On religion.

I'm wondering if anyone else is as disturbed as I am over the hoopla surrounding the new Mel Gibson movie. Around here, churches are buying blocks of tickets and are hoping to use the film as a teaching tool. I'll admit that I haven't seen the movie--only read reviews and articles about the charges of anti-Semitism; one of my professors wants our class to see it because it coincides with something on our syllabus, but I must say I really don't want to. I think what repulses me is the way in which this film has been taken up by Christians as some demonstration of the rightness of their faith, of their own superiority (look, "Braveheart" agrees with us!). Ever since I became a "recovering Catholic," I have become increasingly uncomfortable with outward expressions of religious faith by other people. Maybe I think they're trying to convert me; maybe I'm paranoid about what they'd say if they knew I was currently between churches; maybe I'm jealous because I don't have a church or faith to belong to. I do know that I'm suspicious of the ways in which Christian zeal can become intolerance for other people's beliefs. Do other people feel this way? Ever since 9/11, it seems, religious rhetoric has been increasingly tolerated in public discourse, even by the prez. himself. It's probably not surprising, then, that nobody has noticed what Joe pointed out in an earlier post here, that the gay marriage debate is really a religious issue, that if we observed the church-state separation, we'd realize that all the state has the power to do is authorize civil unions because that's all straight couples ever get.

I'd appreciate any thoughts on this.