based films. We have to start competing with 50 Shades of Gray and Jurassic World and all these things that get the attention of a generation, not only in America, but worldwide. And I'm asking the question, why can't we? There's enough of us. We have enough resources. I mean, there's enough evangelical wealth in Dallas, Texas, to change the world ten times. We have plenty of money. We just have not had a unified strategy, and we have not had the will. And I believe it's possible to make something a lot bigger.

So, yes, we put together $25 million to do Woodlawn both to make and market. And it seems like a lot of money. But the way I look at it, it's less than half of what 50 Shades of Gray spent to get to a generation, to get the attention of a generation. So we have to ask how much we care. And I'm passionate about making really entertaining movies that people will love. And this is an inspirational sports story that you will love. But I am also passionate about sharing what I believe is true, and ultimately sharing the gospel of Christ with as many people as I can. And movies are an incredible way to do that.

So we're saying is, we have to put the gospel on a bigger stage. We have to put truth on a grand stage. We have to earn a message, not use it as a crutch. If you haven't been to the studios, you get creative just walking in the door. So that's why I wanted to bring some of the top leaders in America here because it's a great tangible manifestation of truth, but with scale and with excellence. You know, it's a great place. So I was happy to come here and it was incredibly effective. And it's just a great friendship that built.

GLENN: This is Jon Erwin. His new movie is Woodlawn. It opens up in October. We'll tell you more about it when we get closer to October. But they're premiering it with all the stars, including Jon Voight Saturday in Birmingham at our event. And it's kind of a way to cap the night off and say thank you to everybody. And we want you to come. You can find out more about it. Just go to now.mercuryone.org. Now.mercuryone.org.

Jon, thank you very much.

JON: Oh, thanks for having me.

Critical theory destroys truth and justice

Editor's note: This article was originally published on TheBlaze.com.

Critical theory once stood out as the absurd progressive notion that it is. Now, its maxims are becoming an integral part of ordinary political discourse. The more you repeat a lie, the more you will believe it, and this is the very dangerous place in which we find ourselves today.

Take this critical theory maxim as an example: If we desire justice, we must sometimes champion what may appear superficially as injustice. It's a necessary evil, if you will, the necessity of “controlled injustice.”

By using truth through fabrication and controlled injustice for justice, we’ll save the republic. We’ll be acting in a noble way.

This definition of justice is defined by the “oppressed,” not the “oppressor.” It is the greatest happiness for the greatest number. To achieve this justice, however, we need to endorse acts on occasion that, while seemingly unjust, serve a higher purpose. It will ensure the stability and the unity of our republic, and this may manifest in ways that seem contradictory to our values. But these are the necessary shadows to cast light on “true justice.”

And isn’t that what we are all after, anyway?

Here’s another critical theory maxim: Sometimes we find the truth through fabrication. Our pursuit of truth sometimes requires a strategic use of falsehoods. The truth is a construct that has been shaped and tailored to promote the well-being of the collective.

We sometimes need to accept and propagate lies designed by "the system” — not the old system, but the system that we’re now using to replace the old to get more justice through injustice and more truth through fabrication.

We’re engaging in a higher form of honesty. When we fabricate, it’s for the right reason. We are reaching up to the heavens fighting for a higher sort of honesty. To fortify the truth, we occasionally must weave a tapestry of lies. Each thread, essential for the greater picture, will ultimately define our understanding and ensure our unity under this infallible wisdom.

The election is coming up. Does this maxim sound familiar? Many think it is imperative that we secure our republic through election control to maintain our republic. Sometimes, we might need to take actions that by traditional standards might be questionable.

The act of securing elections requires cheating. It's not mere deception. It is a noble act of safeguarding our way of life. We're on the verge of losing this democracy, and without deception, we will lose it.

To ensure it doesn't fall into the hands of those we know will destroy it, we may have to make a few fabrications. We're fabricating stories to be able to control or secure the republic through our elections. By using truth through fabrication and controlled injustice for justice, we'll save the republic. Therefore, we'll be acting in a noble way. Stealing an election from those who wish to harm our society is truly an act of valor and an essential measure to protect our values and ensure the continuation of our just society.

If we desire justice, we must sometimes champion what may appear superficially as injustice.

I know it's a paradox of honor through dishonor. But in this context, by embracing the dishonor, we achieve the highest form of honor, ensuring the stability and the continuation of our great republic.

