After the terrorist attacks of September 11, Hollywood decided to put “Megiddo: The Omega Code 2” on ice. But not for long. Two weeks later it opened. Though the critics generally panned it, only one reviewer picked up on what disturbed the Catholic League.
“Megiddo” bears no relation to “The Omega Code.” The plot is about Armageddon with events based on Revelations. Brought to the brink of destruction by a dictator who fights a worldwide coalition led by the U.S., the film is set in New York City and ends with a man being buried alive under rubble and debris. What left us wondering is why the movie felt it necessary to make a negative statement, however oblique, about Catholicism.
The film suggests that the antichrist and his priest companion are Catholic. A black mass is performed, a priest asks the antichrist to save him, etc. Even the Los Angeles Timesnoted how slanted the film is. Movie critic Kevin Thomas observed “much of the film is set outside Rome, with familiar shots of the Eternal City.” Indeed, Thomas goes so far as to say that “it’s especially puzzling that not a word is heard from the Pope.” The movie portrays a human-like Satan taking over the world.
When we learn of such Hollywood fare we immediately find out who’s behind it. In this case it is Matt Crouch of the Trinity Broadcasting Network (Trinity is owned by Paul and Jan Crouch, Matt’s parents). Paul and Jan host the flagship show, “Praise the Lord,” and reach a wide audience of mostly Protestant viewers. They are evangelicals.
Movies like “Megiddo” don’t do any substantial harm to Catholicism. But that’s not the point. The point is that there are some who just can’t let it go and move on. They’re not stuck in neutral—they’re stuck in reverse.
