Religion Ramble

I watched "The Golden Compass" the other day.

It got me thinking about religion and God and atheism and the church and Christianity.

I posted on Livejournal about it. It's a delicate balance talking about personal beliefs online. My personal beliefs are still being shaped. It's one thing to firmly believe in God and Jesus Christ as Messiah and to consider yourself a Christian but then you have to deal with what all that labeling means. Where do you stand? How do you interact with people? What about people who DON'T believe what you believe? What about Church? What about people who label themselves the same things but don't live the same way? Do labels mean anything?! There are so many questions.

With the "Golden Compass" my number one priority is to enjoy myself. It's a giant yummy fantasy novel with a kick a** heroine!

But I can't ignore that this may be the atheist Narnia. LOL! That's an oversimplification. But the author is certainly commenting on the real world and certain things in it. I wonder if it's possible to make art that says nothing about our actual world.

THE CHURCH

I believe that there is one true church. But this church is... interwoven throughout every community on earth. In the next world... there will be people of every culture of every faith (or lack therof) I really believe this. Because you can say and do anything but God judges the heart. Good trees bear good fruit. It doesn't come from fear or following rules by rote... it's about relationship with God. I think that can be different things for different people because the holy spirit can do what ever it wants! I'm not going to limit God I guess is where I stand. Not that there are not absolutes... but... beware of fear and anger triggering... a dismissal of someone's whole spiritual life. Or even... your sunday school answers dismissing someone's whole faith. I always think about the native american woman who said that the natives always knew the spirit and the father. ALWAYS.

I'm sure the missionaries... because of culture shock and not listening didn't get that right away... if ever. But that really made an impression on me.

Christians don't always know everything God is up to. And Jesus really did die for EVERYONE! That's powerful and I'm still figuring out what that means. He didn't just die for Christians.

It's not our job to sort the believer from the unbelivers. It's God's job. So I think we are only to concern ourselves with honesty, truth and love. I think we are to fight for a world where EVERYONE is free to choose as long as it does not hurt anyone. I do believe in freedom of religion. I don't think people should be coerced or forced into any belief or lack therof. And even if there is a majority... I don't think any belief or lack thereof should be forcably or ... coercively stamped out. I think that we... should find our purpose. This isn't necessarily something that can figured out as a collective either. Only you and God know your purpose. You don't need some authority to tell you about yourself in this area.

BUT there is discipline. Self dicipline and there is sin. And there are very real spiritual consequenses for lack of discipline and sin. Persuing selfish desires.... without check. You will reap what you sow. And that's not about control through fear. It can be... but it can also be... if you run across that slippery floor you could break your leg. Just facts.

I think there is a balance... and on any side, in any belief system or lack therof the balance can be tipped and there you have evil, oppression, suppression, lack of love... lack of freedom.

So with the Golden Compass I guess I feel that... there is a lot of truth that is exposed. There is a lot of corruption that gets a big kick in the a** but at the same time... there are missing peices of truth regarding the Christian Church.

As far as atheism goes... there's a beauty exposed for me in Pullman's writing. This unfettered pursuit of knowledge. The beauty of unsuppressed, uncontrolled man; unsuppressed science. I think this aspect has more balance. There is a power in humanity a power that can be exerted upon the physical and spiritual world without regard to God or gods. And this power could acheive great things and the people could be wild and free and flying! But these achievments are at the cost of innocence... innocents. I think there are even more costs that come with godlessness. Not all humans want to persue acheivement. Some lust for power, for flesh, for blood and it has nothing to do with God or gods. These type of people without an ultimate authority... what's to stop them? Who will protect the innocents? The vulnerable? Why should they be protected? Should they be protected? Is life sacred? If not... that's a whole 'nother can of worms.

But I think that science shouldn't be suppressed by religion to a certain degree. Religion has nothing... or rather... GOD has nothing to fear from science. So why should believers fear?

The questions should never be suppressed. Logic and reason have a purpose, especially in investigating the world. Faith should not distort those tools. They are good at what they do. BUT those tools can only be weilded on religion and faith... to a certain degree. A hammer is great at pounding in a nail but not so great for putting on lipstick. You can't just navigate religion and philosopy with reason. Reason may bring insight and open the mind to new things but it's limited.

And the same thing goes for religion acting on science. I don't think it has to completely stay away but... don't pass yourself off as... scientific when you're not.

I love the books so far and the film was very well cast and very well done production wise. I'm excited to read the rest of the series.