Subtle Blaphemy...?

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I had just finished watching episode 7 of Firefly (“Jaynestown”) and started strolling around the web. However, I saw some users on the official website asking if one of this very episode lines (quick resumè: one of the charachters, Jayne, finds out he’s the hero a town and a statue was made in his honor due to a misunderstanding. Later, despite the truth being revealed, one of the townspeople still saves Jayne life by taking a gunshot in his place.) On the ship, as Jayne wonders why he would do that, his captain says :《It’s my estimation that every man who’s ever had a statue made out of him was a son of a **** in a way or another. It’s not about you, it’s about what they need》. While I’m not so sure that it is also stealthilt aimed (despite his numerous statues, like Rio’s) at Jesus as well (because, despite the creator Joss Whedon being a staunch atheist, he also created for the show the beautiful charachter of Shepherd Book, a wise and witty pastor who often acts as the “voice of reason” and as psychological helper…it would be pretty jarring to demean Christianity at this point, no?) I wanted, out of curiosity, to ask it here…
Do you think it is stealthily blasphemous or not?
 
You have to bear in mind that the character who said that was Malcolm Reynolds, who in the very first few minutes of the pilot (the flashback) was shown to be possibly a very religious man (he was shown kissing a cross he wore around his neck), but by the time we get to the ‘real time’, he’s quite bitter and cynical (probably stemming from the Browncoats losing the war.) I always got the impression that his faith took a hard hit (which is why he’s both rather drawn to the Shepard and antagonistic towards him at the same time). Had the show lasted longer, this aspect of Malcolm likely would’ve been explored more in-depth.

ETA: Also, remember by the time of the show, Earth-that-Was is a distant memory, and Malcolm Reynolds may not have even known the statue at Rio de Janerio ever existed. 🙂
 
Goldenhope said:
Do you think it is stealthily blasphemous or not?
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Well, no. I didn’t watch the show, but if the character didn’t point to a religious statue or mention Jesus, I would not suspect it even remotely refers to Jesus. The worst I can say is that it’s mediocre TV script-writing.
 
I don’t think Jesus ever commissioned a statue of himself.
 
I think the quote is referring to mortal men only. We (humans all around the world) have had some doozies in the past. And probably in the present, I’m just not aware of them.

And even Jayne is kerflummoxed by the statue.
 
Goldenhope said:
I had just finished watching episode 7 of Firefly (“Jaynestown”) and started strolling around the web. However, I saw some users on the official website asking if one of this very episode lines (quick resumè: one of the charachters, Jayne, finds out he’s the hero a town and a statue was made in his honor due to a misunderstanding. Later, despite the truth being revealed, one of the townspeople still saves Jayne life by taking a gunshot in his place.) On the ship, as Jayne wonders why he would do that, his captain says :《It’s my estimation that every man who’s ever had a statue made out of him was a son of a **** in a way or another. It’s not about you, it’s about what they need》. While I’m not so sure that it is also stealthilt aimed (despite his numerous statues, like Rio’s) at Jesus as well (because, despite the creator Joss Whedon being a staunch atheist, he also created for the show the beautiful charachter of Shepherd Book, a wise and witty pastor who often acts as the “voice of reason” and as psychological helper…it would be pretty jarring to demean Christianity at this point, no?) I wanted, out of curiosity, to ask it here…
Do you think it is stealthily blasphemous or not?
Click to expand...
I don’t think it’s blasphemous, I think he just doesn’t like Michael Jordan for whatever reason,
 
Bonnie said:
:confused: I need that one explained to me. I’m not up on most popular culture. 🙂
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It’s not exactly pop culture. Michael Jordan was a basketball player in the 90s . He has a statue. So does Lincoln and George Washington I guess.
 
Hoosier_Daddy said:
It’s not exactly pop culture. Michael Jordan was a basketball player in the 90s . He has a statue. So does Lincoln and George Washington I guess.
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Haven’t had a tv since the early 80’s, nor do I follow sports. What teams do Lincoln & Washington play for? :whacky:
 
Bonnie said:
Haven’t had a tv since the early 80’s, nor do I follow sports. What teams do Lincoln & Washington play for? :whacky:
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Lincoln played for the north.
Washington for the colonists.
 
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