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Dogma!


FilmGuy127

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I am not a big Jay and Silent Bob Fan...

Some of it was filmed in Pittsburgh....I am from Pittsburgh, so ya.

Otherwise, I prefer Science videos and Kid's movies... :pokeball:

Edited by peach_cube
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I just can't tolerate a movie that mocks Our Lady's perpetual virginity. To do so mockingly is blasphemous. Do you think people would be laughing if someone made a comedy about the Holocaust? I just don't see how blasphemy is funny, being that blasphemy is more serious a sin than murder, perhaps.

You might want to read [url="http://www.decentfilms.com/commentary/dogma-article.html"]this article[/url].

God bless,

Jennifer

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Lets not compare their views of Mary to the holocaust. First this movie wasn't really about Mary, they just decided to throw a comedic twist about the Virgin, and there are many (uninformed) people who feel Mary did not remain a virgin...I wouldnt say that is enough to condemn the movie. If blasphemy was what the movie was all about and that was it's theme then maybe we could compare it to a holocaust movie. Having an open mind and being able to laugh at others comedic art is not a sin, unless it affects you and your spiritual walk with the Lord.

-Kiel

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Hi Kiel,

Surely, you wouldn't disagree that blasphemy is just as serious, if not more serious, than murder? My example of the movie's portrayal of the Virgin Mary is just one example. The movie also pokes fun at indulgences (in addition to completely misconstruing the practice), expresses a somewhat pluralistic view of religion, is very sexual in nature, and presents God as a female. Do you think that the Catholic religion is something that should be laughed at in these ways? To me, Catholicism is way too sacred to mock in these ways.

In the article I posted, Ebert is quoted as saying that this film presents Catholic theology literally. Imagine a Protestant Christian going to see this movie -- i.e., a Protestant who is ignorant of the truths of Catholicism and perhaps has some prejudice against Catholicism. This, of course, does not apply to all Protestants, but I can only imagine a Protestant saying, "Aha! I knew indulgences were false. It's so funny how this movie makes fun of those falsities." As a matter of fact, you should read the reviews this movie got at [url="http://www.thefilmforum.com/"]The Film Forum: Christian Movie Commentary[/url]. [url="http://www.christiananswers.net/spotlight/movies/pre2000/dogma.html"]This review[/url], also written from a Protestant Christian perspective, thought that the movie was biblically accurate.

While this movie might not hurt the faith of faithful Catholics, I don't think it'd help the situation with under catechized Catholics, who might take the "theology" portrayed in the movie to be factual. And for faithful, orthodox Catholics, laughing at the expense of God, the Church, and the Virgin Mary wouldn't exactly strengthen one's faith. If anything, I think it'd help to inoculate people against attacks against the faith, and I don't think that tolerating blasphemy is a good thing.

God bless,

Jennifer

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crusader1234

Hmm, a Priest I know liked this movie. Maybe only Catholics who are well versed in apologetics should be allowed to watch it? :rolling:

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somebody else has said this already but let me repeat it... this movie is not to be taken seriously... the very first thing on the screen is a disclamer that says not to take it seriously... and saying that the movie is blasphemy i think might be taking the movie way to seriously... so the movie doesnt present a factually accurate persentaion of catholisim and its views... where did it say it was a documentary? its a work of fiction and people know that... and catholisism is sacred but because something is sacred doesnt mean that its somethign that we can laugh at when its presented in a comical and fictional way... the great thing about this movie is that it lets us laugh at ourselves... and if you look at it the whole theme of the movie is that people take religion too seriously and it causes trouble... not saying that faith and religion are bad... just saying that everyone should lighten up... thats what its saying...

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Archbishop 10-K

Sadly, a lot of people take this movie seriously (the same way people do with The Da Vinci Code.) People will use Dogma to say "Aha! I knew it all along! The Catholic religion is [insert an anti-Catholic blurb here.]" Frankly, I'd like to see at least one movie (besides The Passion) which portrays Catholicism in a POSITIVE aspect. Is that really too much to ask?

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Beenaboba - I think everything you said was right on, and it is sad that people can watch this film and be mislead about the Catholic church or it's teachings. But the fact is this movie isnt blasphemous because it is fiction and is supposed to be taken as fiction, and for pure entertainment. Now I would agree to a statement that this movie is unacceptable if it were claiming to be preaching truth, but that is not the case.

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OwNeD_byGoD

to all-
it is usually hard to depict something as it is so i shall use a comparison to lighten the burden and make it more clearly understood. If i were to make a movie about the holocaust and i was making it against jews, i could easily put a warning in the beginning of the movie, saying: lighten up jews, dont be offended we arent really trying to offend you we're just making a satire about what you guys went through and your beliefs, but all is well dont take it too seriously. That is what Kevin is doing in this film, whether his intentions are truly to write a comedic ensamble or to really bash on catholics, i honestly have no idea what his purpose was with this film. But, like it has been said it can also be compared to the da vinci code in a sense, and i can tell you that many people i know believed the da vinci code to be true and so questioned their faith, if we are willing to support something that leads catholics to question their faith in a response saying that only some catholics should view it, when they clearly know that it is open to all not just the strong catholics, then i feel saddened.

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Excellent post, OwNeD! I was going to write something along those lines, but you wrote it for me. :)

God bless,

Jen

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[quote name='Enda' date='Jun 13 2004, 05:57 PM'] What are guys talking about? Dogma is onee of the most anti-Catholic movies Hollywood's ever made! I mean, an atheist getting the stigmata? What a bunch of hoopla! And as I remeber it didn't the preist eventually leave the Church or something? IT'S AWFUL EVERYONE!!!! [/quote]
You're descriving Stigmata, not Dogma. Stigmata WAS anti-Catholic, and it tried heavily to push the Gnostic Gospel of St. Thomas.

Dogma was made by Kevin Smith, who claims to still be a practicing Catholic. The problem with the movie, though, is that it makes no sense. ;) Smith uses an indulgence as if it were Confession; in the movie, it provides forgiveness of sins, not the removal of temporal punishment (so the whole plot falls there).

As for the knock on Mary's Virginity, anyone read the Da Vinci Code? That's much worse, and I know plenty of Catholics who have read that.

It was meant to poke fun at Catholics who didn't understand their faith. However, his message that "It's not what you have faith in, just that you HAVE faith" was bogus anti-Christian. It also slammed pretty hard against organized religion as a whole.

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Jake Huether

I will spend the money I would have used to see Dogma to see the Passion again. Why waste your money? For laughs? If you want to laugh, why not rent the Three stooges, or watch Ace Ventura, or any other comedy which doesn't push the envelope on blasphemy / heresy? Just doesn't make sense to me.

Even if it was remotely "okay", why even do it? There are other ways to reach the end (be it a good laugh or a good time). Why use a questionable means. And at the expense of your own faith...

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