Kevin Smith muses on faith, Catholics and his intent to pop up at the Three Rivers Film Festival. BY STEPHEN H. SEGAL

“All that’s vile comes from you,” reads one piece of hate mail posted on Smith’s website. “You teach hatred and prejudice. You insult Christians, especially Catholics. How Satanic!.. Hitler didn’t die, you’re still doing his hatreds and works. Are you aware you’re un-American? … May God judge your terrible acts.”

That article claims that is from a post on Kevin’s web page.. (the WWWBoard??). Anyway, In Pittsburgh has a really nice 1 and a half pager on Kevin Smith. The first part mainly deals with the Catholic League, and their president William Donohue. It’s quick to point out that Donohue hasn’t seen the film though…. Here is what makes me laugh though, this could have been printed elsewhere here, but if not.. enjoy:

“I’ve got a message for Hollywood: Just think of the Catholics as a big bunch of Indians. Would you portray Indians like this?”

Donohue said that in New York.. Smith’s reply:

“That’s what blows my mind… their insistence on Catholics as a minority. Catholics have pretty much run the world for the last 2,000 years. I don’t think a Catholic has been really persecuted since the last apostle died. If I were a real minority. I’d be shocked and appalled by Donohue’s comments. You’re a minority? You’re a man, you’re white!”

The article continues with more of the whole controversy. Then goes into Daredevil.

“Working with that character, (Daredevil), gave me an opportunity to explore some of those themes, (the infant in the storylines who just might be the second coming of Christ, or the anti-Christ)….I pretty much worked out my own religious issues a while ago.”

Now for the part that everyone who will be at the Three Rivers Film Festival all care about…

Now that he’s through with Daredevil and Dogma is in the home stretch – the often overextended Smith and his View Askew Productions team are enjoying a bit of breathing room. “It’s kind of nice.”, he says, “for the first time in five years we don’t have a next project lined up.” Of course that doesn’t include the trip to Pittsburgh for the Dogma screening at the Three Rivers Film Festival. “We made a lot of friends out there.”, he says. “If we ever do a shoot that’s not Jersey-centric, I’d definitely go back to Pittsburgh.”

It then shifts gears and talks about the Clerks cartoon. How he brought back the old cast of the movie, and how here are gonna be some guest vocals done by Gwyneth Paltrow, James Woods, and Mario Joyner. The article talks about the ABC deal, and closes with mention of Smith and his wife and baby… and ends with this:

“I want to raise my daughter to believe that church is good – but God is better.”