NORMAL LIFE: Religious Holidays & Religious Movies

I confess: I'm an atheist! Last night I went to see the eagerly awaited Hollywood adaptation of Dan Brown's best-selling novel, the Da Vinci Code. The book was fantastic while the film was a huge disappointment, perhaps owing to Dan Brown's extraordinary ability to describe things that cannot be easily conveyed into film. Rather surprisingly, Tom Hanks' performance was one of his worst ever and part of me just wanted the French unknown who starred alongside him to cry or smile or something! Then again, she was French so we shouldn't expect too much emotion to be displayed.

A work of fiction, the book claims that the holy grail is in fact Mary Magdelane and not the cup that was drank from during the Last Supper. Damning evidence shows that, in the last Last Supper painting, there are no cups. In addition, the person sitting to the left of Jesus looks convincingly female. The book claims that Mary Madgelane became Jesus' wife and that she bore a child. I'm like, yeah, and? The Catholic Church, meanwhile, made Mary Magedelane out to be a prostitute in order to dispute the possible truth that, somewhere out there, is a descendent of Jesus Christ himself. Such a thing would be unacceptable for the Chruch to stomach for Jesus was righteous and pure. Basically, the Church's stance is that if a guy fancies a poke, suddenly he's dirty and evil! Give me strenth!

And then I woke up this morning and was confronted by the fact that it was Ascension Day, the day that commemorates the ascending of Jesus' body to Heaven following his Resurrection. Again, I'm like so what? This all happened 2,000-odd years ago so why are we still so desperate to hang onto it? Instead of hanging onto the belief of a better afterlike or a better life n the next world, why don't we focus on the one we have got and make this one a better place?

The first account of the Ascension can be found in the Gospel of Mark (16:14-19); Jesus and the remaining eleven Disciples are seated at a table and Jesus commands his followers to spread the Gospel. He said that those who believe will be invulnerable to poison and be able to heal the sick and the like and, after delivering these final words, Jesus was received into Heaven. In the Gospel of Luke (24:50-51), it was claimed that Jesus led the eleven to Bethany, not far from Jerusalem. While in the act of blessing them, Jesus was carried up to Heaven. In both Gospels, the Ascension took place immediately after the Ressurection.

However, in the Acts of the Apostles (1:9-12), it is claimed that for forty days after the Resurrection, Jesus continued to preach the Gospel. Jesus and the eleven were gathered near Mt. Olivet, to the northeast of Bethany. Jesus tells disciples that they will receive the power of the Holy Spirit and that they will spread his message the world over. Meanwhile, in the Gospel of Matthew, it is claimed that Jesus merely commanded the Disciples to spread the Gospel. No reference was made to the Ascension.

What are we to believe? Given that most of the people who live in the region where Jesus lived insist on blowing themselves up these days, were these disciples really of sound mind? Why should we, in the Western World, turn to Jerusalem for guidance and seek salvation? If anything, belief in such has led to nothing but violence worldwide. And, to this day, the violence and clash of faiths continues. Ultimately, we should ask ourselves who wins?