South Park episode: Go God Go

[jewscout]

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/Music/11/13/britain.eltonjohn.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]

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

 

[Djamila]

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

 

[SoyLeche]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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.]

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.

:spit: amazing.

i must admit dawkins had it coming...

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.

 

[MaddLlama]

Yes, of course there would be war. But I think it's more probable that there will be talking penguins, instead of otters.

That was a great episode.

 

[d.]

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 think it's a healthy response to 'the root of all evil?'

 

[jewscout]

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.

i tend to agree...

i find it interesting that, in an interview w/ 60 minutes, they admit that picking on the liberals and the left is more fun than picking on conservatives.

 

[Shadow Wolf]

Wars would continue. People don't get along, and will find another reason to fight.

 

[FatMan]

The episodes where they delve into religion are the funniest to me. Partially because of the content, and partially because of the outrage from those watching. Look at the fallout from the Scientology episode.

 

[Buttercup]

Wars would continue. People don't get along, and will find another reason to fight.

Religion would continue as well....it would just go underground.

 

[FatMan]

Religion would continue as well....it would just go underground.

So, we'd become Devil Worshippers??:sorry1:

 

[Buttercup]

So, we'd become Devil Worshippers??:sorry1:

Heck yeah, some would.

 

[SoyLeche]

Heck yeah, some would.

But only monkey devils, or is that a bear devil?

 

[Buttercup]

But only monkey devils, or is that a bear devil?

Sheeeeeeeeesh, haven't you been paying attention? Of COURSE it's a monkey devil.

 

[lilithu]

Thanks for starting this thread Jewscout! :clap2: I was wondering whether anyone else saw those episodes.

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?

Yes, wars would still be fought and just as frequently. Tho I don't think wars would be fought over what name the atheists should call themselves. (I liked the otters' name the best, btw.) I think that showing atheists at war with each other was a direct dig at Dawkins' claim that if there were no religion we would have fewer wars, etc. The show also spoke against intolerance in general, the view that "my way is the only right way." And I think Matt and Trey were saying that happens whether religion is involved or not.

This was my favorite part of the story (hehehe):

UAL 1:[hanging upside down from a jet-powered platform] The United Atheist Alliance is about to send out all its defense ships to take down the Allied Atheist Allieance's clam fields.

UAL 2raise Science. This is your chance, young Shvek, to avenge your father's death.

UAL 3:Careful, son. Just because their Science leads them to a different answer to the Great Question doesn't mean we have the right to kill them all.

Shvek:No! Our answer to the Great Question is the only logical one. Our Science is great. [walks away from the table and stands before a wall] Let us not forget the great Richard Dawkins who finally freed the world of religion long ago. [a painting is shown, with Dawkins in it] Dawkins knew that logic and reason were the way of the future. [More of the painting is shown: Mrs. Garrison appears] But it wasn't until he met his beautiful wife that he learned using logic and reason isn't enough. You have to be a dick to everyone who doesn't think like you. [turns around] Prepare all the troops! We will level the United Atheist Alliance to the ground!


I have to give atheists their props, tho. I was looking around the web trying to find a transcript of the above and came across several atheist sites that were talking about the episodes. There were some who were ****ed but most thought it was funny. I'm sure religious folk generally get more ticked off regarding such things.


Praise Science!!