You may not know this, but the very sexy Sir Anthony Hopkins and I have been engaged to be married for about 20 years now. Okay, so he might not realize it yet either. But I'm not giving up on what I've known since I was in the 7th grade when I fell in love with him during the opening night of Silence of the Lambs. Tonight I finally found some free time to have a movie date with my mom to see my one true love's new movie, The Rite.
I really enjoyed it! He definitely had some Hannibal like moments that gave me chills. (Could I be any more morbid??) (Seriously, he's just so dreamy, I can't help it!) There were some awesome camera angles that I was digging. It was just really good and you should go see it!
During the movie I found myself questioning my beliefs. I am not an atheist by any means. I do not go to church anymore - but that is a longer story involving politics, feminism and equal right. A whole post on its own! Growing up I went to church - both sides of my family are Lutherans. I attended Sunday school, although it is obvious I didn't absorb ANYTHING I learned. I always joke that all I know of religion I learned from Godspell, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and Jesus Christ Superstar. I wish I was kidding. It was within the last 5 years that I finally understood why they always say "Jesus, Mary and Joseph" in Titanic. Did you know they are in my Nativity that I set up every year for Christmas?? I was even an Acolyte growing up... wearing the robes, lighting candles, carrying the cross, holding the incredibly heavy Bible during the Gospel, trying to not sleep during the pastor's sermons, helping with Communion. I guess I just zoned out because I certainly didn't learn anything. I should learn more about religion. I kind of don't fully associate with any one set group because I feel like I want to learn more about many different religions to see where my beliefs lie.
If you aren't aware, The Rite deals with exorcism. I'm not sure how I feel about that yet. If I don't believe in being possessed would that spare me from having it happen to me? I mean if I didn't believe how could I be possessed? Are only Catholic people possessed? I never hear about Mormons being possessed. I'm not asking questions to seem childish, bratty, skeptical .... nothing negative at all. They are just genuine questions since I haven't really formed any beliefs or opinions on the topic.
I do believe in fate, karma, reincarnation, Heaven and ghosts. A former best friend of mine is a preacher's kid. I swear I used to always be friends with PKs. I started to think they befriended me so they could save me. Ha, good luck to 'em! I mean I guess I would say that I am a spiritual person (I mean I DO talk to Pre before every race and am convinced he listens and helps me!), I just don't know all the stories in the Bible. If it wasn't sung about on Broadway then I don't know. I did actually start reading the Bible from the very beginning nearly 10 years ago, but got distracted by life and never made it too far. Anyway, the former best friend said I didn't make any sense because it is impossible to believe in Heaven AND reincarnation. I can't help it. I just do!
And I certainly believe in ghosts. To me this is just a pure fact. I'm sure many of you don't believe in them or perhaps question it the way I question possession. The house I live in I really do with every bone in my body believe to have been haunted. I experienced too many things to say it was anything but that. On separate occasions my mother and I both saw the same figure looking at us. (It was a man with brown curly hair, if you were interested.) I could go on and on about the activity in this house, but I won't. So many things have happened in my life that it would be impossible to convince me that there is no such thing as a ghost. I am, after all, the girl that traveled to Kentucky just to go ghost hunting in the middle of the night - and did experience things I can't explain away!
So I find myself now wondering how I can be so stead fast convinced in the presence of ghosts, yet I question demonic possessions. Perhaps it is because of movies and how over the top they appear to be when it comes to people being possessed. I mean if I didn't have my own paranormal experiences would I believe in shadow people?? Maybe not. I have no knowledge of actual possessions. I haven't witnessed it for myself. I've also never considered it though. It struck me as odd that I haven't formulated my own theory yet. I love a good theory - especially if it is my own! ;)
Did you see The Rite? Did you enjoy it? Did it make you question any of your beliefs? Would you like to be invited to the wedding of Sir Anthony and Ronda? Have you any beliefs in demonic possessions or ghosts? Have you ever heard of an acolyte?
Nope never seen the movie. Sure I'd love to come to your wedding! :) Yay. :) I do believe in these things. Scares the sheeeot out of me!
ReplyDeleteI absolutely want to come to the wedding, thanks! I'm pretty sure I lived in a haunted house once too... but since it was my grandparent's old house I tried to convince myself it was just them and that they were friendly ghosts, like Casper. :) I don't like scary movies, I'm a big chicken.
ReplyDeleteI haven't seen the Rite. Do you know what synod of lutheran you were raised (ELCA, Wisconsin, Missouri, etc..)? Just curious. I have that background too.
ReplyDeleteSo, um, I do believe in demon posessions.
My belief is that many of the insane are actually posessed- in all seriousness. Any way you look at it, insanity is truly a sad thing. I think the movie portrayal is going to probably exploit on fear and distort it for profit.
Anyhow...totally NOT running related, but interesting. :)
uh and yeah...I was an acolyte too. hehe.
ReplyDeleteSir Anthony also played the role of CS Lewis, a very famous Christian author- but you probably knew that ;)
I haven't heard of The Rite, but I was an acolyte many many times! I was raised ELCA Lutheran, and I believe firmly that I have pictures of ghosts in King Street Station in Seattle :-P
ReplyDeleteI don't know all, or even most Bible stories either, and I still go to small group. I'm like the uneducated one that always looks like a deer in the headlights, hahaha.
ReplyDeleteAnywho...I don't want to be invited, I wanna be a bridesmaid!
I haven't seen The Rite. I believe in demonic possession & ghosts. I was an acolyte. Where did you visit in Kentucky? The Waverly Sanitarium?
ReplyDeleteI love how you all were acolytes, too!! Most of the time when I say I was people look at me like I'm speaking a foreign language!
ReplyDeleteYes, Mike - I had a crazy 3 day weekend trip with the sole purpose to go investigate Waverly. I've done a couple posts on it, and I promised HMB I would finish those up some day!
If you want to see a freaky movie on possession go rent The Last Exorcism. It is shot documentary style and quite unsettling.
ReplyDeleteI had heard some not so great reviews on this - but based on years - I think I will go give it a shot!
Thanks!
I did not see The Rite, but The Exorcism of Emily Rose freaked my ass out.
ReplyDeleteWhat do ghosts have to do with believing in God?
ReplyDeleteHa - great question, CilleyGirl! I think I was just going on a stream of thought with that one. Like how something that might seem crazy - like ghosts - is just so accepted to me. But then watching people that are possessed probably seems crazy to people, too.
ReplyDeleteToday my thought in the shower (where I do all of my good thinking) was how do you get possessed in the first place? Does it just happened? Are some more susceptible to it that others? I need to make a trip to the library and study!