Is Mal really an atheist? by Esther

FIREFLY EPISODE DISCUSSIONS

Is Mal really an atheist?

POSTED BY: ESTHER
UPDATED: Wednesday, August 23, 2006 14:36
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Tuesday, August 8, 2006 6:57 AM

It's hard to say if he's an athiest or not, because he's bitter as hell - no pun intended. It's not about believing or not believing. I think that Mal feels that God turned his back on him at Serenity Valley, so he has turned his back on God; utterly and completely. He hasn't just stopped believing, he's shut him out of his life forever.

If he *does* still believe in God then that must make him unbelievably angry.

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Tuesday, August 8, 2006 7:26 AM

NVGHOSTRIDER

Skipping all the other arguments.
From what Mal says about god on occasion, I don't think he's an atheist.
He's mad at god. He acknowledges gods existance when he'd rather not.
Just my opinion.

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Tuesday, August 8, 2006 7:46 AM

AKREDHEAD

wow...very interesting topic...

As far as going from having blind faith in God to having no belief...I don't know if it is really that hard.

Would it be hard to be a non-believer converted to a believer? And so would the opposite be just as hard?

I had a teacher who was once an atheist and then became a catholic practically over night...he had a profound spiritual experience and that's that...

Mal too had a profound spiritual experience at Serenity Valley...

I do NOT think Mal is an atheist rather I think Mal doesn't have faith that God wants good things and that God is benevolent. Mal obviously has a distrust of God and basically as was said early is "anti-God."

Mal certainly doesn't think of notions like the "lamb of God" or that God is looking out for us...he probably believes God will do whatever he/she wants and we're just pawns in the silly game of life.

BUt then...maybe I'm projecting my own belief system onto a show that I love...

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Sunday, August 20, 2006 4:09 PM

DISCARIOT

I'd say that only a believer could hate God that much, since his attitude seems to reflect more than just anger directed at a foolish or destructive idea: It seems personal.

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Tuesday, August 22, 2006 5:11 AM

RUGBUG

My perspective is that Mal is a petulant child who didn't get his way. He thought he was fighting a righteous war and there was no way the other side, the evil-doers, could succeed. When they did, he threw a tantrum. He was the innocent child who had a very naive view of the world. The loss at Serenity made him grow up, but also ripped away any remaining innocence.

I think it is a bit of commentary on how flimsy some people's faith is. If God disappoints, or doesn't conform to expectations, they quickly turn away to follow their own path.

***************
"The power of accurate observation is commonly called cynicism by those who have not got it." - George Bernard Shaw

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Wednesday, August 23, 2006 2:36 PM

TRAVELER

Hello Rugbug:

I think you got to heart of this show. Everyone sees how immature Jayne is, but all of us suffer from it. Humans can grab a hold of pride and run it into the ground. So just as all of us have immaturity, so does the entire crew of Serenity. And each episode is a lesson. Some learn the hard way, Jayne. Some learn with baby steps, Kaylee. I mention Kaylee because I've read posts where some people feel Kaylee treats Simon bad. Kaylee is young and I get the feeling her parents weren't much in the way of teaching morals. They let her run off with this rogue captain shows little concern for her. Kaylee appears more mature than her age would indicate. Book left the abby because he needed more. He wasn't finding the answers he was looking for in a cloister. So he knew he had leason to learn.

Mal was trying to run away. This is foolish. How can you run away from yourself? But people entered his life. He calls them crew. But buy his definition it means family. He has never escaped. He has new people to be responsible for. They are there to help him mature. And to help each other mature. This is how I see the main theme of the show. Serenity is the stage and that is where they perform.

I hope I didn't get to far off the topic. I don't remember hearing Mal say he doesn't believe in God. He just doesn't have any use for Him, because he feels God let him down, after Serenity Valley. I have been there. And I believed in God. Just told him I would ignor him and he better ignor me. For a believer it is a foolish way to behave. Immature.

Hopefully never to be that foolish again
Traveler

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