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.

Antifa isn’t “leaderless” — It’s an organized machine of violence

Jeff J Mitchell / Staff | Getty Images

The mob rises where men of courage fall silent. The lesson from Portland, Chicago, and other blue cities is simple: Appeasing radicals doesn’t buy peace — it only rents humiliation.

Parts of America, like Portland and Chicago, now resemble occupied territory. Progressive city governments have surrendered control to street militias, leaving citizens, journalists, and even federal officers to face violent anarchists without protection.

Take Portland, where Antifa has terrorized the city for more than 100 consecutive nights. Federal officers trying to keep order face nightly assaults while local officials do nothing. Independent journalists, such as Nick Sortor, have even been arrested for documenting the chaos. Sortor and Blaze News reporter Julio Rosas later testified at the White House about Antifa’s violence — testimony that corporate media outlets buried.

Antifa is organized, funded, and emboldened.

Chicago offers the same grim picture. Federal agents have been stalked, ambushed, and denied backup from local police while under siege from mobs. Calls for help went unanswered, putting lives in danger. This is more than disorder; it is open defiance of federal authority and a violation of the Constitution’s Supremacy Clause.

A history of violence

For years, the legacy media and left-wing think tanks have portrayed Antifa as “decentralized” and “leaderless.” The opposite is true. Antifa is organized, disciplined, and well-funded. Groups like Rose City Antifa in Oregon, the Elm Fork John Brown Gun Club in Texas, and Jane’s Revenge operate as coordinated street militias. Legal fronts such as the National Lawyers Guild provide protection, while crowdfunding networks and international supporters funnel money directly to the movement.

The claim that Antifa lacks structure is a convenient myth — one that’s cost Americans dearly.

History reminds us what happens when mobs go unchecked. The French Revolution, Weimar Germany, Mao’s Red Guards — every one began with chaos on the streets. But it wasn’t random. Today’s radicals follow the same playbook: Exploit disorder, intimidate opponents, and seize moral power while the state looks away.

Dismember the dragon

The Trump administration’s decision to designate Antifa a domestic terrorist organization was long overdue. The label finally acknowledged what citizens already knew: Antifa functions as a militant enterprise, recruiting and radicalizing youth for coordinated violence nationwide.

But naming the threat isn’t enough. The movement’s financiers, organizers, and enablers must also face justice. Every dollar that funds Antifa’s destruction should be traced, seized, and exposed.

AFP Contributor / Contributor | Getty Images

This fight transcends party lines. It’s not about left versus right; it’s about civilization versus anarchy. When politicians and judges excuse or ignore mob violence, they imperil the republic itself. Americans must reject silence and cowardice while street militias operate with impunity.

Antifa is organized, funded, and emboldened. The violence in Portland and Chicago is deliberate, not spontaneous. If America fails to confront it decisively, the price won’t just be broken cities — it will be the erosion of the republic itself.

This article originally appeared on TheBlaze.com.

Colorado counselor fights back after faith declared “illegal”

Drew Angerer / Staff | Getty Images

The state is effectively silencing professionals who dare speak truths about gender and sexuality, redefining faith-guided speech as illegal.

This week, free speech is once again on the line before the U.S. Supreme Court. At stake is whether Americans still have the right to talk about faith, morality, and truth in their private practice without the government’s permission.

The case comes out of Colorado, where lawmakers in 2019 passed a ban on what they call “conversion therapy.” The law prohibits licensed counselors from trying to change a minor’s gender identity or sexual orientation, including their behaviors or gender expression. The law specifically targets Christian counselors who serve clients attempting to overcome gender dysphoria and not fall prey to the transgender ideology.

The root of this case isn’t about therapy. It’s about erasing a worldview.

The law does include one convenient exception. Counselors are free to “assist” a person who wants to transition genders but not someone who wants to affirm their biological sex. In other words, you can help a child move in one direction — one that is in line with the state’s progressive ideology — but not the other.

Think about that for a moment. The state is saying that a counselor can’t even discuss changing behavior with a client. Isn’t that the whole point of counseling?

