The Wizard of Oz & The Quest for Freedom From Dogma
An excerpt from Interference by Richard Merrick
The monumental struggle between the Church and paganism has been told many times, in many ways. But of all the stories, none has resonated with people more than the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz starring Judy Garland.
Based on the book The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum, this film is usually thought of as a nice American fairy tale or perhaps a thinly veiled political commentary, as suggested by Henry M. Littlefield in his “Parable on Populism”. But it is more likely a tale of the Roman Catholic Church’s war against paganism and the freedom to pursue truth in nature.