NEW YORK -- There's not much that shocks Chris Rock because he's in the business of shocking other people -- and business is good.

A former member of Saturday Night Live who recently won an Emmy Award for his no-holds-barred TV show, which airs on the American cable network HBO, Rock is considered one of the finest stand-up comics of his generation.

"Everything should be satirized and skewered. Nothing is above jokes and that includes religion. No, make that especially religion because religion takes itself much too seriously," says Rock.

"I don't want to go to heaven if it ain't funny. I don't see heaven as a bunch of comedy clubs, but I do see it as a lot of people laughing."

There are those who think Rock doesn't have a hope in hades of getting into heaven now that he's appearing in Kevin Smith's controversial comedy, Dogma, which opened yesterday.

Dogma is a satire about a pair of fallen angels (Matt Damon and Ben Affleck) who are determined to get back into heaven even if it means jeopardizing creation itself. Rock plays an apostle who is sent to Earth to help a motley band of prophets and muses stop the renegade duo.

There was such a backlash from religious groups, including agencies within the Catholic Church, that mainstream Miramax Films decided to sell distribution rights to the independent Canadian-based Lions Gate Films.

"I'm not a fan of organized religion. I got kicked out of Bible school for laughing and joking. I went home crying because I thought my mom would be upset, but she didn't even get mad, bless her," recalled Rock.

"I grew up in an area of Brooklyn where there are more churches per square mile than any place in the world. There were a lot churches but no sign of God."

Rock didn't have to look far to see religious hypocrisy.

"My grandfather is a preacher but he also fooled around and cussed a lot. I believe in God, I just don't believe in religion and that's what our movie says."

Rock petitioned to be part of Dogma.

"It was in 1997 and I just won two Emmys for (the special) Chris Rock: Bring the Pain! ( It airs in Calgary Nov. 27 at 10 p.m. on the Comedy Network j.)

"I was really hot. The head honchos at Miramax called me in to offer me a movie. I was really excited until they told me it was about a busload of rappers."

"I told them I wanted to be part of a Kevin Smith movie. Kevin's movies, like Chasing Amy, had really spoken to me. I've been in love with girls of reputation and I definitely didn't handle it right, and that movie hit home.

"Kevin and I hit it off immediately and he tailored the role of the 13th apostle for me."

Rock freely admits to being a womanizer when he first gained celebrity with Saturday Night Live, but he settled down when he met and later married publicist Malaak Compton. But the union hit a snag last year.

"I was working too hard doing movies, TV comedy specials and hosting MTV," said Rock.

The couple split up temporarily, but are back together -- he gave her an enormous diamond ring called Rock's rock.

The comedian says he is definitely living his dream.

"I always wanted to make people laugh. My family encouraged me because where I grew up they were just happy I wasn't selling crack.

"Humour is a great leveller. When I was a kid we didn't call Rodney Dangerfield a funny white guy or Bill Cosby a funny black guy. We just laughed at their jokes and loved them for making us laugh."