With my parents last night.
I had seen the dvd before but there was an overall feeling of awkwardness when they played it this time.
They both came diving into the living room anxious to watch it, and though my mum usually gets emotional when things like this are brought up, she kept her cool and decided to lay down some "facts". Things like "We are living in the last days, and the Anglo-American world power is the last one. China will never be a world power." (A show about China's economic and industrial prowess had just been on). "We'll see", I said. I didn't want to start an argument then but she was obviously looking for one. She was quick to add "And It's better to be in my position, because if I'm right I'll live forever, but if you're right it doesn't really affect me." Ahh, Paley's Watch! "And if the Muslims are right then we're all in trouble", but my dad was quick to counter "The Muslims aren't right."
The dvd went by quickly enough. There were a few things the scientists among us could probably pick at. I, for one, noticed everything was done from a very solipsistic point of view. Using comments like "Water has been perfectly designed to support life. Without water, we couldn't exist at all" as evidence that God cares. It's a really backwards way of looking at creation. God made the water before he made life, did he not? So humans were 'designed' to live off the water, not the other way around. I suppose this harmony in nature was an attempt at disproving evolution, but it couldn't even do that. The planet is 70% water, so evolution would favour animals that used water and other natural resources to survive. The same applies to the famous 'Golden Angle' but it's so obvious I don't need to go into it.
The saddest part was at the end though. I'm glad there was an encouragement to get away from the TV (albeit for silly reasons), and step outside, look at nature. But the real emphasis was on the New World, and all the nice things you'll be able to do once you get there. For shame.