One‑sided freedom

Kaley Chiles, a licensed professional counselor in Colorado Springs, has been one of the victims of this blatant attack on the First Amendment. Chiles has dedicated her practice to helping clients dealing with addiction, trauma, sexuality struggles, and gender dysphoria. She’s also a Christian who serves patients seeking guidance rooted in biblical teaching.

Before 2019, she could counsel minors according to her faith. She could talk about biblical morality, identity, and the path to wholeness. When the state outlawed that speech, she stopped. She followed the law — and then she sued.

Her case, Chiles v. Salazar, is now before the Supreme Court. Justices heard oral arguments on Tuesday. The question: Is counseling a form of speech or merely a government‑regulated service?

If the court rules the wrong way, it won’t just silence therapists. It could muzzle pastors, teachers, parents — anyone who believes in truth grounded in something higher than the state.

Censored belief

I believe marriage between a man and a woman is ordained by God. I believe that family — mother, father, child — is central to His design for humanity.

I believe that men and women are created in God’s image, with divine purpose and eternal worth. Gender isn’t an accessory; it’s part of who we are.

I believe the command to “be fruitful and multiply” still stands, that the power to create life is sacred, and that it belongs within marriage between a man and a woman.

And I believe that when we abandon these principles — when we treat sex as recreation, when we dissolve families, when we forget our vows — society fractures.

Are those statements controversial now? Maybe. But if this case goes against Chiles, those statements and others could soon be illegal to say aloud in public.

Faith on trial

In Colorado today, a counselor cannot sit down with a 15‑year‑old who’s struggling with gender identity and say, “You were made in God’s image, and He does not make mistakes.” That is now considered hate speech.

That’s the “freedom” the modern left is offering — freedom to affirm, but never to question. Freedom to comply, but never to dissent. The same movement that claims to champion tolerance now demands silence from anyone who disagrees. The root of this case isn’t about therapy. It’s about erasing a worldview.

The real test

No matter what happens at the Supreme Court, we cannot stop speaking the truth. These beliefs aren’t political slogans. For me, they are the product of years of wrestling, searching, and learning through pain and grace what actually leads to peace. For us, they are the fundamental principles that lead to a flourishing life. We cannot balk at standing for truth.

Maybe that’s why God allows these moments — moments when believers are pushed to the wall. They force us to ask hard questions: What is true? What is worth standing for? What is worth dying for — and living for?

If we answer those questions honestly, we’ll find not just truth, but freedom.

The state doesn’t grant real freedom — and it certainly isn’t defined by Colorado legislators. Real freedom comes from God. And the day we forget that, the First Amendment will mean nothing at all.

This article originally appeared on TheBlaze.com.

Glenn Beck joins Megyn Kelly LIVE — One night ONLY in Fort Worth!

Get ready for sparks to fly. For the first time in years, Glenn will come face-to-face with Megyn Kelly — and this time, he’s the one in the hot seat. On October 25, 2025, at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas, Glenn joins Megyn on her “Megyn Kelly Live Tour” for a no-holds-barred conversation that promises laughs, surprises, and maybe even a few uncomfortable questions.

What will happen when two of America’s sharpest voices collide under the spotlight? Will Glenn finally reveal the major announcement he’s been teasing on the radio for weeks? You’ll have to be there to find out.

This promises to be more than just an interview — it’s a live showdown packed with wit, honesty, and the kind of energy you can only feel if you are in the room. Tickets are selling fast, so don’t miss your chance to see Glenn like you’ve never seen him before.

Get your tickets NOW at www.MegynKelly.com before they’re gone!

What our response to Israel reveals about us

JOSEPH PREZIOSO / Contributor | Getty Images

I have been honored to receive the Defender of Israel Award from Prime Minister Netanyahu.

The Jerusalem Post recently named me one of the strongest Christian voices in support of Israel.

And yet, my support is not blind loyalty. It’s not a rubber stamp for any government or policy. I support Israel because I believe it is my duty — first as a Christian, but even if I weren’t a believer, I would still support her as a man of reason, morality, and common sense.

