Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Superheroes and Religion

Ahh, I love Christmas. Everything about it. I'm the type that won't say "Season's Greetings" or "Happy Holidays". I will say "Merry Christmas". Just as quickly, I will also say "Happy Hanukkah" to someone who is Jewish or "Holy Ramadan" to someone who is Muslim. I don't get all PC over holidays. Christmas is what Christians celebrate in late December - I mean, c'mon! Who doesn't know that?

Now is probably a good time to bring up the topic of superheroes and religion. Do we have religion? Most of us do. I'll discuss more about superhumans and religion later, but today to help that later discussion, I'm going to talk about my own religious and spiritual views. To start, I am a non-denominational Christian who believes in God and that we were put on this earth to serve humanity in what way we can with our God-given talents - whatever they may be. My talents happen to be a little more obvious, but still I feel that I was meant to use my superhuman abilities to the benefit of the common good and to defend humanity against those who wish it harm.

I would have to believe this way - otherwise, why would I put my life and limb on the line time after time if I didn't believe that I was meant to do so with my super abilities? Despite the fact that I can take a lot of punishment because of my superior healing abilities, even it gets taxed frequently from the many supers that I come up against. I've encountered beings who can literally shatter mountains or who can violate mind and body in ways unthinkable and unspeakable. I've been burned and slashed and even shot at in the process of taking down a super villain. And yet, I have to bring them down. Failure to stop them could cost untold damage to life and property if I don't. I am fully aware that often I am the only thing standing in their way of their plans of chaos and destruction.

So with all that abuse, what keeps me in the thick of things? That little girl with the puppy. That elderly couple holding hands as they walk in the park for the umpteenth time. The young man sweating out how he's going to propose to his girlfriend. All those people have the right to go on with their lives without the ambitions of super villains to come along and destroy their way of life. I believe that it can't be coincidence that I happen to be here in this time of human history, when I have the means of stopping such people.

And while it is not necessary, I am grateful for all expressions of gratitude that come my way. They remind me of why I fight the good fight. I can't imagine what kind of person I'd be had I felt that it wasn't worth the abuse I go through to stop super villains. Most likely, I would have eventually become a super villain myself. I guess I'm saying that I fight for what's right so that I won't drift into what's wrong. After all, we often drift into selfish, evil ways - it's not like it's always a snap decision. So I'm basically saying that the battle against evil is as just as much with myself as it is with super villains. And just like when I fight supervillains, I must always win the battles with myself.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Andromeda, you brought up some really good points in this post. Good for you that you have found a balance with your inner self.