The God Delusion

Let me preface this by saying that I believe in God; that is not what I mean by "delusion." When I use the term "delusion," I am referring to blind faith, which I do not believe to be true faith. If a blind man states that the grass is purple without sufficient evidence to believe so (and you and I both know that the grass is not purple), then he is exercising blind faith, or what I would call a delusion. No amount of faith will cause the grass to cease being green (or, in some cases, brown).

At the risk of sounding heretical, I want to ask you to forget everything you've heard about "childlike faith." It is one thing if you are a child, but if you are 21 years old and still clinging to the faith in God you had when you were 4 years old because that's what mommy and daddy always told you, I do not think this kind of "faith" honors God at all. There is a certain point in brain development when we are able to question for ourselves what is true. When Jesus said, "Unless you become like the little children, you will not enter the kingdom of God," I do not think he was referring to the doubtless faith of a child (which, as a matter of fact, may not be as doubtless as we believe); I think he was referring to humility and a willingness to admit our mistakes.

"Faith is not a leap in the dark, but it is a leap." - a beloved professor of mine

Edward Scissorhands: a "Frankenstein" story

The Tim Burton film Edward Scissorhands contains many elements that classify it as a “Frankenstein” film. One of the primary reasons for this, perhaps the most obvious, is the simple fact that Edward himself is reminiscent of Frankenstein’s monster. Much like Frankenstein’s monster, Edward Scissorhands longs to be accepted by a society in which he doesn’t belong.

Edward is an unfinished creation whose creator died before Edward was completed. As a result of this, Edward is left with scissors in place of human hands. This leads him to be shunned by culture and society, as many people prejudge him as an “evil creature.”

Frankenstein’s monster learns about world history, literature, and language by observing the people whom he is around. Edward Scissorhands also learns in this manner. Watching the film, it is obvious that Edward is not very vociferous at the beginning of the movie, but he speaks more as the plot proceeds. One can make the assumption that this is because, like an infant learning how to speak through his toddler years and early childhood, Edward learns more language as time goes on.

Another reason for Edward Scissorhands’s similarity to Frankenstein’s monster is his motives for his actions. Like Frankenstein’s monster, Edward does not intentionally cause harm. For example, there is a scene in the film in which the son of the family with which Edward is staying runs out into the street. Edward pushes him out of the way of an oncoming van, but this action causes nearly as much trouble as it prevents, as Edward’s scissors get in the way and accidentally cut the boy. Also, nearly everyone who observes Edward caring for the boy assumes that Edward was acting out of malicious desire to harm the boy. This scene could be considered a parallel to the scene in Frankenstein in which the monster rescues a drowning young girl. Everyone who observes this scene assumes that the monster has attacked the girl.

In the wake of his rejection, Frankenstein’s monster vows revenge against all mankind for the way he is treated. He decides that, since everyone considers him to be a monster, he will act like a monster. He acts out of vengeance and kills his creator’s brother. Similarly, in the climax of Edward Scissorhands, Edward murders his love interest’s boyfriend. Both Edward and Frankenstein’s monster give up on trying to be accepted as kind, civilized creatures, and decide to become the monsters that society has made them out to be.

One significant difference between Edward Scissorhands and Frankenstein is the status of the inventors. Edward’s inventor has died during the creation of Edward, and Edward must carry out acts of vengeance on the people who treat him poorly, rather than avenging his creator for making him a “monster.” Frankenstein, on the other hand, is alive throughout the course of the story, allowing the monster to avenge his creator directly.

Edward Scissorhands’s journey for approval is not an easy one; similarly to Frankenstein’s monster, he must overcome obstacles such as language barriers, prejudice, and lifestyle differences in order to be accepted. Ultimately, neither Edward nor Frankenstein’s monster achieve their goals. However, both Edward Scissorhands and Frankenstein are tales of seemingly wicked creatures who only desire one thing from the world they are brought into: acceptance.

Response to "Pessimistic"

In high school, I was depressed. In my depression, I wrote poetry. Some poetry that is inspired by depression has more subtle undertones of melancholy, but not mine. My poetry was blatantly depressing, angry, and even suicidal. I wrote a poem in 9th grade, which I aptly titled "Pessimistic." Now, five years later, I realize that if someone I cared about had written this poem and showed me, I would be seriously concerned for their life. The things that I wrote in this poem were lies straight from Satan. God has been debunking these lies and showing me truth, and that is why I wrote down what I thought God would say to 14-year-old Allison. The first part, before the line break, is the poem I wrote in 9th grade; the second part is the poem I wrote five years later. 

My sins scribbled on my forehead
For the world to see;

Who could love me?

Every mistake I've made

Comes back to haunt me;

Who will accept me?

The poison of rejection has made me ill;

My past, a knife that has stabbed my heart.

I'm searching for acceptance

In a world that is against me;

How long until my search is over?

I'm worn out and tired

Of making futile attempts at finding a friend.

All I've ever hoped for,

Now thrown away.

The ugliness of rejection is all that shows.

Rejected, and this pencil and paper are all I have --

My only friends in a dark world of hurt and pain.

Uninvited,

And I can't take anymore.

The lonely tears I cry are ignored

By teasing laughter.

My life will be a secret,

Lived for only me to see.

This gloomy raincloud of regret hovers over me,

And all I can do

Is write.
 

When your sins are scribbled on your forehead

For the world to see,

I still love you.

When every mistake you've made

Comes back to haunt you,

I will accept you.

The poison of rejection has made you ill;

Your past seems like a knife that has stabbed your heart.

You have been searching for acceptance

In a world that is against you;

Your search is now over.

You're worn out and tired,

But I give you rest.

All you've ever hoped for

Can be found in Me.

Now the beauty of acceptance is all that shows.

You are Mine, and I am all you need.

Call on Me when your world is dark.

I invite you in;

You don't have to fight anymore.

I have heard your cry;

What took you so long to cry to Me?

Your life was never a secret;

I saw every moment.

I welcome you in with open arms

And I call you

My child.