Just gotta go "hmmmm"...

I was lazying around last night reading and watching television. I had put the TV on an NFL game (I know, big shocker) just for background noise and then left it on that channel for the remainder of the night. I don't recall what came on after the game, but at about 7:00 or 8:00 pm, the CBS movie about Pope John Paul II (?) came on. I immediately made a snort of contempt and searched for the remote to change the channel but something about the beginning of the movie caught my attention and I found myself absorbed into the story before I knew it. When 10:30 pm came and it said "To Be Continued...", I knew I'd be tuning in for the 2nd half. Unfortunately, it indicated that it would be Wednesday at 7:00 pm. That's a problem. As most are aware, I'm addicted to the TV series LOST, which is on at 8:00 pm. How was I going to watch both? The obvious answer is that I can't. I'll have to choose one or the other. You know what shocks me? I've decided to miss LOST. That's how compelling this movie is.

I'll be the first to admit that I'm not a religious person. I didn't grow up with religion as an integral part of my life. In fact, except for Sunday school as a very small child (when we still lived in town), I never attended services. My parents do not and have not ever regularly attended services...not even occasionally. As an adult, I accompanied my mother and sister to midnight mass on Christmas Eve a few times, but otherwise religion was just not there. We don't even say grace...never have. Add to that my choice of study in college - anthropology. An analytical science of human culture and influences, anthropology only served to further distance religious thought from my life. Religion became a system of beliefs that people used to find stability or guidance during times of turbulence or difficulties. It also served as an excuse for wrong behavior at times. (e.g. "The devil made me do it") It was evidence vs. belief and, for me, evidence won without much effort. As a result, I tend to roll my eyes when others talk of their faith and etc. I do not to belittle their right to believe though. Everyone has to make that choice for themselves. If Joe Schmo wants to believe earth was created in seven days by a higher deity, then he can just go right ahead and believe that. I'll stick to the big bang theory, thank you.

Despite my lack of belief, I don't discount the good religious figures have done. I never paid much attention to the accomplishments of our recently departed Pope, but through the eyes of this movie, I can see that he was a very good man - kind, considerate, determined to help others, intellectual, curious and slightly rebellious when tending his "flock". It makes me smile that he wasn't an easy target for corruption or political subterfuge. I hope the new Pope will be just as diligent in his duties.

While I sat eating lunch today, I considered all of these things - my wonder at how much I enjoyed the first part of the movie, my wanting to watch the remainder even though it means missing LOST... It's puzzling and makes me go "hmmmmm". I think a big part of it involves the plot. An integral part of the movie was the Russian influence on post-German occupied Poland. The Russians, being a communist country at the time, did not put much stock in religious faith, replacing the Church with the State. As the man who would one day become Pope John Paul II moved up the ranks in the Church, he dared many things to keep faith a valued part of Polish life. I admire that. (I've always said that I was a rebel at heart. I wonder what my previous lives have been...perhaps I was at the forefront of The Revolution. Who knows?) I also considered how changes in political structure affect religious choices. Sure, Poland was given back to the people, but only with Russian-influenced politicians. It didn't change the people's worship of Catholicism, but I'm sure that hasn't always been so.

What about religious-based wars...the crusades, this "war on terrorism"... We condemn the muslims (?) for their jihad, but yet Christians had their crusades. What religious changes occurred after the Crusades? Did Christian occupancy of that area influence or change the people's faith? What about all the nations that have converted to democracy? Sure, democracy is a political structure but with it comes freedom of choice. How many people have chosen to convert to a different religion following the establishment of democracy in their nation? Is this why there is so much resistance and terrorism flowing into Iraq? We know they don't want to be "westernized", but how much of it is political and how much of it is a fear of losing the identity their people have had for so long?

It all just makes me go "hmmmm"....