of gods and men (2010) - France

Of Gods and Men is a "deja vu" experience to some extent of seeing 
"White Material" with Isabelle Huppert.

This movie is set in Algeria and speaks to the lack of merit in 
Christian crusades where such efforts are clearly not welcome ultimately.

We do learn something of the Moslem religion, as koranic verses
are read by Arabic speakers citing such versus as those that require "good deeds"
from its followers. Is better to teach that good deeds indeed are the measure of
a good soul, rather than what some fundamentalist Christian churches lead their
followers to believer instead - that it is not your deeds but gods own grace
based on some other measure that  saves you. (As long as you believe the story
of Christ and accept this - that is all you need as some say) Nonsense - anyone
that is truly with a spiritual conviction of real merit will show it by the proof
of the lives they wish to lead - not the substitute membership in some club 
instead - where such proof isn't required for some reason it would seem. 
Perhaps I got it wrong.

On the other hand, what are the good deeds required of Moslems according to 
their own teachings? If the killing of the priests without just enough cause
as seen in this movie is not seen as an anathema to any idea of good deeds, 
then we have a definition that is to my own mind rather self-serving for some
that would misuse religious interpretations of spiritual ideas - and devoid of
meaning in objective sense to what is fair enough humanist ideology in his respect.
Such killings speak clearly to a  lack of spiritually good thinking and a lack of 
humanly sort of conscience I say.  And for further examples, what about 
the floggings that take place in similar areas for nothing more than taking
a glass of wine with your dinner. A then there's the matter of judicial amputations
for those accused (no doubt wrongly at least some of the time) - how can
this be described as "the doing of good deeds" by moslems that engage in such
barbaric practices even today in the 21st century. In some areas controlled
by "sharia law" which many moslems propose to live by, even the listening to
music is forbidden as a no-no (where's the sense in that in respect of quality
and meaning and purpose to life) - in respect of any idea of doing so called
"good deeds" of this idea equally? What about stonings to death for so-
called adultery? Is this anyone's defensible enough idea of "the doing
of good deeds"? I daresay not. No sense in it as reasonable rational
humanely "truly good god like" thinking whatsoever.

Ultimately the message of White material and "Of Gods and Men" is the same.
The people of France Germany Italy etc are naive to think they can do any
better than to stay away from such efforts in those regions where they 
are unwelcome for lack of any real chance of ever achieving understanding
that goes beyond the intervals of time when whatever mutual tolerance there
is, is feigned - pending inevitable conflict between those involved that are
alien to one another's being ultimately and  this isn't a gap that can
be bridged by any idea of bold seeming yet naive pioneers as it were - or 
anyone else I daresay. There are enough that need social conditions improved
within our own EU borders and within other poorer European countries that
are in in need - rather than going off elsewhere with scarce talent of
really rightly caring people and resources generally, at this point in time.
Why not Eastern Germany, Spain, Rome  mainly? (Charity begins at home eh!)

By the way, not to be remiss in not saying so - the promotion
of acceptance of deviant sexuality is never going to have the same
reception eslewhere as they are in fact endowed of different sanity
in regards to what is normal for them to accept based on their own 
congenital reality I believe...

Michael Rizzo Chessman
moviesbyrizzo