Actor Jim Caviezel, whose most recent film “Infidel” tells a story of Christian persecution and was to arrive in theaters on Friday, says some American Christians are subject to persecution by not being allowed to attend church services because of concerns over the spread of the novel coronavirus.
“In the United States, my own country, I would have to say you’re being persecuted right now by not being allowed to go to church,” Caviezel said on Newsmax TV’s “Spicer & Co.” “You see, we have inalienable rights, of life, liberty and pursuit of happiness. And part of that happiness is also being mentally fit.
“And I don’t understand when I see people in restaurants, in airports, and somehow reason that COVID doesn’t travel. It doesn’t do that…(then) why can’t you go to church? Why can’t you wear a mask and go into a church?”
Caviezel, 51, probably best known for portraying Jesus in the 2004 film “The Passion of the Christ” – the highest grossing R-rated film in U.S. history and seventh-highest grossing film overall, mocked restrictions that prohibit church services but allow dining, travel, gambling and other non-essential activities.
The U.S. Supreme Court twice has upheld prohibitions on church services during the coronavirus outbreak, most recently in July in a case out of Nevada where casinos were permitted to be open, which drew sarcastic dissents from Justices Samuel Alito and Neil Gorsuch.
“The Constitution guarantees the free exercise of religion,” Alito wrote. “It says nothing about the freedom to play craps or blackjack, to feed tokens into a slot machine or to engage in any other game of chance.”
Caviezel said he has persevered in his career despite being blacklisted by some for his Christian-themed projects, particularly “The Passion of the Christ,” by taking inspiration from Ronald Reagan and Jimmy Stewart’s portrayal of George Bailey in “It’s a Wonderful Life.”
“I was really moved by Ronald Reagan. I don’t live that far from the Reagan library and I was just going in there and started listening to some of the things he said, hard things he said, that would get many people killed, and they tried to kill him,” Caviezel said. “But he did the right thing come hell or high water. I was moved by Jimmy Stewart in “It’s a Wonderful Life” and I thought ‘Dear Lord, if I ever got a chance to do that, then I would come through.’ Well then my time came.”
Caviezel’s latest film, "Infidel," tells a fictionalized account of an outspoken American reporter who is kidnapped while visiting Egypt and put on trial in Iran on false espionage charges.
“I read this story. I started thinking about this cancel culture,” said Caviezel, also known for the 1998 film “The Thin Red Line” and the television series “Person of Interest.” “You know, Christianity is not too far from being cancelled as well. So we start with Iran, the viewer goes in watching that, saying, “Whoa, is this really going on today?” Yes it is. It’s between three stories, so it’s thinly disguised truth.
“Just like you would see the movie “The Godfather,” you would know coming out of that the mafia really does exist. This is the same.”
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