Comic Book Movies Lampooning God are Here




First it was bestselling books by Richard Dawkins and others lampooning Christianity. Now it is comic book movies. When there is more money to be made skewering Christianity than praising it, it may be in trouble.

According to the link the company Marvel, a comic book giant who now makes movies based on comic book themes and characters, has a god character who is all powerful. The god figure was to be worshipped by all mankind and had the purpose of keeping order in the world he created. Then, however, he began punishing people who did not follow his rules. The god is a self-absorbed and petty character miffed at slights. Instead of being a force for good the god becomes a force for bad. 

The link author believes the Marvel god's behavior and the assessment of its pettiness reflects young people today. They find, he believes, the God they have heard about is more bad than good. That is, of course, if they believe such a being exists at all.  

This rebellious story line is several miles in front of atheism as we commonly think of it. Much of atheism is passive, there is no god so why bother attacking it. In these movies, the god is the villain. The hero goes after god and prevails. The world is saved from the god.

It's always possible this is a story line in popular culture that will pass like other kinds of entertainment. It is different, the link author says, because it skewers the most sacred of mythical characters, God.

I think this could be a part of the separation and dislike among groups in the U.S.  It's often said Democrats and Republicans today are more different from one another than they were decades ago. According to the press, there are more vandalism of Jewish property than there has been in recent history. Perhaps, then, this has come into the vast chasm that separates believers from non-believers.

Whatever the case, when children find it entertaining to lampoon a god that seem precisely like God, things have changed.  


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