Dogma on my mind …

Kevin Smith’s 1999 film “Dogma” has long been one of my favorites.
And one scene in particular has been on my mind the last few days.
It takes place between Rufus (one of Christ’s disciples) and Bethany (the last scion.)

I’ll post the dialogue below without comment, as it speaks quite eloquently for itself.

BETHANY
It’s weird. just when I think I’ve got a handle on
Things, something wholly unbelievable presents
itself. Sometimes I wish I had just stayed home.

RUFUS
You sound like the Man.

BETHANY
(beat)
What was He like?

RUFUS
Jesus? Black.

BETHANY
Besides that.

RUFUS
The brother was centered. I mean, He was God,
right? But I think He felt left out because He was
more than human, you know? We used to sit around
the fire – me and the other guys – and we’d be
talking about what ass-holes the Romans were or
getting laid…

BETHANY
Some things never change.

RUFUS
…and He’d just sit there listening and smiling.
We’d ask Him why He never joined in the convo, but
He said He just liked to hear us talk; about
anything. Said it was like music. I think He just
wished He had unimportant shit to talk about
himself.

BETHANY
How does He feel now?

RUFUS
He still digs humanity, but it bothers Him to see
the shit that gets carried out in His name – wars,
bigotry, but especially the factioning of all the
religions. He said humanity took a good idea and,
like always, built a belief structure on it.

BETHANY
Having beliefs isn’t good?

RUFUS
I think it’s better to have ideas. You can change
an idea. Changing a belief is trickier. Life
should malleable and progressive; working from
idea to idea permits that. Beliefs anchor you to
certain points and limit growth; new ideas can’t
generate. Life becomes stagnant. That was one
thing the Man hated – still life. He wanted
everyone to be as enthralled with living as He
was. Maybe it had something to do with knowing
when He was going to die. but Christ had this
vitality that I’ve never encountered in another
person since. You know what I’m saving?

BETHANY
He was big on life?

RUFUS
It was more than that. He was the only person I
ever knew who never engaged in that most ancient
of life-affirming activities.

BETHANY
Sex.

RUFUS
Debate. That’s the only way people know how to
reaffirm that they’re alive – by debating. In all
it’s forms. People spend their whole lives
debating: we fight about who’s right and who’s
wrong, we fight ourselves, we fight each other, we
fight death, we fight over beliefs, we fight over
fights. We believe that to stop debating – in any
fashion -is to stop living and give up. People say
that life’s a struggle, but it’s not. Life is
living. I’m even guilty of it myself, the way I go
on about Christ’s ethnicity, fighting for the
truth to come out. And I’m dead. Even in death,
the only way I know how to live is through debate.
That’s sad, isn’t it?

BETHANY
Not if you believe it’s important for people to
know.

RUFUS
A belief’s a dangerous thing, Bethany. People die
for it. People kill for it. The whole of existence
is in jeopardy right now because of the Catholic
Belief structure regarding this plenary indulgence
bullshit. And whether they know it or not,
Bartleby and Loki are exploiting that belief, and
if they’re successful, you, me. all of this…
ends in a heartbeat.
(beat)
All over a belief.