Is Mal really an atheist?

POSTED BY: Esther
UPDATED: Thursday, August 24, 2006 00:36
VIEWED: 15846
PAGE 2 of 6

PREV PAGE 1 2 3 4 5 6 NEXT PAGE

J6NGO1977

Friday, August 4, 2006 7:48 PM

I've never actually seen him draw but it looks like he can handle a paintbrush and use oil colours pretty well ;)

STILLSHINY

Friday, August 4, 2006 8:02 PM

If I recall didn't Joss answer this in a commentary once? I think the statement was that Mal was a man who had lost his faith.

A true atheist is one who doesn't believe in God and therefore has no reason to be upset or hurt by him.

I think most people who claim to be atheists are just firm believers in giving God the silent treatment, and treating him with distain by "claiming he doesn't exist"

"We had ties that could not be broken, except by the passing of time. Like a rock. A broken time rock. And you're very special to me, my broken time rock people." - Nathan Fillion

Stillshiny's Shop - Original creator of the -isms series
http://www.spreadshirt.com/shop.php?sid=4728

http://www.myspace.com/robdhiii

ODDSBODSKINS

Friday, August 4, 2006 8:14 PM

see i'm sorry if i'm about to be offensive stillshiny, but i consider that point of view pretty narrow minded, i'm an atheist, i'm not giving god any silent treatment, i believe, heart and soul, there is no such thing to refuse to talk to in the first place. i acknowledge that this is as much a position of belief as believing that there IS such a thing, but it is what i feel, and, as a great many people who DO believe say, i feel i know this in my heart and in my soul, that there is no such thing. i simply cannot get my head around the possibility.

for all this, i recognise that an awful lot of people disagree with me, and so far as i'm concerned that's their prerogative, if they want to believe, they can, i won't stop them, indeed, who am i to say they're wrong. i believe heart and soul, i feel i know in every fibre of my being there is no such thing, they say they feel the opposite, one of us is wrong.

but to say that 'most atheist's are giving god the silent treatment' as if they believe, but don't want to admit it for whatever reason, whether they're annoyed at the concept or whatever the case may be, they're position of belief is every bit as real as any other.

edit: and yet, i can't get away from using the word soul, there really is no other word i can find in the english language to represent what i mean there...so much of the way we intereact is based on religious belief's, when they take up such a small part of our daily lives, twisted

STILLSHINY

Friday, August 4, 2006 8:27 PM

Actually no offense is taken. And I absolutely respect your "belief". Please note specifically what I said, which you demonstrate perfectly. You are what I would refer to as a TRUE atheist.

A TRUE atheist is one who doesn't believe in God and therefore has no reason to be upset or hurt by him.

Now, note my continuing statements, which is where I think Mal falls in.

I think MOST people who CLAIM to be atheists are just firm believers in giving God the silent treatment, and treating him with distain by "claiming he doesn't exist"I should finish that statement by saying. They do this becuase the feel that God has "let them down"

Interesting topic, not trying to hijack.

"We had ties that could not be broken, except by the passing of time. Like a rock. A broken time rock. And you're very special to me, my broken time rock people." - Nathan Fillion

Stillshiny's Shop - Original creator of the -isms series
http://www.spreadshirt.com/shop.php?sid=4728

http://www.myspace.com/robdhiii

THEKNIGHT

Friday, August 4, 2006 8:33 PM

I am not sure where I heard this, but I once heard it said that it is hard to be angry at something that you don't think exists. I thinks this sums up the situation quite nicely.

1:40 AM after a fraternity party is not a good time to make a signature.

ODDSBODSKINS

Friday, August 4, 2006 8:38 PM

this is true stillshiny, and apologies for the misunderstanding, guess i should've been less jumpy then to take most as all

yes i agree, mal is not someone who has ceased to believe, but rather someone who is in a bit of a cream puff with what he believe's in.

STILLSHINY

Friday, August 4, 2006 8:51 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Oddsbodskins:
this is true stillshiny, and apologies for the misunderstanding, guess i should've been less jumpy then to take most as all

yes i agree, mal is not someone who has ceased to believe, but rather someone who is in a bit of a cream puff with what he believe's in.

This is a prime example of why Browncoats are the coolest folk in the Verse. I've enjoyed this exchange & it's nice to make your aquaintence.

I think I heard Joss once say he has a "true" atheist, but he was fascinated by the concept of faith & belief & redemption.

"We had ties that could not be broken, except by the passing of time. Like a rock. A broken time rock. And you're very special to me, my broken time rock people." - Nathan Fillion

Stillshiny's Shop - Original creator of the -isms series

http://www.spreadshirt.com/shop.php?sid=4728

http://www.myspace.com/robdhiii

ODDSBODSKINS

Friday, August 4, 2006 11:47 PM

yeah you know, it's a problem, religions get all the best damn imagery >.< i mean, beyond chaos theory, what can you claim as an atheist...and even that's a bit dubious and belief dependant...don't even get any good blasphemy >.<

sorry maybe he meant something other by being fascinated with the concept but it's interesting, well, for me anyway, because it's so very alien as a way to look at the world, i can well understand why joss makes such a theme of it in his work if he is an atheist ^^

SHINYFIREFLYK64

Sunday, August 6, 2006 10:46 PM

I think agnostic would be a more appropriate word to describe Mal. He seems to acknowledge, or at the very least, conceeds to others, that God exists, because he used to feel very strongly about the God's role in the 'verse, but, because of what happened at Serenity Valley, Mal is now reluctant to give God a prominet position in his life. That is why I think Mal tells Book that "God ain't" welcome on Serenity.

"Nothing in the 'verse can stop me!"
~~~Kaylee

WHIMSICALNBRAINPAN

Sunday, August 6, 2006 11:55 PM

Mal's not an atheist, he's just lost his faith. If you remember at the begining of the pilot Serenity he kisses a crucifix he's wearing before he runs out to shoot the ship down. The look on his face when he's been ordered to surrender and looks out on the valley is the look of a man who's lost everything he believes in.

"Well, here I am." http://whimsicalnbrainpan.blogspot.com/

PREV PAGE 1 2 3 4 5 6 NEXT PAGE