Sunday Bloody Sunday

At the end of this month, many Lutherans across the world will celebrate Reformation Day. October 31st was the day that Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses to a Cathedral door that invited the reigning church hierarchy to a talk. This lead to his running for his life.

I think this would make a good theme to some enterprising columnists who would like to draw parrellels between an entrenched Roman church hierarchy and an entrenched Republican majority...but I've never seen it.

Usually voting Republican I have an uncomfortable time with the Religious Right stuff. Fact is I usually don't like evangelical types. Many times there's no sense of humor in them and there seriousness that I find oppressive. Plus I swear too much and don't mind a couple fingers of Wild Turkey - straight, no ice.

It's not really the RR I have a problem with. I have a problem with Christianity in general. Really, what is it but a death cult? Maybe a death and rebirth cult? Either way, death is in there. Then there's the whole sacrament thing - which I have fun in rightly calling ritualistic cannabalism. Drink of my blood, eat of my flesh - ewwww. That's just gross! Plus the whole sacrificing thing bugs me. The supposedly nobility of giving up yourself for your fellow man - I have a hard time buying it. It's permeated liberal politics too much. I'm suppose to sacrifice my economic well-being for those less fortunate or not smart enough or too lazy.

But it does work...at least in drama.

That's what makes Casablanca a great film. The movie is made in the last scene.

Ilsa: When I said I would never leave you.
Rick: And you never will. But I've got a job to do, too. Where I'm going, you can't follow. What I've got to do, you can't be any part of. Ilsa, I'm no good at being noble, but it doesn't take much to see that the problems of three little people don't amount to a hill of beans in this crazy world. Someday you'll understand that. Now, now... Here's looking at you kid.

If Rick would have said "Screw your hero husband. We're going back to New York for some nucky", it just wouldn't have been the same film. The picture built to that and a happy ending would have ruined it...cheapened it.

Same thing goes for Titantic. What's memorable is not only the sacrifice of those men who actually let the woman and children go first, but the Leonardo character making sure Rose got away from the ship safely even though he had to do that creepy float to the bottom thing. If James Cameron would have let him live to set up a sequel, the audience would have again felt cheated.

Hell, even Mr. 3000 had a sacrifice bunt at the end that was an actually sacrifice for the Bernie Mac character. That almost made the movie worth while.

Ok, that's enough blasphemy for a Tuesday blog entry. See you.

Stay You.
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