The Gospel according to Neo: 'The Matrix' as a phenomenon shaping public opinion about religion

The Christian Science Monitor ^ | May 09, 2003 | Josh Burek

[Blackyce]

You are right, I had it out of order. I didnt realize plato was the one who introduced the conceot of the Demiurge. It should be said that his demiurge was a benevolent failure, while the Christian and Gnostic versions were the creators of evil.

[metesky]

I know fungul.

;O)

[metesky]

Will Durant wrote that the worst mistake that the Romans ever made was hiring Greek educators who purposely erroded the morals of the Romans and made subsequent generations effeminate, leading to Western Rome's long slow slide into decay while the Byzantine Greeks in the Eastern empire held sway for another 6/7 hundred years.

[Leisler]

"...while the Byzantine Greeks in the Eastern empire held sway for another 6/7 hundred years."

Greeks holding sway? Come here my little one, the night is young, and the ouzu....and I have some fresh hay for you..."

[Helms]

I think that The Matrix is one of the most interesting films
that Sewar Hollywood has ever produced and hits on some primordial level the ever present "man's need for metaphysics"(Schopenhauer)

[Helms]

Read: "The Story of Philosophy:, Will Durant.

[Helms]

"Post-modernism is dead, dude"

Duuuuude, if you were only right about this. Postmodernism and passive nihilism are active in media, entertainment and higher education throughout the land.

This "MEME" has invaded from European soil circa 1920 when the Frankfurt school spawned the resurrected ideologies of Fitche, Marx and Hegel (circa 1841, Germany).

[metesky]

This slander, repeated from thread to thread, is really quite irksome, sir.

The fact that you hound me with this calumny week in and week out, day after day, gives me cause to take action.

Admit that you and that filty ewe are both liars or I shall be forced to press the abuse button and see you both banned along with Illbay.

[demosthenes the elder]

in aramaic and latin???
no subtitles????
are you serious?

[yankeedame]

{{{Hands over my eyes.......hitting the SCROLL DOWN button with my big toe}}}........... LALALALALALALALALALALALA.......I won' read THIS!

======================================

LOL! Remind me to like you very much!

[demosthenes the elder]

I have seen this before.
where is it from?
(should I have merely said "whoa... deja vu."?)

[Leisler]

"...I shall be forced..."

Metesky, wearing his Ancient and Honorable Order of Hackneys uniform at last months 'Support The Troops' rally.(Notice the four pony cooler box)

[MSSC6644]

Didn't know if you'd seen this. Thought you'd like it.

[jocon307]

"shot exclusively in the dead languages of Aramaic and Latin, with no subtitles. THAT is hardcore!"

That is indeed hardcore, this I haven't heard. Is this true, how can anyone, other than a professor of ancient language watch this movie?

[Major_Risktaker]

YES!
No SUVS
NO Fat People
No Smoking
No Fur Coats
No Pets
NO Guns
No Chap Stick
No Fireworks
No Speeding 55?
No Pop Corn
No Tree Cutting
No Swamp Filling
No All Male Clubs
No Hetro Boy Scouts
No Innocent
No War
No Drug Zone
No Gun Zone
No Repect
No Families
No Childern
NO
No
NO
No FUN!

[jocon307]

This is TOO GOOD, and I have NO CLUE what you said.

[JudgemAll]

ARgh! I had to read the spoiler and now I am utterly bored before watching the movie...

Really, it is a cheap commercial plot of double personality and what not, kind of like the Fight Club.

The average Christian realizes that life around here is just a trial and an illusion of reality. The real life begins after being saved.

That said the plot resembles a story by Goethe about this man who tries to know the truth and finds out that he cannot pass the first door to truth because it is heavily guarded, only to perceive that hundreds of doors further exist and are even more heavily guarded. After failing to pass the first door and despairing, before dying of old age, the guard at the first door tells him to be happy because no one has gotten that far before him.

I would call hence the movie less gnostic and more philosophical depressive type. Schiller is a must and Goethe must be dropped.

Powers of deception seem indeed ultimate in making people believe they must prosecute themselves instead of the fairer alternative of demanding a mediator for the sinners. I think the matrix can be beaten easily in the end because the evil that denies the existence of a mediator is traping itself while freeing the persecuted to do whatever it can do.

If Neo were the One, He would be the announciator and the mediator. In this instance he only appears to not even go beyond asking for a mediator... he surely has a lot of ways to travel still before being truly the One , IMO.

[metesky]

That's my bride's favorite picture of the younger me.

[friendly]

in aramaic and latin??? no subtitles???? are you serious?

Serious as a heart attack. Mel Gibson believes the power of the story imagery is so intense that his motion picture, The Passion, needs no translation to distract you from the purity of the religious experience.

The Passion will be the complete spiritual antithesis of The Matrix Trilogy, the latter having as much spiritual significance as a dopey video game.

Undoubtedly The Passion will be the box office antithesis of the money machine Matrix as well, but I will be first on line despite this.