The Vatican Speaks Out Against Avatar

While a small group of Hindus are claiming the word avatar is for their exclusive use and the rest of the world rolls their eyes, the Vatican was quietly waiting its turn to protest James Cameron’s insanely popular film.

In a recent review of the film (I don’t know why they bother to review fiction) the official news outlet of the Vatican has spoken out against James Cameron for attempting to lead the flock away from God with his “Nature Worship”

Huffington Post shares:

The Vatican newspaper and radio station have called the film “Avatar” simplistic, and criticized it for flirting with modern doctrines that promote the worship of nature as a substitute for religion.

L’Osservatore Romano and Vatican Radio dedicated ample coverage to James Cameron’s big-grossing, 3-D spectacle. But the reviews were lukewarm, calling the movie superficial in its eco-message, despite groundbreaking visual effects.

L’Osservatore said the film “gets bogged down by a spiritualism linked to the worship of nature.” Similarly, Vatican Radio said it “cleverly winks at all those pseudo-doctrines that turn ecology into the religion of the millennium.”

“Nature is no longer a creation to defend, but a divinity to worship,” the radio said.

I quite expect ANY film that doesn’t have direct worship of God in the exact manner that they instruct you to will earn their wrath.

Now its not like the Vatican is launching an all out boycott on the film. The official radio station just gave it a poor review for conflicting with the only right way to view the world.

I wonder if the Vatican has ever heard of the concept of FICTION before?

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65 thoughts on “The Vatican Speaks Out Against Avatar

  1. After visiting Vatican and seeing what IS there (the wealth stocked there could feed Africa for 100 years maybe more!)and after seeing Avatar, I could actually say, though I am an atheist I would gladly believe in the powers of a tree (though I don’t see our trees are Naavi saw them), I can definitely say that staying under a tree looking at all the green around me and eating an apple under the warm sun of spring does me more good (physically and psychically) than a prayer or asking for forgiveness from the Pope (could be just me though).

  2. I was a Catholic until I was 32 years old and left because of the hypocrasy in the church. I recall they have many statues and crosses in their churches. The Navi has a beautiful tree that is connected or represents their creator which they pray in front of which offers the people comfort. The catholics kneel before their idols and pray which gives them comfort. What the hell is the diference? Isn’t the breath of God the creator in every creation whether it be a tree or a stone? The tree was the symbol just as their statues are symbols.

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  4. LOL, damn, this is crazy and dare I say, stupid? But I’m not surprised. I’ve always though Christianity was against the idea of aliens period to begin with, but I’m also not 100% sure. Let alone them being aliens that worship trees and animals they are linked to threw the ever lasting life force of the universe. It’s also considered New Age.

    They didn’t really see the movie anyway, not with an open mind, but with a highly closed off one, as one should expect from The Vatican. The Na’vi were in perfect harmony with their world. They understood their link with it and everything in it. They understood their place in the universe. Something we humans have NEVER been able to fully accomplish and probably never will.

    Who cares if they were worshiping a tree, if we could talk to our an-sisters threw a tree and our dead loved ones, we’d be all about protecting it as well. Christianity is suppose to be all about love and respect for one another, no matter what, isn’t it?

    I mean even if it is Pagan like, who cares, it’s just a movie. It’s not going to suddenly make everyone tree huggers. Just because a movie comes out about Christianity, doesn’t mean everyone is going to turn Cristian either. Also it’s not like they put down Christianity in the movie. It’s what the Na’vi believed in and not only believed, knew to be true. And, they are also purely fictional. So they should just leave it at that and think of it as nothing more then a creative Sci-Fi movie.

  5. I was raised as a catholic but now I do not consider myself one anymore as I have found that they are a bunch of hypocrites. They have the nerve to preach about family values, yet when one of their priests is caught having sex with young boys, they sweep it under the rug and lay blame everywhere except on the guilty party. So anything the catholic church has to say about movies or any other form of entertainment is 100% meaningless IMO. Once they learn to take responsibility for their own problems, then they can preach their self righteous crap to the world. Until then they need to shut the hell up.

