Religion in the News, TV, and Films

I have a lot of catching up to do. I'd never been to a film festival. And what is happening in Egypt? Two entirely different events, but, yet, it's quite similar. How so? Take a back seat, relax, and analyze the world's view of religion:   

News

The past and today's present. Life in the Middle East has been in turmoil, full of war and bloodshed. Specifically the countries such as Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and now Egypt. 

Egypt is facing its own disturbance between the government and the residents. Protesters. The people there in this country are in havoc of destroying themselves. The cost is heavy.  How did this crisis began? Lately, I haven't been watching the news nor reading the newspapers.  

Several months ago, Haiti, the recent earthquake hit country, received its own share of major heartache and problems after the devastation of being hit with the epidemic of the cholera virus, an acute and often fatal intestinal disease, that led to an upheaval in the voting of its government officials. 

Although none of these events are soundly based on just religion, this could, in fact, turn into a religious issue  if these events are viewed by a religious sect, then the concept of how these countries live their daily lives do point towards some type of religious reformation.


In yesterday's The New York Times front page, the headlines were printed in dark letters of "Waves of Unrest Spread to Yemen, Shaking a Region" followed by smaller words, appearing as "Calls for Change Continue to Unsettle Old Order in Egypt and Tunisia." Then down within this column were the headlines of "Seizing a Moment, Al Jazeera Galvanizes Arab Frustration" and "Cables Show U.S. Tack on Egypt: Public Support, Private Pressure."

Turn the NY Times newspaper to pages A10 and A11. There are a lot more headlines printed across both of these two pages:


On page A10: "Waves of Unrest Spread to Yemen, Shaking a Region With Calls for Change;" "With Muslim Brotherhood Set to Join Egypt Protests, Religion's Role May Grow."


On page A11: "Cables Show How U.S. Changed Tack on Egypt;" "Most members of Old Cabinet in Tunisia Step Down;" and "Egypt's Leader Uses Old Tricks to Defy New Demands."


I have found the answer to my questions after reading the caption news story of "With Muslim Brotherhood Set to Join Egypt Protests, Religion's Role May Grow."

The lead paragraph of this news story had been about Egypt's rising prices, stagnant incomes, greater freedom, and ending police brutality. In addition to this country's religion, which, according to this New York Times article, is often a powerful mobilizing force, has played a little role. But, as this article states, that may be about to change.


For instance, the Muslim Brotherhood, the largest organized opposition group in the country, announced, on Thursday, that they would take part in the protest, which could heighten the tension in Egypt.


Hamid Said, a source in this news article, cited political oppression and police brutality as the leading causes of frustration among the people.

A silent prayer to all those who are in Egypt.


Television

On the front cover in a recent issue (Jan. 10-16) of TV Guide magazine, there had been a special report of "God on TV: Is Prime Time Keeping the Faith?" 


This featured story prints that The Simpsons have been a long run televised program. A recent story in L'Osservatore Romano, a Vatican newspaper, praised Homer Simpson for being a "true" Catholic. The newspaper publication cites The Simpsons for using "Christian faith, religion, and questions about God" as recurring themes.


"The Simpsons is one of the more balanced treatments of faith-based characters that you'll see," a director of communications for the Parents Television Council said in this TV Guide article.

In a House episode, a Catholic League president reeled from what he saw as "unrelieved hostility" toward Catholicism, a patient, who is crucified every year, as part of a deal with God, to keep his daughter free of cancer.


The Catholic League president has an informative point of view. After all, this is the same patient who is being crucified every year. Not an entirely new patient that is being crucified to save his daughter from developing cancer.


Skimming though this TV Guide article, religion isn't so easily accepted by all TV families. I haven't watched The Good Wife, so I don't know what recent episode that a character Alicia was taken aback upon discovering her daughter kneeling in prayer.  

And so goes for the remainder of the television shows such as Bones, The Middle, Hellcats, Glee, Law & Order: SVU episode, and the past TV show Lost.


There are two TV shows (MTV's Skins and CW's The Vampire Diaries) that appear to have the similar feeling of talking about spiritual topics. I just need to spend more time in watching them on the Internet and/or on DVD. Sorry about my television screen. One day, I'll change my daily and weekend routine schedule. If this is possible. Create more time.   

Films

The Los Angeles Times printed an article in its front page 'Calendar' section headlined as "Cross Purposes: Independent Films featuring mega-churches, adultery and attempted suicide examine how religion helps and hinders."

Within this feature story, the LA Times' reporter, John Horn, wrote there was a large number of independent films that used faith (specifically Christianity) as the foundation theme for its stories. 

As I'm reading the front page of this Sundance Film Festival article, religion isn't as simple or as easy to define. For instance, the common words such as "God," "Jesus," and "Cross" are not found. Only the familiar terms of pastor and church, which is shown through Kevin Smith's gothic horror story "Red State." 

