It seems like only yesterday that The New York Times had Sony blazing a mainstream trail for God. But now, with the latest release in the evangelical Left Behind franchise, Sharon Waxman informs us that some of God's children are a little grumpy about the trail's marketing tithe:

The film, with a production budget of close to $10 million, has an openly devout tone and a missionary message, along with a missionary marketing plan: 3,200 churches showed the film last month in exchange for a modest licensing fee of about $100 per site.

But the producer Peter Lalonde, a Christian who brought the movie rights to Sony last year in the wake of the success of The Passion of the Christ, said the studio was continuing to underserve the religious market, even with that grass-roots screening effort.

"It has been a battle," said Mr. Lalonde, who called Sony's $1.2 million marketing budget for the picture inadequate. "It's been just a fascinating ride for us. Enlightening. Everybody sees this marketplace, but there's a barrier to entry, which is a cultural barrier."

Look, Lalonde, if we wanted to adapt the market blitz to Biblical terms, that is a full $200K over what the Good Book says Sony has to chip in. And as The Book of Proverbs (28:25) tells us, "A greedy man stirs up dissension, but he who trusts in the Lord will prosper." So it is pretty clear that even God wants you to shut the fuck up.

Furthermore, The Passion of the Christ was a Mel Gibson-directed snuff film. Your "cultural barrier" might have more to do with the film's has-been pas de deux of Louis Gossett Jr. and Kirk Cameron, a pairing that really does signal some sort of approaching apocalypse if we really want to think about it. Like organized religion, Sony is a business. For Left Behind IV: Hollywood Fags Smote From Earth, consider gunning for, say, a few Y-list stars? Maybe a Dom Deluise or Margot Kidder? I hear the Hanson brothers are prowling for film work--how about them? In God's name! For Christ's sake! Aim high!