I agree with some of your points and disagree with others.
My biggest point of disagreement is your assertion that the evil in the world is due to spirits and demons. While I agree that spiritual influence is more common than most people in "developed" societies now tend to believe, I feel that blaming such beings for the world's suffering takes away too much human agency and responsibility, rendering us bit players in our own story. Maybe that's a reflection of my own ego, but I think if someone is going to claim "God/the devil made me do it," there better be some pretty strong evidence presented.
On the responsibility side, I also feel that blaming demons and spirits can too easily encourage a sense of learned helplessness. This can lead all too easily to charismatic strongmen leading movements that end up being parasitic upon their own followers at best, actively dangerous to those around them at worst.
I need to get back to work, so I'll end here, but I look forward to seeing what else you have to say. "Last Temptation" is also one of my favorite movies for how it encourages people to question and discover instead of promoting the usual dogma.
May 22
at
4:02 PM
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