Transcript of God Vs $20 & My Thoughts

[teleen_fiction]

God Vs. $20 

When I first saw the post about this in antitheism, I couldn't bring myself to watch the video past the first minute, but then  rpeate made this comment and I had to watch it to see if I could find evidence to call bullshit on this sentence in particular:

No, if they had scribbled out the word "God", Mike would likely have said, "Their faith is secure," and not posted the video.

I figured that since I was going to have to watch it, I'd also transcribe it.  This was partly so that I could have ammunition to pick it apart and partly so that I could distance myself from what I was seeing.  Even so, there were times when I literally broke down crying while watching this. 

However, my tears were rewarded as sure enough, as I was transcribing, I found the proof that rpeate claim that Mike wouldn't have posted the video was complete and utter bullshit.

Towards the end, Mike says, "And don’t let it be said that I’m unreasonable.  We finally came to an agreement, but in hindsight it just looks ridiculous and childish.  I mean, they’re still selling out. They’re still taking the thirty pieces of silver."

So yeah, I'm calling bullshit over there. 

For those who are interested, here's the transcript.  Never having done one before, I hope you find it legible. I'll also say that while the scenes in Mike's office are word-for-word (sadly for me), the actual 'action' scenes might be missing a word or phrase here and there because at times everyone was talking at once.

A few notes: 
M = Mike (the filmmaker)
A = Aaron (the homeless man with the sign)
W = Wife (i.e., the homeless man's wife)  ETA: Her name is Julie, :).

Sections that are in italics are where Mike was speaking to the camera from the comfort of his office.  Anything in brackets is action.  If it's bolded, it's my thoughts.  As exhausted as I am from literally weeping with impotent rage at certain sections of this, I'm going to spork it because if anything needs to be sporked, it's this fucking video.

God vs $20

Hey everyone, uh, my name’s Mike and I just wanted to personally introduce this video ‘cause it’s a little different than some of my other ones. Basically I was filming earlier this week and I saw a homeless person on the street holding a sign and asking for money.  His sign said “God Bless” at the bottom of it and my idea was to offer him $20 to cross the word ‘God” out of his sign.  What made you think this was a good idea?  Or a decent thing to do to someone who was desperate?

Now this guy was living out of an RV with his wife and kid and it was probably 30 degrees out, so I approached this guy and made my pitch. 

Mike: Introduce yourself.  What’s your name?

Aaron: Aaron

Mike: Aaron. Okay. Now this is the miracle bus.

A: Yes, yes it is.

M: That’s pretty nice dude.  The look on your face doesn't say 'nice' to me.

A: Full of the holy spirit.

M: Full of the holy spirits.  Are you trying to be condescending here or is this just how you are naturally?

M: So this is what we’re doing. I am not a big fan of religion and I noticed your sign says God Bless. If your intention was to immediately put them on the defensive, congratulations, you succeeded.

A: Yes.

M: So what I wanted to do is, is I wanted to pitch something to you.  I’ll give you some money if we cross the God out.

A: I’m going to have to have to say no.

M: Don’t you think it’s kind of silly that you’re not going to accept free money ‘cause of God?  As iceshade  pointed out, it's NOT FREE MONEY.  The moment you offered to trade something for it, it ceased to be 'free'.  

A: Do you think my love for my Lord and Savior is silly?

M: No, I don’t.  Yes, yes you do, but Aaron looks kind of scary here, so you don't actually come out and say what you're thinking because you're a coward.

A: Okay.

M: But it seems to some people that don’t believe in that, very silly, it seems like a silly situation.  Some people?  Who are these mysterious 'some people'.  Just say that YOU find it silly, Mike.  That is, of course, if you actually have the courage to stand up for what YOU believe in.

A: I have to say that they’re miserable beings for not accepting.

