After the Republican National Convention banned a billboard for the DVD release of the movie "God's Not Dead 2," Wingate Media Group founder Ike Wingate offered to give the billboard a free home in Nashville, according to
Fox News.
"I saw the story somewhere online talking about how the billboard was rejected — a little bit vague on the details as far as who and why — but it was rejected because of the messaging and my understanding was that it was going to incite feelings that would not be desirable around the Republican National Convention in Cleveland," Wingate said, and he became concerned about the free-speech issue of banning the sign.
"I thought, 'Wow, it's a shame they are not able to promote that from the standpoint of the film,' but then from a secondary standpoint, the right to free speech was in some senses denied. So I didn't like that," he added.
Pure Flix chief operating officer Steve Fedyski thanked Wingate for his company's support: "We are grateful to Wingate for their wonderful gesture of solidarity, which demonstrates the importance of standing together as people of faith to protect the foundational freedom of religion afforded to all Americans."
The movie is about a public school teacher played by Melissa Joan Hart whose Christian faith and career are attacked when she answers a question about Jesus with Scripture.
The billboard that was banned by the convention featured the slogan, "I'd rather stand with God and be judged by the world than to stand with the world and be judged by God."
According to
The Hollywood Reporter, the billboard would have been 32-by-60 feet and draped down a large building in downtown Cleveland.
Fedyski told the Hollywood Reporter the Republican National Committee would not have had a problem with the message. RNC speaker Mike Huckabee appears in the movie, he said.
A pro-atheism ad by the Freedom from Religion Foundation was apparently approved without a challenge, according to the Hollywood Reporter.
Wingate is donating space on a digital billboard and it would go up in Nashville as soon as the movie's production team delivers its design to Wingate Media Group, reports Fox News.
California
Rep. Dana Rohrabacher told the Hollywood Reporter he would conduct an investigation into why the billboard was banned.
"I don't know who is to blame. But I will be asking. I will be tracking this down. This didn't play out well, and it could cost the Republicans," the Republican congressman said.
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