  6. “The Vatican has spoken out against James Cameron for attempting to lead the flock away from God with his “Nature Worship.”

    That’s what you call ironic seeing as how Christmas was pretty much lifted from a Pagan holiday.

  7. Okay first of all the Earth should be respected and a supposed “worship” is only a metaphor of the need to protect and preserve it and look at it in the aspect of a LIVING THING. The Vatican needs to mind their own business and go back to counting church-goers “donated” money. (which really goes to funding for their GOLDEN TOILET SEATS) I’m sick of hearing about the damn Vatican getting in the way of everything. Religion was only created by man to give people hope for an afterlife. But the Christian/Catholic church had greater ideas for plotting their huge scheme of taking money. :)

    1. With all do respect of the readers of TMB, Amanda is right. Churches ARE only there to rake in cash. It’s a brilliant scheme actually. I don’t have much respect for churches for that reason and the Vatican should be concerned about more than this. Them speaking out against Angels & Demons I can understand, but this? Please.

  8. Are you aware of the fact that the picture you used for this post is showing a man who is dead since nearly five years? This man does not speak out against anything. Not anymore…

    I am not a catholic, but don’t you think that that’s a little bit irreverrent?

    1. Not at all. See he is yelling at a Na’vi in the picture, which also doesn’t exist – its actually some accidental irony there.

      Neither are relevant in the real world and have no current impact or influence on each other.

  9. Reading the article, someone might get the impression that you weren’t too in love with the vatican… what with putting a picture of a deceased pope. taken when his health was at its worst to depict it.

    L’osservatore romano simply reviewed the film and based on its preconception voiced an opinion. Everyone watches films mate

    “Vatican spokesman the Rev. Federico Lombardi said that while the movie reviews are just that — film criticism, not theological pronouncements — they do reflect Pope Benedict XVI’s views on the dangers of turning nature into a “new divinity.””

    Rodney son. Be objective. Don’t look for cheap hits through stirring controversy. They never, never suggested the word “boycott”

  10. I discussed this with Rodney in a previous thread. When a film like “Avatar” makes billions at the boxoffice , protesters will come out and shout “blasphemy”. It happened to Passion of the Christ, now this happened to King of the World’s sci-fi opus. Wonder if they protest the same way on a mundane and obscure flick. When Avatar ends its run in theaters, you wont hear these protesters anymore for sure, coz the movie’s over. Isn’t it , Rodney?

  11. Hmm… Maybe I’d care more if they didn’t molest tens of thousands and thousands of children the world over in the past few decades alone. It was just recently found out in Ireland that there was massive, wide-spread collaboration between the Catholic Church and police forces to cover up the tendency of their priests to rape children… and they’re busy lecturing about blockbuster movies? Puh-leaze.

  12. maybe i am stupip,
    but can anyone tell me what they are getting offended about ?

    Offended that Navi are supposely natives or because it makes humans look evil.

    Can anyone explain pleaase, everytime I read I have no clue what these morons argue about…

    thanks

      1. “The single biggest cause of atheism in the world today is Christians. Who acknowledge Him with their lips, and walk out the door and deny them by their lifestyle. This is what an unbelieving world simply finds unbelievable”

        – Brennan Manning
        Christian Author and Priest.

        Christianity is not condemning, and not contradictory at all. Christians are.

    1. No, he’s not. He’s German, yes, and therefore, like every boy in Germany he was forced to be a part of the “Hitler Youth” at the time, but he’s had deprogramming training and whatnot. People here in America just like to dwell on things that don’t matter any more.

  13. Now, see, I didn’t think the film was tree-huggy at all. I just thought that the Na’vi culture was the way it was and Jake Sully decided he liked it.

    Now Wall-E on the other hand…

  14. What did they say about Godfather 3?

    you know the one that basically showed the Vatican as the real MAFIOSOS…

    how bout the upcomming film “Creation”?

  15. Pwhoar, what do I care what any religious leader says on this subject. I thoroughly enjoyed the film (1st 3D experience, just wished glasses more comfy).
    By the way, isn’t that the late JPII instead of the current what’s his name?

