Has anyone else seen the movie Agora? (IMDB page)
If not, I highly recommend it. The rest of this post could be consider a 'spoiler'.
It is the story of atheist philosopher/astronomer/mathematician Hypatia of Alexandria (played by Rachel Weisz). She was teaching (the only woman) at the Great Library when the resident 'pagans' decided to cleanse the city of the pesky Christians. Unfortunately, there were far more Christians than they thought and the Christians won. As the new rulers of the city, the first act of the Christians was the storming of the Library and the destruction of all that filthy 'pagan knowledge'.
Much to the chagrin of the Christians, Hypatia continued her research and teaching, if on a smaller scale, and remained a trusted advisor to their Prefect.
A few years pass and the Christians, with all the tolerance we love them for, decided to force the stubborn Jews to accept Jesus and be baptized, be stoned to death, or flee from the city. But without the Jews to push around the Christians began to turn on each other (No True Scotsman is born).
But wait! There is something far worse. Hypatia, the non-believer. The witch!
It was a a great movie that did a very good job of showing how religion and intolerance stifle and condemn the quest for knowledge. I give it 4 Stars.
If not, I highly recommend it. The rest of this post could be consider a 'spoiler'.
It is the story of atheist philosopher/astronomer/mathematician Hypatia of Alexandria (played by Rachel Weisz). She was teaching (the only woman) at the Great Library when the resident 'pagans' decided to cleanse the city of the pesky Christians. Unfortunately, there were far more Christians than they thought and the Christians won. As the new rulers of the city, the first act of the Christians was the storming of the Library and the destruction of all that filthy 'pagan knowledge'.
Much to the chagrin of the Christians, Hypatia continued her research and teaching, if on a smaller scale, and remained a trusted advisor to their Prefect.
A few years pass and the Christians, with all the tolerance we love them for, decided to force the stubborn Jews to accept Jesus and be baptized, be stoned to death, or flee from the city. But without the Jews to push around the Christians began to turn on each other (No True Scotsman is born).
But wait! There is something far worse. Hypatia, the non-believer. The witch!
It was a a great movie that did a very good job of showing how religion and intolerance stifle and condemn the quest for knowledge. I give it 4 Stars.
