How Avatar: The Last Airbender Prepares Kids for the Gospel

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[@mrHugefro]

I’m not a Christian I am an avatar fan. I thought your analysis was unique and insightful. Thank you!

[@JulianGentry]

I appreciate that, and especially that you took the time to leave a comment. Thanks to you too!

[@gapple1733]

I cannot deny that the stories bear many similarities, and Avatar may have even taken inspiration from the tale, but Avatar also took inspiration from "Footloose" when creating the headband episode, so I think "preparing kids for the gospel" is a bit of an stretch. I mean, it's not like Lion King prepares kids for Hamlet.

[@JulianGentry]

Perhaps. I don't think that a kid comes away from the show eager to read the Bible. But there's something to be said about kid's shows teaching timeless truths. I believe when people genuinely search for the truth, they come to know God. That's why I think the show can set kids on the right path.

[@johnnyperry1471]

@@JulianGentry You realize the lessons are from a completely different religion though, right? It's not saying seek God for inner peace. It is saying seek detachment to find inner peace. Thats Hindi. God has nothing to do with it. Historically speaking every lesson that you see in the bible that seems similar is because they were literally borrowed from older religions. Avatar isn't going to make me see that only God can save me from his own persecution.

[@gapple1733]

@@JulianGentry A story and the morals it tells are independent of the religion they originated from, and a story taking inspiration from a religious story doesn't necessarily mean that the story aims to convert people to that religion. Also, I just need to rant about this: "I believe when people genuinely search for the truth, they come to know God" And I believe when people genuinely search for the truth, they come to the atheist conclusion. And Muslims would believe that of an Islamic conclusion, And Ancient Greeks would come to conclusion of Zeus. Yes, the stories found in Christianity have moral lessons, but to define Christianity as "the right path" *the* implying that other religions have it wrong, is a bit wrong-headed. And it is kind of ironic considering that Avatar is primarily based on eastern cultures and religion. I don't want this to come across as aggressive, just stern.

[@Pardies007]

When I clicked on this video I received an Avatar commercial.

[@dianacosta2302]

Oh hunney

[@JulianGentry]

Yes?

[@crimsondragon1794]

gonna point out this is EXTREMELY wrong. as the avatar the last airbender series is based off eastern beliefs and ideology. not christian in any way shape or form.

[@JulianGentry]

Do you think, however, that there is still some common truth is both of them? I understand ATLA isn't a Christian show (it has chakras after all), but it talks about finding our true destinies, and so does the Bible. That's the connection point I wanted to make.

[@crimsondragon1794]

@@JulianGentry that is a shaky connection at best. as so does many fantasy novels and shows talk about finding destiny. it's called a narrative trope. a tool to make the story more engaging.

[@skepticalcentral8795]

​@@crimsondragon1794I agree completely. Just because a show has good messages, fantastic themes, and is a good teacher of morals, it doesn't automatically allow any pious person to claim it as a favorable part of their religion. It's just an addition to the unproven claim that "Religion X is quite prevelant in my nation of birth, I was inducted into Religion X at a young age, I and most people in my nation are relatively morally homogenous despite there being many non-members, therefore Religion X is the source for the morality of all Religion X's followers and that of non-followers, and by extension the messages in the art they both create." It's purely a moral appropriation of the work of others, be they Christian or not. Confucious taught a very similar virtue to the Christian-adopted "Golden Rule," never needing the authority of any god or the permission of a prophet to teach it. Many Christians will bring forth the idea of the Holy Spirit being at play, but bringing in the idea of morality as a dictated part of an external authority denies the foundation of morality that we as humans have cultivated ourselves.

[@orlandoguitron4795]

Christianity derives from eastern cultures and eastern ideals. If you look at the studies of the Buddha and Buddhism, you can see even more similarities. Sorry it’s not talking about the Bible

[@JulianGentry]

I said this in another comment, so I'll be brief. I don't think kids come out of ATLA eager to read the Bible, but they do (hopefully) come out of it understanding some truths about the world. And a genuine search for truth always leads to God. Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment. I really do appreciate it. :)

[@skepticalcentral8795]

​@@JulianGentryI would disagree. I've known honest ex-Christians who would very openly tell you that an honest search for truth leads to Islam, Atheism, Buddhism, or Judaism. There's no need to inject the idea of the search for truth leading to one fixed outcome. It denies our situations and differences.

[@Retromman]

Amazing.

[@JandroD]

Idk whats the problem with the commentors, but you made really good points about Christianity and ATLA in this video! I know youre not trying to "prove it's right" you're just exploring and comparing the themes, stories and lessons and that's okay! Dude God bless you.

[@JulianGentry]

Thanks. Much appreciated

[@Dark_Slayer3000]

I love this show!!

[@JulianGentry]

Haha thanks!

