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Pure Spirituality vs Extreme Materialism?
After watching Avatar last week, I knew there was a post in there somewhere, so I decided to go check out what some other bloggers were saying about this amazing visual experience.
What I found surprised me!
It seems the religious right-wing is throwing a fit due to the movie’s pantheism.
What is pantheism? I found this definition on dictionary.com:
pantheism:
The belief that God, or a group of gods, is identical with the whole natural world; pantheism comes from Greek roots meaning “belief that everything is a god.”
Cite This Source
Themovieblog posted this quote and reply:
“AVATAR has an abhorrent New Age, pagan, anti-capitalist worldview that promotes goddess worship and the destruction of the human race. ‘
Now MovieGuide is run by Dr. Ted Baehr a hardcore rightwing christian fundamentalist that takes offense to everything that doesnt directly sing god’s praises and therefore this movie is just going to piss him off. Its amazing this guy still thinks he has credibility. (Yes, I have had interactions with this rocket scientist before – while criticizing with me he asked for a donation to his organization so he could continue sending traffic to this site – a classy hypocrite)”
In support of the film’s spiritual efforts I found this very interesting post on A Pagan’s Blog, which also quotes another right wing religious view from Ross Douthat:
Douthat writes in the New York Times 
“The question is whether Nature actually deserves a religious response. Traditional theism has to wrestle with the problem of evil: if God is good, why does he allow suffering and death? But Nature is suffering and death. Its harmonies require violence. Its “circle of life” is really a cycle of mortality. And the human societies that hew closest to the natural order aren’t the shining Edens of James Cameron’s fond imaginings.
They’re places where existence tends to be nasty, brutish and short.
“Religion exists, in part, precisely because humans aren’t at home amid these cruel rhythms. We stand half inside the natural world and half outside it. We’re beasts with self-consciousness, predators with ethics, mortal creatures who yearn for immortality.”
A Pagan’s Blog response is good reading so check it out here.
Pondering the various opinions floating on the net, I came to my own conclusion.
The message is quite simple really, but goes against the extremists of both camps. In the film, the indigenous culture worships nature and the concept of absolute fluidity among all living things.
Whereas, the invading population cares only about plundering a precious (to them) physical resource; showing no regard for this indigenous species.
Both sides of the equation (pure spirituality + extreme materialism) have been embattled for years and culminate in the ultimate sacrifice; win or lose everything.
But there is a small group of frontier scientists experimenting with the merging of these two extremes. What would happen if pure spirituality was mixed with extreme materialism?
Might it not render a creature able to transcend both ways of life?
When the merged protagonist asks the spiritual mother for help, his partner tells him that she does not take sides; she is only balance. Pure spirituality does not ask, it only accepts.
He responds, ‘he had to ask’. Materialism asks the questions.
Without giving the movie away, the mixture of these two extremes in the one persona is the impetus for fundamental change to occur.
We are spiritual creatures living in a physical world.
Be inspired by both, and find a balance which provides you joy from both.
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Check Out This Post on Idealism vs Materialism
Write On!
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Hi Curtis: Once again, an insightful blog post. Thanks for doing research on opinions regarding ‘Avatar.’ My opinion is that it shows the common greed of some humans, in total disregard for a native species (or native people). So much like the history of the USA in regards the Native Americans and some missionaries in regards the Hawaiians and others. In terms of pantheism, does not quantum physics in its spirituality suggest that God and all are One? If this is so, and I believe it is, then God is Everything. Write on! Bob
Hi Dr Bob…You can find the same scenario here in Australia with regards to the local aboriginals.
yes I believe we are one with our universe…that’s an issue for catholicism.
you ask, “does not quantum physics in its spirituality suggest that God and all are One?” – yes Robert you are god!
Write On!
Hi – really great site you have created. I enjoyed reading this posting. I did want to write a remark to tell you that the design of this site is very aesthetically sweet. I used to be a graphic designer, now I am a copy editor for a merchandising firm. I have always enjoyed working with computers and am attempting to learn computer code in my spare time (which there is never enough of lol).
Hi Lee..cheers for the compliment!