The plot description of Red State in Horn's article "targets a violently homophobic pastor modeled on the real-life, gay bashing Baptist Fred Phelps." And in another Sundance review on the Entertainment Weekly website, Anthony Breznican wrote that Red State is about "a gay-hating minister who goes on a blood-drenched rampage against an equally murderous squad of federal agents, with some sex-crazed teens stuck in the middle." And, finally, according to Wikipedia, the plot of Red State  focuses on "three horny high school boys who come across an online personal ad from an older woman looking for a gang bang. And boys being boys, they hit the road to satisfy their libidinal urges. What begins as a fantasy, however, takes a dark turn as they come face-to-face with a terrifying fundamentalist "holy" force with a fatal agenda." The source of this information came from an article on the 27th Sundance Film Festival.

So having at least three different plot notes, a reader could understand the story aspects of this independent film "Red State." 

And the familiar word "church" and, in addition, "Christian" were visibally seen in another independent film at Sundance. It's George Ratliff's dark comedy "Salvation Boulevard." 

At the IMDb website, the storyline of Salvation Boulevard had been written as follows: "Set in the world of mega-churches in which a former Deadhead-turned-born again-Christian finds himself on the run from fundamentalist members of his mega-church who will do anything to protect their larger-than-life pastor."

I will not dig too much in regards of posting anymore information about "Salvation Boulevard." If a reader has a chance, then go out of  the way to see it; if no longer can, then ask around. I'm sure there is somebody who attended this year's Sundance Film Festival. 

Next, there are the "faith based" independent films of Tyrannosaur, Higher Ground, and The Ledge. 

Moving forward, lets take a closer look at Paddy Considine's Tyrannosaur. According to John Horn's feature article, once again, printed on the Los Angeles Times, this independent film "explores the futility of faith through the relationship between an embittered older man and a woman working in a charity thrift shop." 

Then the LA Times' reporter had written the 'two other' features---Higher Ground and The Ledge---are as being "not interested in using spirituality for satire or shock, but instead looking at religion for a deeper dramatic purpose."

On page D4, within this newspaper, Horn continued, writing a lot more of the Sundance Film Festival's faith based independent films. It's about the same films that were previously mentioned in the 'Calendar' front page. For example, Higher Ground is based on "This Dark World," which is Carolyn Briggs' memoir. And a rigid reading of the Bible shaped Chapman's The Ledge in which, according to the Los Angeles Times, is "outwardly a ticking-clock thriller about a man poised to jump to his death and inwardly a debate about how faith and forgiveness shape personal relationships." 

The almost ending paragraphs of Horn's Los Angeles Times feature story are the price of faith in Ratliff's Salvation Boulevard and Considine's unafraid to show in Tyrannosaur that "although religion may serve as a lifeline to some, it can't always save people in a difficult marriage or with other troubles, and may distract the afflicted from more pragmatic soultions."              

       

          

      

     

Dangers of Secondhand Smoke

The following statement or question in a paragraph---Oh, Nicholas. Do you really smoke? Shucks. My heart fell---that is posted below this blog post has to do with my Facebook friend Nicholas Hoult.

Mr. Hoult answered a smoking question on formspring and since I'm a nonsmoker, I jumped at the chance in asking him this repeated question: "Do you really smoke?" All he said or replied was "Yes, really."

"Oh shucks, my heart fell." Why? Most of us nonsmokers know about the potential hazards or high risks of developing cancer from those who are smokers. Inhale and exhale. The air quality isn't clean, though. The air is polluted with vapors full of smoke. Cough. Can't breathe. Cough. 

In addition, I also asked Finn Wittrock and Jesse Spencer this "smoking" question, but didn't receive a reply. Just hope both of them don't smoke. 

According to Wikipedia, secondhand smoke is also known or called environmental tobacco smoke and passive smoking. On this free encyclopedia website there is a list of diseases that a nonsmoker should become aware of before entering a place that allows smoking. Or getting to know a person who smokes: lung cancer, brain tumor, ear infections, and heart disease are only a few out of many in the list of health problems.

"A friend could only love a friend, but not completely change him or her. Ultimately, it's up to the individual person if he or she would endure the process of trying to quit smoking a cigarette."

              
    

Oh, Nicholas. Do you really smoke? Shucks. My heart fell.

Oh, Nicholas. Do you really smoke? Shucks. My heart fell.

Answer here

Health Risk of Eating Salmon that is Genetically Modified

Just printed New On the Menu: Genetically Modified Salmon? from Vitacost.com's 'Daily Health News' Web site. Personally, I don't recommend approving this type of salmon because of its unnatural development even though a few people might disagree with me and think that it is entirely safe for us to eat. Maybe it's not.

A person never really knows the level of safety in creating life from such genes. We are not God, but only humans. Humans who have limitations. Science and technology can only do so much until an unhealthy-like quality appears, causing a side effect in certain people who are allergic to this type of genetically modified fish or salmon. 

