Christians in Cinema

This weekend I saw the movie “Hairspray,” which features John Travolta in drag. It was very fun, and from the starting note, the music was fabulous! I was surprised to find that, instead of being over-the-top, Travolta gave his character dignity, courage and a vulnerability that is very believable. He even does a fun dance number (a la Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers) with Christopher Walken, who plays his husband.

“I disagree with you, but I will defend to the death your right to disagree.” Voltaire

You may be thinking - what does that film have to do with religious freedom? I was thinking this morning about John Travolta’s well-known membership in the Church of Scientology. Since its inception in the 1950s, Scientology has been identified as a cult, with its leadership being accused of everything from harassment against detractors to fraud to torture. For almost 10 years, the country of Germany kept Scientologists under surveillance for its alleged anti-democratic and unconstitutional activities.

With that history, the country of Germany’s decision to bar actor Tom Cruise from filming scenes for his latest film in key military locations is no surprise. Despite the public uproar and the government’s actions, the German film board has quietly awarded sponsorship to the film, which is pretty surprising.

What I wonder, though, is what this bodes for celebrities whose religious views are very prominent. Most non-Scientologists, and even many national governments, identify the Church of Scientology as a cult. Does that mean that its members should not be able to carry out legitimate business activities? A recent parallel would be the filming of “One Night With the King,” which took place in Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India. India, with its Hindu government, is decidedly anti-Christian, and many Christians have been persecuted for their faith in recent years there. Yet Gener8Xion Entertainment was able to complete its movie there.

I disagree strongly with the practices of Scientology, and do believe it to be a cult. But I’m not sure how I feel about the German government barring Tom Cruise’s production because of his membership in a cult. If I believe that it’s OK for them to bar him from filming, then all things being equal, should I be OK if a country with anti-Christian government bars Christian producers from working in their country? Is this a question of church and state separation? I’m not sure about that. If an organization is a cult, it doesn’t really fall under the guidelines that normally apply to churches, or does it?

It does concern me that he had legitimate business and artistic reasons for wanting to film in specific locations key to the story, but was barred because of his religious association. It seems to me it’s a short step from there to barring Christians from working in certain places because of their beliefs. And if we, as Christians, support the barring of someone’s legitimate activity because of their beliefs, should be we surprised and offended (or righteously indignant) when we ourselves encounter the same opposition?

Should someone’s religious affiliation keep them from conducting legitimate business affairs? And at what point does a person’s religious affiliation influence their work to the degree that we decide not to work with or support them because of it? This question surfaces in regard to one of the most powerful positions in the world: the President of the United States. One of the declared candidates is a Mormon. What if he is the best-qualified candidate for the job? I know there are no easy answers, but it’s a question I feel compelled to consider.