One of my college friends (Nate) wrote this on his xanga. I found it very good:

I am sure many of you have seen the film "Donnie Darko" by now. It is among my favorites and last night I watched it, but this time I saw the character of Kitty Farmer with new eyes. It is quite obvious that she is a character that one is not supposed to like and that she is supposed to look quite ridiculous most of the time. Kitty Farmer is the epitome of what most people think Christians are today. She is abrasive, closed-minded, ignorant, and has her hands in many things. She is a teacher, the coach of the dance squad, parent, and a community activist. Farmer supports self-help guru Jim Cunningham even after his arrest for child pornography and she helps to fire a teacher from the school who did something she disagreed with. How many people do you know who fit this mold or one much like it? At one time in my life I was exactly like this.

In high school, I was what you called a "super-Christian". I was a three sport athlete and good at most of them. I was the leader of three Christian clubs in my high school and helped lead a prayer group every morning in the library. I dressed nicely, spoke with confidence, but love, and wore my ignorant Christianity on my sleeve, just like Farmer does in "Donnie Darko". I made the obvious choice and began to attend Bible College right after I graduated from high school, just like any good super-Christian would, right? I knew how the world worked. I knew I needed to purge the evils of homosexuality, alcohol, and cigarettes from the world. I wanted to set out on a quest to make everyone in the world a Christian who was the same as me. I desired to become perfect. That is what Jesus wants, right?

I think my high school life paralleled that of the character of Kitty Farmer. It is easy to tell that it did, however, after spending a few years at a Bible College in a fairly large city, I changed many of my views. I began to realize that people do not enjoy being condemned to Hell every time they cuss in front of you. Some people can drink alcohol responsibly and justify it biblically. I do not mind it when people smoke anymore. I realized that homosexuals are people too and that maybe I should talk to them instead of wishing them death. Well, there goes my perfect transformation of the world. Jesus is going to be pissed.

In all reality, I do not think Jesus would be angry with the choices I have made. I believe that having an open mind and understanding many things that make me uncomfortable and that I might not agree with at first will help me to reach more people for the Gospel. An effective Gospel today is not one of abstinence from fun and enjoyment, but one that uses the fun and enjoyment of life to show people that Christ is not a stern-faced father, but a friend and guide. I do not want to spend all of my time wrapped up in the dogmatics of Christianity or the specifics of it, but in the practicality of it. Who cares whether or not God created the world in seven, twenty-four days or seven days of a different length? No offense to scholars, but I do not think many people care about that anymore, if they ever did. I care that someone can meet the Christ that allows the to be free of their old problems and lets them live a better, fuller life. If that includes alcohol and cigarettes, I think Jesus would be ok with that (I've heard he was particularly fond of fine wine).

Now, let's get back to the matter of Kitty Farmer. I find the scene where she is in the P.T.A meeting and arguing to ban Graham Greene's short story "The Destructors" from the school. The purpose of the meeting was to inform the parents and teachers about the investigation that would be occur concerning the vandalism of the water mane and the school's mascot. At the beginning of the meeting, Kitty launches into an attack on the story and wants it banned because it could influence students to do evil things. Next, she says that she is just upset because pornography is being taught in the schools. A final thing to notice when she sits down is that the man behind her pats her on the back and says good job. If you have seen this scene you will know how off base and ignorant Farmer sounds in her argument. Now, how much does this sound like most Christian arguments? To me, it sounds surprisingly familiar. It seems that a lot of today's Christians want just about everything banned from society. We must have a Christian society that allows no cursing, violence, sex, alcohol, or alternative views to exist. What are we afraid of? Are we afraid that people are going to turn away from God because they are exposed to another view? Personally, I am confident enough in my faith that I believe it could stand up to anything. Be confident in your God. When you want a Christian society, just remember what happened last time a great empire was declared to be Christian. Constantine did this and it led to the fall of the Roman Empire. When Christians come to ultimate power in society, it corrupts them and they help lead it straight to its downfall. I am perfectly fine with Christianity being a counter-cultural movement and I think it is much more effective this way. As for all the Kitty Farmers in the world, I say to you, get a life and learn to think, you'll be much happier.