Does the portrayal of Christ-like figures in films define
how we view religions? I think so, to
some degree because once we have a clear understanding of religion in depth,
then we can see the comparison between Christ-like figures and the actual image
of that higher power. Many children
often grow up watching their favorite superheroes defeat the villains, but I
don’t think they see that figure as being someone who is a God until they reach
certain understandings of religion. I,
myself never was not fond of superheroes or sci-fi, so I really have no understanding
of this topic, but since taking this class I have been drawn to watching more
films about superheroes. From the two readings, I can say that now I understand
the comparison between superheroes and the figure of a God. In the
film Superman, there are a lot of comparisons between the two, but one thing
that stood out to me the most is the message. Just like in the bible, God is someone
who sends the message of honesty and to follow the fight for truth and justice
just like Superman. From my perspective, I think the comparison between
Superman and Jesus/God teaches us that religion does not and should not be
define by certain characteristics or assumptions. For example, many people know
and believe Jesus as a Jew and feel obliged to refer to the bible as a
reference, but other people choose to identify Jesus with their own race. One website that details more on this is http://theconversation.com/jesus-wasnt-white-he-was-a-brown-skinned-middle-eastern-jew-heres-why-that-matters-91230
. Despite the unknown of Jesus’s race, millions of people worship and follow
him because they know that like Superman, he will set a good example of what it
means to live in his truth. Often, we
turn to storytelling and myths to define and justify what it means to believe
in something or someone so profoundly. People look to myths for answers, but also
for validation that there is a hero in the world of chaos. Myths allow use to search for a reason to
believe in the impossible as it was noted in “Flash, “however, such myths and storytelling’s
as Adam and Eve, illustrate how the society we live in is created by a higher
power, and our purpose on this earth is to follow in his lead. The comparison
between superheroes and Jesus allows us to understand religion as a purpose, a
mission to avoid temptation of evil and do good. As Kozlovic states, Christopher
Reeve claimed: “What made Superman a hero is not that he has power, but that he
the wisdom and the maturity to use that power wisely.” A hero doesn’t just have
powers, but a hero like Superman and Jesus uses their powers to influence people
and functions as institutions where people look to gain insight and benefit
from knowing that despite the world’s craziness, there are people who are
willing to sacrifice their life for others.
Hi Tiffany, thanks for your thoughts on this question! I think you've identified at least three related issues in your post that are important and worth thinking more closely about.
ReplyDelete1) How do people USE myths of all kinds to understand their current predicament? This could mean thinking about scientific change with "The Flash" or imagining Jesus' race or class in different ways in order to think of him in solidarity with individuals or groups today.
2) Are myths primarily about hope, about understanding, or about values? Probably they can be used for all three purposes (and more!), but we need to ask ourselves for what purpose a particular myth is being deployed or invoked.
3) About power... how do myths help us THINK ABOUT power, and how do myths HAVE power? Myths can be tools of social critique, or they can be tools of the status quo (your reading about "Black Panther" for today points powerfully in this direction).