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My Week in Atheism (2014)
Both sides had a Fair Hearing
A co-creation between a Christian and an atheist, MWIA had the potential to be an unbiased and calm look into both paradigms. I am elated to say, unreservedly, that this was achieved.
Hard questions are asked on both sides of the pasture. The Problem of Evil, evolution/creationism, sin, biblical genocide, eternal torture, politics and religion, empiricism and tough bible verses are just a few of the hard topics addressed in this film (I only wish they could have included more, but fortunately, the extra features and deleted scenes are copious). Traveling cross-country, the interviewers amass a wide variety of opinions and are always respectful. I recommend this film for anyone who wants to learn about both worldviews (or even how to make a fair documentary).
Some portions that really stood out for me include the profound end-stage Stockholm Syndrome exhibited by John Christie. His indignation, though kept well under control, was palpable. I could tell that he was feeling profoundly uncomfortable and indignant just below the surface. He was unable to objectively apply consistent standards to the god he worships and human beings. His deity of choice is given a pedestal from which he could never fall. Morality by fiat is John's paradigm du jour. His attempts to weasel out of the Problem of Evil are equally flimsy. According to John, free will necessarily entails the possibility for suffering. So either there will be suffering in heaven, or there will be no free will in heaven. Either way, there's no reason (at least that I can see) that god cannot simply create an incorruptible heaven and be done with creation at that point. Creating Adam and Eve, two beings who god already knows will sin and fall, is pointless and viciously cruel.
John Christie disgusted me at 1:35:30. Can't he put 2 and 2 together? If god is omnipotent, then it WAS his will that Michelle was raped.
Whose free will was more crucial? Obviously Castro's.
And this has been pointed out countless times in debates, but simply because our meaning in our lives won't last for eternity doesn't mean there's no meaning in the here and now.
V for Vendetta (2005)
The Gold Standard for Comic Adaptations
V for Vendetta remains true to its source material while avoiding the pitfalls of a slavishly faithful adaptation. I'll be honest - the movie would be dull and plodding if it included everything in the second book of the graphic novel. Slow and dreary sideplots do little to add to a film's experience and invariably end up causing viewers to glance at their timepieces.
Fortunately, the creators know how to make an entertaining movie while staying true to the spirit of the comic. Hugo Weaving is exemplary as the psychotic yet compassionate terrorist V, and Stephen Fry adds black humour to a depressing film about power-hungry corporatists.
The plot is very similar to the movie, with Evey staying at Deitrich's house instead of that of a generous stranger. V's Shadow Gallery is recreated in extreme detail and faithfulness. Delia's atrocities are reproduced to a starkly realistic effect, and are alone worth the price of admission.
The tale behind the regime's rise to power (not detailed in the comics) is given the royal treatment, providing further enjoyment and deeper enjoyment for fans of the comic. The film's strongest point lies in Evey's incarceration, and although the ending doesn't quite follow the books, it is still powerful and inspiring.
The Dark Knight Rises (2012)
The Trilogy's Zenth
Christopher Nolan had a lot of living up to with the runaway critical and audience successes of Batman Begins and The Dark Knight. In this concluding volume, we are introduced to the masked terrorist Bane, as he covertly subverts a CIA plane and swiftly proceeds to exterminate the crew. His physical prowess is matched only by his talents for cruelty and breaking people in mind and spirit.
Cut to Gotham, where Commissioner Gordon gives a speech on the eighth anniversary of Harvey Dent's death. Not only is it now a public holiday, but it made possible the passage of legislation that empowered the police to round up a thousand members of organised crime. The war on crime appears to be won (with their next task, according to a young officer by the name of Blake, being chasing up overdue library books). Power-hungry politicians predict Gordon's early retirement, courtesy of the mayor. After all, who needs heroes in a time of universal peace? A week is a long time in politics, and eight years is an even longer time for Bruce Wayne, who has become disheveled, disillusioned and jaded. The loss of Rachel Dawes has turned him into a cripple with a goatee.
There is action, romance and black humour aplenty (Johnathan Crane makes a brief appearance in the movie's latter half). While there are a few elements in common with The Dark Knight, these do not detract from the overall entertainment value of the film. Plotwise, everything comes full circle, character development is wrapped up very nicely, and there is little more that one could ask from a summer blockbuster. Although clocking in at 2 hours and forty minutes (before credits), nothing feels padded out.
