I read the original text version some years ago (someone posted a link to it on IIDB) but didn’t know anyone had made it into a movie. The movie version is awesome!
On his website the Rev J. Huger, author of the text version describes himself as “effing the ineffable since 1996” and he also kindly makes available a ’sanitized text version for sending to your church aunt’ in which the word ‘ass’ is replaced with ‘butt’ and ’shit’ is replaced with ’snot’.
It’s nicely balanced, pointing out the limitations of Christians and atheists (and mystics too). Here are a couple of quotes from it:
Theists are using a GUI like windows or a MacOS. It’s easy to use, intuitive, and adequate for most purposes. On the other hand, it uses a lot of resources, and interferes with their ability to get the most out of the system.
Atheists are using a command line interface like DOS or UNIX. It’s fast and powerful, and they have all the control they need; but it can be very inhuman.
Some atheists are happy to use a GUI sometimes, but hard-core Atheists insist on using the keyboard for everything. This makes it practically impossible for them to produce compelling art.
I just couldn’t help but laugh my head out while watching along…
Eventhough I have done similar things or uphold similar believe just years ago!!
(Maybe this is what made me laugh even harder)
I’m going to send this to my FE Xians friends, don’t know what’ll they think, but I’m sending it anyways!!
I’m still laughing……
Eliza,
Seems like none who care enough to read and write here do not get offended by it!
But, not my FE Xian friends!
Well, I’ve sent this out to over 20 friends (including 2 Pastors of my church - I’m really out of my mind!) :-)
Yet, the pastors did not particularly responded. One of them just came up to me today at Church and said, “Happy mother’s day, Esther” and that’s it! I just said “Thank you” and did not say anything more. (I was reading in the church’s library waiting to pick up my sons)
(BTW, I did not attend my church this morning, I went to a UU Church for the first time. I’ll write a report on the discussion board sometime later.)
Back to the offensive response. I’ve gotten one from one of the elders of my Church. He even questioned what kind of a web-site “Off the Map” is!! Yes, he was very much offended by it!
So, Eliza, why would you have this thought?
Why do you think some people would be offended by it?
Esther, when I talked with that pastor at my church a few weeks ago, his view about Off The Map seemed to be this:
If Off The Map is a legitimate ministry teaching the ‘truth’ it should not want me to help with anything, given my current wrong thinking. (He was probably thinking of that Bible passage “Do not be yoked with unbelievers”)
Since Off The Map does seem to value my help, that probably means they are not teaching the truth and therefore are leading people astray rather than leading them closer to God.
So, basically, I think he has a view similar to your elder who is offended by the site.
In regard to what one pastor said: firstly, he may not have seen your message yet. But maybe he has -because I have noticed that a common Christian way of showing disapproval is to avoid a subject altogether.
So, while ’silence’ is ambiguous, in this instance you may well be right to think it means “I don’t approve” - it also may mean “I have no idea how to respond to you, Esther the person I thought was such a Good Christian, now you have send me that strange and offensive clip” (Except to avoid the subject altogether and say “Happy Mother’s Day” ;))
The clip makes fun of what Christians believe and some Christians get offended when what they hold most sacred is made fun of. They think it’s wrong to make fun of God and they take offense on God’s behalf.
This tendency of Christians to take offense on God’s behalf always puzzles me. If God, who has all knowledge and all power, isn’t able to defend himself what hope do they have of doing it?
Or, maybe God doesn’t want to defend himself - which maybe he doesn’t since he hasn’t chosen to strike the person who wrote the text of it with lightning or a terminal illness or bring about a technical malfunction which erased all his satire against God. Then what business have Christians getting involved anyway? They should take their lead from God, I thought. Not take it upon themselves to decide they have to protect God from the satire of mere mortals when God (evidently) doesn’t seem bothered about it.
Perhaps someone can show me a Bible verse in which God says “Go take offense at the satirists on my behalf and you will not fail to receive your reward!” I can’t think of one. Maybe it’s only in the EOCV “easily offended Christians verson” ;)
Sure, and I was thinking that was what you meant, Ir.
