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Titanic/Alien Director James Cameron Rewrite of Jesus' Life & Death

Fifteen years ago this August Martin Scorsese's controvestrial cinematic masterpiece Last Temptation of Christ showed Jesus (played by the superb Willem Dafoe) die on the cross. Suddenly he cries out, "Father, why have you forsaken me?" Scorsese's choice of turning the camera sideways before Christ's second words are uttered conveyed the unbearable suffering of the crucifixion. In this scene, the viewer fully understands why Jesus was tempted to reject the will of God. Scorsese's research for Last Temptation included the study of numerous paintings, such as 'The Ghent Christ Carrying the Cross' by Hieronymus Bosch, which he pays tribute to in the film. In one spectacular slow-motion shot, we see a cross-carrying Jesus being led to his death, surrounded by a mocking crowd. In this scene, Scorsese employed Peter Gabriel's epic track "Passion" from the soundtrack (see post following), where we hear a Qawwali Voiced singer, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, lament Christ's plight.

In The Last Temptation of Christ final moments, Jesus smiles, repeats his affirmation softly, and closes his eyes in death. Scorsese burns his own film into a white light, illustrating that his cinematic accomplishment pales in comparison to the resurrection of Christ.

Now, fifteen years later, in stark contrast to the art and homage of Scorcese's Last Temptation, Time magazine reports that Titanic director James Cameron, has a documentary blockbuster waiting in the wings, which claims that Jesus wasn't resurrected as Christianity purports, and that Jesus' burial cave was discovered by Cameron near Jerusalem.  Cameron also make claim, similar to that in Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code, that carpenter Jesus fathered a son with Mary Magdelene.

Posted by Casey Kazan.

Read More

Interactive Map of 5,000 Years of Religion -from Hinduism to Christianity and Islam

This fascinating map displays a brief history of the world's most well-known religions in 90 seconds: Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Judaism, with periods of inter-religious warfare highlighted.

Interactive Map of History of Religions

Daily McGuffin: Lewis Black on Religion, Evolution & George Bush

Don't miss our Daily McGuffin featuring our favorite comedian, Lewis Black, on religion, evolution, and W. Enjoy, and pass it on! (a McGuffin is a term coined by George Lucas meaning a device that attracts viewer attention or moves a plot forward).

Video Link

Zeus Worship Banned in Athens

Richard Dawkins will love this: a small group of worshippers plans a rare ceremony Sunday to honor the ancient Greek gods, at Athens' 1,800-year-old Temple of Zeus, is the king of the gods, the ruler of Mount Olympus, and god of the sky and thunder, in Greek mythology. Phidias created the 12-meter (40-ft) tall statue of Zeus, perhaps the most famous sculpture in Ancient Greece, at Olympia about 435 BC.

Greece's Culture Ministry has declared the central Athens site off-limits, but worshippers say they will defy the decision.

"Of course we will go ahead with the event ... we will enter the site legally," said Peppa, head of the Athens-based Ellinais, who calls herself a high priestess of the revived faith. "We will issue a call for peace, who can be opposed to that?"

An Athens newspapaer citing the group's application to the Culture Ministry to use the site, said the 90-minute event would include hymns, dancers, torchbearers, and worshippers in ancient costumes.

Ancient rituals are re-enacted every two years at Olympia, in southern Greece, where the flame lighting ceremony is held for the summer and winter Olympic games. But the event is not regarded as a religious ceremony and actresses are used to pose as high priestesses.

Peppa's group, dedicated to reviving worship of the 12 ancient gods, was founded last year and won a court battle for official state recognition of the ancient Greek religion.

Christianity took hold in Greece in the 4th century after Roman Emperor Constantine's conversion. Emperor Theodosius wiped out the last vestige of the Olympian gods when he abolished the Olympic Games in 394 A.D. The modern revival of the Olympiad maintains a slender link to ancient ceremonies.

"Christianity did not prevail without bloodshed," said Peppa, a novelist and historical writer. "After 16 centuries of negativity toward us, we've gotten something in our favor."

Link

Daily Video Classic -"The God Delusion" an Interview with Evolutionary Biologist Richard Dawkins

Today's Video Classic -a BBC interview and staff favorite perfect for a leisurely Sunday- explores the existence of God with Oxford author, Richard Dawkins, author of The Selfish Gene and The River Out of Eden among others. Dawkins holds the Charles Simionyi Chair for the Public Understanding of Science at Oxford University. (Simionyi was a member of the early, founding team with Bill Gates at Microsoft).