Unexpected twists abound, but without giving too much away, The Dark Knight Rises boldly goes where no other Batman film has gone before. This is an action film that borders on horror.
This is edge-of-your-seat entertainment with a profound meaning. It is impossible to watch this film without rethinking the foundations that our 21st-century society has been built on.
Turning the Tide: Dignity, Compassion and Euthanasia (2007)
Unadulterated Garbage. Defeatist and Ignorant
I would like to begin by reminding all so-called pro-lifers that compassion does NOT mean to "suffer with" someone. The etymology of a word does not necessarily have anything to do with its modern meaning. In this case, especially. If suffering with sentient beings was actually sufficient, we would not even have Aspirin in the world today.
In recent years, there has been a shift towards "secular" language in arguments against assisted dying. This pretense is entirely dispensed with in one of the DVD interviews, in which a well-fed, pompous individual (the CEO of Salt and Light Productions) entreats everyone to suffer and die naturally, while gorging himself on the largess of his flock. To me personally, this was the most revolting, callous and arrogant part of this "documentary." It trivialises suffering and discourages further developments in analgesia.
The emotional ploys touted in this documentary rely on ad-hoc justifications for opposing assisted dying. They love to cite cases of patients coming out of their suicidal depressions. Good for them. Doesn't mean everyone else should be forced to die naturally. And until they can ease the pain of the 25% of patients who rate THEIR OWN PAIN as "moderate to severe" when in a hospice, they have no right to claim the compassionate high ground.
For the case against assisted dying to carry any weight, those who oppose patient autonomy at the end of life need to present a case that everyone should be forced to die naturally. Their emotional arguments may pull a few individuals to eschew painkillers and elect for a natural exit, but this doesn't logically extend into mandating a natural death for everyone else. The only secular case would be to prevent abuse, which is quite difficult to justify, especially since peer-reviewed studies show that countries (such as Australia) with totalitarian laws against assisted dying have more abuses because of a loophole substantial enough to fly the US military air force through (I am referring, of course, to the doctrine of double effect and terminal sedation). What could be easier to abuse than the double effect doctine, which focuses on the intentions of doctors and nurses, while completely ignoring what the PATIENT wants for him or herself? When it comes to end-of-life care, I would rather die as the victim of a random back-alley stabbing than go into a hospice. At least then I would be guaranteed a quicker and more pain-free death.
For more information on this study, Google "End-of-life decisions in Australian medical practice. Med J Aust 1997; 166: 191-6." The article was written by Kuhse H, Singer P, Baume P, Clark M, Rickard M.
8: The Mormon Proposition (2010)
A Powerful Look at Social Justice and the Cardinal Virtue of Church-State Separation
Utah has the highest teen suicide rate. But why? Isn't it forbidden by the bible? Well, no; Samson's suicide is generally held up as a laudable event. The bible even clearly states that god granted him superhuman strength during his final moments. Therefore, god approves of suicide (at least if you take out several thousand of his enemies simultaneously). By extension, the bible gives Christians no reasons to oppose suicide bombing.
The tragedy behind Utah's youth suicide rate is quite simple once you learn that the majority of the state is Mormon. It is also profoundly and undeniably tragic. Under Mormon teachings, being gay is second only to murder under their collection of "sins." The threat of hell is certainly no match for the oppression, "reparative" therapies and condemnation from pulpits and parents alike. And yet the Mormon hierarchies aren't satisfied with tormenting those who were unfortunate enough to live in their state. They funded and supplied countless volunteers to pass Proposition 8 back in 2008. Needless to say, the pool of Mormon sheep blackmailed with excommunication amounted to tens of thousands of flyer-distributors, yellers and election-day "advisors." As anyone well-versed in political science is well aware, dedicated (or in this case, at least partially-coerced) volunteers can run circles around a smaller but more well-funded opposition.
Families sacrificed their children's' college funds, retirement funds, and whatever else was demanded of them by comfortable, affluent and above all lazy clergy. And for what? For holding back social justice, compassion and understanding for a few years until the Judge Walker of California's district court declared it unconstitutional. Are the families going to receive aid from their conservative leaders who fleeced them of so much money? I highly doubt it. Utah will be profoundly dependent on the government teat (i.e. welfare) for the near future. So much for right-wing conservatism and personal responsibility. This was religious blackmail at its most pernicious.
