Paul, and thoughts about Horseshit
We watched the movie “Paul” last night on DVD. I had forgotten how good it was. We spent much of the movie looking out for the Easter Eggs – the numerous references to science fiction movies laced throughout.
Paul is kind of an interesting movie to me, because I have several friends that are inolved with churches, and they universally didn't like it. I can understand why – the movie mocks creationism, or any kind of religious belief really. It doesn't go as far as openly mocking religion – but it does strongly question beliefs pushed on others.
There is a scene where the character “Ruth” is preaching her beliefs at the toilet door from which Paul (who she has not met yet) has just shouted “Horseshit” in reponse to her claiming the Earth is 4,000 years old;
RUTH : Nothing you can so or do can shake my belief, or faith in the sure and certain knowledge that God made Heaven and earth and created us all in His own image.
PAUL : Oh yeah? (stepping out of the toilet) Well then how do you explain me?
It's an incredibly funny scene, not least because she immediately faints in horror, and he shouts “That's Jengawitnesses Paul bring Graham back from the dead – and immediately holds his Bible to the sky, proclaiming a miracle. Paul's shoulders drop, and he shakes his head before muttering, and walking off...
I can't help but feel the same frustrations with friends I know who attend Church, and hold such steadfast faith in the version of the universe they choose to believe in. It's difficult, because we are never supposed to question another's faith. We might think “that's horseshit”, but we are not allowed to say it – and so far I have not said it. So far.