Ebert endorses another anti-Christian film

[Broken Glass Can]

Virgin (http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050106/REVIEWS/501060302)

[MelchyBeau]

What does this have to do with politics?


Melch

[benfranklin]

1. I have not seen the movie, but in reading the review, I certainly did not get the impression that it is anti-Christian.

2. Your post implies that Ebert should not be allowed to recommend a movie that is anti-Christian. If you don't like his reviews or positions, don't read him. I don't like his position on gun control, but he is an excellent film critic and I respect his opinions about movies.

3. What has this got to do with politics, other than the issue of free speech?

[bholdr]

I'll say to you the same thing i say to my freind...
when watching 'crouching tiger' and everyone's flying through the air...
and he says "i don't care how long you study martial arts, that isn't possible!"...


IT'S A MOO-VIE!
jeez.

ebert is a big 'ol leftie, though.

[Broken Glass Can]

[ QUOTE ]
What does this have to do with politics?


Melch

[/ QUOTE ]

Considering there is an entire campaign to suppress religious expression in this country (especially Christian expression), this is part of that political debate.

Whether the ACLU, PFAW, US Senators attacking judicial nominees, or Ebert going after movies, it is still an attack on the political rights of Christians.

ps - Ebert is indeed a leftie, and he is a member of the mainstream media, but then I repeat myself.

[Vince Young]

This thread is ridiculous. The fact he didn't give it 4 stars like he does almost every movie he ever sees should prove he's not being anti-Christian.

Edit: He gave Polar Express 4 stars, I guess he's a Bible-thumping Christian hater.

[lastchance]

ARE YOU INSANE?! EBERT IS A MOVIE CRITIC!! Yeah, he's a leftie. So what? Leftie's can't be movie critics? Movie critics can't spout their opinion about MOVIES?!

How the hell is his review in any way anti-Christian, let alone attacking the POLITICAL rights of Christians, not like movie critics can't spout their opinions about movies or anything....

[Broken Glass Can]

[ QUOTE ]
Edit: He gave Polar Express 4 stars, I guess he's a Bible-thumping Christian hater.

[/ QUOTE ]

Oh, I see now. How could he be anti-Christian. Santa Claus is the very center of Christianity, and he endorsed a Santa Claus film.

Forget Jesus and all those guys in the bible, as long as he is for a film about the great Santa Claus, he can't possibly be anti-Christian. /images/graemlins/crazy.gif

[Vince Young]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Edit: He gave Polar Express 4 stars, I guess he's a Bible-thumping Christian hater.

[/ QUOTE ]

Oh, I see now. How could he be anti-Christian. Santa Claus is the very center of Christianity, and he endorsed a Santa Claus film.

Forget Jesus and all those guys in the bible, as long as he is for a film about the great Santa Claus, he can't possibly be anti-Christian. /images/graemlins/crazy.gif

[/ QUOTE ]
Would you prefer The Passion of the Christ? 4 stars.

[natedogg]

Sounds pretty good. I'll definitely see it.

natedogg

[EliteNinja]

Yeah, dude.
It's a movie.
Chillax.

Are you implying you are anti-anti-Christian?

[benfranklin]

[ QUOTE ]


Considering there is an entire campaign to suppress religious expression in this country (especially Christian expression), this is part of that political debate.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yeah, right. And online poker is rigged.

If only there was an entire campaign to suppress religious expression in this country . If there is anything I have heard too much of lately, it is religious expression. Any time anyone on either end of the political spectrum doesn't like what someone from the other extreme says, they cast religious aspersions on their opponents.

Roger Ebert likes a film, which remains to be shown to be the least bit anti-Christian, and he is attacking the rights of Christians /images/graemlins/confused.gif

US Senators attacking judicial nominees has nothing to do with religious freedom. They hate GWB. They'd hate him if he was a freaking Druid. Those guys would vote against their own mothers if GWB nominated them. There are no principles involved, it is pure visceral, personal hate.

To paraphrase the title of a recent book by a conservative media type, my opinion about religious issues is to shut up and pray.

[zaxx19]

If only there was an entire campaign to suppress religious expression in this country . If there is anything I have heard too much of lately, it is religious expression.


Hmm, this is a very dangerous line of logic for someone who wants to advance the agenda of disestablishmentarianism(is this a word??)without appearing hostile to religious practice or expression. Religion has a proper place in the U.S. and while that place is neither in school or the government expressing a general disdain for religious expression is going to be counterproductive in advancing any views you might have; whether they are reasonable or not.

[ilya]

(If true). Time we stamped out that crazy cult once and for all.

[bholdr]

i agree totally zaxx. we must respect out opponents, lest we chance underestimating them, or risk losing the oppurtunity to convince them of their folly. (been reading 'Julis Ceaser' today, please excuse the dated grammar /images/graemlins/grin.gif)

[benfranklin]

[ QUOTE ]
If only there was an entire campaign to suppress religious expression in this country . If there is anything I have heard too much of lately, it is religious expression.


Hmm, this is a very dangerous line of logic for someone who wants to advance the agenda of disestablishmentarianism(is this a word??)without appearing hostile to religious practice or expression. Religion has a proper place in the U.S. and while that place is neither in school or the government expressing a general disdain for religious expression is going to be counterproductive in advancing any views you might have; whether they are reasonable or not.

[/ QUOTE ]

Looks like someone's Sarcasm Detector and Syntax Formulator are both malfunctioning today.

[Cyrus]

I read the review (thanks, Broken Glass) and I actually found the movie to be a most interesting prospect! It will certainly get my ticket money when it opens near me.

