Hollywood actor John Rhys-Davies says Christianity’s not irrelevant, has made the world better
HOLLYWOOD — Actor John Rhys-Davies attended the 28th annual Movieguide Awards where he shared his thoughts on the impact Christianity has had on the world.
"The Lord of the Rings” star made his return to faith-based entertainment recently as a voice in the animated film “Pilgrims Progress” and as the lead in the upcoming movie about the life of Ireland’s patron saint Patrick. He revealed that he often finds himself defending Christianity.
"I count myself a rationalist and a skeptic, and I find myself constantly defending Christians and Christianity,” Rhys-Davies told The Christian Post while on the red carpet at the popular awards show that celebrates faith and family content.
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“We seem to forget that Christian civilization has made the world a better place than it ever was,” he continued.
The U.K. native said one of Christianity's greatest “glories, was the abolition of slavery” but maintained that slavery still exists and it makes him mad.
“All the things that we value, the right of free speech, the right of the individual conscience, these evolved in first and second century Roman Christendom, where the individual Christian said, 'I have a right to believe, what I believe and not what the Emperor tells me.' From that our whole idea of democracy and the equality that we have has developed,” Rhys-Davies said.
"We owe Christianity the greatest debt of thanks that a generation can ever have and to slight it and to dismiss it as being irrelevant is the detritus of rather ill read minds, I think,” he added.
Rhys-Davies plays Ireland’s patron saint Patrick in the docudrama, “I Am Patrick: The Patron Saint of Ireland” hitting theaters on St. Patrick’s Day, by Fathom Events. The upcoming film aims to enlighten people on the little-known true story of St Patrick. From CBN Documentaries and Director Jarrod Anderson, the feature-length film features Rhys-Davies as the older Patrick, Sean T. O’Meallaigh (“Vikings”) and Robert McCormack who also portray Patrick at different phases of his life.
Rhys-Davies was in attendance at the Movieguide Awards to celebrate his role in faith and family content, the award show will broadcast on the Hallmark Channel on Feb. 24.