Let this be heard, far and wide, as a great call to patriotic action. As we advance, let each of us, citizens of this great and honorable republic, consider these principles. Not as abstract or paradoxical but as practical guides to daily life. Embrace the necessity of controlled injustice, the utility of lies, the duty to secure our electoral process, and the honor and apparent dishonor. These are not merely strategies for survival. They are prerequisites for our prosperity.

We all have to remember that justice is what our leaders define, that truth is what our party tells us. Our republic stands strong on the values of injustice for justice, honor through dishonor, and the fabrication of truths. To deviate from this path is to jeopardize the very fabric of our society. Strength through unity; unity through strength.

We've heard this nonsense for so long. But now, this nonsense is becoming an instituted reality, and we are entering perilous times. Don't be fooled by the narratives you will hear during the march to November. Never let someone convince you that the ends justify the means, that a little bit of injustice is needed to achieve a broader, collective vision of justice, that truth sometimes requires fabricated lies and narratives. If we do, justice will cease to be justice, truth will cease to be truth, and our republic will be lost.

Top 5 MOST EVIL taxes the government extorts from you

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"In this world nothing is certain but death and taxes." -Ben Franklin

The injustice of taxation has been a core issue for Americans since the very beginning of our country, and it's a problem we have yet to resolve. This belief was recently reignited in many Americans earlier this month on tax day when the numbers were crunched and it was discovered that the government was somehow owed even more hard-earned money. As Glenn recently discussed on his show, it's getting to be impossible for most Americans to afford to live comfortably, inflation is rising, and our politicians keep getting richer.

The taxpayer's burden is heavier than ever.

The government is not above some real low blows either. While taxes are a necessary evil, some taxes stretch the definition of "necessary" and emphasize the "evil." Here are the top five most despicable taxes that are designed to line the IRS coffers at your expense:

Income Tax

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"It would be a hard government that should tax its people one-tenth part of their income." -Ben Franklin

On February 24th, 2024 we hit a very unfortunate milestone, the 101st anniversary of the 16th Amendment, which authorized federal income tax. Where does the government get the right to steal directly out of your paycheck?

Death Taxes

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"Now my advice for those who die, Declare the pennies on your eyes" -George Harrison

Not even in death can you escape the cold pursuit of the tax collector. It's not good enough that you have to pay taxes on everything you buy and every penny you make your entire life. Now the feds want a nice slice, based on the entire value of your estate, that can be as much as 40 percent. Then the state government gets to stick their slimy fingers all over whatever remains before your family is left with the crumbs. It's practically grave-robbery.

Payroll

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"The power to tax is the power to destroy." -John Marshall

What's that? The nice chunk of your paycheck the government nabs before you can even get it to the bank wasn't enough? What if the government taxed your employer just for paying you? In essence, you make less than what your agreed pay rate is and it costs your employer more! Absolutely abominable.

Social Security

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"We don't have a trillion-dollar debt because we haven't taxed enough; we have a trillion-dollar debt because we spend too much." -Ronald Reagan

Everyone knows the collapse of Social Security is imminent. It has limped along for years, only sustained by a torrent of tax dollars and the desperate actions of politicians. For decades, people have unwillingly forked over money into the system they will never see again.

FICA

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"What at first was plunder assumed the softer name of revenue." -Thomas Paine

FICA is the payroll equivalent of Social Security. Your employer has to match however much you pay. It means it costs your employer even more to pay you—again, you'll NEVER see that money. At this point, are you even working for yourself, or are you just here to generate money for the government to frivolously throw away?

5 DISTURBING ways World War III will be different from previous wars

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Has World War III begun?

Over the weekend, Iran launched an unprecedented attack against Israel involving over 300 missiles and drones. This marked the first direct attack on Israel originating from Iranian territory. Fortunately, according to an Israel Defense Forces spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, 99 percent of missiles and drones were successfully neutralized by Israeli defense systems. Iran claimed that the operation against Israel had concluded and that no further offensive was planned, although the possibility of another attack is still present.

This has left many people, including Glenn, wondering the same thing: did we just witness the start of World War III?

Glenn recently had a World War II Air Force Veteran as a guest on his TV special, who told stories of the horrors he and his brothers-in-arms faced in the skies over war-torn Europe. This was a timely reminder of the terrors of war and a warning that our future, if it leads to another world war, is a dark one.

