Ramifications of Ghostbusters

[Rye]

Ghostbusters is on channel 4 in the UK right now, I was watching and then it hit me; would I believe the Ghostbusters' story over Walter Peck's? So, I extend that question to you, would you believe the Ghostbusters, when they tell you that "real biblical wrath of God type stuff" is on the way, perhaps even telling you that it's an ancient sumerian god of destruction, brought in through a building that's built to channel spiritual turbulence? Or do you accept Walter Peck's assertion that bogus lightshows and nerve gasses are planted by the Ghostbusters who show up to deal with it? Bear in mind that you still have all the advisors the mayor had in the film, telling you that walls are bleeding and such.

What do you, as mayor, choose to do next?

Also, assuming the events of Ghostbusters actually did happen, would you revise your theism or lack thereof? What implications would all the discoveries and technology that worked in Ghostbusters have on society as a whole?

[General Zod]

I'd be more willing to believe multiple corroborated reports over one guy. So if I've got ten or fifteen advisors telling me that the walls in some art museum are bleeding, chances are I'd side with them.

[The Grim Squeaker]

Frankly having such a large amount of "physical" evidence from multiple trusted sources would probably overcome my skepticism and believe the Busters.

[Crossroads Inc.]

The thing is about Ghostbusters is that, IMHO, it really is never about "Spirtual" stuff.

Think about it, the 'ghosts' in Ghostbusters are never spirits or ghosts. They are all, with the exception of the ghost Librarian in the very begining, 'Monsters'. They talk about "the dead rising" and what not, but all we got are monsterish flying things that ooze slime.

To go further, think about how they are fought. The don't use crosses and bibles, they use [ProfMembrane]SCIENCE![/ProfMembrane].

Listening to all the gibberish Egon and the others are talking about, I don't really see any of this is Religious... Just replace "Ghosts" with "Trans Dimensiona Beings" and the enteir story shifts.

The Sumarian "God" is nothing but a powerful entity from another Dimension. Shoot the Building opens a "Dimension Door" to allow it through.

As for the EPA vs the Busters, the only evidance I need is seeing a 4000ft colune of Energy spewing forth from the unit that the EPA agent had just shut off.

But the long a short of it is that none of this has anything to do with Religion.

[Ghost Rider]

Yeah, because unlike most spook tales and such, there is physical evidence even when the Ghostbusters aren't there. They aren't as much some bibalical story as much as a physical entity coming in and wanting to turn Manhattan into a pothole.

I mean being a con artist is one thing but with the way the reports went, having hundreds of sighting planted before hand would've taken some serious man power to both set up and execute.

Walter Peck was literally an idiot to believe that those four guys were accomplishing a city wide, months long campaign and had no prior evidence of such deeds.

Essentially they dress it up in God terms because it's easier to swallow then using some oversized name that they can barely say.

[El Moose Monstero]

Given that the religious leader was present, the religion metaphor seemed a safe bet given the majors leanings. No, it probably wouldn't cause a rethink in my religious beliefs - one thing that SDN has taught me to think about is the 'Q uses technology/is science based' debate in context with sumerian gods and roaming beasts from hell.

Although you do have to wonder why it was as simple as just pulling a lever to shut down the containment system. Obviously in the aftermath, I'd be demanding total interaction between government and ghostbusters to ensure the security of their facilities, given that they're essentially sitting on a giant jail.

[Rye]

As an aside: It is possible that Peck was either a Gozer worshipper or was influenced in some manner, since he tried to stop the city defending itself against Gozer, as well as being integral to shutting down the ectocontainment grid, that he seemed to be determined to get to right from the start. I never noticed that till just now.

Think about it, the 'ghosts' in Ghostbusters are never spirits or ghosts. They are all, with the exception of the ghost Librarian in the very begining, 'Monsters'. They talk about "the dead rising" and what not, but all we got are monsterish flying things that ooze slime.

Ectoplasmic slime is something that has long been associated with ghosts, and at least one was a zombie, and we know from ghostbusters 2 that some people can live on in some form after death.

Listening to all the gibberish Egon and the others are talking about, I don't really see any of this is Religious... Just replace "Ghosts" with "Trans Dimensiona Beings" and the enteir story shifts.

Not really, changing the Bible with similar terms doesn't change it significantly. God is from Heaven, a powerful being is from another dimension. Same thing. If you can distinguish between an entity from another dimension that can possess people, turn people into demon dogs, materialise a 100ft marshmallow man based on a man's thought, from apparently nothing, and a genuine god, I would like to know how.

[Molyneux]

As an aside: It is possible that Peck was either a Gozer worshipper or was influenced in some manner, since he tried to stop the city defending itself against Gozer, as well as being integral to shutting down the ectocontainment grid, that he seemed to be determined to get to right from the start. I never noticed that till just now.

Think about it, the 'ghosts' in Ghostbusters are never spirits or ghosts. They are all, with the exception of the ghost Librarian in the very begining, 'Monsters'. They talk about "the dead rising" and what not, but all we got are monsterish flying things that ooze slime.

Ectoplasmic slime is something that has long been associated with ghosts, and at least one was a zombie, and we know from ghostbusters 2 that some people can live on in some form after death.

Listening to all the gibberish Egon and the others are talking about, I don't really see any of this is Religious... Just replace "Ghosts" with "Trans Dimensiona Beings" and the enteir story shifts.

Not really, changing the Bible with similar terms doesn't change it significantly. God is from Heaven, a powerful being is from another dimension. Same thing. If you can distinguish between an entity from another dimension that can possess people, turn people into demon dogs, materialise a 100ft marshmallow man based on a man's thought, from apparently nothing, and a genuine god, I would like to know how.

Little-g god and a powerful demon? No real difference. A god and a God, however, are two very different dishes.

[Rye]

That is a really meaningless tangent, snd no, they are not significantly different, except one of them doesn't have a proper name seperate from his titles.

[LordShaithis]

Given that the mayor had what appeared to be some very old, respectable, and level-headed advisors telling him that serious supernatural shit was taking place all over the city, I don't think any reasonable person would have any choice but to believe it and take action.

[Solauren]

it's guy saying 'they caused an explosion' when he ordered the lever pulled vs guys saying 'dude, the city is at risk, and if not, we'll happily go to jail' and 'sir, there is weird shit going down and people are panicing'

I'd give the Ghostbusters the beneift of the doubt, cause they said they'd go to jail if they were wrong.

Once they were proven right, as a bystander, I'd be like 'okay, so some old religions have a foundation in physical truth. However, they can be beaten by modern technology, so f*ck'em"