The producer of God's Not Dead 2 has denied accusations that the film is "full of fake Christian persecution", arguing that if it weren't true, people wouldn't be getting so offended by it.
The sequel to 2014's sleeper hit God's Not Dead, the upcoming film stars Melissa Joan Hart as a Christian teacher who is forced before a judge for answering a question about Jesus in the classroom. It has been accused of imagining Christian persecution in the US by blogger Hermant Mehta.
In a post titled 'The Trailer of God's Not Dead 2 is Full of Fake Christian Persecution', Mehta wrote, "In real life, even atheist groups wouldn't blink over this. They sure as hell wouldn't file a lawsuit or send a letter of complaint because the teacher wasn't proselytizing.
"But for those who live in the Christian Persecution Bubble, even mentioning the Bible will get them in trouble. It's a lie they tell themselves so they can pretend to be martyrs."
David AR White, the film's producer and actor, denied this claim:
"It's an interesting thing, because, if it wasn't real, why do they get so offended by it? I don't think it would annoy people if it wasn't true," he told The Blaze.
"At the end of 'God's Not Dead 1′ and even part two, we throw up about 50 different court cases that are dealing with similar issues right now."
Professor Darrell Bock, executive director for Cultural Engagement at Dallas Theological Seminary, told the Christian Post that the sequel is an accurate representation of a "more hostile culture" towards Christianity in America.