Why I Am Angry

[Spoiler alert for the last fifteen westerners who have not yet viewed "Slum-Dog Millionaire"]

[And to you fifteen souls.... hurry up and watch it, for heaven's sake!]

I just watched "Slum-Dog Millionaire" tonight with my lovely bride.

At the pivotal moment (or one of them, anyway) I realized that Kumar, a man in a position of power, was lying to Jamal, the hero of the movie. It dawned on me slowly, but as the scene unfolding I began to realize that
(a) Kumar did not have Jamal's best interests in mind
(b) the answer (b) that Kumar had fed Jamal was incorrect, and that
(c) Jamal also saw through Kumar's motives and therefore knew that
(d) the alternative answer (d) was the one to go with.

I rooted for my slum-dog hero. Don't do it, Jamal! (b) is going to be the wrong answer. The dude is lying to you! Go with (d)!

Yay!

Slum-dog hero Jamal went with (d) and proved his lack of trust to be well-placed — and very, very well rewarded.

A few seconds after the scene had played out before my eyes, I felt a deep anger welling up from within me. Where was it coming from? And then the feelings rushed forth.

Whereas my protagonist had been through hell and back with some of the worst sorts of scum (and gained his mistrust by this route), I owed my jaded cynicism to experiences I had endured within the hallowed halls of churches I have attended in recent years.

Yes, I learned to smell liars out and watch for ulterior motives by watching men in power at church. That it was in church that I had to learn these survival skills makes me angry. Really, really angry.

And I know it makes Jesus angry too.