Video Link

Titanic/Alien Director James Cameron Rewrite of Jesus' Life & Death

Fifteen years ago this August Martin Scorsese's controvestrial cinematic masterpiece Last Temptation of Christ showed Jesus (played by the superb Willem Dafoe) die on the cross. Suddenly he cries out, "Father, why have you forsaken me?" Scorsese's choice of turning the camera sideways before Christ's second words are uttered conveyed the unbearable suffering of the crucifixion. In this scene, the viewer fully understands why Jesus was tempted to reject the will of God. Scorsese's research for Last Temptation included the study of numerous paintings, such as 'The Ghent Christ Carrying the Cross' by Hieronymus Bosch, which he pays tribute to in the film. In one spectacular slow-motion shot, we see a cross-carrying Jesus being led to his death, surrounded by a mocking crowd. In this scene, Scorsese employed Peter Gabriel's epic track "Passion" from the soundtrack (see post following), where we hear a Qawwali Voiced singer, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, lament Christ's plight.

In The Last Temptation of Christ final moments, Jesus smiles, repeats his affirmation softly, and closes his eyes in death. Scorsese burns his own film into a white light, illustrating that his cinematic accomplishment pales in comparison to the resurrection of Christ.

Now, fifteen years later, in stark contrast to the art and homage of Scorcese's Last Temptation, Time magazine reports that Titanic director James Cameron, has a documentary blockbuster waiting in the wings, which claims that Jesus wasn't resurrected as Christianity purports, and that Jesus' burial cave was discovered by Cameron near Jerusalem.  Cameron also make claim, similar to that in Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code, that carpenter Jesus fathered a son with Mary Magdelene.

Posted by Casey Kazan.

Read More

Interactive Map of 5,000 Years of Religion -from Hinduism to Christianity and Islam

This fascinating map displays a brief history of the world's most well-known religions in 90 seconds: Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Judaism, with periods of inter-religious warfare highlighted.

Interactive Map of History of Religions

Daily McGuffin: Lewis Black on Religion, Evolution & George Bush

Don't miss our Daily McGuffin featuring our favorite comedian, Lewis Black, on religion, evolution, and W. Enjoy, and pass it on! (a McGuffin is a term coined by George Lucas meaning a device that attracts viewer attention or moves a plot forward).

Video Link

Zeus Worship Banned in Athens

Richard Dawkins will love this: a small group of worshippers plans a rare ceremony Sunday to honor the ancient Greek gods, at Athens' 1,800-year-old Temple of Zeus, is the king of the gods, the ruler of Mount Olympus, and god of the sky and thunder, in Greek mythology. Phidias created the 12-meter (40-ft) tall statue of Zeus, perhaps the most famous sculpture in Ancient Greece, at Olympia about 435 BC.

Greece's Culture Ministry has declared the central Athens site off-limits, but worshippers say they will defy the decision.

"Of course we will go ahead with the event ... we will enter the site legally," said Peppa, head of the Athens-based Ellinais, who calls herself a high priestess of the revived faith. "We will issue a call for peace, who can be opposed to that?"

An Athens newspapaer citing the group's application to the Culture Ministry to use the site, said the 90-minute event would include hymns, dancers, torchbearers, and worshippers in ancient costumes.

Ancient rituals are re-enacted every two years at Olympia, in southern Greece, where the flame lighting ceremony is held for the summer and winter Olympic games. But the event is not regarded as a religious ceremony and actresses are used to pose as high priestesses.

Peppa's group, dedicated to reviving worship of the 12 ancient gods, was founded last year and won a court battle for official state recognition of the ancient Greek religion.

Christianity took hold in Greece in the 4th century after Roman Emperor Constantine's conversion. Emperor Theodosius wiped out the last vestige of the Olympian gods when he abolished the Olympic Games in 394 A.D. The modern revival of the Olympiad maintains a slender link to ancient ceremonies.

"Christianity did not prevail without bloodshed," said Peppa, a novelist and historical writer. "After 16 centuries of negativity toward us, we've gotten something in our favor."

Link

Daily Video Classic -"The God Delusion" an Interview with Evolutionary Biologist Richard Dawkins

Today's Video Classic -a BBC interview and staff favorite perfect for a leisurely Sunday- explores the existence of God with Oxford author, Richard Dawkins, author of The Selfish Gene and The River Out of Eden among others. Dawkins holds the Charles Simionyi Chair for the Public Understanding of Science at Oxford University. (Simionyi was a member of the early, founding team with Bill Gates at Microsoft).

Video Link