Culture & Lifestyle

Rant

Pope/Vatican:Afraid of Avatar's message

Posted 25 months ago|29 comments|1,052 views
Written by
It appears that a movie of some critical acclaim has worried the Catholic Church and the Vatican along with the Pope as it provides the idea that worshipping nature might be able to replace religion.

Despite the cover-up of an illegal activity by their own Priests for decades they are now worried that a movie character worshipping nature over religious fervor is not something the Vatican and the Pope will tolerate in any manner or form.

I wonder if they hate the Native Americans that live within the US borders who believe the world revolves around mother earth herself over some form of god-like creature.

There is a big difference between believing in a religion and the religion worrying about their crippling affects on income from its parishioners. Too bad they did not worry more about loses when their Priests were abusing those same parishioners as they hid the truth from both parishioners and law enforcement officials for decades.

The Pope himself is at an age where he could have easily worked along side some of the very offenders they moved about protecting from any legal activity in order to save the church monies lost in lawsuits because heaven forbid the Vatican have to sell some of the gold encrusted items living within the Vatican walls.

There is no one able to judge according to his own religion except who that’s right GOD no one else and keep pointing their fingers and criticizing others forgetting that one point in their own religion.

I am neither shocked nor surprised as they point their fingers as “Thou Shall Not Judge” rolls off their tongues.
EMAIL|FLAG THIS POST
COMMENTS
amishking
amishking
 Moderator
Auburn, NY
25 months ago: This is why I'm supposed to give every sunday? Yeah, right. I love being Catholic.

Ever notice Ratzinger looks like yoda?
everthecynic
everthecynic
25 months ago: This is where I like to remind organized religion that nature worship and the acknowledgement of a supreme being or energy in all things not specifically heaven was around before Christ.
markbyrn
markbyrn
 Moderator
25 months ago: It's kind of lesser evil toss-up. Should you worship spirits or gods based in nature or worship an angry bloodletting spirit god with 3 heads? Both forms are antithetical to reason and science, and both forms have been to know engage in animal/human sacrifice to appease the spirits.

If I want to understand how the weather works, should you look to the spirit bear or to the Bible? How about neither and I certainly don't want issues on the environment or anything else for that matter based on lectures from the Prince of Pedophilia Exalted or fantasy pagan constructs from the self-appointed white savior of mother earth, James Cameron.
25 months ago: Everybody worships something.

All bend the knee at some altar.

Just make sure the something that you worship is worthy of your adulation.

Your choice just might have eternal consequences.

BTW - I've always thought that Pat Robertson looked like Yoda.
markbyrn
markbyrn
 Moderator
25 months ago: ...Everybody worships something...

That's just the religious apologist's ploy to redefine worship as something that it's not; rationally discerning understanding how the natural world functions is not worship.

It's similar to saying that everybody believes in some kind of magic. Most rational people understand there's no such thing as magic - only tricks, illusions, and sleight of hand.

Magic men who claim to be genuine are invariably exposed as frauds, ala Benny Hinn the Christian Faith healer, Pat Robertson the false prophet, Uri Geller the phony spoon bender, or Paul Michael Hamilton's New Age Spiritual Resort aka Arizona's Sweat Box of Death.
25 months ago: "rationally discerning understanding how the natural world functions is not worship."

That's right. It's not, but it can be.

Worship - to prostrate oneself before or bow down. To revere or give immensely elevated status, such as a lord or a monarch, towards an individual, such as a hero or one's lover, or a deity.

The list of things humans worship goes on and on...

Money, fame, status, animals, idols, food, nature, celebrities, deities, ideas, themselves, youth, etc, etc.
25 months ago: Content Removed by Huey Newton
25 months ago: Too many typos in the original.

Here we go again...

The Avatar movie was pretty well done. It was exciting, very visual, and above all entertaining (even at 2 1/2 hours.

Anyone that gets nervous about the worldview it presents is pretty insecure and has issues. Not what I would call a treatening or hostile movie by any stretch.

On a side note, I wish they had named it something else.

Whenever I hear Avatar I automatically think of the cartoon, Avatar: The Last Airbender.

The two have absolutely nothing to do with each other.

The movie was ok. The cartoon is awesome.
markbyrn
markbyrn
 Moderator
25 months ago: Worship: Reverent honor and homage paid to God or a sacred personage, or to any object regarded as sacred.

I might enjoy a steak but I don't believe the cow is sacred. Some religionists do believe the cow is sacred and I'd agree that's a form of worship.

The topic here is really about new age religion (or neo-paganism) as proffered by the Avatar movie vice traditional theistic religion. Once again, it's the pot kettle syndrome but a rationalist doesn't have to choose between the two.

As for the movie on it's own merit, it's doubtful it would be getting the notices and huge box-office if not for the visual effects and the hype about it changing the way movies are made using the latest in 3D CGI techno wonders.

From a story perspective, it was nothing more than a Sci-Fi fantasy version of Dances with Wolves.
Siempre Solo
Siempre Solo
Auburn, NY
25 months ago: I’ve been wanting to say this for awhile. I just needed a pulpit (pun intended) I never noticed this before but the previous pope that passed was really friendly looking. At least as I compare him to this one. This pope is really scary looking. I’m glad I don’t believe he is actually Jesus Vicar because if I did it would probably make me want to change religions. He really has a sinister look about him. Okay, I’m done!
25 months ago: I'll never be religious. Got something far better.
25 months ago: Avatar is kind of like "Fern Gully" on steroids.

http://www.nelsonguirado.com/index.php/reviews/2009/11/07/avatar-and-ferngully
markbyrn
markbyrn
 Moderator
25 months ago: ...I'll never be religious. Got something far better...

