Beyond the Box

4 Comments on “Right or Righteous?”

1. sidfaiwu
   December 1st, 2008 at 3:46 pm

   Hello Steve and Raborn,

   The first Matrix was amazing. Two was downhill, but salvageable, unfortunately, the third one didn’t salvage the series, but tossed it into the toilet. It was tragic because the third movie could have been mind-blowingly amazing with the proper plot. Oh, wait, this isn’t about movies…

   Oh, and “You can’t handle the truth” is from A Few Good Men, not Born on the Fourth of July. 😉

   Seriously though, thanks for another interesting episode. I’m trying to get certain members of my family to listen to your podcast, but I don’t think they quite get what podcasting is all about yet. They could really use some exposure to some Christians who critically examine their own beliefs.

   Steve, I don’t think you’re a post-modernist, but you seemed to resolved that during the cast. You both appear to have similar beliefs to my own on this topic. We believe there are absolute truths, but are skeptical about what those truths are. I just happen to be a bit more skeptical. Raborn’s saying on this was very nice, though.

   What you’re hitting on is the main problem with faith in general. Faith is the opposite of doubt and it’s taught as a virtue. Thus anything less than certainty about your beliefs can be perceived as un-virtuous. In a sense, skepticism is vilified.

   I’m curious though, why doesn’t your skepticism extend to the miraculous events described in the Bible, including the resurrection of Jesus? Let that be my idea suggestion that you requested at the end of the cast.

2. Big C
   December 2nd, 2008 at 1:46 pm

   I knew I loved you guys for a reason. I have been saying “The Matrix” series are equall to the parables that Jesus would use. Stories to illustrate a point – and been having “christians” mocking me for a long time. I am glad to find someone who has faith that sees it the same way.

   Sid – It all depends on why you watched the series. The first represented birth and was an action flick – also on the business side when made maybe a one shot deal. When they got the green light they wrote more story and depth which the action junkies hated. The second film is life, and the third is death. All three portray and deal with each of those aspects specifically and the philosophy behind each film is directly related to birth, life, or death.

   For me it is almost like saying “The book of matthew was tight, mark was good, luke could have been better, but the book of john really dropped the ball.” It is all different perspective and design.

3. sidfaiwu
   December 2nd, 2008 at 2:23 pm

   Hello Big C,

   Odd, I came away with completely the opposite impression. The first movie was the most philosophical and least action-packed, in my opinion. The original took the age-old mind-in-a-vat and placed into a sci-fi setting. It was brilliant! I saw no philosophy equal to that in either sequel. Meanwhile, the battle scenes in the squeals became more drawn out and more, well, ridiculous.

   If you set aside the fact that the plot of the first movie is simply the myth of Jesus’ death and resurrection repackaged, the final two were certainly more spiritual (and thus less philosophical). That may be why they appeal to the religious-minded more than they appeal to me.

   Here’s the blown chance: I present to you sidfaiwu’s alternate 3rd Matrix movie:

   Neo should have been a greater savior than even Morpheus could have imagined. He should have discovered that he and all the other ‘freed’ humans were not free of the matrix at all. The machines, knowing that there’s a fatal flaw in the Matrix that eventually allow a human to manipulate it, built a matrix within a matrix – a metamatrix. Neo should have been the first ‘chosen one’ from the inner matrix to begin to be able to manipulate the outer, metamatrix.

   Then his manipulation of the bots in the ‘real’ world (at the end of movie 2) would be explained the same way his manipulation of the inner matrix was. Instead, they invented a mysterious spiritual connection with the machines – a true Deus Ex Machina (in the literary sense). Also, his unconsciousness in the metamatrix should have been his awakening in the truly real world, where he must discover a way to truly free all humans.

   Okay, I’ve probably gone too far. Sorry Steve and Rayborn.

4. Steve
   December 2nd, 2008 at 2:34 pm

   Sid, you haven’t gone too far. Because the metamatrix is actually within yet another matrix. So with each layer of matrix from which one is “freed”, they simply find themselves in another matrix. In the end, the machines win. 😉

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