Or consider this - convicted mass murderers on death row and sex offenders can marry the person of their choice, but gays and lesbians cannot. That likens them to slaves in the Antebellum South, who were not allowed to marry. Like the emancipated African Americans before them, members of the LGBT community gathered in throngs to get married. To equate them to slaves and imply that they are worse than murderers is both profoundly callous and bigoted. Such discriminatory laws have no place in secular societies.
By sticking its unwanted neck into the public sphere, the Mormon community unequivocably and unforgivably violated the first amendment of the US Constitution. There can be no freedom of religion without freedom FROM religion. The Mormons would no doubt throw childish hissy fits if their tax-exempt status was revoked and they were held accountable for their pernicious actions in shoving their baseless religious beliefs on the rest of California. Yet that would only be fair. There should be no governmental representation without taxation. This guiding axiom of democracy must work both ways for healthy societies to function and thrive.
I am ecstatic that NOM is now under investigation for violating the US tax code. Justice for them, and the rest of society, is past its due date, but better late than never. Hiding financial figures and the names of one's donors is a clear sign of guilt (or at the least, a profound fear of embarrassment). As the recent 2012 referenda showed, it is only a matter of time before social justice spreads across the developed world. Religion cannot stop it, and their efforts to try only make things worse for us all (how many foster children could have been helped by the money thrown down the toilet on Proposition 8?).
I would highly recommend Marriage On Trial's re-enactment of the Prop 8 Trial to see just how flimsy and unsupported the case against marriage equality is. Black, Cowan and Greenstreet deserve our respect and admiration for bringing these clandestine truths to light.
Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed (2008)
Ignores Science and Presents Lies as Truth
The Ninth Commandment certainly wasn't held in high esteem by the filmmakers (although they might argue that it only applies to witnesses held under oath in court). A thorough refutation would take several hundred pages and several years of biological education. As I specialised in business management and marketing in college, I will address the most egregious errors in the movie.
The lies and misrepresentations about what actually happened to the academics mentioned and interviewed in this "documentary" are already well-documented by Expelled Exposed, so I will not address them here. Suffice it to say that creationism isn't science and has no basis in academic journals until they can bring forth the evidence. So far, they have yet to do so.
The complexity of the cell - this is a red herring, and has nothing to do with evolution. It is more of an attack on abiogenesis (which we now know is possible). It certainly wasn't as simple as "lighting striking a mud puddle." The original cells that came into existence from self-replicating molecules and protobionts would have been much simpler than cells that comprise living beings that are the result of billions of years of evolution. Moving on.
"Science leads you to killing people." Get real, Ben Stein. Science is a process for learning about the world. It has produced innumerable benefits for humanity (and non-human animals as well). A short list would include:
- Smallpox eradication - Measles vaccines - Annual influenza vaccines - DNA sequencing - Exponentially higher harvests worldwide - Contraception - Safe childbirth and elective abortions - Chemotherapy and radiotherapy (and soon, nanotherapy) cancer treatments - Computers - Calculators - Social networking - Skyscrapers - Antidepressants - Plastic - Cardboard - The Internet - Radio - Television
If Stein and his shills really believed in their nonsense, why don't they join the anti-vaccine movement? Is it because they see the consequences of dead children who were denied medical treatment from their parents? Vaccines need to evolve as diseases evolve.
As for his claim that "love of god and compassion leads you to a glorious place." He attempts to conflate Darwinian evolution with social Darwinism. "There would have been no Holocaust without Darwinism." A proper understanding of evolution would lead people to understand that mutual co-operation, rather than selfishness and genocide, leads people to a happier and more prosperous society. Stein doesn't know what he's talking about. He's far out of his depth on this issue.
Religion leads to scientific suppression, and does not have any methods or structures available for learning more about the universe. And before anyone trots out the nonsense about "the bible isn't meant to be a science book", why would the bible include "cures" for leprosy? Christians can't have it both ways.
Evolution has been observed in laboratory conditions. Fruit fly speciation and bacteria evolving to consume nylon prove this (see Michael Shermer's Why Darwin Matters). This is a propaganda piece filled with lies to promote the Creationist agenda. They won't be satisfied until Creationism has shoved evolution to the back of the bus, so to speak. And in a country like the US, where the majority of the population doesn't even understand evolution, this is sadly quite possible.