Imagine a situation in which billions of expertly counterfeited dollars have suddenly flooded our streets and rooftops — literally dropped from airplanes. Some of the counterfeit bills would be turned in, but others would be used and likely not detected. Consumers and producers, unsure of which notes were real, would lose all confidence in the currency. An economic crash would likely follow.

Long ago, during the darkest chapter of the 20th century, a movie was released entitled Hitler’s Children. While the film is virtually forgotten, I cannot forget a certain scene involving some words a Nazi official uttered to a dissident, a heroic Catholic bishop. Dripping with contempt, the officer said (I’m paraphrasing), “In a few years, the churches will be empty.” It was a thought he obviously relished. Ah, Hollywood and its fiction … or, is this a snapshot of history, a rare case in which Tinseltown’s art imitated life?