by Michael Coren (Sun Media)

So much dogma about Dogma. The latter is a movie saying the usual nasty things about God, Jesus and Christianity. It was rejected by various American distributors but has been picked up by a Canadian company. The former is the attitude demonstrated by some Roman Catholic groups toward the film, particularly something called the Catholic Civil Rights League. The movie first. It features Alanis Morissette as God. This hilariously pretentious woman has little to say about anything, let alone the timeless mystery of the creator. Might as well ask the cat about nuclear physics. The plot includes trash-talking fallen angels, abortions, mockery of Catholic and Christian beliefs and the usual stuff that we've now seen on television show after television show, in movie after movie. Does it matter? Not really. For some time now cowardly and artistically immature people have gone for the easiest targets, more often than not being family life, traditional values and Christianity. They know they can get away with it because unlike, say, the Jewish or homosexual lobby, resistance is weak and largely toothless. They will also be congratulated by the men and women who populate award organizations and trendy parties. People who wear black all the time, smoke furiously and contemplate how "bloody awful" the world is and why suicide is probably the best option. Once again, it doesn't really matter. This movie will receive most of its publicity because of the activities of its opponents and will thus make a few more dollars for the people who made it and acted in it. Enabling them all to buy even more wardrobes full of black clothing. Best to ignore the whole thing. Christians would do well to remember they are not the only targets. Empathize with people of colour, or Arabs. They are routinely portrayed as salivating terrorists and ignorant peasants. Mere objects to be killed by all-American heroes as they dash their handsome way toward the cheers of the audience, grateful the United States has been made safe for, well, for the production of movies such as Dogma. Seldom do I see campaigns launched by Christian groups against such racism. Seldom do I see letters pages full of righteous anger from God-fearing North Americans about such a wicked stereotyping. I honestly and sincerely believe the biblical evidence suggests Jesus Christ would today have been more concerned about the poor, the incarcerated, the abused and the oppressed than about some fatuous movie taking cheap shots at Him and His followers. Ignore films like this one and spend your valuable time doing His work. Remember, the company that picked up Dogma in Canada, Lions Gate, is the same outfit that is producing American Psycho. The film in question is based on a book that glorifies the sexual torture and murder of young women and was the favoured reading of Paul Bernardo. The families of victims begged that the movie not be made but some people obviously thought freedom of expression (or the size of a bank account) mattered more than the ripped feelings of the parents of young girls slaughtered by a serial killer. So let's put it in context and let's treat it with the derision and contempt it deserves. But there's something else, and something people are not going to like. It has been much trumpeted that the person who made Dogma, and several of its stars were raised as Roman Catholics. Surely the Vatican has got to ask itself how its schools and churches produced waves of people who seem to hate Catholicism and all for which it stands. So many of the people I know who were born and raised as Roman Catholics are angry, sometimes passionately, toward their former church. Somewhere, something went terribly wrong. Instead of campaigning against the result, perhaps activists should ask why all this happened and wonder what can be done to prevent it from reoccurring. As for Alanis Morissette as God, I shall react just as I do when my 5-year-old tells me he's leaving home because I won't give him what he wants. Smile, pat him on the head and say, "There, there, it will all be better soon."