 

Obviously I’m being a jerk in what I’m asking these people to do. No really, you think?  They believe so strongly in something and who am I to say it’s not real?  You're a privileged guy with a video camera who thought that bothering people who were already at the low point in their lives would be a good thing.  But what this footage documents and why I think it’s special is that this represents everything that’s wrong with religion.  I think it documents everything that's wrong with you as a human being, but we'll agree to disagree.  It’s a complete disregard for common sense.  I mean I’m asking a homeless man with a wife and a child to cross out three letters on a sign and I’m going to give them $20 to do that, but he won’t take the money because he’s afraid of pissing off God.  I didn't get that they were afraid of pissing off god.  I got that you asked them to do something that they found degrading and against their basic identities as human beings.

M: Your god will send you to hell for taking my $20.  Way to make a mountain out of a molehill and be condescending all in one breath!

Wife: Absolutely not. I like how you ignore her statement here. 

M: So then take it, cross out the god take it and buy some money, buy some food.

W: No, no. It isn’t about going to hell.  It isn’t about going to hell.

M: So what is it about?  Help me understand.  You don't want to understand where they're coming from.  Your entire attitude throughout this whole thing is one of derision towards their beliefs.

W: I’m trying to if you’d shut up for ten seconds. I really love that moment.  {Mike laughs} It’s about.  This is my god. And to me what you are telling me is that,  "I’m a worker of Satan." 

M: But.

W: Your $20 to me is the same as Satan offering Jesus bread when Jesus was starving in the desert.

M: But that’s a fairy tale.  In YOUR MIND.  Not THEIRS. 

A: That is not a fairy tale.

W: That is not a fairy tale. 

M: You don’t think that’s a fairy tale?  DUH.

W: It is a bible story and it is the truth!

M: You know what is not a fairy tale?  Is you live in a miracle bus. Gosh, I don't think they realized that.  Good for you for pointing it out to them!

W: That’s true.

M: That’s not a fairy tale; that’s real.  This [pointing to sign] is a fairy tale.  This [holding $20] is real and it’s $20.

W: This is a miracle bus.

A: You’re only seeing with your eyes.  You’re not seeing with your mind or your heart.  I love Aaron here too.  He's actually being incredibly civil to Mike, probably more than I would have been in the same situation.

At this point in the conversation, we were just going around in circles.  I mean it seemed like there was no way to convince these people to think rationally.  Because the way to get people to come around to your way of thinking is to first say that 'some people' think that their beliefs are 'silly' and then outright say that the bible is a fairy tale.   I mean, we’re talking about a stupid sign worth fifty cents.  No, we're not.  We're talking about a principle, something that for some unknown reason you're finding impossible to grasp.  But it’s an interesting moral dilemma for a Christian.  I mean when you’ve hit rock bottom and you’re living in an RV and you’re begging for money outside of a Wal-Mart with your wife and child in the cold, you’re still programmed to think that this is all some kind of master plan, like you can’t be held accountable since this is god’s will. It’s not free will.  

Deep breath.   I'm still waiting for the footage where they actually SAID this.  

M: I don’t have enough money to get you guys off the street or I would.

A: We don’t want it.  The look on Aaron's face here should be on a poster that says, "The face of dignity." 

W: But.  We wouldn’t cross out our god for that anyway.

M: But what I’m saying is this is a sign, this is a sign worth fifty cents, that I will give you $20 for, for crossing that off.

W: Actually, the sign, and the ink all may be worth twenty cents, maybe, but you know what?

M: I got a pen. I got $20.  Let’s make a deal.  That’s all I’m saying.

W: How about I cross you out and you give me the $20? 

M: Is there any amount of money?

A: Absolutely not.

M: $30

W: No

M: $40

A: No

M: $50

W: Not for a million dollars, for a millisecond.

M: A million dollars. 

W: Nope.

M: If I handed you a check for a million dollars – if I had a million dollars and asked you to cross the god off you wouldn’t cross it off?

W: Not even for a second.

A: No.

M: What?  That makes no sense.  You’ve got a son!  Yes, they have a son.  And they chose to show him that standing up to people who denigrate you for what you believe and/or your basic identity is the right thing to do, regardless of how much money they give you.

