Some Christians see Avatar as "demonic"

[Dreamlight]

Huh.  I remember one street preacher mistook my pentacle for a star of David.  Good grief!

[Tsuksìm atsawl (KaPTan)]

and so begins another long as thread on the debate of religeion. if there is a mod. i suggest you close this... this is just getting out of hand here.

[Redpaintednavi]

England has recognized Druidry as an official religion.  The US is not too far behind.  We already can have a Pentacle on gravestones in the Military graveyards.  It's not far off.  When it happens, people will start researching the pagan religions and realize that we are just like them.  We just see different faces of the Gods for different reasons.  Just like the Roman Catholics have the patron saints of everything, they will realize that we simply use a different name for a different reason.  

Here in Scandinavia the ancient Asa-tro (belief in the pagan Scandinavian Gods) are getting more and more popular. Today you can also get married in that belief. But still there are ofcourse prejudice against pagans, they are considered somewhat strange. But the Scandinavian countries (at least Sweden) is highly secularized so most religions are today looked upon with suspicion by many. Even christians, if they show off their faith too much, are viewed as somwhat strange or over the top. Religion is considered something private that you shall not talk to much about or show to others (little like sex  ).
The most impopular religion though is Islam. Many people here are somewhat afraid of muslims.

As for Wiccan, the non acceptance of that reminds me of Brandi Blackbear in Oklahoma, USA, that was thrown out of her school because she was suspected to be a wiccan and also to have put a spell on a teacher so he got ill.

I wrote about the strange case in this thread:

http://forum.learnnavi.org/general-discussion/witchhunt-in-oklahoma-school/msg318496/#msg318496

[Ekirä]

and so begins another long as thread on the debate of religeion. if there is a mod. i suggest you close this... this is just getting out of hand here.

Religion is not a bad thing to discuss if no one flames--and this is an amazingly quiet and agreeable discussion. I say as long as people keep tempers down the thread should live.

[Maria TunVrrtep]

Religion is not a bad thing to discuss if no one flames--and this is an amazingly quiet and agreeable discussion. I say as long as people keep tempers down the thread should live.

Irayo, Ekirä. 

I'm naturally a peacekeeper anyway, so I try to keep the flaming to a minimum.

[Vawm tsamsiyu]

I wonder how much of this stuff these guys on YouTube believe, is it all what they think or just something to get attention. Even if only 100 out of a million people whatching agree at least there's a million viewers and if they get money for mass views like on tv then they don't need to care if everyone agrees as long as theyre watching. Just a thought

[Maria TunVrrtep]

I wonder how much of this stuff these guys on YouTube believe, is it all what they think or just something to get attention. Even if only 100 out of a million people whatching agree at least there's a million viewers and if they get money for mass views like on tv then they don't need to care if everyone agrees as long as theyre watching. Just a thought

Hmmmm good point.  You do have to wonder if that's the reason they do it.

[Vawm tsamsiyu]

It's like when celebrities do something crazy, you never know if it's real or a publicity stunt

[Eyamsiyu]

It's like when celebrities do something crazy, you never know if it's real or a publicity stunt

I apologize for the tangent... but I absolutely hate the media for this.  The news front goes ape-s**t over some 24-year-old movie star for drinking too much booze, while soldiers who are DYING don't even get mentioned.  The media needs a nice slugging. *grabs media-slugging baseball bat*

Sorry... carry on.

[Dreamlight]

England has recognized Druidry as an official religion.  The US is not too far behind.  We already can have a Pentacle on gravestones in the Military graveyards.  It's not far off.  When it happens, people will start researching the pagan religions and realize that we are just like them.  We just see different faces of the Gods for different reasons.  Just like the Roman Catholics have the patron saints of everything, they will realize that we simply use a different name for a different reason.  

Here in Scandinavia the ancient Asa-tro (belief in e pagan Scandinavian Gods) are getting more and more popular. Today you can also get married in that belief. But still there are ofcourse prejudice against pagans, they are considered somewhat strange. But the Scandinavian countries (at least Sweden) is highly secularized so most religions are today looked upon with suspicion by many. Even christians, if they show off their faith too much, are viewed as somwhat strange or over the top. Religion is considered something private that you shall not talk to much about or show to others (little like sex  ).
The most impopular religion though is Islam. Many people here are somewhat afraid of muslims.

As for Wiccan, the non acceptance of that reminds me of Brandi Blackbear in Oklahoma, USA, that was thrown out of her school because she was suspected to be a wiccan and also to have put a spell on a teacher so he got ill.

I wrote about the strange case in this thread:

http://forum.learnnavi.org/general-discussion/witchhunt-in-oklahoma-school/msg318496/#msg318496

"Asa-tro" (Asatru in English) in gaining popularity here in the States, especially among persons of Nordic or Germanic descent.  All the pagan religions are gaining ground, especially North American shamanism, but acceptance is still an ongoing struggle.

[Vawm tsamsiyu]

That's why they want to demonise avatar, it promotes acceptance of pegan religions and they don't want to lose their power so they try to say avatar an pegan religions are evil when they're not.

[Tirea Aean]

and so begins another long as thread on the debate of religeion. if there is a mod. i suggest you close this... this is just getting out of hand here.