I have been trying to think what WOULD I have found offensive, and I realized I DO find this clip offensive but that I accept the offense because it is satire, and how else do you make your point in satire? A wimpy, inoffensive satire is no good at all.
The clip does attack what I know to be beliefs that people sincerely hold, and behaviors that I know that people sincerely feel called to undertake because they care about other people. As a result, I think it seriously lacks humility (again, kind of a prerequisite for satire). It is not something I would ever produce myself (I hope) but gosh, it is SOOO clever!
Larry,
You are right. In America we have got to keep free speech alive. A few weeks ago the show South Park was going to simply put a drawing of Muhammad on the show and the producers pulled that scene. I was livid. All Muhammad was doing was knocking on someone’s door, the guy opened the door and a 2 second conversation about irrelevant material was going to be said. They blacked out the scene. I currently have a picture of Muhammad with the bomb on his head at my desk. It’s been there for months now and no one asked me to take it down. I think we need to bring Islam into the 16th century where it’s ok to mock or question it without the questioner being burnt at the stake.
I was going to further ask all of you this question:
Why would some Xians felt offended by this video?
But Ir you seemed to have answered partly.
The clip makes fun of what Christians believe and some Christians get offended when what they hold most sacred is made fun of. They think it’s wrong to make fun of God and they take offense on God’s behalf.
I was thinking, could that be a little bit of denial in effect? I mean for the ones who are Soooo into their own system may not get the video at all, don’t you agree? Or they’ll just cast it away easily saying that is just mere evil and period.
But, for the ones who are disturbed by it, who felt so uneasy and offended, do you think it may because they did understand the satire and they actually had some degree of agreeing with the thought? They are actually fighting within their hearts and that’s what made them so uncomfortable.
What do you think?
But, for the ones who are disturbed by it, who felt so uneasy and offended, do you think it may because they did understand the satire and they actually had some degree of agreeing with the thought? They are actually fighting within their hearts and that’s what made them so uncomfortable.
If so, Esther, the satire did its job nicely. Otherwise the filmmakers were just “preaching to the choir”. Did you get that sense (that it touched a nerve) from anybody who responded to you?
Esther, I don’t know whether the video would cause any fighting inside the hearts of Christians. I’m not really sure what causes people to start questioning their deepest beliefs.
I think some Christians will dismiss it as ‘blasphemy’ without thinking deeply about whether it raises any legitimate questions regarding their beliefs about God and the Bible.
It’s hard for me to know what proportion of all people who call themselves Christians might find this video offensive. Maybe it’s a minority.
I think the video and story show how separate empirical proofs and faith are and always will be.
“Who,” “what,” “when,” “where,” and “how” questions (such as those asked by the fellow with unfortunate hair: “Where’s Hank?” etc.) do not mix well with matters of faith.
“Why,” however, mixes great with faith, and is a question that atheists have a hard time answering. Which is why (pun intended) the larger question of “why” is a better driver for discussions on faith.
Faith can not be proven: it can only be accepted or rejected. To reach atheists, the “why” questions–why are we here? why is there a universe? why is there SOMETHING instead of NOTHING?–may be the best starting point.
“Who,” “what,” “when,” “where,” and “how” questions (such as those asked by the fellow with unfortunate hair: “Where’s Hank?” etc.) do not mix well with matters of faith.
Hey Matt, do you think you could add “in my opinion” when you say such things as the above?
Because when you don’t, you imply less openness than you said you have - and I really do want to believe you’re open…
Thanks, Ir, for responding to the questions raised by the question I raised (before I left for work!) :)
Esther, I’m really interested to read what your UU visit was like, whenever you get a chance to write about it. And, you emailed this clip to 20 FE friends and 2 pastors? My goodness :)
Yup- Eliza. That’s what I’ve done!
So, guess what would happen to me?
Got thrown into the lions’ den?
I hope that I could write up my UU church survey before they come to get me! :-)
Ah but remember what happened IN the lion’s den, Esther. The nice guy was left alone. They didn’t started eating people until the nasty ones were thrown in ;)
Maybe the lions will turn out to be quite sympathetic and interested; maybe they will give you a pen and paper and want to hear all about your UU experience!
