"Yikes! I Might Be...Militia!"
Burgess Meredith, the late actor who played “The Penguin” in the original “Batman” television series, plays the role of a conservative Christian branded as “The Obsolete Man” in a same-name episode of The Twilight Zone television series I watched on the SciFi Channel this afternoon. While watching the classic episode, which aired for the first time June 2, 1961, I couldn’t help but notice the many similarities between characters portraying representatives of an all-powerful, Godless government (a.k.a., “The State”) and the liberals who make up the current administration of President Barack Obama.
Hmmm? The State oppressing a conservative Christian? Talk about life imitating art.
Watch the video, shown in three parts below, and see if you agree.
11 responses so far ↓
1 Alex // Jul 4, 2009 at 7:07 pm
Wow, what a reach. It’s incredible that a nation where Christians make up about two thirds of the population and where their mythology infects almost every aspect of society that this overwhelming majority can somehow feel oppressed and discriminated against. It’s unbelievable.
2 hotoffthepress2 // Jul 4, 2009 at 7:27 pm
Mythology? Christianity is no myth. I encourage you to visit Salvation Link to learn more about it.
3 Alex // Jul 4, 2009 at 7:41 pm
This is the case in point. The conservative movement lost steam when faith and adherence to 2000 year old dogma became more important than financial solvency and actual issues. The message of the current Republican party is that if you don’t believe in the antiquated notions of literal Christian doctrine, then you aren’t welcome here. And this is why our movement and our party are in the dire straits we are today.
In 2008 the weaker candidate won not because of issues but because of faith. If we don’t reclaim our party from these nuts, we can kiss 2010 and 2012 goodbye also.
4 hotoffthepress2 // Jul 4, 2009 at 8:49 pm
Alex, you’re dashing all over the place — at one point, saying Christianity is a myth, then blaming conservative Christian for the actions of the Republican Party during the 2008 election. What’s next? Are you going to say conservative Christians bombed Pearl Harbor? I’m no more enamored by the Republican Party today than you are, but to blame conservatives and Christians — and to call Christianity “antiquated” — makes no sense. Again, I say, spend some time at Salvation Links. You’ll be better off for it in the end.
5 Alex // Jul 4, 2009 at 9:39 pm
I am well versed in Christianity and the origins of the Gospels and their true origins in previous cultures as well. This is partially why I am not a believer, in addition to the fact that being a believer in Christianity forces one to renounce principal tenets of biology, astronomy, physics, geology and many other areas of science as well.
Second off, I challenge the basic premise of this post. How do we know that “the State” in this episode is liberal or that Wordsworth is conservative. The Chancellor makes no mention of his politics and counts both Hitler AND Stalin as his predecessors. Wordsworth makes no mention of his politics either; he could be liberal or conservative. The only thing we know for sure about him is that he is a librarian (a liberal profession, as seen by the politics of the ALA) and a Christian.
Assuming that a Christian is conservative is the reason that our party is currently failing. Take 2008 for example. Despite the average man’s perspective, Obama is more Christian than McCain. McCain had no real connection to true Christianity before seeking national office. And yet it is our party that was branded the party of faith and anti-science. And this is why we lost. True conservatism and even neo-conservatism has nothing to do with Christianity in principle and it’s time we recognized this.
6 hotoffthepress2 // Jul 4, 2009 at 9:44 pm
Alex, we’re gonna have to agree to disagree. The gulf is too wide.
7 democratsarefascists // Jul 5, 2009 at 3:48 pm
“Alex” is not a Republican.
8 Jim Durbin // Jul 6, 2009 at 9:26 am
Alex misses the point of the episode. It’s about someone who understands the importance of individual thought instead of conforming to the wishes of the state.
Alex is welcome to believe whatever he wishes, which is the point. This episode talks about the integrity of each person, and the how the need for government control ultimately leads to violence. It ends with hope that the false promise of government control can be exposed, and presumably, defeated.
When a state decides it can tell you what to believe, what to say, and punish you for speaking your mind, it has lost legitimacy.
9 hotoffthepress2 // Jul 6, 2009 at 9:37 am
Great comment, Jim.
10 Richard // Jul 6, 2009 at 11:01 am
Alex is completely right. Christianity is mythology just as any other religion is. From those who worshipped Baal and Ashera, to the Greeks, to the Norse. It’s all just stories people made up to understand a mysterious world. Now that we understand so much more, historically and scientifically, religion really has no value in any broad sense. On a personal level? Sure, if you want to. But please don’t try to impose your fairytales on my government.
