This is weird for me to think about. It's like I loosely grasp the ideas in my mind and they make sense, but then I try to focus on any part to explain it the whole thing unravels
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I think what you wrote makes sense, but I don't think you got what I was saying in my original post.
I really was just asking what purgatory is and how it relates to the spiritual world, and then how what people are calling "purgatory" on Lost relates to both. I guess you kind of touched on what the Lost version of "purgatory" is.
I'm really interested in what the producers thought of it. I don't remember, but I think at one point you were talking about one of your theories and I thought you were saying that they were debunking different religious views... I think I rather see it as showing that all religions are valid. The more I think about it, the more I really liked that ending. I'm so pleased that all of them (no matter what their religion) got to go to heaven (aka move on).
Oh, I got that you were just curious about what purgatory is. The reasons I didn't discuss that are 1) I don't know anything about purgatory, and 2) I don't think the afterlife they're in fits with the religious beliefs of one specific church.
My point about Lost debunking religious views was simply that the show demonstrates how spirituality is not limited or guaranteed in traditional definitions of religion. It shows that spirituality can exist in unexpected places (Locke feels connected to the island, Desmond has dreams, Echo is a drug dealer but becomes a priest, etc.) and that even in its traditional form it's not always helpful (quotes from the Bible used for brainwashing, Mary statues hide heroine, a Bible is hollowed out to create a hiding place, etc.). I felt their point was that religious rituals and teachings are important, but apart from spiritual truths they're empty or even harmful.
I loved the part at the end showing symbols from various churches. I think you're right that it showed the validity of many faiths.
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I really was just asking what purgatory is and how it relates to the spiritual world, and then how what people are calling "purgatory" on Lost relates to both. I guess you kind of touched on what the Lost version of "purgatory" is.
I'm really interested in what the producers thought of it. I don't remember, but I think at one point you were talking about one of your theories and I thought you were saying that they were debunking different religious views... I think I rather see it as showing that all religions are valid. The more I think about it, the more I really liked that ending. I'm so pleased that all of them (no matter what their religion) got to go to heaven (aka move on).
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My point about Lost debunking religious views was simply that the show demonstrates how spirituality is not limited or guaranteed in traditional definitions of religion. It shows that spirituality can exist in unexpected places (Locke feels connected to the island, Desmond has dreams, Echo is a drug dealer but becomes a priest, etc.) and that even in its traditional form it's not always helpful (quotes from the Bible used for brainwashing, Mary statues hide heroine, a Bible is hollowed out to create a hiding place, etc.). I felt their point was that religious rituals and teachings are important, but apart from spiritual truths they're empty or even harmful.
I loved the part at the end showing symbols from various churches. I think you're right that it showed the validity of many faiths.
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