When I started this blog, I was determined to stick to my main theme (stories from my seminary days) and resist the urge to describe my trip to the dentist, analyze the 49ers' draft picks, etc. But I must mention the movie Purple State of Mind, which I saw in San Francisco last night. This film is essentially a collection of conversations between two friends who met in college as evangelical Christians, then took very different paths over the next 30 years. One is still a Christian, while the other is now an atheist--and I was struck by the way they disagree sharply while still maintaining a strong friendship and acceptance of each other. The only quibble I have with the film is that I expected their points of view to be farther apart (a true Red State/Blue State discussion), but both of them are fairly "Blue" in their thinking. The Christian (Craig) espouses some opinions that place him outside the evangelical mainstream--at least the one I left behind. That said, they still find plenty to hash over, and the result is sure to stir discussions among viewers. Lastly, thanks to the Progression of Faith blog for making me aware of this film.
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Purple State of Mind
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2 comments:
I liked the fact that neither guy fit the stereotype. When our small group watched it together some of the more conservative people sided with the atheist on a few issues. It was an interesting conversation starter.
In some ways it was good that they didn't really flesh out their differences in more detail. It left some open space for us to fill in the rest of the dialogue ourselves.
Mike, I agree that both these guys defy easy categorization, and that is one of the strengths of the film. They come across as real people instead of talking heads staking out positions.
I did want to hear more on certain topics, though. For example, they seemed to more or less agree on gay rights, and I would have liked to hear more on how they came together on that issue. But as you note, it leaves the door open for others to take up the discussion.
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