I’m sure most of you are familiar with the scandal surrounding Bishop Eddie Long of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Georgia. If you’ve been under a rock, basically, Bishop Long was accused of coercing young male church members into having sex with him and was being sued. In an effort to avoid a court case, Bishop Long settled with his accusers to the tune of $15 million, allegedly.

I was more than outraged after hearing this but, digging deeper, I pondered if filmmakers are missing the mark regarding issues of the church. Should there be more films dealing with church issues that are typically ignored in black films? Is this the best time to bring up “dirt” that is usually avoided at all cost?

More often than not, the majority of church related themes in film deal with a “Jesus saves all” moral. Atypical plot lines dealing with subjects such as molestation, adultery and homosexuality are shunned for the most part.

A recent Gallup Research poll indicated blacks are one of the most religious groups in America. For most of us, that’s not really surprising news. However, when you consider our progression as a society, it is surprising that certain subjects have remained taboo.

So, do you think it’s the right time to bring these issues to the forefront via film? Is it too much of a Pandora’s box which is why filmmakers don’t bother? Better yet, will movie goers be interested in exploring the issues?