Posted by Wellington at p114-83a-w.yosemite.reshall.calpoly.edu on February 11, 2000 at 02:50:14:
In Reply to: question posted by shark22 on February 11, 2000 at 02:15:24:
: Dear Mr. Smith:
I'm not Kevin but I'll do my best...
: I have a question regarding society. What do you think are the reasons for protest against your movie? Is society in that much fear of its own lack of belief in religion that a movie could destroy their foundation and their faith be shown as a fake? or could it be that they are like Plato's Allegory of the Cave theory, with society again as the cavemen, but they are unwilling to see the truth and light for fear that they may know that their religion is fake and they use religion to fit in and become a obedient society. Henry David Thoreau wrote a essay "Civil Disobedience" where he stated that it is the right of a person to fight unjust laws and beliefs. Do you have that belief when you produce the movies you do?
People protested about and against Dogma because the religious views within the movie lie somewhat outside the box. Take the idea that Kevin wrote that Mary and Joseph had sex after the birth of Christ. Given the time and the situation of that era, it seems highly plausible. As a protestant (although that may colour my view) I can take that idea into consideration. However, some of the protestors were so rigid and inflexible that the idea of The Virgin Mary having sex through their world for a loop. But the real kicker is that because this idea came forth in a movie, the protestors thought that it was being forced on them. As Rufus said in Dogma, beliefs can be a dangerous thing, people will do extreme things to protect them. But then again, the words belief and idea reflect on how poorly the english language attempts to deal with an abstract...
: Thoreau also wrote the a obedient society is doomed because unjust laws are put on us and if we are unwilling to fight back all is lost. Do you feel that you are a fighter? If so for what?
Don't get me started on Thoreau. If the man had cannabis or hemp up at Walden, he would have stayed longer and thought of more fucked up ideas. Him and all the damn transcendentalists, all were potheads.
Imagine that...Meliville and Thoreau taking hits from a bong and passing it to Hawthorne...
Cheers,
-Wellington