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How religion affects everyday life
How religion affects everyday life
How religious figures are depicted in films
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The religion we follow has an extraordinary impact on how we live our lives. For those who work under their god, such as priests, nuns, and imams, the impact can be ever larger. In the movie Nacho Libre, starring Jack Black, a young monastery chef named Nacho struggles to nourish the children of the monastery orphanage because the grocery budget is so low. To combat this struggle, Nacho begins competing as a Luchador wrestler and hopes to gain the love and affection of a gorgeous nun, named Sister Encarnacion, with his impressive wrestling skills. Unfortunately for him, this profession is highly frowned upon by his monastery and he has to keep his second job a secret from not only his superiors but from the children as well. Contrary to what viewers may initially think, Nacho’s devotion to God has such a profound affect on him that it forces him into a moral dilemma and nearly ruins his love life. I chose this movie because it addresses the impact of religion in such a subtle way. Most …show more content…
Additionally, it provides viewers with insight into the world of Mexican Lucha Libre wrestling. The movie displays the elaborate costumes of Luchador wrestlers and juxtaposes it against the simple dress of the religious officials in the monastery. This helps viewers see how different the two cultures are and heightens their sense of sympathy with Nacho because they can clearly see how hard it must be to balance his double life. The monastery allows him to be close to God and feel God’s love but it also forces him to deal with judgement and guilt. In some people’s eyes he is sinning but in Nacho’s eyes he is being selfless and good hearted. I hope other viewers can see the deeper meaning behind this movie and see his religious dilemma and the complexity of his situation rather than focusing on the slapstick comedy and poorly executed
Doña Guadalupe is a woman of great strength and power, power and strength which she draws from her devout faith and her deep and loving compassion for her family, and power and strength which is passed down to her children. “‘Well, then, come in,’ she said, deciding that she could be handle this innocent-girl-stealing coyote inside. On going into the long tent, Salvador felt like he’d entered the web of a spider, the old woman was eyeing him so deliberately” (360). Doña Guadalupe is a very protective woman, which is extremely speculative when it comes to her children, this is especially true when it comes to boys, because she has not gone this far only for all of her hard work to be ruined by a no good boy. This shows how protective she is, she loves her family, and especially her kids so much that they themselves must pass her test before being able to pass on to her children. “The newborns were moving, squirming, reaching out for life. It was truly a sign from God” (58). Doña Guadalupe is also a very devout and faithful person. She sees God in everything and in everyone and by that fact, what she sees and who she sees is true, and she tries to be a model of clairvoyance for the family. “Doña Guadalupe put the baby’s little feet in a bowel of warm water, and the child clinging to his mother. He never cried, listening to her heartbeat, the same music that he’d heard from inside the womb” (57). Finally, Doña Guadalupe is very passionate which allows for a great model upon which her children follow. This further shows how she is clearly th...
Many people would say that to be born a Mexican is to be born a Catholic. This perpetuating stereotype has forced many Mexican families to raise their children as if no other religions options even existed. In the book Pocho by Jose Antonio Villarreal a young boy by the name of Richard Rubio finds himself being raised Catholic by a traditional Mexican family. Richard, struggling to find his place in the world, has his parents religious beliefs pressed down on him forcing him to conform to a religion he does not agree with. Throughout the course of the novel the Catholic religious beliefs imposed on Richard affected his personality in many ways. By the end of the book it is clear that not allowing others to find their own spiritual calling can have drastic effects on their ability to recognize who they are. Many of the spiritual problems Richard faces in book are common to a number of Mexican children. Through the use of my personal experiences in being in a situation similar to that of Richard's, I intend to support my claim that forced beliefs may have damaging effects on a person.
This film exhibited the lack of life Ramón was experiencing, and his fight to end the suffering. Because the Church had an impact on society and the court system, Ramón legally was unable to end his suffering. With the help of someone who loved him dearly, Ramón ended his life in 1998; however, he did suffer for over twenty-five years unable to end his life. Although Ramón ended his life through the help of another human, the Church opposed his right as a human to end his life, and fought against him. The function church plays in society is a dangerous role, and impacts the lives of citizens whether aware or
The study of religion is often a rigorous process because the central tenets of the subject: image, ritual, and myth are often copious in their complexity. For example, consider the multiple meanings that are inherent in the image of a crucifix. Some Christians might view it as an image of suffering, whilst others would reject that notion and instead perceive it to be one of love. These differences may seem inconsequential at first, but they can overtime shape the beliefs of an individual and by extension a community. To understand this dynamic better one only has to analyze the Christo Aparecido (Christ Appeared), an authentic Mexican crucifix with a fascinating history from the colonial era to the present. This history is made known by the text, Biography of a Mexican Crucifix: Lived Religion and Local Faith from the Conquest to the Present by Jennifer Hughes, from which I contend that over the life of the Christo Aparecido there continues to be an understanding among devotees that this crucifix is sacred because it displays animus while being a vestige for the sacred to occupy. To support my position I will attempt to relate the moments where the Christo Aparecido is said to show signs of life, in particular his stay in Mexico City during the colonial era and his role in more modern times with rival groups clashing over its efficacy in the village of Totolapan.
