Churches Can Be Cool

A couple weeks ago, I drove by this little church (old enough to have a historical marker, FYI). Out front they had a little sandwich board for their "Friday Film". It said "MONTY PYTHON: MEANING OF LIFE".

That's kinda cool, I thought, a church that's willing to take a step back and laugh at itself to a certain extent, and isn't so "lofty" as to insist that anything which might poke fun at Christian Mythology is inherently evil.

But, I'll be honest, I didn't give it much thought past that point. Until a couple days ago, when I drove by again, and this week's "Friday Film" was a little further out there: Dogma.

Now, this takes things to a whole new level. I mean, Meaning of Life may poke fun at Christianity a bit, but Dogma takes it completely to the next level. I mean, Dogma describes Jesus as, "The nigger who owes me twelve bucks", which of course is delivered by Chris Rock, playing the ostracized thirteenth apostle (written out because he's black, of course). It implies that God likes to take time off and hide out playing Skee-Ball on a New Jersey boardwalk, to the detriment of anything else that might require his (her?) attention. It's got the Buddy Christ even. George Carlin as a Catholic Cardinal?

Dogma is not the kind of movie I'd ever expect to see playing at a Church's "Friday Film Night". Heck, I'm an atheist, and I almost want to go over on Friday night just to congratulate the minister for having the balls to be open-minded about everything.

I'm glad to see it, though. Christianity can, at times, be really really full of itself.