Posted by Frances at 138.210.89.209 on November 18, 1999 at 12:50:39:
In Reply to: Re: My take on the Loki/Bartleby resolution *SPOILER* posted by JerseyinNorCal on November 17, 1999 at 22:01:47:
I must admit, I WANT this scenario to be true. And, I honestly haven't come to a real firm conclusion myself as to what "really" happened. However, I do think that interpretting the "thank you" from Bartleby as a thank you for being let back into Heaven is a bit of a reach. Or maybe not, and I'm just overanalyzing (as my friends who saw the movie with me insist). I took it to be a thank you for helping Bartleby to see the correct path again, which occurred once he was within the presence of Her overwhelming goodness; after all, Bartleby was still a good soul, just a bit misdirected for a while. Anyone else get this impression, or am I just way off in left field by myself?
: I still think that the angels returning Heaven is a strong possibility.
: If God CHOOSES to reverse hir decree, hir decision, it's NOT the same as PROVING that S/He can be fallible, which was the point of the movie.
: Catholic theology emphasizes that God is a FORGIVING God. If one was to take the entire Bible absolutely literally, then even small transgressions of the Ten Commandments, the other laws of the Torah, and other divine commands outlined in the Old Testament, would forever damn a person.
: That belief in God's willingness to forgive was what drove the plot about the church's arch. And the whole "plenary indulgence" bit. God's forgiveness.
: Now, if Bartleby and Loki went through the arch and God had not changed hir mind, catastrophe for the universe. But my take is that God DID change hir mind before dispatching Bartleby. Hence, they embrace & "Thank You." God exiled the angels, then called them back - like in Jesus' parable of "The Prodigal Son."
: There are several examples of God changing a decree in the Bible, the most notable being Abraham being ordered to sacrifice his son Isaac - then God changing hir mind when Abraham has proven faithful.
: Thank God for a Catholic high school education. :)