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Vatican Slams ‘Avatar’

Posted by Thomas Bischoff on January 13, 2010 at 10:10am in Spirituality In General

ALESSANDRA RIZZO | 01/12/10VATICAN CITY — “Avatar” is wooing audiences worldwide with visually dazzling landscapes and nature-loving blue creatures. But the Vatican is no easy crowd to please.The Vatican newspaper and radio station are criticizing James Cameron’s 3-D blockbuster for flirting with the idea that worship of nature can replace religion – a notion the pope has warned against. They call the movie a simplistic and sappy tale, despite its awe-inspiring special effects.“Not much behind the images” was how the Vatican newspaper, L’Osservatore Romano, summed it up in a headline.As the second highest-grossing movie ever, “Avatar” is challenging the record set by Cameron’s previous movie “Titanic.”Generally it has been critically acclaimed and is touted as a leading Oscar contender.Bolivia’s first indigenous president, Evo Morales, has praised “Avatar” for what he calls its message of saving the environment from exploitation. But the movie also has drawn a number of critical voices. Some American conservative bloggers have decried its anti-militaristic message; a small group of people have said the movie contains racist themes.To Vatican critics, the alien extravaganza is just “bland.”Cameron “tells the story without going deep into it, and ends up falling into sappiness,” said L’Osservatore Romano. Vatican Radio called it “rather harmless” but said it was no heir to sci-fi masterpieces of the past.Most significantly, much of the Vatican criticism was directed at the movie’s central theme of man vs. nature.L’Osservatore said the film “gets bogged down by a spiritualism linked to the worship of nature.” Similarly, Vatican Radio said it “cleverly winks at all those pseudo-doctrines that turn ecology into the religion of the millennium.”“Nature is no longer a creation to defend, but a divinity to worship,” the radio said.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.”Benedict has often spoken about the need to protect the environment, earning the nickname of “green pope.” But he also has balanced that call with a warning against turning environmentalism into neo-paganism.In a recent World Day of Peace message, the pontiff warned against any notions that equate human beings with other living things in the name of a “supposedly egalitarian vision.” He said such notions “open the way to a new pantheism tinged with neo-paganism, which would see the source of man’s salvation in nature alone, understood in purely naturalistic terms.”The pope explained in the message that while many experience tranquillity and peace when coming into contact with nature, a correct relationship between man and the environment should not lead to “absolutizing nature” or “considering it more important than the human person.”The Vatican newspaper occasionally likes to comment in its cultural pages on movies or pop culture icons, as it did recently about “The Simpsons” or U2. In one famous instance, several Vatican officials spoke out against “The Da Vinci Code.”In this case, the reviews came out after a red-carpet “Avatar” preview held in Rome just a stone’s throw from St. Peter’s Square. The movie – which has made more than $1.3 billion at box offices worldwide, partly boosted by higher 3-D ticket prices – will be released Friday in Italy.“So much stupefying, enchanting technology, but few genuine emotions,” said L’Osservatore in one of three articles devoted to “Avatar” in its Sunday editions. The plotline of aliens who live on a distant unspoiled planet and the humans who want to pillage their resources is a universal theme that can be reminiscent of past colonizations and wars, the paper said. As such, it is easy to relate to it, but also unoriginal.“Everything is reduced to an overly simple anti-imperialistic and anti-militaristic parable,” it said.In America, the big numbers and media hype have been accompanied by some controversy.Blog posts, newspaper articles, tweets and YouTube videos have criticized the film, with some calling it “a fantasy about race told from the point of view of white people” and that it reinforces “the white Messiah fable.” Cameron says the real theme is about respecting others’ differences.An LA Times blog noted that the movie “has inflamed the passions of right-wing bloggers and pundits.”“Cameron incensed many voices on the right by acknowledging of-the-moment messages about imperialism, greed, ecological disregard and corporate irresponsibility,” it said. Anti-smoking lobbies have denounced the cigarette-puffing character played by Sigourney Weaver.Back at the Vatican, the reviews did praise the groundbreaking visuals of the movie.Vatican Radio said that “really never before have such surprising images been seen,” while L’Osservatore said the movie’s worth lies in its “extraordinary visual impact.”http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/01/12/vatican-slams-avatar-prom_n_419949.html
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  • Marius February 18, 2010 at 5:18pm
    Vatican feels SUPREME, only because the fake history gave it the power...
    This makes me crazy, they 're scared, they dont want to lose worshippers... I AM Catholic, I 'm also from Rome. But the Church.... bah, i really dont like the way it acts.
    They think they're the ones who will save the world?? they're destroying is, along with shadow gov... Illuminati... in italian means " Enlighteneds".... they're dark... dark...dark....
    They also made wars, killing people in the name of... God? ahahaha it's fun...that they still have power...
    But you know what? WE are the stupid guys who still let these corrupted people have thje power... WE are the stupids who dont do something against them....
    Bah.... Let's focus on meditating ... the only way to succeed is sending Love and Light messages to everyone else.
    Peace
    • 3rfl3nfqndi4s > Marius February 19, 2010 at 12:33am
      Now, I would Love to have witnessed this, Shelly. lol
    • ☼Petar▲Truthseeker > Marius February 18, 2010 at 11:17pm
      Hahahaha awesome!!
    • 3rfl3nfqndi4s > Marius February 18, 2010 at 5:46pm
      Oh, boy!!! While I don't have the "time" to read this article and the answering posts......CAN'T WAIT!!! lol
      Just the title grabbed my attention, and all I have to say right now is......why am I not surprised. I'll have more to say later.....you know? Chatty Cathy? lol

      I'll be baaaaaack.
      • 3rfl3nfqndi4s > 3rfl3nfqndi4s February 18, 2010 at 8:11pm
        Awwwwww, golly gee!!! You guys have said it all. Shame on you. You didn't leave anything for me to say. LOL

        Draco, brother, you NAILED IT!!! Don't need to add a thing to what you've said but, DITTO!!!
  • Astarael January 15, 2010 at 12:41am
    I havent seen the film, but just out of interest, where is the Vatican race home planet?
    • This reply was deleted.
      • DRACO January 16, 2010 at 7:45am
        I think that there are alot of illuminati in the different royal families. The reason they disliked the templars is because they found out what the catholic church was really about and wanted to expose them, so obviously they were a threat.
  • Oen Libertatum January 14, 2010 at 5:16pm
    Perhaps they want us to think they are against each other?

    It isnt just the vatican, what about royalty? the serpent bloodline they have exists but they are all loosing power.
  • DRACO January 14, 2010 at 1:00pm
    The Vatican and the illuminati are on the same team. Have you not heard of the "Empire of the city"?...it comprises of Washington, London and the vatican. London is the financial arm, washington the military and the vatican the "spiritual". the illuminati control the worlds religions through the vatican.
  • ☼Petar▲Truthseeker January 13, 2010 at 11:56pm
    Hahahaa, they're really becoming Ignoranuses (Read definition here, http://www.ashtarcommandcrew.net/forum/topics/great-words-humour-pl... Ignoranus : A person who's both stupid and an asshole)... awesome words, I rofled so hard...

    Don't worry bout the Vatican dudes... this proves they're becoming dumber by the minute... There is a Bozone layer forming above Vatican (Bozone ( n.): The substance surrounding stupid people that stops bright ideas from penetrating. The bozone layer, unfortunately, shows little sign of breaking down in the near future.) Hahahaha, rofl rofl..

    ...Yet sheepies still bow down to ignoraNuses...
This reply was deleted.

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