Oh yeah, I heard that one before. We ain't religious - we got the real deal, hallelujah, rock of ages, praise the lord and pass the bullets.
25 months ago: Pass the bullets? Who are you shooting at?

Ever see Fern Gully? Not bad.

Robin Williams plays a really waked out bat. A lot funnier than Avatar. Some would still call it environmental propaganda though.
markbyrn
markbyrn
 Moderator
25 months ago: Didn't see FernGully - if it comes out on Blu-Ray, maybe I'll give it a look see.
25 months ago: "It appears that a movie of some critical acclaim has worried the Catholic Church and the Vatican along with the Pope as it provides the idea that worshipping nature might be able to replace religion"

Maybe change the last to "replace their new-fangled version of religion".

Nature worship, as a religion, was around for thousands of years before the advent of the Christian religion, and will be around for thousands of years after it's demise.

http://www.ilhawaii.net/~stony/quotes.html
Sogoyewapha, "Red Jacket" - Senaca

Brother, you say there is but one way to worship and serve the Great Spirit. If there is but one religion, why do you white people differ so much about it? Why not all agreed, as you can all read the Book?
25 months ago: Nature worship absolutely predates Christianity, Judaism, Islam, pretty much name it.

It has been around since the fall of mankind.
25 months ago: Fall from where? Did we get here on an asteroid?
25 months ago: Please don't say "From God's graces” that would necessitate we all believe in the Bible's version and that is something we know we don't all agree on, especially all those that believe in Mother Earth instead of a vengful God.
25 months ago: Anyone who does not realize that there is a sin problem on this earth, to me, is not dealing with the reality of the way things are.

This world was created, and I believe it is not the way it was intended to be.

It's up to people like us who have compassion and concern to make a difference.

No one has to agree, but to me that's dealing with reality as we find it.
25 months ago: BTW - Cool avatar Sixer.
25 months ago: Thanks Huey, he reflects my mood in the current online situation with another member.
25 months ago: Huey, as to your comment of "the way things are", "This world was created", those are your beliefs and not shared by all who inhabit this ball of rock and water. Even without sharing your beliefs, they view and deal with reality with the same clarity as any other human being; they just don't muddle up the picture with supernatural beings and the need to have "faith" that what you've been told is the truth, the only truth and just the truth.

Not being a Christian or a Jew or Muslim or Buddhist or any of the other several hundred religions does not make a person unwise or even stupid, just different from you. (I use “you” and “you’ve” to reference all that have a belief in a religion that teaches that non-believers are a sub-class of human, basically all of them.) Their (non-religious people) grasp of reality is just as firm as the next person, it just doesn’t include some of the things others might need.
25 months ago: Sixer - I respect that.

To me it's obvious that this universe was created. To others it is not so obvious. That's ok. To each his own.

We all still have to live with, laugh with and love each other, because we inhabit the same ball of dirt and water.

That's the bottom line.

You've always seemed pretty even keel to me, just sometimes you grind that axe a little hard.

Peace.
25 months ago: and prosperity to all.

Yeah, I try to get others to see my point as well as their own and that is the long road sometimes. Part of why I picked the Tiger, they aren't known for giving up just because the task is difficult.
25 months ago: Panthers are known for the ferociousness with which they fight and will defend themselves.

Guess that make us both a couple of cool cats.
25 months ago: Right you are!
kikki
kikki
24 months ago: The pontiff warned against any notions that equate human person and other living things. He said such notions "open the way to a new pantheism tinged with neo-paganism, which would see the source of man's salvation in nature alone."

As Christians,we worship the creator not creation.The pope was not saying anything else.Nor was he judging anyone else.

"I am neither shocked nor surprised as they point their fingers as “Thou Shall Not Judge” rolls off their tongues." This is just a false statement.You have not seen the Pope do this.

As the Pope,leader of the Catholic church,it is His job to judge within the Church.To warn the believers.
markbyrn
markbyrn
 Moderator
24 months ago: ...As the Pope,leader of the Catholic church,it is His job to judge within the Church.To warn the believers...

If the Pope is speaking to his own clergy and to the members of the Roman Catholic, that's all well and good. When he speaks to the world at large and espouses his encyclicals for the world to kow-tow to, he's fair game to be criticized, scrutinized and vilified if warranted.

He might be a sacred cow to various Roman Catholics, but outside of the Roman Chruch, he's no more sacred, authoritative, valid or righteous than a Wiccan Priestess, Rabbi, Buddhist Monk, or a Seventh Day Adventist minister (SS, you should start paying me for advertising your denomination :)

As I see the Roman Catholic Pontiff, he's nothing more than the leader of a large religious organization with a bloody, oppressive history, and a present day Prince of Pedophiles Exalted (POPE)

Before the POPE endeavors to lecture the world at large about anything, he needs to clean up his own richly bejeweled Vatican and do away with sexually repressive policies that has bred a hideous child rapist clergy, ex-communicate any and all predator Priests, Bishops, Cardinals, etc., and to fully cooperate with law enforcement to ensure that justice is served. If he won't come clean, the Pope should be serving hard time in a Supermax prison, and I imagine if that happened, he would no longer feel the need to show false humility by by self-flagellating himself.

Post a Comment
Sign in or sign up to post a comment.