Movies and Religion... or The Matrix V. Your Mind

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Lets jump right into the ARTICLE, shall we?
First of all, the "obvious" and "well documented" references to christianity, and Neo as a Christ figure. DUH. But not because it's obvious, or well documented. Every hero story is a Jesus story. Anyone who "saves" anything is a "savior" anyone who "redeems" anything is a "redeemer." Get over it. Though I will put some weight on the "resurrection" of Neo, because it's un-explainable, I think the Jesus reference is not as intentional, as unavoidable for the Wachowski brothers. Also, I object to the comparison of Trinity to Mary Magdelene, and Cypher to Judas. Mary Magdalene was a prostitute..... but redeemable, trinity was already "redeemed" when we met her. Plus she wasn't that good lookin in the matrix, would Maria Menounos have broken the budget? Though it's possible no tight leather pants could aspire to contain her amazing assets. But I digress. Back to Cypher not being Judas, or at leas my objection to the comparison. Judas did what he did out of shame of association, embarrasment to be connected to the guy everyone wanted dead...i.e. shame. Cypher did what he did out of a yearning to "be" rich, surrounded by women, and without worry... i.e. greed. The real issue here is to point out that these were both temptations of the devil: lucifer in Judas' case, Smith in Cypher's. Point out that Smith is analogous for Satan raises my final unanswered question about their comparision to Christianity, who/where/what is God? I propose that God, in the yet limited view of this episode of the trilogy, is the Matrix itsself. In later sequels, I believe this is further specified to the "Architect" of the matrix, but essentially the same point.
Here's where it gets interesting.
If the architect is God, and Agent Smith is the Devil, then what exactly does the matrix represent? And how does it compare to "actuality" for humans? Would you rather live underground, terrorized by machines, fighting for basic survival; or enjoying life with a house and a yard and a dog in Bismarck? If we are in a matrix.... do we really want to leave?
Is the matrix the garden of Eden?
Is the Oracle Eve? Or whomever was set free first?
Maybe they weren't set free, maybe they ran code from the databank of knowledge of good and evil.
Ultimately my point here is that in my opinion, the "obvious" connections to Christianity are somewhat naive.

ON TO Buddhism, and Yogacara.... sweet.
This I liked.
What tools do we have to make decisions?
Senses and memory, right?
If you remember that the last time you touched a glowing red stove, it hurt:

1. you won't do it again because it hurt
2. you'll think it hurt because it was hot
3. you'll recognize that glowing red stove=hot=don't touch

But what if the stove wasn't actually hot? What if it was actually painted red, and really really cold, and your brain just interpreted it as hot instead of cold? You'd still avoid touching it, you'd still think it was because it was hot, and you'd still associate red stove=hot=don't touch. EVEN THOUGH that's not ACTUALLY the case. A little bit of lateral thinking, and the phrase "your brain interpreted it wrong" can refute the actuality of any experience you've ever had. In essence, our senses and memory are fallible, but because we have no other way to experience our world, we must depend on them to guide our decisions. The Yogacara discipline proports a higher metacognitive process, an existentialized way to experience the world around us, an absolute understanding of truth, an "awakening" from the matrix.

However there are disconnects here too. In Yogacara, an enlightenment brings you to full understanding of actuality and places you in a type of Nirvana, or one-ness with everything. Waking up from the matrix just means you have to survive on gruel, smell you'r neighbor's BO day in and day out, and never ever ever ever ever ever ever see the sun... at least for a couple thousand years.

Maybe I'm being overly pessimistic, but it seems to me like The Matrix isn't a "pro-wake up and smell the roses" statement, but a "ignorance really is bliss" statement.

If I really am in a matrix.... I think I'd rather just continue on enjoying it. Why do you think so many kids play video games?

Finally, I'd like to explore the "pedagogical questions" in paragraph 16:

How are WE "programmed?" - We are "programmed," as the article infers, by our parents, our societies, our experiences, our senses, etc. But none of it is really.... reality?

What aspect of OUR reality is artificially constructed and enslaving us within a conceptual prison? - I think this is a bit loaded, "conceptual prison?" more like best possible compass. Our construction of reality is the way it is so that we can make decisions and survive. It's all we've got.

Is technology liberating or imprisoning us? - This is less about religion and more about politics, but I believe that implementation of technology, like anything else, is guided by the experiential constructs of those who implement it. If they think it's a good idea, and beneficial to society, it's going to happen, wether your "reality" agrees with it or not.

Is materialistic capitalism leading to true happiness or unrequited addiction? - See "fight club"

Do our cherished religious views bring us together or divide us? - They bring together those who share them, and divide those who don't. If everyone saw a universal reality as it actually was, there would be no right or wrong, and therefor no need for, nor concept of religion.

That's my take on it anyway.