A (hopefully) kind word of thanks for Dogma

[ Follow Ups ] [ Post Followup ] [ The View Askew WWWBoard ] [ FAQ ]

Posted by planetZ at c463728-a.pinol1.sfba.home.com on December 03, 1999 at 03:30:17:

Hi there,

I have no idea how this board is run, and I've checked the board summaries already, so I know there was nothing there about how to thank Kevin Smith and everyone involved with Dogma for such a great movie.

In any case, I don't think I'm wasting that much web space with what I want to say. I had a very Catholic upbringing though my family remained atheist. My parents liked the idea of sticking me in an institution run by nuns to ensure I'd grow up to be a decent human being...or something like that. But it was amazing how the church tenets and doctrines that I questioned but nevertheless was made to memorize as a child are addressed in this film. I could sympathize with this Bethany character so very much.

And I don't know if the intent of this film was to question the validity of institutionalized religion, but it was a relief for me to see from this film (regardless of the fact that its makers declared it a fictional comedy from the start) that other people are having the same problems I'm having with the idea of not eating meat (except for fish) on Fridays, or of having to say exactly 10 Hail Mary's for penance, or more generally, meeting in huge convention halls with "Bible study" members while listening to some evangelist preach until he/she passes out.

I think faith and spirituality are very important, but I can't conform myself to any specific religion. The very idea seems too confining, and I have issues with basically every major institution that exists. I very much appreciated the questions that this film posed, though I'm not sure if it was meant to be so provocative. In any case, I guess it's ok to believe in God without worrying about all the popes, cardinals, bishops, archbishops and whatnot telling me that I will go to hell because I have a lesbian friend.

Whatever God is really like, it's pretty neat to think of HER as a skeeball-playing, hand-standing, boxer-wearing rock star. :)

Thanks everybody for allowing me the space to ramble on my religious musings.

Follow Ups:

Post a Followup

E-Mail/Userid:
Password:

Subject:

Comments:
: Hi there, : I have no idea how this board is run, and I've checked the board summaries already, so I know there was nothing there about how to thank Kevin Smith and everyone involved with Dogma for such a great movie. : In any case, I don't think I'm wasting that much web space with what I want to say. I had a very Catholic upbringing though my family remained atheist. My parents liked the idea of sticking me in an institution run by nuns to ensure I'd grow up to be a decent human being...or something like that. But it was amazing how the church tenets and doctrines that I questioned but nevertheless was made to memorize as a child are addressed in this film. I could sympathize with this Bethany character so very much. : And I don't know if the intent of this film was to question the validity of institutionalized religion, but it was a relief for me to see from this film (regardless of the fact that its makers declared it a fictional comedy from the start) that other people are having the same problems I'm having with the idea of not eating meat (except for fish) on Fridays, or of having to say exactly 10 Hail Mary's for penance, or more generally, meeting in huge convention halls with "Bible study" members while listening to some evangelist preach until he/she passes out. : I think faith and spirituality are very important, but I can't conform myself to any specific religion. The very idea seems too confining, and I have issues with basically every major institution that exists. I very much appreciated the questions that this film posed, though I'm not sure if it was meant to be so provocative. In any case, I guess it's ok to believe in God without worrying about all the popes, cardinals, bishops, archbishops and whatnot telling me that I will go to hell because I have a lesbian friend. : Whatever God is really like, it's pretty neat to think of HER as a skeeball-playing, hand-standing, boxer-wearing rock star. :) : Thanks everybody for allowing me the space to ramble on my religious musings.

Optional Link URL:
Link Title:
Optional Image URL:

[ Follow Ups ] [ Post Followup ] [ The View Askew WWWBoard ] [ FAQ ]