Sunday, January 24, 2010

Faith In Movies: Avatar

Minor spoiler alert!

I finally got around to seeing Avatar. Aside from the Pocahontas / Gaian environmental theme I notice they switched themes mid-stream on faith versus science. During the middle of the movie they were describing the communicative bonding between Pandora's life forms as a planet-wide network for sharing and storing thoughts and memorie. Later they seemed to decide that inside the network lived Gaia a sentient god "Eywa" who actively "maintains balance" in nature. Apparently she does this by giving quite specific instructions to previously dumb animals.

I could've gone with the Pocahontas-like "live in harmony with nature" theme. The planet-wide bio-network idea was a pretty damn cool idea worth exploring more, and it could lead to some cool sequels and video games. But the deus ex machina of validating their religion at the climax was pretty lame.

Even during the mass ritual where they were sitting and swaying in concentric circles I was imagining that they were either consciously or subconciously manipulating the bio-network rather than simply ritualizing faith. Oh well.

See also: Faith Themes in Movies, although I now think I was trying to hard to include Kung Fu Panda in this topic.

Sunday, January 10, 2010

Charlie, the She-Lord, Cometh?

I won't try to explain the dream, for as most dreams the people, places and plot change from moment to moment, but at a particular moment a man who was then a pastor and was trying to tell me things while I was leaving his church (which wasn't a church when I was in it) that Christ will be reborn this year (it had something to do with a full moon and clear weather...), and her name will be Charlie. (Or Chuck...I forget exactly.)

It was funny enough to remember after I woke up. And yes, even in the dream it was a ridiculous proclamation on all counts.

Thursday, January 7, 2010

God of Convenience

A few vague inspirations over the holidays have culminated into a new god divinely inspiring me and the rest of us here at The God Dam to spread his word. At our convenience, of course. Because, behold, I witness to you the God of Convenience! (Dramatic music: duhn duhn DUUUUuuuuuhn!)

I now realize this god was trying to inspire me back in March 2008. He appears to atheists—yeah, ironic, I know—as a blue monkey (otherwise not much unlike Curious George) offering us the power of convenience. In March of 2008 he was offering me the validation of a god so I could win arguments with bible-waving Christians.

More recently during this past holiday season I was struggling with how to handle the holidays. Do I mock the Christians who have co-opted Pagan holidays? Do I celebrate a secular holiday such as Festivus? No! I needn't be burdened with such questions anymore, for as an atheist with the power of the God of Convenience behind me I have divine support for celebrating whenever the hell I feel like it! Rejoice and be free! Tonight was January 7 of 2010, in which I celebrate by watching football and baking bread. I do this in celebration of the God of Convenience and his flexible scheduling.

Moses brought you commandments. His blue-monkiness has instructed me to pass on holy Accomodations to you. Tonight I shall impart to you just one, because I was otherwise busy, so GoC said I could work on the rest later...at my convenience.

Here it is: You may put any other gods before him or even cast away divinity altogether. (Let's face it, there are times when Jeff, the God of Biscuits or John whom is worshiped at the porcelain throne is much more needed than GoC.)

He also said that should I wish to portray an image of him—although I didn't have to because it wasn't really a big deal, after all—that a search of "blue monkey" at Wikimedia Commons would be a particularly quick and free way of doing so.

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Akrotiri_blue_monkeys.jpg
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Manky.jpg
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Blender_suzanne.jpg
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:DaySign_Chuen.svg

Saturday, January 2, 2010

This Song's Just Six Words Long

Let's start the year by stealing from another blog, The Friendly Atheist! Inspired by a chain of "describe your [religion, lack thereof, journey or similar] in six words or less" blogs he asked his readers to contribute and posts his favorite responses:

The scientific method is my copilot. (Kerry)

Credulous fundamentalist, questioning skeptic, happy atheist. (Butch)

Forced into Catholicism. Ran away screaming! (Danene)

Accepted because taught, abandoned after thought. (Zach)

What was I thinking? So sorry. (GordonGoblin)



I can identify strongly with the first four, except I was lured into Baptists' hands instead of forced into Catholicism. The last one I think several times a week, but it has nothing to do with religion or atheism when I think it.