Thanking God -- Why bother?

[Equipped_4_Love]

So, earlier this evening, I was watching the movie Clerks.

I know, you guys.....what business do I have watching that kind of raunchy display of vulgarity, right? I make no excuses for this, I should not have been watching it, and I already told the Lord I was sorry. That aside, I made an observation that really bothered me, and I'm wondering what your opinion is.

At the end of the movie, during the closing credits, there was a list of thank you's, and first on that list was God. It said:

I would like to thank God, without whom none of this would be possible.

I found this statement ironic, and a bit ridiculous, considering the fact that the majority of the dialogue is a vast cornucopia of cursing and vulgaritu. It seems that 3 minutes can't go by without them blurting out the F word or the name of Jesus Christ.

Not only that, but there were plenty of perverse little scenarios, and the sexual innuendos of this film were absolutely disgusting...some of the stuff that the characters boasted about, or were really non-chalant about.

I just find it disturbing that after all of this, the producer would actually be thanking God, and giving Him credit for this movie. Is this guy serious? Does He actually think that God's hand of blessing was in this....or does he think that tacking God's name to this would earn him brownie points?

Last I knew, the guy who wrote and produced it was a proclaiming Catholic. I doubt that this kind of material would set well with the Catholic church, either.

This is not the only time I've seen people in the entertainment industry thanking God. A lot of musicians will thank God on their albums, when it is quite apparent that they are not honoring Him in their work. I doubt that everyone who thanks God is actually a Christian, or even religious.

So then, I guess my question is.....why bother thanking God, when you have really no personal relationship with Him?! People can sing about the most vulgar things, yet they thank God. Why?! Do they think that God will honor that, or is it just the thing to do?

What do you guys think?

[AngelAuthor]

Two reasons I can think of for the reprobate or uregenerate mind thanking God for their work:

1. To sucker other marginal Christians or people like them who THINK they're religious into being happy they did it

and

2. To try to convince themselves that they are righteous.

Many people out there don't know anything about God's true nature. They think the Bible is a book of suggestion and most of the stories in it are made up to inspire good behavior. They follow the teachings of Christ only on the most fundamental level of "be good to your neighbor" and think they are doing well.

[daughter]

I think Angyl is right... it's a method people use when they are trying to be righteous in their own eyes. It's something people have been doing throughout history. Recently I was reading Malachi, and it seems people were doing it back then.

Woe to them that call good evil, and evil good. I hope someone's been called to pray for the folks in that film... the "thanking" of God is just adding more condemnation to their sin.

It's disturbing, isn't it?

[Gauntlet]

No one has more fake religion than Madonna. It's all just titillation and self-promotion, especially when she did this during one of her live shows .... actually this goes beyond provocation or self-aggrandization ... this is blatant self-deification.

[karenoka27]

You hear it all the time at the Oscars or the Academy Awards..."I would like to thank God to whom without Him,I would not be standing here today."

And who knows the Lord could have allowed them to be in that position for His glory? However, I think of it like this. We are made up of body,mind and spirit. When we give thanks in public like that to "God?" we come off as being whole, and people respect that. They think that person has it all together.

I wonder though how much thanking they do when they are alone?

[Gauntlet]

Fake faith is somehow more odious than the lack of faith, isn't it?

[apothanein kerdos]

It's not fake faith - it's satirical faith.

If I remember correctly, Kevin Smith is an agnostic or an atheist - but he loves irony and satire. It's entirely possible he put that in as a joke.

[Equipped_4_Love]

It's not fake faith - it's satirical faith.

If I remember correctly, Kevin Smith is an agnostic or an atheist - but he loves irony and satire. It's entirely possible he put that in as a joke.

I heard an interview with him on the radio, and I think he mentioned that he was Catholic. I don't remember much of it, but it sounded like he still held to those beliefs.

AK -- did you see Dogma? It's obvious that he has had some religious background....probably raised in the Catholic church.

[Gauntlet]

Dogma was the kind of movie that would make Bill Maher smile.

[paidforinfull]

It's not fake faith - it's satirical faith.

If I remember correctly, Kevin Smith is an agnostic or an atheist - but he loves irony and satire. It's entirely possible he put that in as a joke.

Yes, I agree with this statement.

(They are in fact mocking God - not thanking Him.)

[Clavicula_Nox]

Dogma was the kind of movie that would make Bill Maher smile.

I don't know who Bill Maher is, but I presume he is of the most vile order of human kind, so I now ask, what was wrong with Dogma?

[Gauntlet]

I don't know who Bill Maher is, but I presume he is of the most vile order of human kind, so I now ask, what was wrong with Dogma?

I haven't seen the movie myself, but I have read the reviews at IMDB. It's one of those movies with a quasi-religious theme that utterly slanders and defiles its subject-matter.






What does Clavicula Nox mean, anway?

[Clavicula_Nox]

I haven't seen the movie myself, but I have read the reviews at IMDB. It's one of those movies with a quasi-religious theme that utterly slanders and defiles its subject-matter.






What does Clavicula Nox mean, anway?

I've seen it, I just don't see anything wrong with it.

When I first registered on this board, I was a pagan practicing rune magic. Clavicula Nox, in latin, means "The Leser Key of Night" and was relevant to that interest. I haven't asked the administrators to change it because it has become too recognizable with my posts after almost 4 years of posting; plus, I have no idea what I would change it to, I'm not very inventive with names.

[daughter]

How about Clavicula Lux? You're only little, next to God, but your testimony might be the little key that leads someone else to the light?

[apothanein kerdos]

I heard an interview with him on the radio, and I think he mentioned that he was Catholic. I don't remember much of it, but it sounded like he still held to those beliefs.

AK -- did you see Dogma? It's obvious that he has had some religious background....probably raised in the Catholic church.

He might be a faux Catholic. However, being familiar with his movies, it wouldn't surprise me if it was done satirically.

After all, a man who mocked cultural Christianity with the "Buddy Christ," so I wouldn't be surprised if his thanking of God was satirical.