Russell's argument was difficult for me to read, because as I read I felt as though I could rebut and argue back, which I usually do not feel when reading philosophical works. But I know it stems from yet something else I watched this week: Rob Bell's lecture named Everything is Spiritual. Bell argued God's vastness and ability to transcend us like Pascal's The Wager. But Bell used quantum physics to explain the intricacy and "fine tuning" as he called it of the world and how it supports life. Seemingly drawing him to believe that someone must be making sure everything is just right for us to live. This lecture changed the way I look at religion completely. I do not believe that it is something based out of fear or the unknown; I have honestly logically come to believe in God's existence and further more this search has led me to believe in Christ's death and resurrection as well. Though, these are new discoveries for me, so it is difficult to fully explain how doubt led me to belief.
The two films though showed me a different side of things, making mistakes (sinning) and how to deal with it. In Apostle, Sonny is cheated on and then makes a mistake by beating his wife's lover to death. Instead of facing his consequences he runs away. Normally I would condemn that behavior, but by Sonny leaving and forming another church, he changes so many people's life. He changes a community. The dilemma is in the morality. How should I feel? Disgusted because he is a murderer or charmed that he could positively affect so many people. And that precisely is what I mean by the gray area in between.
Ultimately, it is hard for me to imagine where my overwhelming sense of love I feel everyday and my believe for wrong and right is not governed by the some else–God.
I think you tapped on a very important aspect of this movie–redemption. Sonny seemed to be a very lost man in the eyes of God. He questioned him at every turn. Why did he take his wife away? Why did he then take his church away? Why? It seems to be an ever present question with God. And instead of Sonny continuing to act on his rage towards God, he turns it into something more. He creates a church. He brings people to God, maybe arguably closer than he, himself is. And he does it all for His glory.
ReplyDeleteI have not seen the film you watched, but I have seen a TED Talk of a doctor(PhD) proving the existence of God through science. I was mesmerized because it was a new World type of thinking. What better way to make me seal faith that to prove it with something so very concrete. Yet is it still faith if we can prove God's existence with science? Secondly, I find myself in the same dilemma as you are. Though I find people who commit crimes of passion very repulsing especially when the crime is murder or physically harmful, I can't help but hold my damnation for this man. Although from a Christian viewpoint, the man is baring falseness, maybe borderline insulting both God and the people who follow him. Yet, I cannot condemn him for what man has not found God because of his or her own sins or shortcomings? Even those who are taught religion from a young age are not immune to sin and shortcomings. Is it what you have done or what you are doing that makes you?
ReplyDeleteI too came to really trust my faith in God by hearing a similar speech about the intricacies and details of science that point to an ultimate creator. It proved everything I saw around me day to day, for which I could not believe had come to be without a designer. Even to the point of looking at myself and the people around me, seeing how complex our bodies are and the way our minds work. Some things, like the very floor of the ocean on this planet, humans haven't even figured out yet. I truly believe someone is in charge.
ReplyDeleteHi Mckenzie,
ReplyDeleteVery Great article and movie. I've seen it before and it was really captivating. Would he have to pay for his past mistakes or is he pardoned by God because he became his mouth piece for the gospels. I also am glad you have learned the philosophical way of skepticism. It can be dangerous when you come to the point where you have to question something that plays a big factor in our current society. It is of course easier to have faith in the all powerful and all mighty God that you can shift the mental, physical, and emotional issues to but it can be hard handling such skepticism of how and why things may be happening. In the case of the apostle and in Why I am Not A Christian, they bring up the point of turning the other cheek and forgivness, can you forgive him or must he still pay for his folly.