I have always been interested in the topic of homosexuality. I think this is an exemplification of what sin is: you know that according to the Bible it is NOT right with GOD, but you are so trapped that you keep going back to it.
As we all know, Brokeback Mountain is one of the hottest topics recently (though the heat has almost died down).
Although I really don't agree with the practice of homosexual relationship, I forced myself into understanding the story. I believe that if you don't know the details, you are not supposed to criticize anything.
First, I bought a book with short story and the screenplay. Believe me, the screenplay is not lengthy at all, and quite easy to read. But, I just couldn't brought myself to finish reading it.
I couldn't sleep the night when I was 3 quarters through reading it, and I stopped there.
I was too disturbed about the fact that these 2 guys had been having this ex-marital affair for almost 20 years!!
Then I saw the movie, and was just as disturbed about this same fact as when I was reading the book. And I lost another night's sleep.
The wife of one of them actually knew from the first instance when they reunited after both of them got married!! She saw them kissed and was SO shocked. She was completely shattered by this fact, but have to withstand it because their children are still toddlers. Even after they got divorced, and she got married again, she was still extremely disturbed by this betrayal.
With all the halos around this movie, being exhaulted as a movie redefining love, I am deeply concerned about the effect that it has on our societies' moral values.
What are we going to teach our children in the future? That loving someone is not a sin, even when that person is of the same sex? That having an ex-marital affair is not a sin, if you truly love that person? That loving someone while hurting a lot more persons is right?
I don't think this whole thing is really about love; I think it is about
(1) betrayal,
(2) not giving due respect to a commitment such as marriage, and
(3) not caring about how you might hurt the ones that you love with wrong decisions.
The leading male role not only hurt his family but also his boyfriend. The latter was so disturbed that they couldn't be together as lovers would that he was always in distress, so much so that he said the famous quote "I wish I knew how to quit you".
Only when his boyfriend died that he realised he should be better to the ones he loves.
I believe that's why the last scene was about his elder daughter asking him to come to her wedding, he hesitated and said he need to work, but on second thought said they could find another person to work but he must attend his girl's wedding.
This forms a great contrast to an earlier scene that this same daughter asked whether she could live with him rather than staying with her stepfather's family, and he refused.
If we really need to learn from this story, I think this is my take:
(1) Give the people you love the right attention when they are still around; don't wait till they had died
(2) When you make a decision, be sure you take into consideration whether it will hurt anybody, especially someone you love
2 comments:
Hello there! Long time no see. I almost think that you had quitted.
I had not the courage to read the book or watch the movie, I am afraid I would become too angry to myself for reading/watching it.
If a topic is really important, it is never too late to discuss it. In addition, there is an advantage: since we are at a distance, we are harder to be moved by the spirit/mood/fashion at that time and can concern more at the core issue. It may not respond to the very moment but at least let late-comers to be equipped or feel a need to be equipped.
In the forseeable future, there will be even more controversies that impact our values. If we are busy and in a hurry to respond to all of them, we will be worn out and accomplish nothing. We have to concentrate at issues that burden us and share them (I think the Lord will call different Christians with different gifts and burdens to respond to different important issues at the right time - only if we fulfill our responsibilities) to others who 'feel the same ache'.
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