There is a scene in Godzilla: King of Monsters where King Ghidorah stands in glory over a volcano. Urban carnage surrounds him on all signs and the camera backs up to show a Cross in the foreground. A cross that seems powerless to stop Earth’s new god.

Religion makes a few other interesting moments in the movie. It is revealed that Godzilla lives, when he isn’t swimming around, in a large ancient (pagan) temple, and one of the scientific researchers says, amazed, “They [Godzilla and the Titans] were the first gods.”

The theme of nature-as-greater-than-man runs throughout the movie.

The movie tells the fundamental pagan story. A false god rules the world (in this case the alien King Ghidorah). A true god (Godzilla) gathers the coalition and slays the false god through violence. In some of these pagan myths the earth itself is made from the defeated deities’ carcass(es).

There are two moments in the movie, one probably just there to placate Christian movie goers, and a second that was probably accidental, that undercut the movie’s fundamentally pagan message though.

In one scene, a soldier is seem crossing themself before entering the final battlefield. And while I am sure that split second moment was in there for no other purpose other than to appease the sensitivity consultant that was afraid the movie would offend religious movie goers, it does raise a good point.

Under the right circumstances you would be willing to fight alongside Godzilla. But you would need the strength of a God greater than him to find meaning in that fight.

The second scene, likely accidental, drives this home. One of the scientists watching Godzilla’s victory says “Jesus [using the name with clearly no religious intent], I am glad he’s on our side.” Another scientist answers “For now.”

After the movie accidentally reveals the lie in its message, the credits roll and the movie, goes back to its pagan narrative. Now that the true nature god Godzilla rules, climate change is solved, forests regrow, new international cooperation breaks out.

In short, the cause of human evil is that it does not sufficiently worship nature.

But that final comment (Jesus I am glad . . .) , shows what is wrong in the Environmentalist narrative. Nature in a fallen world is not on our side (although there is a God who is). Nature at best is indifferent to what we do. At worst, she is not a mother but a cruel dominatrix, a place of heartless brutality. And in real nature there is no King to bring order like Godzilla, just endless struggle.

There is an alternative to the pagan myth. Nature is created, not in primal violence, not crafted out of the carcass of the slain second-best god, but rather created out of Love. Nature, at least fundamentally, is not capricious, but follows rational laws as it is written by a Logos. Nature is handed to man in Balance, and the key to that balance is for Man to execute his rightful Dominion over it. But when man falls into sin, he falls out his own internal nature, and that spreads to the surrounding nature.

While it may be tempting to say that “Life [or nature] will find a way” (if I may briefly switch universes to Jurassic Park) it isn’t true. It is Man, not Godzilla, who is nature’s One True King.

The movie starts because one woman scientist believes it is good to sacrifice humans (whom she, like all members of the sick environmentalist religion, regards as “overpopulated”) for the better good of the “world.” And, despite the movie trying to give her a redemption arc, the movie ultimately believes she was right. The Titans, the Pagan gods, bring about an end to climate change, create new forests, cause human cooperation to break out, at least per the end credits.

But any attempt to sacrifice humans to save nature will always fail. Such an act of “sacrifice”, sacrifice of others, of whole populations, of sacrifice that views life (at least human life) as cheap and expendable will never save the Earth.

Man is Earth’s rightful ruler. If he rules under Reason (which animals do not have), in peace with himself and with others he can use the Logos in nature to rebuild some degree of Eden on this Earth. When he turns to violence against his fellow humans, nature won’t be able to save the balance. It will only exacerbate the disorder.

Anyone who would sacrifice humanity (by explicit eco-terrorism, or the more subtle assault on family and creating new life) for nature is sacrificing those creatures that can love, for those that can’t.

I enjoyed certain aspects of Legendary Studios’ take on Godzilla. But if you want to watch a Godzilla that more accurate reflects the truth of nature, watch the original 1954 Gojira or Shin Godzilla.

In those movies Godzilla is a force of destruction, one released because of human sin. And nature has no antidote for human sin. Humans have to decide if they are willing to cooperate and self-sacrifice (not other-sacrifice) to stand against nature deformed by man’s evil.

In those movies, for there to be peace on Earth, Godzilla must be stopped by a united humanity. And if you want any practical tips on how to achieve such unity, like that faithful soldier, you should cross yourself before entering the fight.

For that is the sign of the One True King.