The God Woven Throughout ‘Ghostbusters’

Over at my other home, CatholicVote, I made the case why the original “Ghostbusters” demonstrates how radically and aggressively secularized the entertainment industry has become. There are several religious — Christian and Jewish — references in the script, and religious figures represented, and they caused zero fuss.

Here’s a taste:

At a bit past the one-hour mark, Dr. Raymond Stantz (Dan Aykroyd) and new Ghostbuster Winston Zeddmore (Ernie Hudson) are riding in the group’s converted Cadillac ambulance:

Zeddmore: Hey, Ray, do you believe in God?

Stantz: Never met Him.

Zeddmore: Well, I do, and I love Jesus’ style. Do you remember something in the Bible about the Last Days, when the dead will rise from the grave?

Stantz: I remember Revelations 7:12: And I looked, as he opened the sixth seal, and behold, there was a great earthquake, and the sun became as black as sackcloth, and the moon became as blood.

Zeddmore: And the seas boiled, and the skies fell.

Stantz: Judgment Day

Zeddmore: Judgment Day

Stantz: Every ancient religion has its own myth about the end of the world.

Zeddmore: Myth? Ray, has it ever occurred to you that maybe the reason we’ve been so busy lately is that the dead have been rising from the grave?

At about the 1-hour-15-minute mark, during a scene in the office of New York Mayor Lenny Clotch (David Margulies), the Archbishop of New York (Tom McDermott), a k a “Mike,” shows up, in cassock, red zuchetto and sash, and a big cross (and a ring, which Lenny kisses — but they’re obviously pals).

Click here to read the whole thing.

Also, a Facebook poster pointed out that the Archbishop is probably a cardinal, since he’s referred to as “Your Eminence” and has the red zuchetto. He’s likely right! Another commenter mentioned that the mayor has a prominent sign on his desk, reading “Be Not Afraid,” a favorite phrase of Saint Pope John Paul II.

Lastly, Facebook commenters who’ve seen the new film say that there are no similar religious references. No surprise there.

Image: Courtesy Columbia Pictures

Don’t miss a thing: head over to my other home at CatholicVote and like my Facebook page; also like the Patheos Catholic FB page to see what my colleagues have to say.