[@joshuabarnes1486]

I think this video and some of the replies in the comments highlight a larger issue with Christianity. Most Christian’s have this weird need to quash any other truth than their own. If you talk with other religious people, for the most part they are happy to share, but respectful of others beliefs. This video essay is disingenuous, or just incorrect at best. The connections you’re making are a stretch and obviously inspired from other beliefs. Ex Christian btw

[@JulianGentry]

What truth am I trying to quash in this video?

[@JandroD]

I sense much bias in this.

[@coldpumpkin1176]

This is awsiem

[@dreariestcoma9254]

I also lost myself in my Christian faith and thought my destiny was set in stone. It wasn't until I left it behind that I found myself and became the master of my own destiny, not to the whims of a what I realized was a fictional tyrant. Avatar: The Last Airbender prepared me for taking off my self-imposed blinders and seeing the world in a whole new and beautiful way, not the soiled rags the Bible taught me it was.

[@JulianGentry]

What part of the Bible made you think it was from a fictional tyrant?

[@skepticalcentral8795]

​@@JulianGentryNon-believer here, I second that! I'd love to compare and chat.😆

[@DumpsterJedi]

@@JulianGentry how about the contradictions contained within the Bible? If God is all knowing and all powerful and all loving and created a world with suffering then gave us free will but eternally punishes people for choosing anything but his "love" then he is a tyrant. An ultimatum is not a choice, love is not conditional and free will cannot exist if everything we do is predetermined.

[@dreariestcoma9254]

@JulianGentry I think it starts pretty early in Genesis, where the god condemns all future humans to a lake of burning fire for the disobedience of two humans who did not even have the knowledge of good and evil. It continues throughout the OT where the same god plays favorites with one specific people, and commands them to conquer and genocide their way through the middle east, commands them perform blood sacrifices, kill infants, women and men but keep the virgin girls as spoils of war. Very tyrannical. The kind of deity I would expect an ancient warlike tribe to invent.

[@JandroD]

Now that just sucks.

[@SeraphManEXE]

Except, by this point Zuko has already shaken off the "false destiny put upon him by his father." It would be more accurate to say this was Zuko shaking off the last of the false teaching he was raised upon, and learning to let his drive (fire) be fueled by life and energy rather than anger and destruction. Also, saying your purpose is X, and then achieving X does not then make one worthless. Pushing aside for a moment the idea of placing a value on a person via their "purpose," you can find new purpose in life. Plus, if achieving your purpose then makes you worthless, why would anyone bother? The beautiful thing about life's purpose is that it's your life. You get to decide what that purpose is. And if you find that your purpose no longer suits you, you can change it. Zuko taught us that. He changed his purpose on his own. His uncle guided him, yes, but ultimately he made the decision himself.

[@JulianGentry]

What, in your opinion, is the reason for purpose? What makes choosing your own destiny worthy?

[@SeraphManEXE]

@@JulianGentry We are what makes choosing our own destiny worthy. We give value unto things such as purpose or destiny. The reason for purpose is whatever we, individually, give to purpose.

[@DumpsterJedi]

Avatar: The Last Airbender draws from eastern philosophy, and you're over here trying to shoehorn Judeo-Christian stories into it? When so much media in the west already draws from western traditions, why are you taking one of the few eastern inspired works and westernizing it? I just don't understand why a work about reincarnation and Taoist themes should be retrofitted to discuss the holy trinity, sins and Paul when tons of other things are built around the themes you want to discuss. You're sticking to surface level evaluation of ATLA then warping that surface level analysis to fit your biblical narrative and I think this is doing a disservice to the point you want to make and the show. 3/10

[@JulianGentry]

If Christianity pointed to the truth of Taoism instead, wouldn't you want to talk about it? I see the truth in ATLA (a western show by the way) and how it touches on the same thing Paul did. Why shouldn't I be able to make that connection?

[@DumpsterJedi]

@@JulianGentry because as an atheist I don't believe in any region's mythology as anything more than allegory- sure there are great life lessons, but once you shut off the critical thinking part of your brain through faith, you miss the forest for the trees. I know it was created in the west, I said it draws from eastern themes. It would be like if you tried to make a case for the Power Rangers being like Jesus and his disciples because you want to talk about Jesus and his disciples even though the work doesn't actually fit. You'd be doing so many contortions to the Power Rangers to make it fit that comparison.

[@found.ernest]

Son Warriors

[@voltekthecyborg7898]

I love how he has a picture of Jesus juking the devil

[@JTJnyce-nn3ln]

Zuko was my favorite character

[@JulianGentry]

Mine too

[@DominicJewell-p2e]

I'm still an avatar tla fan and said since 2005 and after the finale in 2008 and turning 14 that this show despite growing up and going into the adult world and the he opinions of adults this is my all-time favorite show. And because of the adult themes put into a child's animation. The morality and story was beyond anything Reallife action shows offered. And no it's not necessaryly the reason I accepted the gospel but a door opener and I always felt led that God wanted me to see this not the other garbage.

[@JulianGentry]

Great comment. I love the show too! Grew up with it. I agree that ATLA isn't gonna be the thing that makes someone a Christian, but like you said it's a door opener. Well said.