Mexico is described as tragic-those who are of Mexican descent are often very traditional in thought. Rodriguez’s father held the traditional beliefs that old men are wise, that life is disheartening, and near one’s death is the point where one must look back on their life. However, he also feels that Mexico is a happier place, with sweeter children and more lavish funerals. Perhaps he views Mexico as the tragic place because it represents a lost heritage to him. He, who in his middle age, finds himself agreeing with the Mexican ideals, nevertheless finds himself affected by living in America. Instead of being raised with the ideas of Mexican culture, he was raised with Protestant optimism characteristic of California. He was forced to abandon the way of life of his ancestors, even if only partially. America-more specifically, California, conquered the Mexican ways, and in so doing, lost the opportunity to reconcile the Catholic South and the Protestant North. Thus, Mexico emerged as the tragic hero and California as the laughing victor. California is comedic because it is a place where it is possible to start anew, to defy the traditional.
Castillo first shows the reader her distrust of patriarchy and its vertical structures through La Loca Santa’s death. The first structure under scrutiny here is the Catholic Church. After La Loca awakens she throws herself into the air and lands on the top of the Church, saying that those below her carry the same scent that she had smelled while in hell. With Loca high above the others she can be seen as a “substation” for a new Chicana Christ figure (Delgadillo 895). She tells those gathered below that she has been sent back to pray for them so that they would be able to see their Creator in heaven. Father Jerome pleads with her to come down so that the congregation could pray for her. She then reminds him that it is she that was sent to pray for them. With La Loca in the position of a Christ figure of the system, the structure of the system, in this case religion,...
middle of paper ... ... I heard someone say once a quote that I think fits really well, that Christians’ fight with values and it is almost impossible to fight with values. This is true and I think because you can’t necessarily fight values we have to attempt to change values and that can be much more effective with something that hits home a little more than scientific facts might. Overall, the film was a very informative film for a more homophobic audience.
To understand fully the implicit meaning and cultural challenges the film presents, a general knowledge of the film’s contents must be presented. The protagonist, Tita, suffers from typical Hispanic cultural oppression. The family rule, a common rule in this culture, was that the youngest daughter is to remain unwed for the duration of her mother’s life, and remain home to care for her. Mama Elena offers her daughter, Tita’s older sister Rosaura, to wed a man named Pedro, who is unknowingly in mutual love with Tita. Tita is forced to bake the cake for the wedding, which contains many tears that she cried during the process. Tita’s bitter tears cause all the wedding guests to become ill after consuming the cake, and Tita discovers she can influence others through her cooking. Throughout the film, Tita’s cooking plays an important role in all the events that transpire.
because it made me became very curious about what is going to happen next. The play’s beginning was no as interesting as the movie’s. I also liked the acting in the movie.
This movie was inspiring and encouraging to anyone who is struggling with something. Overcoming his controversies in life became the main point of the movie. Knowing that this movie was based upon a true story inspires the people even more.
Throughout Death Comes for the Archbishop, New Mexico is described as a very harsh environment, especially for those who are not used to living in it. Unlike the Native Americans and the Mexicans who had lived there for a thousand generations, Father Latour does not know his way around and ends of getting lost in the New Mexico desert, which was “so featureless—or rather, that it was crowded with features, all exactly alike” (Cather, 17). The New Mexico desert is not only “featureless,” but also very brutal. According to Father Latour it is “… like a country of dry ashes; no juniper, no rabbit brush, nothing but thickets of withered, dead-looking cactus, and patches of wild pumpkin—the only vegetation that had any vitality” (Cather, 88). A major theme of Death Comes for the Archbishop is perseverance. For instance, Father Latour did not let the harshness and brutality of New Mexico stop him from planting the seed of Catholicism. He kept preaching repentance and forgiveness of sins until this seed had grown in the strange and “featureless”
Love/hatred, redemption/forgiveness, power/faith are only examples of what the film represents. It shows that religion and politics definitely do not mix what so ever. Both can either empower or bring doom to a country and its people. The film kept me on my toes for which the Portuguese and the Spanish viewed the natives as “animals” and as slaves while the Jesuits didn’t. The Jesuits viewed the natives for what they are, humans. Since both views of both parties did not correlate, there was a lot of tension that kept me intrigued with the film. Another aspect that made the film interesting is the fact that the Jesuits live for love and peace while the Portuguese live for power and wealth no matter the cost. Even in our own current time, nothing has changed when it comes to that. I’m very glad to have had the chance to watch the film and get a glimpse into
...movie that I fell in love with. But most of all I love how the story line is a great overlap into the cinematically engaging movie. There is a great use of camera, timing, shots and story line that are portrayed in this movie without being too overwhelming. This allows the audience to relax during the movie and just take in the scenes as a story from reality. To this day, and even still doing this paper I still come to find different aspects of the movie that I missed the previous times I have watched it.
His search for his lost and apostate teacher, Ferreira, takes him to a few villages where he serves as priest, witnessing the struggles of Christian peasants. He is eventually captured and kept in prison in an attempt to make him apostatise.
Not only does this movie deal with the issues of society, but it points to biblical scriptures that help lead us in the right direction. The biggest lesson that this film taught me was that if I put my complete faith in God, then no matter what happens, he will provide, watch over, and take care of me. I learned that expressing belief in God is not enough. I have to live everyday believing and trusting him and I have to show my trust and faith through my actions and my words.