11 An Obsolete Man...ME! // Aug 5, 2009 at 12:32 pm
“…being a believer in Christianity forces one to renounce principal tenets of biology, astronomy, physics, geology and many other areas of science as well.”
Whoa…just a second here guys. I’m not sure where you are getting your information, but the founding scientists of all those fields were avowed Christians, and NONE of these fields are at odds with Christianity, unless you mean one of the sects that “interprets” the Bible into a very strange and twisted “religion” of it’s “leader.” And like politicians, they are on TV all the time.
I am not going to “preach” to you or volley in this forum because A) I don’t have time and B) it can’t be resolved in 100o words or less. But if you will dig deep enough scientifically and Biblically, you will find that they support each other IF taken at face value, and if chased logically to their ultimate conclusion, which will be an ongoing process since neither “perspective” has even come close to the end…or the beginning, for that matter.
First it was the Big Bang, then Quantum Leaps of Strings and then a collision of the ‘Branes. And now looking for the Higg’s bosun.
Science is fun! So is Theology. BOTH are a search for “truth.” We have facts on both sides…”evidence,” but not “proof.” “Reality” will never have “proof” empirically. I can’t “prove” that I existed yesterday. I have evidence, but no Tardis.
BTW – Yes, it’s convenient t0 compare Christianity to the other “religious” myths. But as C.S. Lewis and even Joseph Campbell pointed-out, just because it’s a “myth” doesn’t mean it isn’t true. We accept the existence of Plato and Aristotle on about 1/10,000 of the “evidence” that we have for Christianity.
I guess I should apologize for interjecting myself into this debate, but since I do know the Man personally, and do believe that His purpose is NOT religious, but personal, our mandate is to introduce Him to as many people as possible.
Don’t reject Him until you know Him. NOT the ‘church,’ not the “religion,” but Jesus.
Get to know Him. I challenge you to challenge Him (not me – I’m terrible at arguing and as a man I am very non-impressive) regarding His existence. Come on, go right to the source. Don’t be afraid. If He’s not there, you’ll a least get to have good laugh at that my expense! You can have a beer with your buddies and tell them about some moron on the internet who thinks…etc.etc…
But if He is….”reality” takes on a new meaning.
And look up “Pascal’s Wager” while you’re at it.
And back to the original premise, the alleged contradiction and mutual exclusivity of Christianity and science, there is one of the places I go for resolution of these questions:
http://reasons.org
If you’ve been there already, you know that it’s staff consists of Scientists, meaning they have PhD’s in their field.
Random Googling will bring-up all manner of strange “Christian” websites. But at http://equip.org you’ll find somethings that give straight answers starting from the theological perspective, including the one that is mentioned in the Bible. There are two “books” given use to discover Truth: The Bible and the Book of Nature. BOTH are included and I will guarantee you that ultimately the two will become one. If not, we can have a Presidential BeerSummit and I’m buying. I’ll even throw in Buffalo Wings and Kamakzi shooters.
So anyway. Take the Pepsi Challenge. If you are brave enough. If I’m wrong, we all die, the universe ends, the stars go out and eternal nothingness reigns. Who cares? Life is meaningless, we create our own purpose, our own morality, there are no constraints, no consequences, reality has no means to judge “right” or “wrong” or even define those terms. There is no rationality. We are a cosmic accident, it’s equally “moral” to help an old lady across the street or throw her under the bus (Sartre, not me.) We are ruled by our own strength of will (Nietzsche) or lack thereof.
Oh I just read Richard’s comment above…that’s so funny! That argument has been used for since…wow…at least the 13th century, and if I had time to write any more I could find it earlier…that we are now so smart that we can dismiss superstitious attempts to explain the “unknown” as “magic!” Like electricity….it’s “magic,” be afraid! Worship the Light (Sun, Moon, Twig, whatever.)
There’s always a lot of truth in fairy tales, but I don’t remember any fairies in the Bible. Besides, fairy tales usually have a happy ending. Not so in the Bible. But it’s up to you, no one can force their beliefs on you, but that works both ways.
Dude, where has the time gone! I am so behind on my work. But one more time…take the challenge. I probably will never be back at this site again, even though I quite like it!
And there’s a Dr Who marathon on that I refuse to miss. As a Christian, I am not bound by mere materialism. I’m quite happy with what current science can’t explain. Therefore I live unbound by a closed universe :)
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