Arguments against AVATAR and James Cameron

[Muzer]

I suppose it does depend on what level Eywa's consciousness is - if she can talk individually and distinctly to people, I'm pretty sure you'd be hard-pressed to find anyone who doesn't really believe. If, on the other hand, it's more of a vague collection of memories, etc., I suppose there would be people who didn't believe in the consciousness side of it (but you can't deny that the trees are storing all this somehow - just maybe that method isn't a conscious person like Eywa)


Ugh, I'm so tired, this is really inarticulate - please, if you think you have a more concise way of phrasing this, please do.

[Teylar Ta Palulukankelku]

Ugh, I'm so tired, this is really inarticulate - please, if you think you have a more concise way of phrasing this, please do.

I think i have...

``Eywa! If you truly exist, send me a sign!´´

*Ayatokirina come and land on the person calling out.*

['Oma Tirea]

Ugh, I'm so tired, this is really inarticulate - please, if you think you have a more concise way of phrasing this, please do.

I think i have...

``Eywa! If you truly exist, send me a sign!´´

*Ayatokirina' come and land on the person calling out.*

...that is, if one cannot tsaheyl si nìftue with the Utral Aymokriyä to find the existence of Eywa.

[Amaya]

On the issue of Avatar being pagan, paganism is the same as polytheism, A.K.A. beliving in more than one deity. The Na'vi belive only in one goddess.

Actually, I hate to be the bearer of correctness, but paganism and polytheism are two different things.  To be precise, paganism is worship of the earth and the natural world (and whatever deities or powers whether mono-, bi-, tri-, poly- or even non- they associate with its creation and governance) whereas polytheism can be pagan, and often is, but in and of itself only refers to the worship of multiple gods.  One can, for example, pray to the Norse gods entirely without any necessity of worshiping or even giving a flying f*** about the earth.

Given that, in a purely technical sense Avatar is "pagan", but it's not "anti-christian" since it's also monotheistic

[Teylar Ta Palulukankelku]

*Ayatokirina' come and land on the person calling out.*

Irayo fpi srung, ma Sxkxawng. Eywa Ngahu  !

[archaic]

Moat is introduced to Jake by Neytiri with this line .....

"That is mother, she is tsahìk, the one who interprets the will of Eywa."

So my guess is, you can't just ask her if she exists.
You ask tsahìk, tsahìk asks Eywa, Eywa gives tsahìk a sign that tsahìk interprets and you get a smack for being so cheeky and disrespectful. 

[Txontaw]

Or Eywa talks to you in abstract ways, and the tsahik's job is to figure out what the heck she's trying to say.

['Oma Tirea]

You ask tsahìk, tsahìk asks Eywa, Eywa gives tsahìk a sign that tsahìk interprets and you get a smack for being so cheeky and disrespectful. 

HRRH

Probably more like this, though:

Or Eywa talks to you in abstract ways, and the tsahik's job is to figure out what the heck she's trying to say.

[Teylar Ta Palulukankelku]

Given that, in a purely technical sense Avatar is "pagan", but it's not "anti-christian" since it's also monotheistic

Are you saying Avatar would be anti-christian if the Na'vi would believe in multiple deities? (I'm not a christian trying to defend his religion. Just asking. Althought i bet many christian fanatics would like to portray anything that doesn't agree with their world views as anti-christian propaganda  . They're so paranoid, those fanatics. Always thinking: ``If you're not with us, you're our enemy.´´  .) 

[Amaya]

Given that, in a purely technical sense Avatar is "pagan", but it's not "anti-christian" since it's also monotheistic

Are you saying Avatar would be anti-christian if the Na'vi would believe in multiple deities? (I'm not a christian trying to defend his religion. Just asking. Althought i bet many christian fanatics would like to portray anything that doesn't agree with their world views as anti-christian propaganda  . They're so paranoid, those fanatics. Always thinking: ``If you're not with us, you're our enemy.´´  .) 

Oh no, no I'm not saying it's anti-anything, just that those very fanatics of which you speak could be mollified (somewhat) by pointing out to them that the Na'vi have only one deity.  Not that it'd likely help, as you say, they're very black and white about things.

