A long time ago, in a galaxy redundantly far away… humans evolved (somehow.) One of the earliest foxhole atheists was Han Solo. Potentially the first foxhole atheist.
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“Hokey religions and ancient weapons are no match for a good blaster at your side, kid.”
The artwork itself is inspired by The Brian Jonestown Massacre’s cover art for their 1998 LP “Strung out in Heaven”. In case you are unfamiliar, they are probably in the top 5 bands that ever existed. They are better than the Beatles. Lead singer Anton Newcombe explains tongue-in-cheek “The Beatles were for sale. I give it away.”
…
Brian Jonestown Massacre – Got My Eye On You
All of their songs fit into one or more of these categories:
- Heroin/other drugs but mostly heroin
- Jesus/God (close second)
- Girls (distant third)
Perhaps not bigger than the Beatles, but certainly bigger than Jesus. In the vein of Spacemen 3′s Taking Drugs to Make Music to Take Drugs To, BJM mainline proto-punkers like Velvet Underground too.
Here’s a good song that seems to touch on all three.
Brian Jonestown Massacre – Oh Lord
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10 comments
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Irene Delse
January 13, 2012 at 1:38 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Han Solo, atheist! That’s awesome, Justin. Even though I loved those movies, I hadn’t made the connection.
Zach Sneddon
January 13, 2012 at 2:28 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
I quote that line frequently. :)
noastronomer
January 13, 2012 at 2:53 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Though frankly the universe that Star Wars is set in and the timing of Star Wars episode IV -- A New Hope after episode III -- Revenge of the Sith really doesn’t belies Han’s attitude.
In this universe Force usage is not something that’s been absent for thousands of years. Force usage is real, with concrete evidence to vouch for it’s existence.
Episode III ends with Luke’s birth. Episode IV starts around 18-20 years later since that’s how old Luke is. Han should easily be able to recall a time when the Jedi roamed the galaxy.
waifu
January 13, 2012 at 3:06 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
All of you need to nerd out to music more. Seriously. I reached a new level of nerdgasm with this post. Star Wars was entry level.
Salmo
January 13, 2012 at 3:31 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
noastronomer, what you have to remember is that at the time Han Solo said that, the Jedi were an obscure and dying order who hadn’t been a power for hundreds of years. Lucas didn’t decide it was 16 years ago until long after he wrote that.
JMH
January 13, 2012 at 3:41 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Hey! He never converted! He just acknowledged the evidence of their superpowers.
It’d be like a guy in ancient egypt going “Huh, that’s some pretty sparks you’ve got there, but I’m still not sure about the gods”. (If my understanding of theories of batteries in pyramids is at all current anymore.) You can accept the evidence without buying into the trappings and morality.
Otherwise, he’d never bang Leia. ;-)
One can even make a case that Stars Wars is the story of how an impulsive farmboy finds religion and then thinks better of it. The Luke in Return Of The Jedi is no Jedi. He’s just a dude with superpowers and a certain amount of inner peace, like an atheistic Buddhist.
But that plays into my long geeky theory that how Anakin fulfilled the prophesy (bring balance to the forc) by killing everyone who took a side including himself, leaving only Luke who is neither light nor dark, and Leia who’s abstaining completely.
noastronomer
January 13, 2012 at 4:18 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
@salmo
True. Han can hardly be blamed for George’s mess.
rapiddominance
January 13, 2012 at 7:34 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Did anybody see what happened when Han shot that blaster at Vader?
rapiddominance
January 13, 2012 at 7:45 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Ok, my bad. I see why #8 was stupid.
Keep on moving. Nothing to see here, folks.
'Tis Himself, OM.
January 15, 2012 at 8:48 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Let’s not forget that Han shot first.