Catholic Church Feels Threatened By “Avatar”

By on January 12, 2010 in News 26

Alessandra Rizzo reports on yet another example of the Catholic Church’s lack of insight as to what people are looking for today, at ABC News/AP:

Unlike much of the world, the Vatican is not awed by the film “Avatar.”

James Cameron’s big-grossing, 3-D spectacle has earned lukewarm reviews by both the Vatican newspaper and its radio station, which say the movie is simplistic in its plot is superficial in its eco-message, despite groundbreaking visual effects.

Perhaps more significantly, the Vatican takes the movie to task for flirting with what it says is the worship of nature as a substitute for religion.

“So much stupefying, enchanting technology, but few genuine emotions,” said Vatican newspaper L’Osservatore Romano, which devoted three articles to “Avatar” in its Sunday editions…

, , ,

  • santosfabian

    how is this movie? good eye food?

  • Randy the Ram

    it's an ok movie. Think of it as Dancing with Wolves on another planet. This is why I am glad I am not Catholic!

  • Truth Seeker

    Worship of nature is the BEST substitute for religion! We can SEE, HEAR, TASTE, SMELL and FEEL nature because it is REAL!

    • Mcguire9809

      Nature is part of god’s creation.
      All scientists seek to understand that creation, so in effect you are at the start of understanding God.
      Please keep searching for the truth and you will eventually come into a relationship with the God that created you and wants to help you have a great life and a relationship with him.

  • Connie Hudson

    Avatar: a leap of faith ? ? ?

    I was impressed that the cartoonish movie Avatar could provide such a clear visualization of the Holy and Spiritual part of Life. It bothers me, though, that some only see the spiritual connectedness of life as paganistic.

    How much simpler it is to complete the picture by identifying Jesus, of Nazareth, as one born with full understanding of the power and connectedness we all can access through the Spirit of Life (which many call the Holy Spirit of God).

    Jesus, the Christ of Christianity, is also known as a prophet in most of the world's religions. So, why fight over differences? Why not work toward a method of acquiring knowledge that includes the extrasensory, as it is verified by the sensory observations of the scientific method.

    I was impressed that James Cameron was able to make that leap through the scientists' work in Avatar. When will the church accept the fullness of God's creation through Christ Jesus?

    Without suffering we would never sense that life can be better and work toward that end. None of us are yet perfect.

    We are such selfish creatures waiting and praying for the immortality of life everlasting, instead of commending our spirit into the Father's both to live and to die in our time.

    • Whitewolf

      Connie said: “Jesus, the Christ of Christianity, is also known as a prophet in most of the world's religions.” Untrue. He is a prophet in the three biggest ones. Christianity, Judaism, and slightly less in Islam. That's all. To me, this movie showed more Neo-Pagan influences than anything. Examples: humans destroying the environment to get at a specific resource, ultra-powerful do-it-our-way-or-be-destroyed big group of people (Christians and Muslims) taking out any that stand in their way (basically any other religion).
      As to “why fight over differences”…there more Christian and extreme Muslims doing that than any other group. Neo-pagans have been beaten badly (me included) because I don't believe what they thought I should. They tell me I'm going to hell because I don't believe as they do. They tell me that “God is going to kill you” because I don't believe as they do. Don't fight over differences? Look to your own group, Connie, before telling others not to fight.

      • lookbeyondapparent

        My, my. I am so very sorry you have been beaten so badly with words of self seeking ignorance. I do say the same things to others as I myself much prefer to choose a way of peace, which I think it can be summed up best with the following:

        We need to try to live in such a way that even though others accuse us of doing wrong, they know we have tried to make the best choices we can in living our lives. 1 Peter 2:12
        ***************************************************************************************************************************
        Life is not a matter of just eating and drinking.
        Life is choosing to do what is right, so we can live with others as peacefully as possible and be joyful.
        We need to try to do those things that lead to peace.
        We need to encourage each other so that together we can leave this world a little better than we found it. Romans 14:17- 19
        ***************************************************************************************************************************
        To confront this challenge we call life, we need to think about and choose to do:
        * what is true, or sincere in what we say,
        * what is honest, serious, and gives us self-respect,
        * what is just or fair in how we treat others,
        * what is pure in regards to doing the best we can with our own lives as we care for and help others,
        * what is so full of love that everything in life becomes lovely and others become lovable,
        * what can be said that will provide others with a good report of what we are doing with our lives.
        Philippians 4:8c & b
        Adapted from NIV and NAB by C. Hudson

      • lookbeyondapparent

        My, my. I am so very sorry that you have been so badly beaten with words of self righteous indignation. I myself prefer a way of peace which I hope can be found by all in the following words of ancient literature.

