Posted by:
Elder Berry
(
)
Date: October 09, 2018 06:26PM
This link below came up when I was searching for something "Mormon." It was a fascinating read in my opinion. The core thesis was this:
"Schrader feels this habit of displaying the miraculous misleads viewers into thinking they can achieve spirituality vicariously, or that watching spiritual events, convincingly rendered in moving pictures, will translate into authentic spiritual history. Rather than seeking a personal spiritual experience—what Schrader calls transcendence—the viewer merely assumes, emotionally, the experiences of the person portrayed and resumes his or her life touched by sentiment, but not by the supernatural. Merely identifying with the sufferings of a cinematic Christ, for example, is insufficient. In such a scenario, asserts Schrader, the film “has not lifted the viewer to Christ’s level,” but rather “has brought Christ down to the viewer’s.” Schrader feels that a spiritual film must lead those watching to “a confrontation,” or encounter, “between the human and the spiritual” on their own and that cinematic spectacle would only serve to interfere with an authentically transcendent experience."
https://rsc.byu.edu/archived/byu-religious-education-student-symposium-2014/hollywood-not-hollywood-cecil-b-demille-paulIronically, I thought of Mormon temple attendance. Watching a movie and ritually incanting and gesturing for a 5-10 minute payoff "spiritual experience" in the Kolob Portal makes it so Mormons can relieve themselves of the burden of being spiritual. The Mormons are vicariously Christian. Their spirituality is derived from a movie in a temple for and in behalf of non-existent people. They get all the feel goods of some spirituality with none of the maintenance and responsibility except to dress up, watch a movie, and throwing some hand signs.
Gangster.
I remember sitting in Sunday School or Priesthood and thinking Sister X or Brother X is sooo spiritual but I don't think I would ever want to be like them. Too much work. And it was true. Even if you wanted to climb Kolob's ladder it didn't matter. A few Fast and Testimony tears and you were labeled spiritual.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/09/2018 06:27PM by Elder Berry.