HaHaHa!!! I like it, Ir.
Yes, it is quite interesting of my visit to the UU. I will go there again.
But, I have another FULL working day today!
Just have to say, “thank you for waiting.”
BTW, Ir, I e-mailed the radio interview between the “bright” guy and Jim to that elder of my church for I would like him to hear Jim talked.
What do you think he’ll think of Jim? :-)
Full Disclosure: I’m a Christian. I can tell by reading your discussion here that you all really try to think through your beliefs. I have always had difficulty understanding why some think that factual questions do not mix well with faith as Matt indicated above. We all exercise faith many times each day (driving a car, flying, sitting in a chair, dealings in business). Each time we do, we base our faith on some sort of factual basis. There is such a thing as blind faith, but that’s not the common version that we all practice every day. Why do you, if you do, see an incompatibility with faith and reason?
If I have been too intrusive as an outsider in your discussion, please accept my apology. I am just trying to better understand your point of view.
I have always had difficulty understanding why some think that factual questions do not mix well with faith
Hi Larry,
I think there is a wide range of facts, and the facts that I’m talking about, anyway, are the facts of existence.
For example, the “how,” “what,” “where,” and “what” facts of our existence…what I call facts of this nature support the theory of evolution, and have passed every scientific test thrown at them thus far. (But those facts will never answer the question of “why.”)
Conversely, very few elements of faith–Christian or otherwise–can stand up, or even be submitted, to scientific testing. And for people unable to look beyond facts that can be proven through testing, faith is a very tough bridge to cross.
You might even say it requires a leap of some kind… :)
Comment by: TXatheist
1Perfect!
Comment by: Ir
2I love it too! :)
I read the original text version some years ago (someone posted a link to it on IIDB) but didn’t know anyone had made it into a movie. The movie version is awesome!
On his website the Rev J. Huger, author of the text version describes himself as “effing the ineffable since 1996” and he also kindly makes available a ’sanitized text version for sending to your church aunt’ in which the word ‘ass’ is replaced with ‘butt’ and ’shit’ is replaced with ’snot’.
Comment by: julie marie
3hahahahaha!!!
Comment by: Lisa
4I absolutely love this video.
Soooo funny.
Comment by: Jim Henderson
5I wish I had thought of that
Comment by: becca
6Woohoo! That might even step on my toes. I love it!
Comment by: skikid
7ALright, that was pretty awesome! Happy weekend all!
Comment by: Tom in Sacramento
8I knew I was going to love it when the guy on the right took a pee on the wall before going in. Great stuff.
Comment by: Ir
9I also like this, by the same author:
Metaphysical User Interface
It’s nicely balanced, pointing out the limitations of Christians and atheists (and mystics too). Here are a couple of quotes from it:
Comment by: Esther
10I just couldn’t help but laugh my head out while watching along…
Eventhough I have done similar things or uphold similar believe just years ago!!
(Maybe this is what made me laugh even harder)
I’m going to send this to my FE Xians friends, don’t know what’ll they think, but I’m sending it anyways!!
I’m still laughing……
Comment by: NCxian
11We Cs may claim Truth, Goodness, and Beauty, but you As have a corner on Clever!
(Relax, it’s a joke–albeit not a very clever one!)
Comment by: Eliza
12Well done! But I’m confused…was noone here offended by this clip??
Comment by: Esther
13Eliza,
Seems like none who care enough to read and write here do not get offended by it!
But, not my FE Xian friends!
Well, I’ve sent this out to over 20 friends (including 2 Pastors of my church - I’m really out of my mind!) :-)
Yet, the pastors did not particularly responded. One of them just came up to me today at Church and said, “Happy mother’s day, Esther” and that’s it! I just said “Thank you” and did not say anything more. (I was reading in the church’s library waiting to pick up my sons)
(BTW, I did not attend my church this morning, I went to a UU Church for the first time. I’ll write a report on the discussion board sometime later.)
Back to the offensive response. I’ve gotten one from one of the elders of my Church. He even questioned what kind of a web-site “Off the Map” is!! Yes, he was very much offended by it!
So, Eliza, why would you have this thought?
Why do you think some people would be offended by it?