And, moreover, it seems like a very adult take on religious issues as they are perceived by real people, everyday folks living their lives, like you and me, without the phoneyness and the detachment shown by TV preachers or the high and mighty of the Christian Church.

I'm sure that all the enlightened and humane priests of yer neighborhood will "get it".

Ebert's review of "Virgin" (http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050106/REVIEWS/501060302)

[Cyrus]

Zaxx just might be the last of the Cut-Up Writers we have going. /images/graemlins/cool.gif

[ QUOTE ]
Expressing a general disdain for religious expression is going to be counterproductive in advancing any views you might have, whether they are reasonable or not.

[/ QUOTE ]

The post also contains a new word, ready to enter Websters' (or Ripley's) :

disestablishmentarianism

[Phat Mack]

Am I the only one who sees neither the review, nor the movie, as anti-Christian?

[ QUOTE ]
Fundamentalists almost always appear in American movies for the purpose of being closed-minded, rigid and sanctimonious. Anyone with any religion at all, for that matter, tends to be suspect (the priest in "Million Dollar Baby" is the first good priest I can remember in a film in a long time). Movies can't seem to deal with faith as a positive element in an admirable life, and the only religions taken seriously by Hollywood are the kinds promoted in stores that also sell incense and tarot decks. So it's refreshing to see the Robin Wright Penn character allowed to unbend in "Virgin," to become less rigid and more of an empathetic mother, who intuitively senses that although Jessie may be deluded, she is sincere.

[/ QUOTE ]

That doesn't seem anti-Christian to me, but I have to say that I've never seen the movie.

[zaxx19]

In a shocking turn of events Cyrus is wrong...

Definition of disestablishmentarianism
dis`es`tab`lish`men`ta´ri`an`ism
n. 1. The doctrine or political position that advocates abrogating the establishment of a church as the official state religion.
Prior to the Puritans, very few earlier believers contended for any form of disestablishmentarianism.

Antidisestablishmentarianism is the longest word in the English language and thats why in my post I ACTUALLY ASKED (is this a word). Kind of sad when the best you can do is flame on a word whose existence I myself was questioning in my post.

[MaxPower]

Oh you poor Christians, how can you put up with being so persecuted?

Do you actually read any of the links you post? Neither the movie nor Ebert's review seem anti-Christian.

So what if it were anti-Christian? Why are Christians the only people who are above criticism? If their faith is so wonderful, why are their so threatened by any sort of oppossing viewpoint?

[elwoodblues]

[ QUOTE ]
Antidisestablishmentarianism is the longest word in the English language

[/ QUOTE ]

I always thought it was pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis. Try to work that one in to a post (lung disease caused by inhalation of volcanic ash)

[37offsuit]

I'm sorry but your definition is incomplete.

a pneumoconiosis caused by inhalation of very fine silicate or quartz dust

[adios]

[ QUOTE ]
So what if it were anti-Christian? Why are Christians the only people who are above criticism?

[/ QUOTE ]

I could have sworn that I've read many anti Bush posts and read many articles criticizing Bush for his faith and religous beliefs from those on the left. Haven't heard much criticism of other religions coming from this faction. Perhaps it was just my imagination.

[ QUOTE ]
If their faith is so wonderful, why are their so threatened by any sort of oppossing viewpoint?

[/ QUOTE ]

And what opposing viewpoints are we referring to? Those that are made by the leftists?

[TakeMeToTheRiver]

Someone may have answered this, but how is this review (or this movie) anti-Christian? Has anybody seen it?

[zaxx19]

Err, non-technical or medical term, err............

[CORed]

Do you think it's possible that Ebert, as a movie reviewer is more concerned with the merits of the movie as entertainment than whether it conforms to you own narrow view of Christianity? I have a suggestion for you. If the content of the movie offends you, don't see it. Maybe you should learn to accept the fact that some people don't share your beliefs, and that expressing a different belief isn't necessarily an attack on your beliefs. I for one strongly support your right to worship as you choose, and live you life as your beliefs dictate. (As long as your beliefs don't dictate thert, murder, or whatever). OTOH, if your want to try to dictate that I should live my life according to your beliefs, I have a serious problem with that. Unfortunately, it seems that a lot of Christians want to censor the media of anything that they consider sinful, offensive, or blasphemous. I don't know if that's really what you want, but perhaps a little tolerance is in order.

For another thing, based on the review (I haven't seen the film), it doesn't seem to me that this film is particularly anti-Christian.

[MaxPower]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
So what if it were anti-Christian? Why are Christians the only people who are above criticism?

[/ QUOTE ]

I could have sworn that I've read many anti Bush posts and read many articles criticizing Bush for his faith and religous beliefs from those on the left. Haven't heard much criticism of other religions coming from this faction. Perhaps it was just my imagination.

[/ QUOTE ]

Not sure what your point is. I'm sure he would be getting the same critcism if he were a Muslim or a Jew. It so happens that he is a Christian. When we have a Jewish president who says that God wants him to be president, I will criticize him too.

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
If their faith is so wonderful, why are their so threatened by any sort of oppossing viewpoint?

[/ QUOTE ]

And what opposing viewpoints are we referring to? Those that are made by the leftists?

[/ QUOTE ]

No, I'm talking about anyone who questions their established beliefs. This is not just leftists.

[Kurn, son of Mogh]

While on one hand I would agree that some secularists are just as closed-minded and religiously intolerant as some of the more extreme fundamentalists, I also have to admit that criticism of religious beliefs also falls under the mantle of freedom of expression and religious freedom.

Sort of the same as people have the right to criticize the government and others have the right to criticize that criticism.