Movie and Television Reviews

People worshiping at the Church of Avatar

I saw Avatar and concluded that its anti-American message and derivative story line would limit its popularity, at least in America. I was wrong.

My failure was in focusing on the political aspects of the movie instead of its potential religious appeal. According to a recent Pew poll, many Americans' spirituality has taken a heterodox turn; many of our fellow citizens mix and match beliefs to suit their needs, (often in ways that make no logical sense like combining Christian Heaven and reincarnation).

Avatar is the Passion of the Christ for the unconventionally religious.

Listen to some of the quotes from these Avatar viewers:

"That's all I have been doing as of late, searching the Internet for more info about 'Avatar.' I guess that helps. It's so hard I can't force myself to think that it's just a movie, and to get over it, that living like the Na'vi will never happen. I think I need a rebound movie,"

A user named Mike wrote on the fan Web site "Naviblue" that he contemplated suicide after seeing the movie.

"Ever since I went to see 'Avatar' I have been depressed. Watching the wonderful world of Pandora and all the Na'vi made me want to be one of them. I can't stop thinking about all the things that happened in the film and all of the tears and shivers I got from it," Mike posted. "I even contemplate suicide thinking that if I do it I will be rebirthed in a world similar to Pandora and the everything is the same as in 'Avatar.' "

Other fans have expressed feelings of disgust with the human race and disengagement with reality.

Give me some of that New Age religion:

Avatarianism is a pantheism that focuses on caring and protecting nature. I've mentioned earlier that Avatar and Star Wars both have a biological basis for their religion.

The lack of a supernatural being doesn't harm the attractiveness of Avatarian theology (and may even increase it amongst the "brights") because even a biological god fulfills one comforting aspect of religion: that of a greater intelligence guiding humanity, giving it purpose.** Eywa, the nature goddess in Avatar, semi-consciously urges the inhabitants of Pandora to preserve themselves while causing as little damage to other life as possible. It's similar to other reductionist philosophies from the likes of Asimov. It implies a disdain for manufacturing and advanced commerce like many sustainable living and back-to-the-primitive advocates.

It's a counter-factual, illogical religion because nature doesn't really care if everything or nothing survived (a series that causes one to ponder this question is the Life After People series on the greatest channel in history), but logic might not be a priority for some people.

**Marxism has this as well, with its theory of human progress climaxing in a perfectly equal society.

Life After People (History) [Blu-ray]