Last night I watched Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind for what felt like the first time. I had seen it once before, but for some reason didn't remember it being quite so spectacular!I love the premise: A couple trying to forget one another and a business able to make that 'fresh break' a reality. Jim Carrey plays a low-shouldered loner who begins to realize you have to take the bad with the good in life and love. For the first time in his life he decides to stand up for what he really wants (though, technically, he does all this while lying in the comfort of his own bed). It's a bit of a complicated story. You'll have to watch it for yourself.
I really liked it. I'll wanna watch it a couple more times. All the characters are interesting. The directors style is refreshingly unique. A point is present, but not shoved down your throat. Real good stuff.
Rating: 9.5
Status: Must Tell Others
4 comments:
This is one of the best movies to come out in a long, long time.
I was going to write some drivel about the philosophy involved, but in searching for a specific quote I found this article which puts anything I had to say to shame.
[url]http://www.unomaha.edu/jrf/Vol9No1/SmithSunshine.htm[/url]
Great article jkig. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
I am a bigger fan of Nietzsche than one might expect. I consider his creed 2nd to none in the secular world: "A new will I teach to men: to will this way which man has walked blindly and to affirm it."
Outside of Christ, this is probably the best available advice for Paul in Romans 7:14-24.
But in Christianity, there is a new transcendance. Not through anything we can do, but through Jesus Christ who is able to 'deliver' us from the law of ourselves. We get a 'new nature'
Even still, however, much of life remains Nietzschean (spelling?) in the sense that most Christians (all?) will always have a battle, to some degree, going on within them. And there is much wisdom, I believe, in letting go of the self-effort toward perfection. Escape (perfection?) cannot be attained by men (even if Lucuna & portholes exist)
It seems to me the Nietzsche is a scapegoat for secularization. There are some heavy hitters that say his philosophy is monotheist, Habermas being one.
I think you can amend your statement “Much of life remains Nietzschean in the sense that most Christians (all?) will always have a battle, to some degree, going on within them,” to read “all people will always have a battle.”
I don’t think the Holy Spirit is confined to our language, or even the language within the bible. If the Holy Spirit is really at work on earth, within our spiritual lives, it seems that this battle transcends religion and culture. It seems to me, that one can be Christian in every sense of the word, with out the proper words, or religious or cultural expression.
I’ve picked up on the Evangelical belief that Satan is working to create a universal church, one that accepts all religious beliefs as true. Now, it may come from the same source or motive behind the recent Armageddon fixation, but the idea is out there.
I think if we look at what it unchanging (God,) verses what is relative (culture,) it seems that many religious beliefs have manifested themselves closely to one another across religious and cultural lines. And if it is true that the Holy Spirit in unchanging and can work in everyone’s life, then the tangible spiritual experience is transcendent- from the very relative cultural manifestations on earth.
So, it seems to me that the cry against cultural or religious relativism is misplaced, and can coincide with true, unchanging spiritual Truth, which by definition is transcendent of earth, and unable to be fully expressed religiously or culturally.
You may be right Nietzsche, I don't know enough about his views to know.
I'm fine with the slight ammendment to my statement since: 1. I wasn't implying non-christians don't experience the battle and 2. I can simply place more emphasis on the phrase 'to some degree' provided you allow me to keep that part :)
I'd certainly agree with your 3rd paragraph. I'm not sure if something I said suggested otherwise. I certainly don't feel God's Spirit is bound by earthly institutions (the visible church).
Are there some muslims, hindu's, jews, etc that are 'accidently' worshipping the true God. I'm quite certain there are. Old Testament saints were saved without knowing/understanding the name of Jesus and doctrinal distinctives of Christianity. It's about the search for and response to truth. If that is the kind of Religious relativism you are advocating, amen.
On the other hand, all religions are certainly not equal. And those institions ARE, I believe, quite possibly part of Satan's doings. He is the deceiver.
If you were satan, wouldn't you consider religion your closest friend? Truth mixed with error is far more effective than flat out rejection of God.
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