I'm Thuper!

Updated, expanded and reposted. Now with added fire and brimstone!



I'm going back to South Park for a coupla reasons: new people are reading and I want to see little cartoon versions of them; I don't want anyone to misunderstand my views on religion following my 2005-6-14 post; and I've just seen a Christian website bash one of my all-time favourite films because it didn't understand it.

First, the fun stuff: me as a nine-year old with adamantium claws (like Wolverine from X-Men). How deliciously menky! You can make your own character courtesy of Comedy Central's website.

Now, let's get semi-serious: deep down, all religions seem to be about tolerance and I'll second that. Religion is much more prevalent in Virginia than where I'm from - in the last twelve months, I've unwittingly dated a preacher's daughter and a Sunday school teacher. But I haven't needed to modify my behaviour much to survive here and no-one's found reason to preach to me.

When faith become organized, that's when I opt out. Beliefs such as these can't be tested, making no one religion more truthful than the next. When P.O.T.U.S. says God blesses America, he doesn't know that. It's a conveniently un-disprovable endorsement of the government's own ideologies, by the government. Having religious status doesn't equal being righteous. Anyone making that mistake runs the risk of being authoritatively wrong instead of merely humbly wrong.

South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut criticises racism, mob rule, moral hypocrisy and censorship, but the folks at the Childcare Action Project have missed the point entirely. The movie isn't designed for children because they aren't usually developed enough to distinguish between glorification of a thing and satirization of it. The reviewer makes the same childish mistake: he's hung up on the curse words and vulgarities and doesn't notice issues that must be close to the heart of the C.A.P. being highlighted and discussed throughout the film.

They can't see the wood for the trees, which is sad, as is the fact that no-one is surprised at their kneejerk, face-value reaction. People like this give the rest of Christian America a bad name.