Religious Movies
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In the last few days I saw two really good movies, The Prophecy and The Rapture. Both these movies have deep religious themes. I consider myself spiritual but not religious so these recommendations aren't coming from the church. How I ended up watching two religious themed movies in the last few days and enjoying them enough to recommend? Pure random coincidence. |
posted by UberDragon at 12:17 AM
6 Comments:
What exactly does it mean to be "spiritual but not religous" anyway?
Hmm, I suppose that is different for everyone. I'll give you my interpretation and we'll see if anyone else comes up with their own definition.
I believe every human has energy stored within them, some are able to channel this energy better than others. Although I sincerely support the idea, "everyone is entitled to believe in what suits them best", I personally do not subscribe to any religious definition (ie: catcholic, lutheran etc). If I was forced to choose a religious term that best expressed my beliefs it would likely be Pagan or Wiccan. Although truely in my studies of different religious believes I have never found an organized group that thinks exactly the way I do.
Perhaps the following analogy will help you come to understand my belief in energy;
There is a woman, diagnosed with advanced stages of cancer. She has battled the disease for a long time and is coming near to death. Predictions by the doctors say she will pass any day now. She spends her last few days and nights in the hospital praying to "god". Her concentration and belief in this prayer is very deep indeed. After a few days of these intense prayer sessions with "god" her doctor comes to her in amazement. "The cancer is in complete remission! It's a miracle!"
This particular woman has placed her energy into the belief that prayer (talking to god) will save her life. At this point she is absolutely convinced god has spared her live for the greater good of humanity.
My belief structure says, if this very same woman, in the very same circumstances spent her energy and belief in prayer and directed this at the door knob on her hospital door the same results would have occured. I believe it was not god or a higher power that forced the cancer in remission, I believe it was her ability to focus her energy (regardless of what she used to focus it within her head, ie god) that caused the cancer to leave her body.
You aren't the first person to wonder what this means by the way. For more information you should check out this article.
You asked me earlier why do people need to get together at church? Well, I can answer that with another question: why did we have everyone from sub seeking chat room come to our house? Why did you go to munch type meetings? You don't HAVE to...but you do because you want to. Because it's fun, it's something to do. Also, another reason that organized religion is good is because most have some kind of program(s) to help people in need. My dad's church does something on Wednesday night services called "50 cent sacrifice." Anyone there can give 50 cents or any amount of contribution but all they ask for is 50 cents. That money (usually a couple hundred dollars) goes to someone in the community that needs help. Maybe someone is having trouble paying bills, or maybe they had a fire and lost everything.
The Methodist church does MANY things, but one we've been doing a lot of lately is making "flood buckets" full of supplies needed for those recovering from hurricane damage.
Without organized religion, relief efforts, social justice efforts, and local community help would not be nearly what it is with religion.
:)
You are correct I admit sadly. What I consider unfortunate is it takes religion to convince people to help others out in times of need. I do things to help people (probably daily) just because I feel good when I do it.
(putting on my theologian's hat here)....what makes religion differnt from spirituality or faith is that religion needs rules. It has sturcture, a place for community to form.
Spirituality or faith can exist beyond the confines of church or temple or mosque walls. Faith walks with you, does not tell you exactly where to walk or how...that's religion's job.
Religion can guide one to spirtuality and to true faith. But oftentimes those of us who ask The Big Questions of religion can't get the answers from the local pastor. Sometimes we have to seek those answers on our own--and it can take us interesting places.
There's a post on my blog about faith and religion here: http://lovehopesexdreams.blogspot.com/2005/04/of-faith-and-religion.html
:-)
T.
That's a good point and I know that many religions do impose "rules" and won't give you answers to what you want to know. But the religion/denomination I grew up in encourages questions and no pastor claims to know all the answers. How can any human know them? To us, it's a personal journey...and we are not required to think or act a certain way. I guess that's why I feel so comfortable calling myself a Christian and a United Methodist. There is never any pressure to be someone who I am not or to think in a way I don't.
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