Yeah, I see that this thread just keeps goin on and on and such, but I see no real reason it needs to be shut, as other people have said, and as I have seen, it has been a respectful conversation for the most part.(if not completely)

That's why they want to demonise avatar, it promotes acceptance of pegan religions and they don't want to lose their power so they try to say avatar an pegan religions are evil when they're not.

I can very possibly see this as being the mentality of these guys from the videos. I am Christian and am not afraid to state it. but just as that, I am also not afraid to tolerate and respect and love others, as it is commanded of me.

[Roiki]

Looking at those videos you could get some quality material for a stand-up set.

In christianitys case preachers and extremists represent the vocal minority, your average christian doesn't care. Still such a reaction isn't unexpected since Avatar clearly portrays humans as evil and na'vi as good, portraying humans as decadent and immoral. As the Na'vi religion is such a central theme in the movie, it's no wonder that some christians might see it as an insult to their(worshipping something concrete rather than something "greater") religion. No one likes it that their world views questioned or portrayed as negative.

Everyone has a right to have their own views and publish them, not everyone accepts them and they have the right for that. Judging a larger group on the actions of a minority is never wise and it only generates pointless stereotypes(just look at all this fear of islam). In the states it might be the lack of teaching at schools that promotes certain views above others, parents usually transfer their faith to their offspring and unless they seek information on their own, they don't hear much about others except when they makes headlines.
To me religion is a personal thing and best kept behind closed doors, saves you from many harms and makes(my life at least) life easier.

One funny thing i thought while watching those videos is that they never target money, since it seems to be the only universal "religion", object of admiration and guiding force in our lives, guess they don't like to bite the hand that feeds them either


Oh, and it's not really a conversation if everyone agrees and not everyone who disagrees is a flamer.

[Eyamsiyu]

What's funny is the only thing I disagree with you on is the idea of the Na'vi way to be a "religion."  I mean, there is physical proof that Eywa exists and the Na'vi constantly see her work in nature.  And as far as every religion I know of goes, there is at least a small part of the belief that is just that: a belief either without or a hard way to show evidence.  Of course, this could just be me trying to sound intelligence off of 2 hours of sleep and about to undergo another nearly sleepless night... 

There was a HUGE thread on this, but if my memory serves, it was locked due to what we have avoided so far on this thread. 

Either way, Roiki's right: these few people are not at all the majority of Christians.  In fact, those that are even remotely close to this, from what I've seen and experienced, more often than not just won't do anything with it or about it: they won't try to convince you to change, but they will probably try to avoid you (which sounds bad, but that's conservative Lutherans, I guess...).

More often than not, we are a laid-back bunch, and we're cool with whatever.

[Duma Vadamee {Aungia Tsawkeyä}]

i guess im close to christian. well, i don't believe in the god, but i do believe wither or not it is the god that there is a higher power out there. i do believe in heaven and hell, and the devil. but even as close to Christianity as i am, i dont see anything "demonic" at all with avatar. so i really dont get why most Christians, or crazy people depending on whos preaching, think avatar is really bad. i just really dont....

[Tsuksìm atsawl (KaPTan)]

i guess im close to christian. well, i don't believe in the god, but i do believe wither or not it is the god that there is a higher power out there. i do believe in heaven and hell, and the devil. but even as close to Christianity as i am, i dont see anything "demonic" at all with avatar. so i really dont get why most Christians, or crazy people depending on whos preaching, think avatar is really bad. i just really dont....

this problem was pointed out earlier i beleive...

its not most, just a really noisy small group.

[Maria TunVrrtep]

this problem was pointed out earlier i beleive...

its not most, just a really noisy small group.

Yes.  Those of us who are Pagan have, for the most part, said we don't have problems with Christians, as long as they don't try to tell us we are "damned", "going to hell" or (my favorite) "WRONG" (and it's always said just like I typed it). 

My policy is, my personal beliefs are MINE.  I do not expect anyone else to share them, give me the same respect.  (Please don't think that's an accusation on anyone here.)

I am a Wiccan of the Strega tradition (Traditional Italian).  My coven is Irish/Celtic.  However, just because I am personally Strega, doesn't mean I don't have some more eclectic deities in my pantheon.  My patron God is Ganesh (Hindu God of Removing Obstacles); my patron Goddess is Hestia (Greek Goddess of Hearth and Home).  What I'm saying here is that my religion is much more open to allowing us to call on Gods from other traditions. 

[Ean Hufwetulyu]

I one question for ma smuke ulte smukan. If these gentlemen in the voices state aka judge others that the people who dont follow christian believe are wrong and will burn. Then my question is "If the bible implies that you love and accpect others from all people, are they just implanting the seeds of hate in the ones who follow the christian faith? And rutxe smuke ulte smukan, what im about to say i mean no, i repeat, i mean no disrepect. If the radical extremist Islam groups imply if you do follow the faith of Islam that you will be kill. (I want to repeat i mean no disrespect to any Islamic/ Christian faith believers) The way these men are looking at Avatar, Na'vi, and Ewya. I think they are not better than the radicals how who want to hurt innocents. 

[Dreamlight]

That's just another example of Christian doublethink.

[Unilmokri]

Proof that Christianity is actively working to smother the Earth in carbon-dioxide 


While we're on the subject.. You know why we use crucifixes to kill vampires?

Spoiler

'Cause vampires are allergic to bulls***!