But, if Glenn's coverage of the Iranian attack revealed one thing, it's that World War III will look nothing like the world wars of the twentieth century. Long gone are the days of John "Lucky" Luckadoo and his "Bloody Hundredth" bravely flying their B-17s into battle. Over the weekend, we saw hundreds of autonomous drones and missiles clashing with extreme speed and precision over several different fronts (including space) simultaneously. This ain't your grandfather's war.

From EMP strikes to cyber attacks, here are FIVE ways the face of war has changed:

EMP attacks

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The entire modern world, on every level, is completely dependent on electricity. From your home refrigerator to international trade, the world would come to a grinding halt without power. And as Glenn has pointed out, it wouldn't even be that hard to pull off. All it would take is 3 strategically placed, high-altitude nuclear detonations and the entire continental U.S. would be without power for months if not years. This would cause mass panic across the country, which would be devastating enough on its own, but the chaos could be a perfect opportunity for a U.S. land invasion.

Nuclear strikes

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Nuclear war is nothing new. Many of us grew up during the Cold War, built fallout shelters, and learned to duck and cover. But times have changed. The Berlin Wall fell and so did the preparedness of the average American to weather a nuclear attack. As technology has advanced, more of our adversaries than ever have U.S. cities within their crosshairs, and as Glenn has pointed out, these adversaries are not exactly shy about that fact. Unfortunately, the possibility of an atomic apocalypse is as real as ever.

Immigration warfare

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The strategy of strangling an opposing nation's economy to gain the upper hand is a wartime tactic as old as time. That's why the Border Crisis is so alarming. What better way to damage an opponent's economy than by overburdening it with millions of undocumented immigrants? As Glenn has covered, these immigrants are not making the trek unaided. There is a wide selection of organizations that facilitate this growing disaster. These organizations are receiving backing from around the globe, such as the WEF, the UN, and U.S. Democrats! Americans are already feeling the effects of the border crisis. Imagine how this tactic could be exploited in war.

Cyber shutdowns

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Cyber attacks will be a major tactic in future wars. We've already experienced relatively minor cyber strikes from Russia, China, and North Korea, and it is a very real possibility that one of our adversaries inflicts a larger attack with devastating consequences on the United States. In fact, the WEF has already predicted a "catastrophic" cyber attack is imminent, and Glenn suggests that it is time to start preparing ourselves. A cyber attack could be every bit as devastating as an EMP, and in a world run by computers, nothing is safe.

Biological assault

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Don't trust the "experts." That was the takeaway many of us had from the pandemic, but something less talked about is the revelation that China has manufactured viruses that are capable of spreading across the globe. We now know that the lab leak hypothesis is true and that the Wuhan lab manufactured the virus that infected the entire world. That was only ONE virus from ONE lab. Imagine what else the enemies of America might be cooking up.

The government is WAGING WAR against these 3 basic needs

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The government has launched a full-on assault against our basic needs, and people are starting to take notice.

As long-time followers of Glenn are probably aware, our right to food, water, and power is under siege. The government no longer cares about our general welfare. Instead, our money lines the pockets of our politicians, funds overseas wars, or goes towards some woke-ESG-climate-Great Reset bullcrap. And when they do care, it's not in a way that benefits the American people.

From cracking down on meat production to blocking affordable power, this is how the government is attacking your basic needs:

Food

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Glenn had Rep. Thomas Massie on his show where he sounded the alarm about the attack on our food. The government has been waging war against our food since the thirties when Congress passed the Agricultural Adjustment Act of 1938. They started by setting strict limits on how many crops a farmer could grow in a season and punishing anyone who grew more—even if it was intended for personal use, not for sale on the market. This sort of autocratic behavior has continued into the modern day and has only gotten more draconian. Today, not only are you forced to buy meat that a USDA-approved facility has processed, but the elites want meat in general off the menu. Cow farts are too dangerous to the environment, so the WEF wants you to eat climate-friendly alternatives—like bugs.

Water

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As Glenn discussed during a recent Glenn TV special, the government has been encroaching on our water for years. It all started when Congress passed the Clean Water Act in 1972, which gave the government the ability to regulate large bodies of water. As the name suggests, the act was primarily intended to keep large waterways clear of pollution, but over time it has allowed the feds to assume more and more control over the country's water supply. Most recently, the Biden administration attempted to expand the reach of the Clean Water Act to include even more water and was only stopped by the Supreme Court.

Electricity