Christianity and Star Wars??

UltraViolence83 · Post by **UltraViolence83** » 2003-05-14 01:51am

Christian creation myth is way older than 2000 years. We'd have to live waaaay back like 2-3000 B.C. if I'm not mistaken.

SirNitram · Post by **SirNitram** » 2003-05-14 01:55am

UltraViolence83 wrote:Christian creation myth is way older than 2000 years. We'd have to live waaaay back like 2-3000 B.C. if I'm not mistaken.

But 2000 years ago was the height of the Roman Empire, when the old story about Gaia was as good as the next thing.

UltraViolence83 · Post by **UltraViolence83** » 2003-05-14 01:58am

Good point.

Macross · Post by **Macross** » 2003-05-14 02:11am

UltraViolence83 wrote:Well actually, that's kinda true...

Didn't the Earth come out of the insuing order that in turn came out of the chaos of the formation of the solar system, which came out of the chaos of a nearby dying star, etc etc?

finally a creation myth that makes some sense.

There are lots of creationist myths that have the earth, gods, etc, being born/created from chaos or a primordial universe. These types of myths are often called cosmogonical myths, in that they expalin how the cosmos and the gods came into being.

One of the things that has always bothered me about Christian Mythology was that they have no true cosmogonical myth. Most ancient religeons start with the creation of the universe and the gods. With Christianity, god is just there...no origin, no chaos, no primordial universe, no cosmic egg, no nothing.

Ask any Christian "Where does God come from?" and you wont get a straight answer. Usually somewhere in your answer, the word "faith" will crop up. Go back to Ancient Greece, Babylon, China, etc. Ask them where their gods come from, and you will get a solid answer.

I think it is really extraordinary that these cosmogonical myths, created thousands of years ago, are very similar to our modern scientific theories on the creation of life and universe.

It just goes to show you that science and creationism are not always mutually exclusive.

Peregrin Toker · Post by **Peregrin Toker** » 2003-05-14 11:02am

Macross wrote:I think it is really extraordinary that these cosmogonical myths, created thousands of years ago, are very similar to our modern scientific theories on the creation of life and universe.

Really?? Does the idea of the universe being born from an egg appear similar to anything scientific?

UltraViolence83 · Post by **UltraViolence83** » 2003-05-14 11:37am

Wasn't the pre-Big Bang universe all bunched up in a little ball? There are many eggs that look like balls...

...The Earth is slightly lopsided, you could call it an egg as well.

Darth Gojira · Post by **Darth Gojira** » 2003-05-14 12:05pm

Queeb Salaron wrote: Heh. Ready? Jesus vs. Ra (the sun god, not the band): Who wins?

Initially, it would be a tie, as Jesus can handle extreme heat while being unable to hurt Ra. My best guess is that Ra could unleash Sekhmet on the would-be Messiah and make him her bitch

Macross · Post by **Macross** » 2003-05-14 02:26pm

Simon H.Johansen wrote:Really?? Does the idea of the universe being born from an egg appear similar to anything scientific?

Um, yeah...Its called the Big Bang Theory.

Kurgan · Post by **Kurgan** » 2003-05-17 10:40am

Now I will hijack the thread and show everyone up, by pointing out a correction:

Im·mac·u·late Conception
n.

Roman Catholic Church. The doctrine that the Virgin Mary was conceived free from all stain of original sin.

Immaculate \Im*mac"u*late\, a. [L. immaculatus; pref. im- not + maculatus, p. p. of maculare to spot, stane, fr. macula spot. See Mail armor.] Without stain or blemish; spotless; undefiled; clear; pure.

What you guys are thinking of is the virgin birth. If you want a fancy term for it, try parthenogenesis. ; )

; )

Peregrin Toker · Post by **Peregrin Toker** » 2003-05-18 04:37am

Kurgan wrote:Now I will hijack the thread and show everyone up, by pointing out a correction:

Im·mac·u·late Conception
n.

Roman Catholic Church. The doctrine that the Virgin Mary was conceived free from all stain of original sin.

Immaculate \Im*mac"u*late\, a. [L. immaculatus; pref. im- not + maculatus, p. p. of maculare to spot, stane, fr. macula spot. See Mail armor.] Without stain or blemish; spotless; undefiled; clear; pure.
What you guys are thinking of is the virgin birth. If you want a fancy term for it, try parthenogenesis. ; )

; )

Is there anything which doesn't have a technobabblish synonym?

Kurgan · Post by **Kurgan** » 2003-05-18 08:05pm

I just expect people to use the proper terms, that's all. ; )

CaptainChewbacca · Post by **CaptainChewbacca** » 2003-05-18 10:01pm

People like drawing parallels, but most of this stuff is on whoever sees it.

Christianity has been in our culture for over a thousand years, and its bound to be ingrained in our cultural psyche, and in whatever literature inspired whatever literature that inspired Star Wars.

But it also fits a half-dozen other religions, too.

Someone posted on another board an article about gay subtext in X2. You can read whatever you want from a movie if you try hard enough.

Kurgan · Post by **Kurgan** » 2003-05-19 09:45pm

The best myths are multivalent ones (having multiple layers of meaning).

However, gaining an insight into what the creator of the work intended, gives one its primary intended meaning. That doesn't mean other meanings could be culled from it, or that the creator subconsciously put other meanings into the work of course.

A myth itself is not "the truth", it conveys truths...

Peregrin Toker · Post by **Peregrin Toker** » 2003-05-20 02:11pm

CaptainChewbacca wrote:Someone posted on another board an article about gay subtext in X2. You can read whatever you want from a movie if you try hard enough.

It's the superhero genre. Of course there's going to be homoerotic undertones!

Kurgan · Post by **Kurgan** » 2003-05-20 03:53pm

Good point. And don't forget the "buddy" movies, and the symbolism of men shooting their guns at each other.... etc etc

Peregrin Toker · Post by **Peregrin Toker** » 2003-05-21 01:09pm

Kurgan wrote:Good point. And don't forget the "buddy" movies, and the symbolism of men shooting their guns at each other.... etc etc

Don't get paranoid. Even though my motto is "If there's one thing I've learned, it is that you never can be cautious enough", I'm still aware that there's a difference between getting subtle references and seeing patterns where you shouldn't.

Kurgan · Post by **Kurgan** » 2003-05-21 06:59pm

Of course, of course.

Reminds me of the various people who've pointed out the shape of Darth Vader's helmet reminds them of something....