Just Fiction

Mark Shea:

Ireland, Day 4

More TV and radio interviews yesterday. One sympathetic and a couple more asking the tired question, "Isn't it just fiction?" I proposed a fictional film in which all the homosexuals in the world were engaged in a vast conspiracy to destroy Western Civilization.

"That would be offensive."

No duh.

The *only* time people fall for this notion that a fictional story which goes out of its way to malign and defame a billion people is "just fiction" is when it bashes Christians. The only time such people believe it will have absolutely no effect on what people think is with the Da Vinci Code. Try making a modern fictional film in which blacks are all watermelon-eating Stepin Fetchit dunces, or Jews are all conniving lechers and you will (rightly) get a storm of protest because these lies are pernicious and do real damage. But declare Christians the suckers of a 2000 year old Vatican conspiracy of murder and lies in the service of "the greatest coverup of all time", blaspheme Jesus and call all Christians fools for believing in him: that's just fiction.

And the most galling aspect? It's "courageous" to say this. As if Christians are going to bomb the office of Sony or issue a fatwa against Ron Howard.

Weasels.

Rotten Tomatoes is currently 0 for 7 on the movie being any good.