  16. I’m pretty sure that if you changed it from “Vatican” to “pretty much almost every single review out there” it would sound exactly the same as theirs. Wait, they DO!

    Every review out there states the whole “Dances with Wolves” ripoff idea, bad acting, bad this, bad that, MELT YOUR EYEBALLS VISUALS!! It’s just another review pretty much agreeing with 90% of the reviews out there!

  17. I’m Catholic, and I’m going to set a few things straight.

    First: Consider the source: The Huffington Post. I don’t doubt that they did their homework and that’s likely what Vatican radio said, but I’d like to know the exact quote from Vatican radio. Rather that, than a summary from a blog that is known for being rather liberal or anti-Catholic at times.

    Second: The Vatican is all about art and artistic integrity. To understand how they come to their conclusions about film, you need to understand the criteria. They look for entertainment to be edifying. Something that uplifts the soul and perhaps brings the person closer to God. I found the same fault with Avatar on my own when I watched it, and I agree with their take on the film’s religious bent.

    Third: I’m not saying that he is intentionally doing it, but Cameron might be the problem. He claimed to have found the tomb of Jesus a few years ago, even when stacks of evidence were piled against him. Who knows what his intention for the new age religion in the film? It’s not like the Na’vi would know who Jesus is anyway. It is very likely that they would, based on their surroundings, see God in nature.

    Anyway, my two cents. Now back to fighting for Conan.

    1. You act as though speaking out against (or in this case portraying something not in-line with traditional beliefs) religion is a bad thing. Religions have threatened, maimed, and murdered people for centuries for simply having a different set of beliefs. Ever heard of Galileo The Inquisition, or 911?

      No, Cameron is not the problem. Large groups of people forcing their views on everyone else and then acting offended when someone dare say or do something different from those beliefs is the issue. Just like your ancestors have done for millions of years…evolve.

  18. Now come on, that’s Yellow journalism here, eh?

    Posting a big headline “The Vatican Speaks Out Against Avatar” with a picture of the (late) pope in an angry speech pose –
    and that only because some radio moderator linked to the Vatican delivered some poor lines about a movie. (Which nowadays is maybe the most powerful media to change people’s minds)

    Oh and I am no Catholic.

  19. The vatican’s opinion will mean something to me, once that business enterprise stops covering up for priests that get caught molesting children in this country.

  20. I don’t care who the critics are or who they represent.

    Did they see the movie? If so, they gave an opinion of the movie.
    It’s yea or nay and they choose the latter, so the charge is that they don’t understand fiction?

    They aren’t calling for a boycott.
    They still liked the effects.

    But they have issues with the film on moral and/or spiritual grounds? So be it. I had a different interpretation of the subtexts (other than the obvious eco-theme) but that’s my…

    What is going on people????
    When did film stop being subjective, and when someone sees the film and gives a two cents worth, thinking its an expensive ball of wax…

    And we call them out.

    Well, now I’m calling youout. What is your beef Rodney?

    1. Not to mention that fiction is almost always evocative of a specific idea or worldview. Robert McKee calls it the “controlling idea”. Syd Field calls it the “theme” of the story. But it’s always there, and it’s capable of influencing whole societies. Anyone remember what Bambi did to hunting?

      Avatar is like the ultimate tree-hugging movie. You can’t deny it. Even I left the theater with a deep feeling of empathy for the wildlife around us in my gut. Arguably, that’s a good thing, but the semi-religious reverence of nature that Avatar endorses is over-the-top.

      1. Don’t have to deny it. There are themes represented here and that has never been a dispute.

        The point is if I watch Passion of the Christ, will that influence me to be catholic? Maybe I catch a Kirk Cameron film… so now I want to be a creationist?

        The point isnt that I called them out on the FICTION for being fiction, and using that as a negative saying it will influence my spiritual beliefs because it might make them NOT THEIRS.

        @Darren, You can call me out on it if you want. They are not criticizing the film when they hold their beliefs against it, they are criticizing how it doesn’t fit their beliefs.