Comment by: Ir
14Esther, when I talked with that pastor at my church a few weeks ago, his view about Off The Map seemed to be this:
If Off The Map is a legitimate ministry teaching the ‘truth’ it should not want me to help with anything, given my current wrong thinking. (He was probably thinking of that Bible passage “Do not be yoked with unbelievers”)
Since Off The Map does seem to value my help, that probably means they are not teaching the truth and therefore are leading people astray rather than leading them closer to God.
So, basically, I think he has a view similar to your elder who is offended by the site.
In regard to what one pastor said: firstly, he may not have seen your message yet. But maybe he has -because I have noticed that a common Christian way of showing disapproval is to avoid a subject altogether.
So, while ’silence’ is ambiguous, in this instance you may well be right to think it means “I don’t approve” - it also may mean “I have no idea how to respond to you, Esther the person I thought was such a Good Christian, now you have send me that strange and offensive clip” (Except to avoid the subject altogether and say “Happy Mother’s Day” ;))
The clip makes fun of what Christians believe and some Christians get offended when what they hold most sacred is made fun of. They think it’s wrong to make fun of God and they take offense on God’s behalf.
This tendency of Christians to take offense on God’s behalf always puzzles me. If God, who has all knowledge and all power, isn’t able to defend himself what hope do they have of doing it?
Or, maybe God doesn’t want to defend himself - which maybe he doesn’t since he hasn’t chosen to strike the person who wrote the text of it with lightning or a terminal illness or bring about a technical malfunction which erased all his satire against God. Then what business have Christians getting involved anyway? They should take their lead from God, I thought. Not take it upon themselves to decide they have to protect God from the satire of mere mortals when God (evidently) doesn’t seem bothered about it.
Perhaps someone can show me a Bible verse in which God says “Go take offense at the satirists on my behalf and you will not fail to receive your reward!” I can’t think of one. Maybe it’s only in the EOCV “easily offended Christians verson” ;)
Comment by: NCxian
15I didn’t find that the clip makes fun of God. Did I miss something?
Comment by: Ir
16I think I meant, it makes fun of what some Christians believe about God. (And it makes fun of what some Christians believe and say about the Bible)
Does that make more sense NCxian?
Comment by: NCxian
17Sure, and I was thinking that was what you meant, Ir.
I have been trying to think what WOULD I have found offensive, and I realized I DO find this clip offensive but that I accept the offense because it is satire, and how else do you make your point in satire? A wimpy, inoffensive satire is no good at all.
The clip does attack what I know to be beliefs that people sincerely hold, and behaviors that I know that people sincerely feel called to undertake because they care about other people. As a result, I think it seriously lacks humility (again, kind of a prerequisite for satire). It is not something I would ever produce myself (I hope) but gosh, it is SOOO clever!
Comment by: Larry
18Any threats of terrorism made as a result of this posting? Good thing it doesn’t make fun of Islam.
Comment by: TXatheist
19Larry,
You are right. In America we have got to keep free speech alive. A few weeks ago the show South Park was going to simply put a drawing of Muhammad on the show and the producers pulled that scene. I was livid. All Muhammad was doing was knocking on someone’s door, the guy opened the door and a 2 second conversation about irrelevant material was going to be said. They blacked out the scene. I currently have a picture of Muhammad with the bomb on his head at my desk. It’s been there for months now and no one asked me to take it down. I think we need to bring Islam into the 16th century where it’s ok to mock or question it without the questioner being burnt at the stake.
Comment by: Esther
20I was going to further ask all of you this question:
Why would some Xians felt offended by this video?
But Ir you seemed to have answered partly.
I was thinking, could that be a little bit of denial in effect? I mean for the ones who are Soooo into their own system may not get the video at all, don’t you agree? Or they’ll just cast it away easily saying that is just mere evil and period.
But, for the ones who are disturbed by it, who felt so uneasy and offended, do you think it may because they did understand the satire and they actually had some degree of agreeing with the thought? They are actually fighting within their hearts and that’s what made them so uncomfortable.
What do you think?
