Religulous with Bill Maher…I just saw it

by seven006 121 Replies latest jw friends

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  RAYZORBLADE

  I haven't seen it yet.

  Reminds me of George Carlin's comedic routine regarding all matters: GOD

  I will check it out, moreso now that you've stated such.
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  MegaDude

  Saw it this weekend. Bill Maher mines the hapless interviewees for all the comic gold he can and the result is a hilarious expose, not only on religion but human nature in general. Even believers would have to give creedence to many of the questions Maher asks.
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  RubaDub

  Is it safe?

  SixofNine .. Thanks you *@&$*$ I bet you knew I have a dentists appointment this week. Rub a Dub
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  RubaDub

  no on is impressed with him answering half of what's asked and defending things he has to know is wrong.

  Dawg ...

  Don't knock it. Bush has made it work for the past 8 years.

  Rub a Dub
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  Neo

  Oh yes, there's a lot more than that -- things like Isis/Mary being seated on a throne, with a specific kind of averted gaze pose (no eye contact with head looking to the right), holding the child on her left thigh, sometimes with certain astral motifs, sometimes with pointing/nurturing gestures, etc. A good broad survey of the iconographic evidence can be found in the article "Isis and Mary in Early Icons" by Thomas F. Matthews and Norman Muller (pp. 3-12) in the book Images of the Mother of God: Perceptions of the Theotokos in Byzantium (ed. by Maria Vassilaki, 2005). The similarity is strongest in the oldest examples and those closest to Egypt (such as in Sinai at the Monastery of St. Catherine). Iconographic parallels are also found in the function and setting of the images -- such as in door panels to shrines.

  Thanks Leo! I read the article. There are several points of contact indeed. And that's one more example of the Christian religion building upon existing cults and adapting their motifs and artistry as a means of introducing Christian doctrine. An example that we are very familiar with is the adoption of December 25th as the birthday of Jesus.

  Of course this kind of practice is found in Christianity from its earliest beginnings, the classic instance being Paul's discourse mentioning the altar to the "Unknown God" as a reference to the Christian Deity (Acts 17).

  With respect to the throne motif, Matthews and Muller write: "The connection between Isis enthroned and Mary enthroned is also highly suggestive, for the throne is a proper attribute of Isis, whereas it is hardly what one would expect for Mary of Nazareth. Isis' name seems to have meant 'throne,' her hieroglyth was a throne, and she was protector of the pharaoh's throne. Mary acquired the throne to demonstrate that she was equal to, and indeed replaced, the ancient Mother of the God. This competittion of the Christian pantheon with the divinities they replaced is a process observed frequently in the formation of Christian iconography. Along with the throne, Mary aquired the halo, common on icons of the ancient gods, and a military guard. It should be noted that alongside the Karanis enthroned Isis was a representation of the Thracian military god Heron" (p. 9).

  I beg to differ from the authors. It would be strange if a throne were not an attribute of Mary of Nazareth in the earliest traditions. The canonical Gospels go out of their way to show that Christ's Kingship is modeled after the Davidic Dinasty, and the OT shows that the "Queen Mother" (geburah) figure was prominent in the line of Davidic kings. Bath-Sheba herself is mentioned as having a throne (1Kings 2:19). Matthew mentions Bath-Sheba in his David-centered genealogy of Jesus (1:6) and Luke depicts Gabriel as referring to "the throne of David" before Mary the mother of the king (1:33, alluding to 2Samuel 7:13).

  Even the concept of the woman herself being a throne seems to be a common motif. Luke fashions the Visitation after the narrative of the Ark's procession in 2Samuel 6 and 1Chronicles 13. Mary is thus portrayed as an "Ark of the Covenant", a piece of furniture regarded by Jews as God's Throne on earth (2Samuel 6:2). And we know that Church Fathers mentioned Mary as being "God's Throne".

  So the appropriation of these Isiac motifs is not unfounded.

  Neo
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  Neo

  btt
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  drwtsn32

  Can't wait to see this. It's in my Netflix saved queue just waiting for release on disc...supposedly next month?
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  Twitch

  Just saw this recently and I gotta admire Bill's reasoning and style. Not too academic, not so jaded but a entertaining mix of questions and subtle sarcasm with a not so subtle agenda towards agnosticism/atheism. It's all in the production really, but I've always enjoyed his commentary.
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  aSphereisnotaCircle

  Can't wait to see this. It's in my Netflix saved queue just waiting for release on disc...supposedly next month?

  I have ordered this movie form netfliz three times and each time the disk was damaged.

  I also tried ordering "what the bible really says" from them and it was also damaged.

  I never got a playable copy of either of these movies form netflix, had to find them elsewhere.
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  GromitSK

  Is it a documentary? What exactly is the definition of a documentary? I thought it was hilarious but I don't think it was or was intended to be a piece of research. It is however one of the funniest things I have seen in a long while.