"There are more devils in church than there are in society" — Dr. Umar slams people cancelling Shannon Sharpe and criticizing the movie "Sinners"

Psychologist and Black activist Dr. Umar Johnson recently condemned critics of Ryan Coogler's latest period horror flick, Sinners. For context, the movie, featuring Michael B. Jordan as identical twins Smoke and Stack, has faced backlash on social media for being "demonic" and "satanic" due to its supernatural themes and religious connotations.

During a recent interview with The Art of Dialogue, uploaded on May 2, Dr. Umar addressed the criticism of Sinners being "demonic." He asserted that the issue stemmed from black religionists being narcissistic and claiming that those who do not follow their beliefs were "working with the devil."

"This is the problem with black religion. Most black religionists are narcissists. Religious narcissism is a big problem in our community because we believe everybody gotta believe what we believe, and if you don't believe what I believe, you're working with the devil. There's more devils in church than there are in society," he said.

He likened the backlash against Sinners to the criticism that former NFL player Shannon Sharpe received after being sued for s*xual assault and battery by his ex-partner on April 20. Dr. Umar implied that those "canceling" Shannon Sharpe while letting more serious issues slide were hypocritical, saying:

"It almost reminds me of Shannon Sharpe, where you got some sisters who say, 'I'm canceling Shannon Sharpe.' But you don't cancel the Roman Catholic church, you didn't cancel Elvis Presley, you didn't cancel certain black men of importance in our history who slept with children who were underage, you didn't cancel them, but you wanna cancel Shannon Sharpe."

---

"Stop with the selective morality" — Dr. Umar on Sinners backlash

Sinners, released on April 18, received immense commercial and critical acclaim worldwide. The original period piece earned a 98% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and was praised by actors like Tom Cruise and Pedro Pascal. However, the movie was not without criticisms, with some on social media labeling it "demonic."

During his recent interview with The Art of Dialogue, Dr. Umar defended Sinners amid the backlash, encouraging Christians to watch the film. He noted that people criticized the movie because it didn't "line up with [their] personal religious beliefs," adding:

"Christians need to see the movie. And for the Christians attacking this movie, calling it "demonic," I want you to know that this is why a lot of black people don't mess with religion. Here's a brother, Ryan Coogler, putting out a black movie, black people, black cast, and you criticizing it because it doesn't line up with your personal religious beliefs."

He also urged people to stop with their "selective morality," claiming it was hypocritical for black people to ask their children to "pledge allegiance to the flag of a racist country" while condemning a movie helmed by black people.

"So stop being a hypocrite where you wanna criticize Ryan Coogler's movie, but you'll tell your children to pledge allegiance to the flag of a racist country, and you don't mind going to church with images of a white Jesus who never existed. Stop with the selective morality."

---

According to Variety, Sinners returns to IMAX 70 mm screens for a limited time in light of increasing demand. The horror flick will be re-released for one week (between May 15 and May 21) at nine select locations across the US on IMAX 70 mm due to “overwhelming popular and critical response,” as per a statement from Warner Bros. Pictures.

As of this article, Sinners has grossed $161.6 million globally, overtaking its production budget of $90 million. This marked the biggest debut for any original movie since 2019.