Continuing the theme of silent films about religion,though with a sad lack of mesmerism:
The Godless Girl
Cecil B. DeMille’s final silent film, The Godless Girl, had the misfortune of being released in the shadow of The Jazz Singer, making it a casualty of the rapid shift in public tastes from pictures that didn’t talk to those that did. As a result, it became something of a footnote in DeMille’s career, which is a shame. For people, like myself, who entertain a fairly narrow conception of the director based on his association with Bible-thumpers like King of Kings and The Ten Commandments, viewing it can be an eye-opening experience — because even though it is, in part, concerned with the spread of atheism among the young people of its day, it doesn’t quite come down on that topic in the way you might expect.
#1 by Nathan Shumate on August 26, 2008 - 9:10 am
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What would have made this movie perfect, of course, is the intimation (or the bald assertion) that THE ATHEISTS ARE AFTER OUR WOMEN!!!
#2 by KeithA on August 26, 2008 - 9:38 am
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“Atheist women are after our men” just doesn’t carry the same threat level, does it?
#3 by Nathan Shumate on August 26, 2008 - 9:46 am
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Threat? It sounds like a come-on!
#4 by Todd on August 26, 2008 - 10:19 am
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According to this movie’s presentation of them, atheists seem to be mostly about handing out pamphlets. When the atheists finally have their big atheist meeting, the main order of business is to hand out more pamphlets. Obviously in all their drafting, printing and distributing of pamphlets, they’ve lost sight of the more important aspects of recruiting, such as putting the whammy on our God fearing women.
#5 by Blake Matthews on August 26, 2008 - 11:05 am
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One of my favorite stories about language and expressions deals with an atheist: A man was serving as a missionary in southern Brazil and stopped a man in the street. He asked the man what church he belonged to. the man responded, “Sou ateu, graças a Deus” (I’m an atheist, thank God.)
“Obviously in all their drafting, printing and distributing of pamphlets, they’ve lost sight of the more important aspects of recruiting, such as putting the whammy on our God fearing women.”
That reminds me a video I watched where an atheist dude comes up with a whole bunch of complex philosophical arguments against religion with the sole purpose of getting a church girl over to his cabin for the weekend.
#6 by KeithA on August 26, 2008 - 11:38 am
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I don’t know if that’s better or worse than my going to church youth groups meeting just because I was trying to get some second base action from a girl.
I also remember an early debate about God we had in middle school biology class, back when such things didn’t send litigation-hungry lawyers into a frenzy. I haven;t been a believer since…well, probably second or third grade, but my approach to the matter is simply to live my life and let others live theirs. But one other kid was really fiery about the subject, and I remember with crystal clarity the argument he made: “Cavemen existed and God made man in his own image, so does that mean God looks like a caveman?” While others mulled over the logic of his argument, I just thought about how awesome it would be if you died and went to Heaven and God ended up looking like a Herculoid.
#7 by Todd on August 26, 2008 - 12:49 pm
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Now, if there was something called The Church of the Caveman, that’s something I might actually sign up for.
#8 by Blake Matthews on August 26, 2008 - 1:21 pm
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Here in Brazil we have “A Igreja Primitiva” (the Primitive Church), “A Igreja Quadrangular” (the Box Church), and “A Igreja Bola de Neve” (The Snowball Church – also known as the surfers’ church because of the dressing standards of its members).
#9 by JessicaR on August 26, 2008 - 4:34 pm
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As a godless girl I have yet to print out even one pamphlet let alone unravel the fabric of society. My apologies.
#10 by Baron Scarpia on August 27, 2008 - 1:20 am
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Well, these days we atheists don’t give out pamphlets. We write large books and put them on sale, which is better for our bank balances.
(Or, at least, other atheists do. Damn, this is one bandwagon I missed…)
#11 by JessicaR on August 27, 2008 - 1:44 pm
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No kidding, not ever wanting to discuss religion or politics with well anyone really has cut me off from a potential revenue supply. I can do self rightious indignation, I know I can! I’ve got moxie, I just need a chance Mr. Producer! (okay now that I’m on this track I would pay good cash money to see an athiest social menance film done in the style of a thirties musical, in fact that’s one niche market that’s definitely been unexplored…)