Comment by: NCxian
21If so, Esther, the satire did its job nicely. Otherwise the filmmakers were just “preaching to the choir”. Did you get that sense (that it touched a nerve) from anybody who responded to you?
Comment by: Ir
22Esther, I don’t know whether the video would cause any fighting inside the hearts of Christians. I’m not really sure what causes people to start questioning their deepest beliefs.
I think some Christians will dismiss it as ‘blasphemy’ without thinking deeply about whether it raises any legitimate questions regarding their beliefs about God and the Bible.
It’s hard for me to know what proportion of all people who call themselves Christians might find this video offensive. Maybe it’s a minority.
Comment by: Matt Casper
23Howdy,
I’m an atheist, and I’ll be writing with Jim.
I think the video and story show how separate empirical proofs and faith are and always will be.
“Who,” “what,” “when,” “where,” and “how” questions (such as those asked by the fellow with unfortunate hair: “Where’s Hank?” etc.) do not mix well with matters of faith.
“Why,” however, mixes great with faith, and is a question that atheists have a hard time answering. Which is why (pun intended) the larger question of “why” is a better driver for discussions on faith.
Faith can not be proven: it can only be accepted or rejected. To reach atheists, the “why” questions–why are we here? why is there a universe? why is there SOMETHING instead of NOTHING?–may be the best starting point.
Matt
Comment by: Ir
24Hey Matt, do you think you could add “in my opinion” when you say such things as the above?
Because when you don’t, you imply less openness than you said you have - and I really do want to believe you’re open…
Comment by: Matt Casper
25Absolutely.
Comment by: Ir
26Thanks Matt!
Comment by: Eliza
27Thanks, Ir, for responding to the questions raised by the question I raised (before I left for work!) :)
Esther, I’m really interested to read what your UU visit was like, whenever you get a chance to write about it. And, you emailed this clip to 20 FE friends and 2 pastors? My goodness :)
Comment by: Esther
28Yup- Eliza. That’s what I’ve done!
So, guess what would happen to me?
Got thrown into the lions’ den?
I hope that I could write up my UU church survey before they come to get me! :-)
Comment by: Ir
29Ah but remember what happened IN the lion’s den, Esther. The nice guy was left alone. They didn’t started eating people until the nasty ones were thrown in ;)
Maybe the lions will turn out to be quite sympathetic and interested; maybe they will give you a pen and paper and want to hear all about your UU experience!
Comment by: Esther
30HaHaHa!!! I like it, Ir.
Yes, it is quite interesting of my visit to the UU. I will go there again.
But, I have another FULL working day today!
Just have to say, “thank you for waiting.”
BTW, Ir, I e-mailed the radio interview between the “bright” guy and Jim to that elder of my church for I would like him to hear Jim talked.
What do you think he’ll think of Jim? :-)
Comment by: Ir
31Esther, it will be interesting to see what the elder thinks. If you hear back from him, post on the interview blog entry comments and let us know!
Comment by: Larry
32Full Disclosure: I’m a Christian. I can tell by reading your discussion here that you all really try to think through your beliefs. I have always had difficulty understanding why some think that factual questions do not mix well with faith as Matt indicated above. We all exercise faith many times each day (driving a car, flying, sitting in a chair, dealings in business). Each time we do, we base our faith on some sort of factual basis. There is such a thing as blind faith, but that’s not the common version that we all practice every day. Why do you, if you do, see an incompatibility with faith and reason?
If I have been too intrusive as an outsider in your discussion, please accept my apology. I am just trying to better understand your point of view.
Comment by: Matt Casper
33Hi Larry,
I think there is a wide range of facts, and the facts that I’m talking about, anyway, are the facts of existence.
For example, the “how,” “what,” “where,” and “what” facts of our existence…what I call facts of this nature support the theory of evolution, and have passed every scientific test thrown at them thus far. (But those facts will never answer the question of “why.”)
Conversely, very few elements of faith–Christian or otherwise–can stand up, or even be submitted, to scientific testing. And for people unable to look beyond facts that can be proven through testing, faith is a very tough bridge to cross.
You might even say it requires a leap of some kind… :)
Matt
Comment by: Ryan Sharp
34Freaking Brilliant…