From: brnt@kuhub.cc.ukans.edu
Newsgroups: rec.arts.movies
Subject: Re: The Rapture ** SPOILER **
Date: 30 Jul 92 07:55:29 CDT
Organization: University of Kansas Academic Computing Services

In article <8eRiMbm00UhWI4=J4F@andrew.cmu.edu>, Peter Yung Chang <pc20+@andrew.cmu.edu> writes:
> I apologize to all for getting into a religious argument here, but I
> would like to clarify my previous post about The Rapture and my views
> (as understood by others) on Christianity:

	This was not (at least when I started it) a religious discussion,
rather it was my observations about how "The Rapture", and most other Hollywood
movies give Christianity the shaft, mainly by ascribing non-existent beliefs
and distortions of the facts.  Similar attacks never happen to Islam, Buddhism,
Taoism, or Confucianism.

> There's a very good reason why Catholics really "get it" from those of
> us who are "anti-religious".  Just look at all the
> unforgivable/hypocritical acts they have committed in the past, in the
> name of their religion.  And to our knowledge, very little has changed
> in terms of their belief/philosophy.

	No, because their beliefs and philosophies never condoned those actions
in the first place.  The extreme practices that they enacted in the past were
IN SPITE of the churches doctrine and beliefs.  Indulgences (see below) were
never part of the official Catholic dogma.  The fact that the church tolerated
them, didn't change the fact the Catholic tradition and Papal authority did not
official approve.  Granted, this "turning the other way" was probably worse
than official condonement.

> Do the words "sale of indulgences" ring a bell?  This is just one of
> many notorious hypocritical acts the Catholics have done in the past. 
> To have people's sins forgiven simply by donating money to the church is
> SOOOOO hypocritically wrong that it really pisses me off...!!!  And
> forgive me if I don't possess better knowledge about this subject, but
> what about the Mafia in Italy?  As I understand it, many (if not all)
> are very Catholic, because they all want to be absolved of all sin
> before they die.  If this is true (which it may not be), then isn't it
> analogous to the situation in the movie? Isn't it the same hypocrisy?
> 
	And what about Charles Manson, or (insert the name of your favorite
bad atheist here)?  Obviously these bad people prove that atheism is no good.
How about Idi Amin? Obviously proof that Muslims are all cannibals.  Of course
the Catholic Church (Protestant, everyone else), have done bad things in the 
past, but to use that as an indictment of the entire institution, now, then and
forever more is bad reasoning, and resembles the very hypocrisy that you hate.
  
>>         2. Killing the daughter was justified because she went to heaven.  
>> There are serious questions about whether the daughter would have gone to 
>> heaven at all.  She did not seek to be with God, she sought, instead, to be
> 
> I understand all the arguments...about suicide and all.  Of course, in
> the movie it was implied that she was with "God".
	
	Exactly my point, the "movie" implied a lot of tripe, because (as I
initially asserted) it had very little knowledge on the subject. 

> I don't perceive Christianity as an "evil".  I'm not really anti-"God"
                                       ^^^^                         ^^^
	No one (at least not me) ever accused you of these beliefs
 
> Anyway.  I'll stop babbling about religion now.  Sorry...just had to get
> it out.
> 
>  
> 					
> 					peech
> 
> Peter Chang
> Economics/Industrial Management
> Carnegie Mellon University
> <pc20+@andrew.cmu.edu>
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