Because faith isn’t required to understand this: Israel’s existence is not just about one nation’s survival — it is about the survival of Western civilization itself.

It is a lone beacon of shared values in the Middle East. It is a bulwark standing against radical Islam — the same evil that seeks to dismantle our own nation from within.

And my support is not rooted in politics. It is rooted in something simpler and older than politics: a people’s moral and historical right to their homeland, and their right to live in peace.

Israel has that right — and the right to defend herself against those who openly, repeatedly vow her destruction.

Let’s make it personal: if someone told me again and again that they wanted to kill me and my entire family — and then acted on that threat — would I not defend myself? Wouldn’t you? If Hamas were Canada, and we were Israel, and they did to us what Hamas has done to them, there wouldn’t be a single building left standing north of our border. That’s not a question of morality.

That’s just the truth. All people — every people — have a God-given right to protect themselves. And Israel is doing exactly that.

My support for Israel’s right to finish the fight against Hamas comes after eighty years of rejected peace offers and failed two-state solutions. Hamas has never hidden its mission — the eradication of Israel. That’s not a political disagreement.

That’s not a land dispute. That is an annihilationist ideology. And while I do not believe this is America’s war to fight, I do believe — with every fiber of my being — that it is Israel’s right, and moral duty, to defend her people.

Criticism of military tactics is fair. That’s not antisemitism. But denying Israel’s right to exist, or excusing — even celebrating — the barbarity of Hamas? That’s something far darker.

We saw it on October 7th — the face of evil itself. Women and children slaughtered. Babies burned alive. Innocent people raped and dragged through the streets. And now, to see our own fellow citizens march in defense of that evil… that is nothing short of a moral collapse.

If the chants in our streets were, “Hamas, return the hostages — Israel, stop the bombing,” we could have a conversation.

But that’s not what we hear.

What we hear is open sympathy for genocidal hatred. And that is a chasm — not just from decency, but from humanity itself. And here lies the danger: that same hatred is taking root here — in Dearborn, in London, in Paris — not as horror, but as heroism. If we are not vigilant, the enemy Israel faces today will be the enemy the free world faces tomorrow.

This isn’t about politics. It’s about truth. It’s about the courage to call evil by its name and to say “Never again” — and mean it.

And you don’t have to open a Bible to understand this. But if you do — if you are a believer — then this issue cuts even deeper. Because the question becomes: what did God promise, and does He keep His word?

He told Abraham, “I will bless those who bless you, and curse those who curse you.” He promised to make Abraham the father of many nations and to give him “the whole land of Canaan.” And though Abraham had other sons, God reaffirmed that promise through Isaac. And then again through Isaac’s son, Jacob — Israel — saying: “The land I gave to Abraham and Isaac I give to you and to your descendants after you.”

That’s an everlasting promise.

And from those descendants came a child — born in Bethlehem — who claimed to be the Savior of the world. Jesus never rejected His title as “son of David,” the great King of Israel.

He said plainly that He came “for the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” And when He returns, Scripture says He will return as “the Lion of the tribe of Judah.” And where do you think He will go? Back to His homeland — Israel.

Tamir Kalifa / Stringer | Getty Images

And what will He find when He gets there? His brothers — or his brothers’ enemies? Will the roads where He once walked be preserved? Or will they lie in rubble, as Gaza does today? If what He finds looks like the aftermath of October 7th, then tell me — what will be my defense as a Christian?

Some Christians argue that God’s promises to Israel have been transferred exclusively to the Church. I don’t believe that. But even if you do, then ask yourself this: if we’ve inherited the promises, do we not also inherit the land? Can we claim the birthright and then, like Esau, treat it as worthless when the world tries to steal it?

So, when terrorists come to slaughter Israelis simply for living in the land promised to Abraham, will we stand by? Or will we step forward — into the line of fire — and say,

“Take me instead”?

Because this is not just about Israel’s right to exist.

It’s about whether we still know the difference between good and evil.

It’s about whether we still have the courage to stand where God stands.

And if we cannot — if we will not — then maybe the question isn’t whether Israel will survive. Maybe the question is whether we will.

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