By Hank Brockett

alvina desai photo Seven protesters stood outside Campus Cinemas Saturday night to protest the release of Kevin Smith’s movie “Dogma,” claiming the movie is blasphemous toward Catholics.

Seven protesters stood outside Campus Cinemas Saturday night to protest the release of Kevin Smith’s movie “Dogma,” claiming the movie is blasphemous toward Catholics.

At least seven protesters stood in the cold Saturday night outside Campus Cinemas to shun the recent release of Kevin Smith’s “Dogma.”

Protests across the country have criticized the movie for “blasphemy” against the Catholic Church in particular. In the film, two angels try to make their way into heaven through a loophole in Catholic church dogma.

Before the 7 p.m. show, protesters held signs, distributed leaflets and talked to passersby from the sidewalk in front of the movie theater, located at 1015 Blackhawk Road. The leaflets contained an explanation for why protesters believe Catholics should be up in arms about the film.

“Some things are so sacred, so holy and so awesome that they ought not be ridiculed and mocked,” the leaflet stated.

One of the protesters, the Rev. Addison Hart from the Newman Catholic Student Center, said the movie was not a comedy but more along the lines of a “hate film.”

“This movie was clearly done to insult the faith Christians and Catholics hold, “ Hart said. “From beginning to end, it’s one big Catholic joke.”

Most of the paid customers to “Dogma” just smirked as they walked by the group, while a few went up to different protesters to talk about what they were doing.

John Stack organized the event, which he called more of a “reparation rally” than a protest. He said he based his views on the “Dogma” Web page, trailers for the movie and the film’s third draft of the script.

“This is a movie that badmouths something beautiful,” Stack said. “Catholics shouldn’t see a movie here -- I know I won’t.”

Campus Cinema manager Jeff Kerman said he’s not worried about any long-term protests from local Catholics.

“This doesn’t impact me in the least,” Kerman said. “If anything, they are going to bring awareness to the film. Anyone who has seen the movie would say there’s nothing to protest.”

Both Stack and Hart said they refuse to contribute to the movie by paying to see it and even would refuse free admission.

“I wouldn’t need to see a rape to know what it is,” Hart said.

In an interview with If magazine, Smith, a practicing Catholic, said he didn’t understand all of the furor surrounding the film.

“It’s not like we feature Christ in a cameo role, a jive-talking prophet or something like that,” Smith said. “The only religious character we have in the flick is God, and no one can really call our rendition of God blasphemous.”