Losing My Religion: Four New Movies That Could Tick Off The Faithful
As Easter is celebrated the world over, what better way to mark the holiest holiday in Christianity than to note four new in-the-works movies that are sure to cause dissent and controversy amongst the faithful? Soul sister site Deadline examined the increasing power of the religious filmgoer and picked out a quartet of flicks that are sure to be dubbed sacrilegious by some. Throw another crucifix in the urine bucket and take a look!
WHAT: The Final Testament of the Holy Bible
ITS SINS: It's the story of the Second Coming of Christ in modern-day America, and this time the Son of God is a hard-drinkin', boot-knockin' bisexual Lothario. Plus it's based on a book, written by noted bald-faced liar James Frey. Says Frey, "I believe that the Messiah would not eschew the use of alcohol, nor restrict his ability and willingness to love based on what they do for a living or their gender."
WHAT: Jesus of Nazareth
ITS SINS: To be directed by Showgirls auteur Paul Verhoeven and based on the book that he co-wrote, it's a film that's chockablock with Evangelical flamebait. For starters, Verhoeven's Christ is a Jesus denuded of all his miracles, his virgin birth and his resurrection; in fact, Verhoeven posits that Jesus was the product of the rape of a Jewish girl by a Roman soldier. According to Verhoeven, Jesus' death was less a religious event but more of a political reaction: "It's not about miracles, it's about a new set of ethics, an openness towards the world, which was anathema in a Roman-dominated world. I believe he was crucified because they felt that politically, he was a dangerous person whose following was getting bigger and bigger."
WHAT: The Master
ITS SINS: Paul Thomas Anderson's roman à clef about a belief system that starts up in the 1950s and spreads like wildfire has run into various roadblocks on its way to finding funding, though Megan Ellison and Cross Creek Pictures are reportedly opening up their checkbooks. Anderson has claimed that the movie will be less about Scientology but more about the desire to believe in "a higher power." Maybe Paul Haggis wants in too?
WHAT: The Book Of Mormon
ITS SINS: The hit Broadway musical from South Park creators Matt Parker and Trey Stone is being shopped around to become a big screen musical, and while some more liberal Mormons are laughing along, others aren't so jolly. The story centers around three dewey-eyed missionaries as they attempt to convert a Ugandan village but running into a hard dose of reality. Song highlights include lyrics that translate to "fuck God," another song stressing the importance of stifling gay urges and yet another about maggots infesting a man's scrotum.
·Hollywood & Religion: More Controversy To Come If New Films Anger The Faithful [Deadline]
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Comments
I'm going to address what I think are some significant issues in the religion debate.
Christians often defend their beliefs on the grounds that they encourage morality, a sense of community and a feeling of personal significance.
I agree these are positive, beneficial elements to have in your life (depending on how you derive your morality).
But in all honesty you can have all of those things without needing to feel like a base sinner tarnished from birth, with the threat of infinite torture to keep you following the status quo.
There are completely rational reasons for our morality. And these are usually related to our need to coexist and the preservation of society.
I can logically work out that I shouldn't kill because if everyone just went around killing there's a good chance I, or my child (which is the whole driving force of our existence) could be killed. No good for a society.
Examples are countless, and admittedly venture into grey-er territory.
But that's what reality is! Infinitely intricate shades of grey.
Mankind has advanced tremendously over time thanks to our ability to categorise, however not all concepts can be easily divided into separate bins, black and white.
It comes down to a judgement call for each individual circumstance.
Ahhh and there is one of the lynch pins. Judgement.
I was raised a Christian and after much soul searching I drifted from that forum of spirituality, and over time I have found my own religion.
And I know that the end of my life will be like any other moment in my life. I will be the judge. What happens after that is unknown. Has to be unknown.
And anyone who claims otherwise is either a fool or trying to take you for one.
I appreciate that in the past man may have needed some guidance, and what better way to do that then through song/story. But come on already, God people pride themselves on being God’s special creation (I disagree, I mean I think we’re special but we do look a lot like most other vertebrates. It’s all life man), but we can’t think for ourselves to work out what’s “right”? Take some responsibility!
My morality is derived from my intelligence and my compassion.
And I admit I resent being held at ransom by religion.
NOTHING about what I see or feel when I look at the plants, trees, clouds, stars implies that infinite evil is out to get me.
I understand people can convince themselves of all kinds of things consciously and subconsciously. I have frightened myself to the bone with thoughts that are far more terrifying than anything in our neck of reality.
And if you believe infinite evil is out to get you, you have made your own reality infinitely more frightening. You make it that way.
What do you think is happening anyway? What/where do you think this is?
If you died and were somehow asked “Where is Earth?” How could you possibly answer that question? Earth is umm in our solar system? Ok where’s that? Our galaxy? Where’s that. Umm space? Space?!!
It’s a dream. You are narrating your own life story. Make it a good one.
It’s all in the mind..
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