        We need to try to live in such a way that even though others accuse us of doing wrong, they know we have tried to make the best choices we can in living our lives. 1 Peter 2:12
        ***************************************************************************************************************************
        Life is not a matter of just eating and drinking.
        Life is choosing to do what is right, so we can live with others as peacefully as possible and be joyful.
        We need to try to do those things that lead to peace.
        We need to encourage each other so that together we can leave this world a little better than we found it. Romans 14:17- 19
        ***************************************************************************************************************************

        To confront this challenge we call life, we need to think about and choose to do:
        * what is true, or sincere in what we say,
        * what is honest, serious, and gives us self-respect,
        * what is just or fair in how we treat others,
        * what is pure in regards to doing the best we can with our own lives as we care for and help others,
        * what is so full of love that everything in life becomes lovely and others become lovable,
        * what can be said that will provide others with a good report of what we are doing with our lives.
        Philippians 4:8c & b
        Adapted from NIV and NAB by C. Hudson

        • Kyle

          @lookbeyondapparent

          Please don't patronize us with all your Bible thumping. You are quoting a book that has been translated and misappropriated by human politics so many times it lost most of its original essence. It is not what you say but rather what you do that is important. So far if you look at history, Christianity has been responsible of a LOT of suffering and pain in this world and yet they dare talk about love and compassion?

  • thepete

    They're right about everything but the religion stuff, though :)

  • antibrainwashing

    I rather worship what is left of nature than some MANMADE RELIGION that is pointless and does not apply to the MODERN WORLD!

    come on… a man that walks on water.. give me a break.

    • Mcguire9809

      I am hopeful that you will do the research for your self.
      You don’t even have to believe the church, read all the documents that will help lead you to the truth.

    • Haha

      Worshiping Nature so Naturally in your living room with your 46″ Widescreen HD playing Halo & slurping your Big Gulp. idiot.

      • Andrew

        How do you know his Widescreen isn’t 48″?

  • Russ Trew

    Nature worship forms the foundation of every indigenous belief system around the globe – look at the Celts, Native Americans, both look at living in harmony with Nature as a partner, not as a resource to be plundered.
    If we still lived in harmony with the Earth, would we have global warming, pollution, ozone depletion, acid rain, flooding due to deforestation etc etc?
    Lovelock's Gaia Hypothesis teaches us that the world is a complex collection of self sustaining systems – if something is thrown out of balance, something has to happen to address it.
    The Earth is starting to kick back folks.
    Don't look to the 'God' that was invented by man – look to the Goddess who produced us.

    • lookbeyondapparent

      Yes, we do need to understand and respect the complex interwoven balance that is maintained within the Earth system. However, just stopping there to worship the Earth isn't sufficient either. The Earth itself is part of a larger “complex collection of self sustaining systems”. Thus, we need to have a better understanding of the Spirit of Life (which many Christians refer to as the Holy Spirit of God the Father). We need to begin a dialog which includes a larger spiritual understanding and stop arguing about individual religious practices whatever they maybe..

  • James

    The Vatican should stop wasting their energy denouncing fictional movies and focus on real issues like environmental destruction, hunger, war and famine around the world.

  • Madhu Maharaj

    worship of nature is different from a movie

  • Madhu Maharaj

    worship of nature is different from a movie

  • Mcguire9809

    I am hopeful that you will do the research for your self.
    You don’t even have to believe the church, read all the documents that will help lead you to the truth.

  • Mcguire9809

    Nature is part of god’s creation.
    All scientists seek to understand that creation, so in effect you are at the start of understanding God.
    Please keep searching for the truth and you will eventually come into a relationship with the God that created you and wants to help you have a great life and a relationship with him.

  • The All Knowing Haydenchu

    the fuck….

  • The All Knowing Haydenchu

    the fuck….

  • Haha

    Worshiping Nature so Naturally in your living room with your 46″ Widescreen HD playing Halo & slurping your Big Gulp. idiot.

  • Andrew

    How do you know his Widescreen isn’t 48″?

  • godswill517

    @lookbeyondaparent bless you for quoting the true god Jesus Christ. and @Kyle your right too that christians have killed alot of people and in return alot of christians have been killed as well. But are christians the only people to have killed? No many different cultures religions non believers have killed and kill as well. Believers of christ only try to show others a plan b to life, because they have been saved by Jesus and he was compassionate and loving enough to save us laying down his own life for no reason but that he wanted to be family with us again and get to know us how he intended to, therefore we have to do the same thing lay down our lives on the line for others with compassion and love. Now i understand that there are many that say they are christians but most of the time its a lie and they are deceiving theirselves thinking they are doing gods will and its obvious through their actions. and Your right people only talk about god as he is love. God is love, nonetheless but they never mention the other half his wrath and how he will kill all that wont believe in him. He has every right to destroy us since he made us. just as if we for example built a cabinet and we dont like it we have every right to throw it out and burn it. God is Powerful an Amazing but just like anyone will disobey their own parents and their parents would want to discipline em god must do the same otherwise we would never learn from our mistakes