[Tsäroltxe te Eyrutì Tantse'itan]

I feel that the Na'vi are more pantheistic as everything is connected.

I hete when people don't like it just because of Eywa.

[Teylar Ta Palulukankelku]

Given that, in a purely technical sense Avatar is "pagan", but it's not "anti-christian" since it's also monotheistic

Are you saying Avatar would be anti-christian if the Na'vi would believe in multiple deities? (I'm not a christian trying to defend his religion. Just asking. Althought i bet many christian fanatics would like to portray anything that doesn't agree with their world views as anti-christian propaganda  . They're so paranoid, those fanatics. Always thinking: ``If you're not with us, you're our enemy.´´  .) 

Oh no, no I'm not saying it's anti-anything, just that those very fanatics of which you speak could be mollified (somewhat) by pointing out to them that the Na'vi have only one deity.  Not that it'd likely help, as you say, they're very black and white about things.

Just to clarify, ma Amaya, i'm not christian (Just so you know.) and i don't think Avatar is anti-christian. Sorry if my poor choice of words have made you think otherwise. I'm just saying that i think many christian fanatics would like to portray it that way, since it contains a religion other than their own.

Given that, in a purely technical sense Avatar is "pagan", but it's not "anti-christian" since it's also monotheistic

IMO, it's neither, because i wouldn't say it preaches any specific religion. Yes, it depicts a pagan religion and way of life, but i wouldn't call that preaching. However, the line between preaching something and depicting something can sometimes be quite blurry.

[Txontaw]

Given that, in a purely technical sense Avatar is "pagan", but it's not "anti-christian" since it's also monotheistic

Are you saying Avatar would be anti-christian if the Na'vi would believe in multiple deities? (I'm not a christian trying to defend his religion. Just asking. Althought i bet many christian fanatics would like to portray anything that doesn't agree with their world views as anti-christian propaganda  . They're so paranoid, those fanatics. Always thinking: ``If you're not with us, you're our enemy.´´  .)  

I'm Christian, and I hate the radicals as well. They make us look bad. Smacking people in the face with a bible and saying "Repent or DIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIEEE".

I don't think that Avatar is anti-anything, really. I've never seen it as clashing with any religion. It's really just an advanced form of Naturism (Gaiaism), to the point of not really being a religion anymore, since there's proof of Eywa. Therefore, I don't see Avatar as a religious movie.

[Toruk Makto]

  IMO, as far as some religions attacking Avatar, most religions are based on an adversary system and they occasionally have to go looking for a new adversary to justify their continued existence.


ta Markì

[Txontaw]

  IMO, as far as some religions attacking Avatar, most religions are based on an adversary system and they occasionally have to go looking for a new adversary to justify their continued existence.


ta Markì

I can see what you mean.

[Teylar Ta Palulukankelku]

Note: When some of you speak of Avatar, it sounds like you claim that Avatar is the Na'vi ``religion´´, as in ``Avatar is pagan.´´. Sorry, sometimes i can be such a Language Nazi    .

Now, to another anti-Avatar topic: Somewhere around this january, i heard about a ``Gay-protest´´ against Avatar in Washington. Appearently, these people didn't want that Avatar would get an Oscar nomination (At least that's what i think it was about. Don't judge me  .).

[Teylar Ta Palulukankelku]

Here, i've found it: http://stopavatarmovie.blogspot.com/

Tell me your thoughts about this.

[Vawm tsamsiyu]

Don't they have better things to protest about?
They talk about not discriminating then get mad because avatars main characters are straight, idk that seems a bit hypocritical. If they don't like it why can't they make their own movie and make their characters whatever way they want instead of protesting something they can't change anyway.

And hrh @ the suggestion at their site that they buy a ticket but don't see the movie. I well someone got extra room

[Txontaw]

Umm.. wat.

That is probably the most retarded reason to protest a movie EVER.

They hate Avatar.... because the main characters aren't gay??

Then they should be hating on most movies ever made.

[Vawm tsamsiyu]

Yea, that's what many of the coments on there said, and the polls on the side suggest that most of the people there weren't on mr protestors side.