I approached this move with curiosity, I knew the story wouldn't please me, but the unpleasantness and the challenging of it, ( would it defy my beliefs or ideas?, would it reveal me something new, unknown? or would I just learn something, whatever...?) plus the main actors, so gay friendly, and therefore unlikely to act in a biased, bad or religious preaching movie, drove me to watch it.
I expected the sad story of a gay activist abducted by religious beliefs..... and that's what it is: a gay man in which the fear for his own death and the afterlife, the search for a sort rock of stability and reconciliation with a dodgy conception, a misrepresentation, of the idea god, leads him to buy all the christian made up merchandise about it.
I like the even, unbiased approach, showing the conversion in an objective and balanced manner but I find it too plane, sometimes boring, I miss a deeper approach to the psychology of that process, and a bit more challenge of the christian ideas and faulty reasoning that wreak havoc in Glatze's mind by the other characters in the movie.
The answer to the questions I started with is a cold NO.
My view on M. Glatze personal conversion story:
I understand the fear of death and the longing for and afterlife, but and adult, empiric, scientific and properly reasoning and educated mind should know and be aware of a few things:
1.- Nobody knows anything about god. God has never spoken to any human being no matter how many of those men claimed so, because they could never prove it. If god wanted to communicate with us he/she/it certainly would have many blunt ways to do so: showing in the sky like Woody allen's mom, or in any other direct manner. So, until it can be proven, beyond doubt, in a scientific way, his existence can NOT be asserted.
2.- The Bible is NOT god's word, but man's word speculating about God's nature and plans with the huge ignorance of the times it was written. this is so obvious that is almost shameful having to say it.
3.- The idea of salvation and the promise of the afterlife is an old trick of all religions to impose fear and gather power and money from people. Selling salvation is a lucrative business, especially since they sell a good or service they don't have to pay spend any money in, and for which they can no be held accountable if is not delivered. Amazon delivery policies and regulations are way more advanced and fair than this.
I seriously recommend
- the videos and books of Richard Dawkins, like God delusion,
- and the experience of Daniel Everett, a missionary that lost faith to Amazonian tribe Piraha.
