Geez, it is getting to the point that you cannot go to any movie without putting your ever-lasting soul in jeopardy. After giving a thumb down to the movie New Moon, the Vatican is now panning Avatar as a threat to the true faith. Joining the Pontiff is a Chicago Alderman who opposes the movie for making Marines look like corporate guns for fire, here. The Marine Corps itself has turned movie critic in panning the film, here. It would strongly suggest “From Here to Eternity” as an alternative.
According to the Vatican newspaper and radio station, the problem with Avatar is its alleged promotion or elevation of nature which is deemed as threatening religion.
L’Osservatore warned the film “gets bogged down by a spiritualism linked to the worship of nature” and the Vatican Radio says that the movie promotes “all those pseudo-doctrines that turn ecology into the religion of the millennium” and promotes nature as “a divinity to worship,” the radio said.
The Marines have joined the Holy See in its view of the film, though it is not religion that is under attack according to Marine Col. Byron Salas. He objects that the film “takes sophomoric shots at our military culture and uses the lore of the Marine Corps and over-the-top stereotyping of Marine warriors to set the context for the screenplay. This does a disservice to our Corps of Marines and the publics’ understanding of their Corps.” Well, maybe the objection was about a faith of a different kind.
I am surprised by the criticism. I was hoping the Vatican would have made the link between the ridiculous lines and the work of Satan. I took the three boys this week to see the movie only to find every show sold out until 7 pm. People were waiting in line for over an hour just to get seats together. Am I alone here or is this not the hand of the Biblical Beast? I will remind you of Revelations 13: “And [the Antichrist] causeth all … to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark….”
Of course, if some studio flack were to score me four tickets to the 3D version of the film, my concerns (and blogging campaign) over Satanic influences might end . . .
For the full story, click here.
Mike Appleton:
Brigitte Bardot was one of a kind so so was Catherine Deneuve and for that matter Merle Oberon and Maureen O’Hara.
“I think the Vatican has it own theater. I am almost certain of it.”
I’m almost certain I was joking.
I bet they get real butter on their popcorn too. Hand churned. None of that shellac industrial carcinogen yellow death hot vapor mist at commercial theaters for His Holiness. But the sodas are still too expensive. Some things are universal. The floor is sticky too.
So they say.
As an aside, they sends their fondest regards and hopes you’ll see them again soon. Give their love to the others!
30%er,
I think the Vatican has it own theater. I am almost certain of it.
I wonder if they make him take the hat off when he sits up front?
I have not seen Avatar yet but I do not think it would qualify as a “C” movie back in the days when movies were rated by the Legion of Decency. If I remember correctly,they were mainly concerned with sexual content.
Geez, it’s just a movie. I agree with Mike S. on this, although it was actually called the Legion of Decency. Whenever our weekly diocesan newspaper arrived, I immediately went to the movie ratings to see what was listed in Class C (condemned). The list included award winning films such as “Baby Doll,” as well as everything ever made by Brigitte Bardot. In fact, that list fueled my Bardot fantasies for a couple of years. Pope Benedict may wish to return to the days of Pius XII, but it can’t happen.
I detect an authoritarian at risk of losing his control. Why so, if the Church is so confident in it’s faith? Oh, I see: During insecure moments it’s best to partner with say, the Aryan mentality. So it’s an accepted pattern of behavior. Silly me.
Frank T,
I totally agree with you and must complement you on a tour de force presentation of the issue.
zing!
Gee, if Marine Col. Byron Salas doesn’t like the movie because it “does a disservice to our Corps of Marines and the publics’ understanding of their Corps.” maybe he should read WAR IS A RACKET by Two-Time Congressional Medal of Honor Recipient Major General Smedley D. Butler – USMC Retired.
http://www.lexrex.com/enlightened/articles/warisaracket.htm
Vatican spokesman the Rev. Federico Lombardi said that while the movie reviews are just that — film criticism, not theological pronouncements — they do reflect Pope Benedict XVI’s views on the dangers of turning nature into a “new divinity.”
the excerpt above came from Yahoo. I question the very last part of the paragraph, “they do reflect Pope Benedict XVI’s views on the dangers of turning nature into a “new divinity.”
So, in this regard indigenous people, throughout the world, on every corner of the planet do not have a credibility in their source of faith, creation myth and religion? Nature as the new divinity? I do believe there has been plenty if not multitudes of religiuos beliefs, with many a divinity a good long time before Catholicism. The sheer arrogance of the statement makes it appear as if the history of the human race is firmly and absolutely contained within the order of the vatican. Nature as the new Divinity? Isn’t Genesis loaded with the creation myth? Nature plays an incredibly powerful character throughout the bible for that matter, floods, droughts, swarms of locusts, abundance or lack of crops, God speaks through a burning bush, Eden is represented as an apple, the devil a snake. If nature is Gods reflection or rather the way in which God transcends to give us signs, communicate with us than how and when is it that the bright idea that Nature is or is in harm of becoming the new Divinity. I mean the worst thing that could happen is a respect for our environment that might lead to a commitment to not destroy our planet. So great to know the ego of the Catholic powers that be are not willing to let go of their continued reign of control over everything/anything that might be interperted as a threat to their control. Well, I guess nature has to take a back seat to the seat of power in the Vatican as they engineer the “Natural” state of religious accumen.
Did Will get a spin off show?
“I rather thought our humble Pontiff was far too busy watching re-showings of “Triumph of the Will””
Mespo,
Deftly sliced and diced.
rc,
Not without giggling. 😀
Can anyone, besides the Pontiff, imagine a Roman Catholic sitting in a 3D theater watching Avatar and suddenly saying to him/herself:, “Oh my God! Look what’s in this film! How can I possibly continue being a Catholic”?
“And that’s the Hollywood view of us,” Roeser complained. “We are the exploiters, we are pre-emptive attackers.”
Maybe we can sell the Vatican some weapons to bomb Hollywood back to the
Stone Age.
The Pope and Catholic Church only criticize the things that not work in their advantage. What’s next: The Index of Forbidden Movies?
I rather thought our humble Pontiff was far too busy watching re-showings of “Triumph of the Will” to dither with such mundane stuff.
“to go all” that is