Who Left The Inmates In Charge?

Warning:
Dear Reader, if you have tender sensiblities, move along now.
I'm going to talk about religion.

Cruising the news this morning, I came across this article.

The second-in-command at the Vatican has already called for a boycott of the upcoming film, The DaVinci Code.

Well, I thought, that should insure big box office.

In a documentary about to be released, Cardinal Francis Arinze says, "Those who blaspheme Christ and get away with it are exploiting the Christian readiness to forgive and to love even those who insult us. There are some other religions which if you insult their founder they will not be just talking. They will make it painfully clear to you." (My emphasis.)

The news article continues, "This appeared to be a reference to protests by Muslims around the world over cartoons of the Prophet Mohammad."

Excuse me. To what conclusion should we leap?

Does the Cardinal suggest violent riots or some sort of Christian jihad against uppity authors?

Should Dan Brown move next door to Salman Rushdie?

Has everyone gone insane?

I know a woman Episcopal priest who was talking about the Mary Magdalene connection a good ten years ago. It didn't become news until men got involved.

In my opinion, a person's faith should not be threatened by a book or a film. But people and freedom can be threatened when faith turns to intolerance.

When Mel Gibson's Passion of the Christ was playing in our local theater, the other screen was showing Hildago. The line stretched around the block. Most of the people were waiting to see Passion. There seemed to be a definite fervor embracing many in line, and I'll admit, I was anxious to see Viggo. A woman behind us, explaining to her companion that this was the third time she would be seeing Passion said, "I wish Mel would make a sequel so we could have a movie like this every year."

I said to my husband, "What would they call that? Resurrection 2, Return to Golgotha?

A cowboy in front of us, turned around and smirked.

The woman in front of him, turned around and frowned at us.

My husband shushed me.

As the line inched forward, the start time for Hildago came and went. I said, "I think there should be two lines. One for Viggo and one for Jesus."

This time the cowboy spoke up and agreed with me. I got shushed again by my husband, and the woman in front of us let four people waiting for the horse movie cut in front of her because Passion started a half hour later.

Okay, I was rude. But I didn't threaten anyone who didn't agree with my taste in film.

I think everybody should take a deep breath and remember what Alfred Hitchcock said.

"It's only a movie."