Parade Magazine has two articles on Brad Pitt in their latest issue (here and here). Brad grew up in a Southern Baptist family but turned away from God in his late teens. Check out this quote on some of his thinking about God:
“Religion works,” he goes on. “I know there’s comfort there, a crash pad. It’s something to explain the world and tell you there is something bigger than you, and it is going to be alright in the end. It works because it’s comforting. I grew up believing in it, and it worked for me in whatever my little personal high school crisis was, but it didn’t last for me. I didn’t understand this idea of a God who says, ‘You have to acknowledge me. You have to say that I’m the best, and then I’ll give you eternal happiness. If you won’t, then you don’t get it!’ It seemed to be about ego. I can’t see God operating from ego, so it made no sense to me.
How would you respond to him? Is he right? Has he misunderstood something about God? Himself?
Comment away…
Yeah, that’s a pretty unattractive God he describes.
On one level, he has understood worship better than most people who turn away because “I don’t like the idea of a God who lets bad things happen”.
Not that i know of he thinks that too, or not.
But really, he’s hit the nail in some ways, God demands allegiance and he is the best! If we don’t know God and Love Him then that comes across as arrogant perhaps.
I know It did my head in a bit when I first realised that God says how wonderful he is, but really, He is! What else should he say about Himself?
Yeah I definately think Brad undertands the character of God better than a lot of people, including plenty of Christians.
However, the part He is missng s the fact that while God works to glorify Himself, in terms of us, He does it because it is best for us. It is not simply egocentrial, because if we see hoe good God really is, then we have the peace that transcends all understanding. Doesn’t get much better than that.
Brad’s words are pretty strong. Certainly he misses the fact that we are made to love and worship God. But perhaps he also misunderstands the God who is Trinity. With our God, it is never only “Ego”, but always also “Tu”.
Just listened to a two part sermon from Piper on this subject.
http://www.acts29network.org
(search: whole glory of the gospel)
Piper describes God being all about his glory in:
Pre-destination
Creation
Incarnation
Restoration
He then combats some common misunderstandings like Brad Pitt’s.
Really helpful I found
JPJ