Instead, we ought to think how could an agency clean and protect our oceans, so that there would be an adequate supply of natural salmons that are swimming in the waters for our fishermen to catch. And ask ourselves how safe is it to consume salmons that are farm-raised in ocean-based tanks.

This "somewhat" natural growing process of producing farm-raised salmon doesn't sound as though it's too extreme as to compare its growth rate to those of the genetically modified salmon, which, according to a source named in this article, will grow in tanks that are land-based.

What is frightening to read is the production of genetically modified salmon: "The eggs will be treated so that all fish that grow from them will be sterile females. That means they will not be able to reproduce, nor will they come into contact with males to reproduce with."

So how many of these type of fish does it take to create lifeless eggs that will never be able to become fertilized, giving birth to create natural fishes in the sea?

Don't be lazy. Help clean up our oceans. For now, stick with farm-raised salmons and don't get too technologically fancy. I'm only concerned and worried about the future of our natural planet called "Earth."

Should we all, at least, try to protect our earth's habitat instead of creating an artificial life form in our world? As a consumer who eats salmon, I hope these folks really think about this.            

Pastor in Florida Plans to Burn the Quran

Say this isn't so; just a reminder. According to various news sources on the Internet, since July, Rev. Terry Jones, a Florida pastor at the Dove World Outreach Center in Gainesville, has said that he is planning an anti-Islam rally to burn the Qu'ran this Saturday, Sept. 11, a nine year anniversary of the terrorist attacks at the World Trade Center, despite warnings from the White House and a top United States general in Afghanistan.

A United Nations envoy (representative) to Afghanistan voiced his anger today toward a U.S. religious group in Florida in which its pastor and church members are willing to burn copies of the Koran. He warned that this could endanger the lives of the people who are committed in establishing peace and further development in its nation.              

In a statement, Staffan de Mistura, who is the chief of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, said: "If such an abhorrent act were to be implemented, it would only contribute to fuelling the arguments of those who are indeed against peace and reconciliation in Afghanistan." He continued, saying, "It could also put in jeopardy the efforts of so many Afghans and foreigners who are trying to assist Afghanistan to find its own way to peace and stability within the framework of its own culture, traditions, and, indeed, religion." 

Mr. de Mistura also stated that the exercise of the freedom of expression should not be confused with the intention to offend the religion and beliefs of millions of people. Furthermore, media reports announced that the top US commander in Afghanistan has warned of this "move [that] could endanger the lives of troops serving in the country."  

Is Pastor Terry Jones another Vernon Wayne Howell who was known as David Koresh? In a sense of leading its church members astray from the basic life beliefs/principles of the Holy Bible, which is a standard of judgement in knowing the genuine difference between our society's concept of right and wrong?

Why don't we all pray for Jones and his 50 member non-denominational charismatic Christian church in Gainesville, Fla., so they could carefully think about the long term outcome of their "book burning Qu'ran day" will do or won't do. 

And lastly, as Michael Bloomberg, New York's Mayor, had said, "The Florida preacher has the right to his freedom of expression." But Bloomberg also said that he had found Jones' demonstration to be offensive. Let's pray for his timely wisdom to emerge during this Sept. 11, Saturday.   

    

  

Labor Day 2010 weekend's Top Film at the Box Office is "The American."

Instead of a teenage and a young adult movie climbing the chart at the box offices, a drama/thriller adult film The American, starring veteran actor George Clooney and Sweden born actress Irina Björklund, who was last seen on the big screen as Jackie in the 2009 movie The Butcher, ended with $16.4 million in ticket sales, an estimated amount, according to an article posted today on the Rotten Tomatoes website, since its Wednesday debut and during this past Labor Day weekend (Friday to Monday). Clooney portrays an assassin named Jack and then later as a photographer named Edward. 

At about $14 million, the action, adventure, crime, and thriller film Machete received second place in the four-day box office sales. In this movie, there are an endless cast of familiar names of such actors as Danny Trejo, Robert De Niro, Stephen Seagal, and Don Johnson. And, of course, star actresses as Jessica Alba, Michelle Rodriguez, and Lindsay Lohan. 

The top third spot in the box office ticket sales is Takers, an action, crime, and thriller film, grossed approximately $13.5 million. This movie has its own stars: a lengthy celebrity power cast list of Chris Brown, Hayden Christensen, Matt Dillon, Johnathon Schaech, Paul Walker, and Zoe Saldana. 

                                  

First Post on this Labor Day of 2010

There is no quick news to write and post during this late Monday night, 10:02 p.m., September 6, 2010. Instead, however, I only printed an Aol news story about how the oxygen levels in the United States oceans are decreasing due to pollution, fertillizer runoff into the waterways, and climate change. Thus, increasing "dead zones" in the oceans.

Research additional information and add a new post later. Also  investigate the waters off of the Gulf of St. Lawrence, which is the area near Newfoundland where the baby harp seals are brutally killed each year. In addition to this environmental story, write an informative story on Hollywood's Labor Day weekend box office opener turnout.