PG Rating for evangelism

It's a sad state when the MPAA places "too much religion" in the same category as "brief nudity", "violence", and "strong themes". But that is what they have done to Facing the Giants, a low budget film focusing on overcoming the odds in life with help from the Lord.

The story from Scripps Howard News Service, highlights why the MPAA chose this rating:

"What the MPAA said is that the movie contained strong 'thematic elements' that might disturb some parents," said Kris Fuhr, vice president for marketing at Provident Films, which is owned by Sony Pictures. Provident plans to open the film next fall in 380 theaters nationwide with the help of Samuel Goldwyn Films, which has worked with indie movies like "The Squid and the Whale."

Which "thematic elements" earned this squeaky-clean movie its PG?

"Facing the Giants" is too evangelistic.

The MPAA, noted Fuhr, tends to offer cryptic explanations for its ratings. In this case, she was told that it "decided that the movie was heavily laden with messages from one religion and that this might offend people from other religions. It's important that they used the word 'proselytizing' when they talked about giving this movie a PG. ...

Read about the plot of the movie here.