In the movie, Oh God...
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In the movie, Oh God!, Jerry Landers discovers very quickly and humorously that God's kingdom and very presence are not part of everyone's experience. First, he receives a note from God asking for a meeting. Then during the meeting, all Jerry hears is a voice claiming to be that of God. It seems God has a message that he wants Jerry to deliver to the rest of the world. Eventually, God makes himself visible by taking on the appearance of a kindly old man played by George Burns. Hesitantly, Jerry is won over by God and begins to carry out his divinely appointed tasks. One of those tasks eventually lands him in court defending himself and his newfound discipleship against a large number of unbelievers. During the courtroom scene, God appeared in order to assist with Jerry's defense. Everyone in the courtroom sees God and everyone hears God. He gives a short speech about human responsibility in making relationships and systems work in the world. Then he performs the miracle of vanishing before their eyes as he walks out of the courtroom. During the closed session in the judge's chambers, the principle characters discuss this mysterious happening. Since God's voice could not be recorded on tape, all the evidence they have of God's appearance is their own individual experience and recollection. Essentially the judge concludes, "The truth is that we all saw and heard something or someone who claimed to be God. Therefore it is the opinion of this court that Jerry Landers acted and responded out of commitment to what or who he believed to be God. However, since we have no tangible evidence that God did, indeed, appear here today, I must rule that God did not, in fact, appear here in this court-room. Of course, you can always appeal to a higher court." All Jerry could say was, "We've already heard from the highest court." -- Thompson
