South Park episode: Go God Go (punishment, atheist, point of view, religion)

jewscout · #1 11-13-2006, 01:26 PM

ok so if anyone missed the last 2 episodes of south park, you missed a great episode. Long story short, in an attempt to not have to wait the 3 weeks for Nintendo Wii to come out, Cartmen decides to freeze himself, however, he is unfrozen 500 years in the future...where everyone is Atheist.

this is because Richard Dawkins along w/ Ms. Garrison (formally Mr. Garrison) essentially lead a crusade to rid the world of religion, thinking the world would be a better place.

well, at least in the minds of Matt Stone and Trey Parker, it still isn't that great, war still exists between people (in this case over the ultimate question, what should athiests call themselves?)...and now...there are talking sea otters

I always find that through the fart jokes, Stone and Parker have really good social commentary. The only reason i bring this up...is a statement i read from Elton John on CNN earlier today saying:
"From my point of view, I would ban religion completely. Organized religion doesn't seem to work. It turns people into really hateful lemmings and it's not really compassionate."
http://www.cnn.com/2006/SHOWBIZ/Musi....ap/index.html
now, i could really give 2 craps what Elton John, or most any celebrity for that matter, has to think...but i thought it would be interesting just to ask...

do you think that Matt Stone and Trey Parker's vision of an Athiest's future is accurate? Would wars still be fought amongst people even w/o religion?

RevOxley_501 · #2 11-13-2006, 01:29 PM

there will always be a catalyst for war---religion just happens to be the most prevalent

Djamila · #3 11-13-2006, 01:30 PM

I think wars will always be fought, regardless of religion.

SoyLeche · #4 11-13-2006, 01:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RevOxley_501

there will always be a catalyst for war---religion just happens to be the most prevalent

I would disagree with that. Money and power are the most prevalent. Religion is just the one people use to try and disguise what they are really after.

RevOxley_501 · #5 11-13-2006, 01:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SoyLeche

I would disagree with that. Money and power are the most prevalent. Religion is just the one people use to try and disguise what they are really after.

i guess you could be right---

maybe religion and money and power are more related than we think??!

but i agree--the iraq war, for instance, is about money and power--that is all too obvious

Fluffy · #6 11-13-2006, 01:54 PM

Wars would still be fought but that does not undermine the argument to ban religion in order to get rid of religious war.

I do not believe that wars based on atheism would occur such as the ones that appear in those episodes.

Faint · #7 11-13-2006, 01:59 PM

Yes. I believe we will definitely have talking sea otters if atheism takes over, and humans will have to go to war against these to survive. It would be God's punishment for our blasphemy.

Fluffy · #8 11-13-2006, 02:02 PM

I wonder whether Stone and Parker are highlighting the ridiculousness of an "atheist war" or the ridiculousness of saying that faith based war will go away in the abscence of religion. I suspect it is the former due to the sea otters, what they are fighting over and the complete abscence of anything other than religion in the cultures in this future.

d. · #9 11-13-2006, 02:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jewscout

500 years in the future...where everyone is Atheist.

this is because Richard Dawkins along w/ Ms. Garrison (formally Mr. Garrison) essentially lead a crusade to rid the world of religion, thinking the world would be a better place.

amazing.

i must admit dawkins had it coming...

Quote:

Originally Posted by jewscout

do you think that Matt Stone and Trey Parker's vision of an Athiest's future is accurate?

no. talking sea otters...i don't see it happening.