I was one of the only Christians in my circle of friends when I was in high school. My faith was widely respected, and I was never really pressed to compromise my beliefs, for which I am thankful. I took advantage of my acceptance by being what salt and light I could to my unsaved friends. One day one of the guys I was deeply burdened for invited me over to watch a movie. "I want to show you what I think the truth about Christianity is." The movie was Dogma.
For those who do not know the plot line, Dogma is a fantasy story about two angels who were kicked out of heaven and condemned to live on earth by God Loki, the angel of death, was so disturbed by his God-given mission to wipe out the firstborn of Egypt that he, at the urging of his friend Bartleby after going out for a "post-slaughter drink" walked into the throne room, "gave God the finger" and quit. After millenia on earth they have found a loophole in God's decree. A church is celebrating its centennial, and by Catholic dogma, anyone who passes through the archway will be absolved. Al they have to do then is cut their wings off to become mortal, be killed, and they can re-enter heaven. God has been incapacitated and trapped in human form, so she (yes, in the movie, God is a woman) cannot stop them. Thus the powers of heaven, including the Metatron (the voice of God), the black thirteenth apostle (who was left out of the Bible because the early church fathers were racist) and a muse (working as a stripper) team up with two prophets (stoners completely preoccupied with sex) and the Last Scion (the great-great-times-a-lot grand niece of Jesus Christ - a nurse working at an abortion clinic who has completely lost her faith) set out to stop the angels and find God.
My still tender innocence and naivete was so horrified by the gross excess of vulgarity and misrepresentation and perversion of truth in the film that I never did get the chance to actually discuss Dogma with my friend. I am a bit embarrassed to admit now how badly my "tender sensibilities" were offended. My initial reaction, though the disclaimer at the beginning of the movie states that it is meant for fun and to be enjoyed as a fantasy, was to loathe it. On one hand I still do for the same reasons.
My most severe grievance I have with the film is that it is postmodern at its core. The church the film mocks embraces postmodernism in retiring the crucifix as its symbol for Jesus did not come to "depress" us. They exchange the cross for the "buddy Jesus," a winking, thumbs-up, ridiculous manifestation of the One to be revered on his high and holy throne. In not wanting to be offensive the church sacrifices the crux of the gospel: atonement. Christianity is not supposed to feel good for Christ came to bring the sword.
In a conversation Rufus (the thirteenth apostle) has with Bethany (the descendant of Jesus' brother or sister), the apostle states that what gets on God's nerves is church factions: "denominations are self-righteous because it doesn't matter what you have faith in. It only matters that you have faith." They go on to dialogue about how God does not really wan humans o have beliefs that we rigidly cling to, but stick to ideas. The removal of the acknowledgment of absolute truth, right and wrong, the "anything goes" mentality is ever the destruction of humanity. "And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. Though they know God's decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them." (Romans 1:28-32) There is Truth, and it is found in the Man, Jesus Christ. At the end of the film Rufus asks Bethany, "are you saying you believe." "No, but I have an idea," she replies. Even after all she has seen she will not take a firm stance. This is a direct contradiction to the admonishment we find in Scripture to be alive (either hot or cold). If our works (which follow what we think) are lukewarm they are deemed dead and incomplete by God, completely without use (Revelation 3).
Though I could not stand the film it stuck with me for years. As I grew in my faith and matured as a woman of God certain things kept returning to my mind. While in conversation with friends about the modern corporate church or while pondering what doctrine God truly deemed important my mind would wander back to Dogma, and I began to wonder... Could there be some small piece of pure metal amidst all the dross?
I imagine God does indeed find much of what we as human being place import on wearisome. James 1:27 says "Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of God our Father is this: to visit the orphans and widows in their affliction and to remain unstained by the world." In the city I live in there is a church on every corner, yet there is still so much need unmet in our tiny corner of the world. I hear conservative Christians rail against welfare, yet I find no one to blame but ourselves, for if we as the body of Christ took care of those around us, the government would not have to. Yet we are more preoccupied with making ourselves feel good and holy instead of serving those around us.
The film demonstrates the fact that when humans cling to superfluous details we loose sight of what is truly important to God. This is truth. Granted, what the film deems important to God does not hold fall in line with the truths of Scripture. It does show that clinging to unimportant details keeps us from the basics of Christianity: to show love as we are in the world.
In addition Dogma draws into light the fact that God extends to human beings infinite mercy and grace, yet we as a whole deny Him and wallow in unrighteousness. This again is a truth. Unfortunately it contradicts itself by refusing to define righteousness and unrighteousness. Though as previously discussed the film quite adequately portrays that servants of God should show love in the world, they miss entirely the second part of Christ's admonition to not be of the world.
In conclusion, I do believe that it is vital to know the pillars of the faith, the foundation on which we stand in the mire that is the world. I also know that I cannot find and will not recommend entertainment and enjoyment from a film that so degrades holy truths of Scripture. I did however find some measure of truth from this unlikely source. Oddly enough, it urges my spirit to live righteously, in the world, but not of it, so that I may serve as Jesus did and the world can find no fault with me, no hypocrisy, but substance and love.
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