''Christianity manifestly did not produce the Dark Ages - which instead were induced by invasions of Imperial Rome by tr
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matheusmagalhaes10 — 13 years ago(April 14, 2012 01:20 PM)
I think that the movie mainly criticizes the fact that the church is too involved in political questions to let their own priests do the work of god around the world.
Your mother cook socks in hell! -
efa-3 — 13 years ago(November 19, 2012 09:56 PM)
It's not an atheist nor theist movie, it is human movie. The notion of soul and connectedness to everyone and everything, vs the notion of power and "because we can". Even atheists do not subscribe to power abuse, even tho they reject organized religion and dogma as preposterous.
You still have feelings and empathy, you don't need religion for that. Same question stands again, does might make right? -
fudgenuts101 — 13 years ago(November 20, 2012 02:49 PM)
I took it as more of a tale about both human compassion versus human cruelty. As an athiest, it was still very moving and important. I think it transcends religion, but still can be appreciated from a religious viewpoint.
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sandroalgra — 12 years ago(April 17, 2013 03:19 PM)
I am an atheist but I would never call this an atheist film, I still love it though.
Interestingly, The Church Times, an Anglican newspaper elected this film as their number one favourite religious film. You could consider this a religious film by the way the missionaries are depicted. Mendoza is a sinner who seeks redemption by learning and spreading the word of God. On the other hand, the movie also shows the hypocricy of the Church. If it really is a religious film, then it's a more honest one. That is why it doesn't bother me at all as an atheist. It shows the beauty and attrocities caused by the spread of Christianity. Also, Mendoza decides to break his vow to the Jesuits in the end in favour of the Guarani. He clearly chooses for his own sense of righteousness above the doctrines of religion.
You could perhaps argue that the movie takes too much of a sympathetic view on the missionaries who try to "civilize" the "savages". Europeans who try to push their culture down people's throats. That doesn't bother me either. De Niro's character is shown learning as much from the Guarani as they learn from him. The Guarani remain proud people despite their acceptance of Christianity.
In my opinion, the movie is neither a religious nor an atheist film. It doesn't take a clear stance for or against believers. It does take a stance against slavery, collonialism and organised religion. It's a thought provoking film that encourages people to think for themselves and decide what's right. -
ContinentalOp — 12 years ago(June 06, 2013 04:47 AM)
The film is simply an allegorical telling of Liberation Theology in Latin America. Liberation Theologists are monks, priest and lay people who are progressive Catholics who think that the Catholic Church should do more for peasants and against oppressive, rightist regimes. they often face excommunication from the Catholic Church, as the Catholic Church usually supports pro-American far-right dictators.
''What fear is provoked by the face of fascism!'' - Vctor Jara, murdered in Pinochet's coup. -
jhpen22 — 11 years ago(July 10, 2014 12:57 PM)
I've just watched The Mission for the 2nd time, after many intervening years. Speaking as a Christiannot a "non-atheist"I can answer your question. It is a film with both Christian and human perspectives. The argument that you make, that hypocrisy is a reason to disbelieve in Christianity, is an argument against humanity, not against the teachings of Christianity. Man is flawed by the sins of pride and greed, among others, as exemplified by Cabeza and the Portuguese crown he represents. And the church is populated by flawed men, as exemplified by the Cardinal and by flawed men who are trying to rise above their human nature, like Mendoza and Father Gabriel. The churchsmall case or upper case "c"is not Christianity, as the Cardinal learns to his sorrow. Following the tenets of the New Testament is Christianity.
In one scene, Rodrigo Mendoza reads from 1 Cor. 13, Paul's famous "love chapter." Later, Father Gabriel refers to the love Paul writes about. Loving both God and one's fellow man is at the heart of Christianity. In their different ways, both of the main characters demonstrate their love for the Guarani people, which according to Jesus in Matt. 25, shows their love for Him. It would be nice if atheists would let us know their arguments against Jesus, His life and teachings, instead of attacking man's imperfect institutions that have grown up around His name. To argue against hypocrisy is to argue against man, against yourself, not against Christianity. As for stupidity, anyone who believes in hate rather than love would naturally find Christianity "stupid." For anyone who has feelings for his fellow man, there's hope. -
Jakoda_Ray3 — 11 years ago(October 08, 2014 06:49 PM)
However, speaking as an atheist, this film demonstrated all the things that I find hypocritical and stupid about organised religion.
Actually, it displayed all the good and beauty of religion. It displayed all the bad of politics and economy, however.
As a Christian man, I found this movie and the acts of father Gabriel and later acts of Mendoza as inspiring and beautiful.
The slavers are not Christian. They used Christianity as an excuses to murder and enslave innocent people. Similar to how modern day terrorists use Islam as a toll to terrorize and murder countless amount of people.
http://www.138cult.com/forumdisplay.php?11-Manly-Movie
-WOW what a site! -
drjettrink — 11 years ago(December 22, 2014 02:46 AM)
I do not see it as an "atheist" film, but rather a condemnation of the power of the Catholic Church.
The Church works hard to equate themselves with God. That they only way TO God is via them. That is to say that being against the Church is to be against God. The early rapacious and deadly colonization of the Americas could not have happened without the approval and encouragement of the Church.
The blood on the hands of all those that follow the Catholic Church can't be washed away until the Church learns to apologize and make amends for the wrongs of their past. Sadly this will never happen as the Church cannot even accept that mistakes by them are possible.
The Catholic Church does not equal God, in-spite of what they want you to believe. -
Enigmatic-Ocean — 11 years ago(February 20, 2015 10:23 PM)
However, speaking as an atheist, this film demonstrated all the things that I find hypocritical and stupid about organised religion. I just wondered how other people saw it.
Let's try not to turn this into a theological slanging match.
You insult religious people and their beliefs and then ask the very same people not to insult you back. Hello pot I'd like you to meet kettle.
VHS>DVD -
Druffmaul — 9 years ago(June 20, 2016 11:34 AM)
Hmm. To a true believer, bringing Christianity to the "ignorant" natives would seem like the ultimate kindness. To an atheist, it seems like the ultimate destruction of an indigenous culture which should have been left alone.