Wednesday, August 22, 2012

You Are Not Gladiator.

Meet Gladiator, pictured left. He's an alien hero from the Marvel universe who is most known for his interactions with the X-Men. He has the apparent powers of Superman, the skin tone of a smurf, and the mohawk of...okay, let's be honest, no one rocks the mohawk like Gladiator these days. What's more, he's a testament to the fictional power of faith.

Before I ever read a Gladiator comic, I had something in common with him. We both believed we could fly. Of course, that's were our similarities ended. His belief in flight is what actually allowed him to fly. Gladiator is the only hero I know of with faith-based abilities. His mental state informs his physical state. His self-confidence is everything. In the real word, my belief that I could fly didn't translate into any measurable affect. It's a real shame.

Mind over matter is a concept I lingered on to far longer than I should. After my childlike superhero musings, I moved onto Christian Science, where the word "Mind" was always capitalized as a synonym for God. "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." ~Philippians 4:13. In retrospect, this was a step in the wrong direction. Youthful imagination can come up with some crazy ideas, but when I believed I could fly, I placed unfounded faith in myself. Placing unfounded faith in an unfounded deity is stupid squared, and I was guilty as charged.

Faith in the supernatural, from within or without, is an obsession that humanity needs to outgrow. That's why I write this blog. I don't want anyone to look as silly as a blue man with a mohawk.

6 comments:

  1. I suspected by the name you're a comics fan. Most awesome.

    Excellent point made, and expressed in a very clever way. Good stuff, man.

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    1. Thanks! You might also like my comics-related post about the worst atheist ever.

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  2. faith based powers? Were there ever storylines where his enemies convinced him he couldn't do something, which resulted him in losing the power? Seems like something prof x could pull off.

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    1. Xavier's evil sister busted him up good by telepathically taking away his self-confidence. (you'd think everyone would wear a Magneto helmet)

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  3. Faith based power is naturally silly. It is as silly as believing that without proper medical care one can get better in the case of extreme illness, yet we still have people choosing to pray and to rely on their faith rather than seeing the Doctor.

    Faith in the supernatural is most assuredly something we (as a species) need to outgrow. At this point in our development, it only holds us back.

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  4. Xavier's evil sister busted him up good by telepathically taking away his self-confidence. (you'd think everyone would wear a Magneto helmet)

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