Golden Compass Controversy
POSTED BY: bluesuncompanyman
UPDATED: Wednesday, December 12, 2007 04:16
VIEWED: 11365
PAGE 4 of 7
Quote:What- like he advocated forced meditation? LOL
Originally posted by MerryK:
I did meet one Buddhist whose views were very extreme, even though I didn't see him as a danger to society.
Evil Buddha Chrisisall
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No, it was more of that he saw his path to enlightenment as the thing of highest importance in the world, and completely ignored everything else. It was all about him.
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"My way of being polite, or however...well, it's the only way I have of showing you that I like you. Of showing respect." Simon Tam, Jaynestown
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Quote:How very un-Buddhist...it is all about us all.
Originally posted by MerryK:
he saw his path to enlightenment as the thing of highest importance in the world, and completely ignored everything else. It was all about him.
Humble (yeah, right) Chrisisall
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Just saw the movie. Decent flick. I suppose had I read the books, I'd have liked it more. Could see a bit of Matrix theme in the story , as well as a bit of Star Wars.
If I were a bible thumper, I'd be upset at this movie's message as well, and for good reason. This movie takes direct aim at the concept of religion and its controling effect on humanity, free will, etc... Though I find the whole concept of personal 'demons' in the form of animals a bit cumbersome, it does have a cuteness appeal to it.
Worth the price of admission, imo.
"Hillary tried to get a million dollars for the Woodstock museum. I understand it was a major cultural and pharmaceutical event. I couldn't attend. I was tied up at the time." - John McCain
It is not those who use the term "Islamo-Fascism" who are sullying the name of Islam; it is the Islamo-Fascists. - Dennis Prager
" They don't like it when you shoot at 'em. I worked that out myself. "
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Quote:
Originally posted by yinyang:
1) I don't think there's an atheist alive that would describe themselves, or actually qualify as, militant.
I see what I would describe as militant atheists in the news all the time, usually trying to use the courts to enforce their beliefs on others.
Quote:
3) Atheism is not a belief system. Atheism is not a religion. Atheism is simply a lack of belief in gods (or, for the hardcore atheists, it's a belief that there are no gods). Buddhists qualify as atheists, by the way.
I hope this was meant to be a joke. Buddhism is generally considered a religion. By your reasoning Atheism would be a religion also. Atheists that simply believe there is no god are not religious. Those that believe it is their duty to remove all vestiges of religion from the society are just as much religious zealots as those they seek to silence.
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Quote:I embrace the philosophical aspects of Buddhism, tho not the religious ones...it's possible it's peeps like me whom you reference here, although I'm not prepared to outright dismiss the idea of some kind of God(s).
Originally posted by yinyang:
Buddhists qualify as atheists, by the way.
I'm confused by this 'btw'.
Chrisisall
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Quote:Buddhism is a belief system, if anything it dispells the myth that a religion requires a god or gods.
Originally posted by chrisisall:
I embrace the philosophical aspects of Buddhism, tho not the religious ones...it's possible it's peeps like me whom you reference here, although I'm not prepared to outright dismiss the idea of some kind of God(s).
I'm confused by this 'btw'.
More insane ramblings by the people who brought you beeeer milkshakes!
No one can see their reflection in running water. It is only in still water that we can see.
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Quote:I found that there are gods in some different branches:
Originally posted by citizen:Quote:
Originally posted by chrisisall:
Buddhism is a belief system, if anything it dispells the myth that a religion requires a god or gods.
http://www.exoticindiaart.com/book/details/IDC822/
But none in any way that I studied.
Shiva's cool Chrisisall
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Quote:
Originally posted by Kirkules:
I see what I would describe as militant atheists in the news all the time, usually trying to use the courts to enforce their beliefs on others.
Unless they're trying to make it a crime to hold certain religious beliefs, or prohibit the expression of beliefs that do not restrict the rights of others (and I include religious iconography on government property, especially when only one religion is represented, as restrictive of the rights of others), then I don't see how these "militant atheists" are using the courts to enforce their beliefs about atheism.
I concede that there are atheists who are militant (in the non-weapons-toting sense), but most often when those two words are linked, people hold the belief that they are militant about their atheism, when in fact they are actually militant about secularism, or antitheism, etc. It would be kind of odd to be militant about a non-belief in gods, because that non-belief doesn't say anything else about how anyone should act.
And, everyone tries to use the courts to enforce their beliefs on others - the belief that abortions should or should not be legal, the belief that the government should or should not intervene in corporate matters, etc. It's no more right or wrong when atheists do it.
Quote:
Originally posted by Kirkules:
I hope this was meant to be a joke. Buddhism is generally considered a religion. By your reasoning Atheism would be a religion also. Atheists that simply believe there is no god are not religious. Those that believe it is their duty to remove all vestiges of religion from the society are just as much religious zealots as those they seek to silence.
Did I imply that Buddhists weren't religious? Did I imply that religions require gods? If I did, my bad. Because Buddhism is absolutely a religion - it's just a non-theistic one.
And, only if political philosophies qualified as religions would antitheists be religious zealots. Certainly they're religious as in "devoted," but not as in "believing in the supernatural."
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Having grown up with the books (this was my Harry Potter and Narnia before I actually read those books), I have to admit that going into the movie, I was a lot more critical towards this adaptation than any other fantasy movie, because the books mean so much to me. And while at face value it seems as if the movie chickened out, if you've read the books you can just as easily read between the lines in the movie as to what the filmmakers are trying to say and do.
Like I have no problem with them being anti-Church. The Church is a man-made construction and man is obviously flawed. And there's nothing more despicable than people perverting the word of God to suit their own agendas. But I do have to admit that the idea of "war against God" is a bit unsettling. In DOGMA, the Metatron says that the universe in all it's spendor and form functions on one simple rule. God is infallible. And that to prove God wrong would be to unmake all of creation. I don't care what your beliefs are, but I find the idea of breaking the one rule that keeps everything together fucking frightening.
Now, to the books credit, when it comes to THE AMBER SPYGLASS, they do touch on that idea that after billions of years of creation that the big guy upstairs has become old and decrepit and that something has to be done to fix this dilemma, and in the end you do get the idea that a new spiritual paradigm has been established that is better, as opposed to the afterlife Lyra and Will enter into.
I think the books do what LIFE OF BRIAN or LAST TEMPTATION OF CHRIST or any truly good spiritual religious tome does. It forces you to think about not only organized religion, but God, spirituality and how you think it really works.
But as per the movie, sure take your kids to see it. I thought that while it does faithfully adapt the book and hit the right notes, it does feel a bit rushed and streamlined. It's like hearing a favorite piece of music sped up. All the notes are there, but it feels a bit off when it's played at half-time speed instead of common time. Here's hoping that New Line puts out an extended edition DVD like they did with the RINGS movies that slows the tempo down and actually have the books ending that they show in the trailers, but isn't in the movie. Because all the best shit that's in the book is in the ending that they leave out in the movie.
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"And it starts with a sentence that might last a lifetime, or it all might just go down in flames. If I let you know me, then why would you want me? Each day I don't is a shame. Each day I don't is a great shame."
Loudon Wainwright III - "Strange Weirdos" off the "Knocked Up" soundtrack
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