        Their subjectivity of the film itself was mostly positive until they decided that the fiction was offensive because it doesn’t line up with their bible.

        Its their “facts” vs fiction that makes it no longer a review of the movie itself, but of world beliefs.

    2. “What’s your beef?”

      Sheesh, anyone not brainwashed in the warped dogma which is Catholicism should have a beef with the Vatican. This is the same group of people that not only employed, but tried to cover up a small army of child rapist for decades. But they’re probably right, new age hippies communing with nature is the real problem here, not their 2000 year hopelessly ridiculous beliefs.

      The real question is why don’t you have a beef with the Vatican? Anyone that doesn’t needs to have their head examined.

    3. from my point of view, The vatican holds allot of power, they can say Nay to the film and convince a legion of followers that’s anti god or anti christian,these people may have otherwise saw the film, liked it and never given it a second thought if it was anti god or not. Film is subjective I give you that, but when you command as large an audience as the vatican they should really just keep their movie reviews to themselves unless it’s a movie about the life of Marilyn Manson or satanic black metal Norwegians. When they start to seem like Religious Zealots then they are going to make people start thinking otherwise about the religion.

      1. I think you over estimate how much “power” the Vatican has.

        There have been plenty of movies that the Vatican has spoken out against (they once condemned the Smurfs for introducing the occult to children) and yet pop culture is not swayed by their stance.

        I have yet to meet a catholic who is so devout that he/she would suddenly form a blanket opinion on something “because the Vatican says so”

        The Vatican is a figurehead and an inspirational source for the legion of faithful followers but in the end they all lead lives the Vatican has no say over.

  21. This is really funny… leave it to the Vatican to condemn a movie about a handicapped guy finding a new life with a new family and being able to walk and run again and fall in love and save an entire planet.

  22. HA! I knew theyd do this!

    Somewere in TMB i posted a comment saying the vatican would bitch about Avatar

    Hazz has been on a streak lately, banging on all cylinders

    My next prediction is Nic Cage getting the Oscar for “Kick-Ass” =P

      1. I love Nic Cage in every single movie he’s ever done.

        Sure some of his movies suck and some are great, but ive always found him to be among the top banana list of actors

        I just think hes a great presence, unfortunately he doesnt know how to say ‘Sorry, i cant be in that movie, it sounds awful”

      1. Then perhaps, D-Slay, it is time you seriously think about if you should continue to believe in something you apparently don’t agree with. Its like saying you love dogs but is the president of the Michale Vick fan club.

      2. Duck, what does supporting the Vatican have to do with being a Christian? I’m a Protestant Christian and perfectly fine in my faith without regard to the Vatican. (I’m not going any further than that; I’m not intending to be a troll here) I can believe in the Constitution of the United States without being a registered Republican or Democrat.

        They should just move on and condemn the next blasphemous film to brainwash our youth: Percy Jackson! (gasp)

      3. They are the most hard core Catholics I have heard of. Still its just a review which doesn’t mean to much until they start lashing out that it is an sin against god or something.
        (If they still do that now a days)

      4. Well, they only review it, and give their opinion, also from what I heard, they’re not declaring a decree to condemn the movie, and asking the masses to boycott it. So @Dragonslayer: you’re to harsh on this one. Isn’t Vatican have the right to tell their opinion, isn’t it?

  23. It was only a matter of time before this happened.

    Why is it that everytime a movie makes a lot money there is always some stupid group that attacks the film? Anti-smoking groups attacked Avatar, The Vatican attacked New Moon, people said that Transformers 2 was “racist”. This happens everytime.

      1. I know white people who talk with that “stereotype” because they are trying to be gangsta rapper badasses. Not trying to be black.

        Its only racial if you make it that. As much as people of every culture are crossing over into other popular cultures the red and green cars were not necessarily “coloured”

        Just sayin.

    1. The only common factor in all things that are stupid, are humans. Sure we have our moments when we join together, but as soon as we cant put our differences aside we turn stupid. We are all flawed in some way or another and people need to come to terms with that and come down from their pedestals of ignorance where they worship an invisable superbeing. Yeah talk about the pot calling the kettle black.

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