The 1999 movie “Dogma”, by Kevin Smith, is a very misunderstood movie.
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120655/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0_tt_8_nm_0_q_dogma
Kevin Smith is a writer/director who’s created a wide range of movies in his career. From his low-budget, skater and stoner movies, with Jay and Silent Bob as the main characters to horror movies and even some dramatic stories. His messages and humor can be irreverent and at times lewd, but there’s almost always a deeper message behind them. Some movies require a 2nd or 3rd viewing to really understand them.
Dogma is a major motion picture with a cast of A-list actors, including Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, Alan Rickman, George Carlin, Alanis Morrisette, and so many more. It was intended to highlight issues within organized religion but many religious organizations felt like it crossed the line into blasphemy and called for boycotts. It’s noted that one of the most outspoken religious groups protesting the movie admitted to not even watching the movie before deciding it was blasphemous. The irony is that the message of the movie is directed at this whole idea of harmful judgment and control.
Smith describes his movie as “A love letter from a practicing Catholic to his God.” He continues by explaining that “This movie is a kind of kick in the tires of my faith. If you view God or the church as your friend, as I do after growing up with it… Well, I’m allowed to make fun of my friends. Why should the church be above that?” (ew.com/article/1999/10/07/kevin-smith-responds-dogma-protesters/)
Many religious groups protested without even watching the movie or understanding it’s message. In his article with Entertainment, he notes the irony of Christians threatening to shoot him. His response was “Wait a minute. Is that what Christ said, to come in with shotguns?”
If you actually watch the movie you see that God is treated with respect with the intention of poking fun at organized religion and efforts to make religion cool. Within the movie there are references to “Buddy Christ” where Jesus was made into an action figure to try and be more relatable with children.
Dogma is not so much protesting religion itself, as much as organized religion’s rules and restrictions that make religion so judgmental and hurtful to people who don’t meet their standards. The actual message is one of inclusion, with a big push towards accepting people for who they are.
This article by Charles Henderson, on godweb.com: https://www.godweb.org/dogma.htm is a great response from a religious perspective. He interviewed Smith and posted this quote: “It started with me asking some questions about my own faith but the flick doesn’t attempt to hold out answers to any of those questions,” says Smith. “It’s meant to make you laugh.” He continues: “‘Predominantly, what I’ve always done is relationship movies and this is a farce and a fantasy about the relationship with God.”
At the end of the article, after interviewing and talking with Smith, this is how Henderson wrapped up his article: Dogma offers nothing new in the suggestion that the church has fallen short of its own ideals; but Dogma breaks new ground in film-making by teasing viewers into thinking about God in ways they have never thought before.
The Art of Peaceful Protest 