W: No

M: Prove that Christians can think with common sense.  Prove that you aren't the sort of person who would exploit someone weaker than you to prove some point that only you can see.

W: Christians can think with common sense.

M: This is not common sense.

W: Yes. Yes it is.

A: Faith is common sense.

W: Yes, yes it is.

M: Faith is not common sense.

 Way to win friends and influence people there, Mike!

M: This, this not a lot, but it’s something for this.  I'm trading... Give me this for $20.  That’s easier.  Yes, you admit that it's a trade, which negates your earlier claim of 'free money'.  

A: And what do you plan on doing with this sign.

M: Crossing the god out.

A: Then it’s not going to happen.

M: Why?

And don’t let it be said that I’m unreasonable.  We finally came to an agreement, but in hindsight it just looks ridiculous and childish.  I actually love the look on Mike's face here - they found a solution that let them keep their dignity and still get the $20, so he's going to be petty about it.  I mean, they’re still selling out. They’re still taking the thirty pieces of silver.  Again, why I'm calling bullshit on rpeate  saying that he wouldn't have posted the video if they'd crossed out god.  

M: We’ve come to an agreement.  We’re going to cut the God out.  You have scissors? 

W: I have scissors.

M: We’re going to cut god off the sign.  I’m going to give them the $20 in exchange.  They keep the god, I take the sign.

A: Fair enough.

W: Sounds fair to me.

M: All right. We got ourselves a deal!

W: Remember people who view this: hell no! I’m keeping god and you can have the garbage! 

M: All right.

W: As a matter of fact… There’s your sign [rips up the sign] Now you can’t use it to say I traded god.  I got God! 

M: And she’s got god

W: I got god!

M: And I have what’s left of the sign.  Yay and look show the god [points to the child holding the money next to the mother's hand holding the god] You got the god?  Yay, see, everybody’s happy!  I’ve got the sign, he’s got the money, she’s got the god. We’re good.  All right!  Thank you guys for joining us.  Stay tuned.  [shakes their hands] Thank you guys.

A: [subdued] Thank you.  The pain on Aaron's face here made me cry.  This is a man who just had his dignity attacked by someone with a video camera, but he still shakes the guy's hand.  This is a good man who deserves better than to be Mike's social experiment.

W: God bless!

I really feel most sorry for the kid.  I mean what kind of future does he have growing up with parents who are so closed-minded and militaristic about their religion? Parents that are so blinded to their situation by faith and think that it’s god who kicked their ass out onto the street.  When did they SAY that?  All we saw was them refusing to take god off of their sign.  At no point was god blamed for their situation.  Accepting no personal accountability (when did you ask them to, Mike?) and if these people can’t learn to help themselves, who can help them?  I'd say they helped themselves.  They got you to walk away with a ripped up sign and didn't compromise their morals to do it.  Hang in there little buddy and hopefully mommy and daddy didn’t take your $20 and tithe it all away. This was a bad thing to say and Mike should feel bad about it.

ETA: I went back through the video and cleaned up a few parts.  It's still not word-for-word, but it's a lot closer than it was.  I also added a couple of additional sporks.

ETA 2: Mike came over to the original post in antitheism to play.  Here's his comment thread.

ETA 3: This got linked on unfunnybusiness on journalfen for anyone who wants to see more discussion.

Comments

[masterde.livejournal.com]

I shall have to read over it and keep an open mind to any side. Likely we're all making assumptions of either Mike or Aaron that aren't necessarily true... or at least, not entirely accurate. Since none of us knew what any of them were feeling it's got some subjectivity to it.

So, hey, all I'm saying is keep an open mind. Mike may not be quite as much of an asshat as you might think.

[teleens-journal.livejournal.com]

He's apparently coming over there later this week, so he'll have the chance to change my opinion or at the very least, make me believe that he didn't mean to be an unmitigated douchecanoe, :).