This week’s viewing of the film Born Again was a very fascinating and intimate look into how religion affects people’s personal lives. It was interesting and rather off-putting to see how comfortable the parishioners were with their pastor inserting himself into their lives and affairs. These people surrendered basically every aspect of their lives to the church, and they did so with complete willingness. This was a very bizarre process to watch as someone who is almost entirely divorced from religion, but for the people being recorded, it was just the way of things.

Another fascinating process was the conversion of the man who did not accept his brother’s faith at the beginning of the film. The conversation he had with his brother, which culminated in him breaking down and crying, was very powerful. It was a huge reminder of how much of a person’s identity is based around their own sense of religion and spirituality. Watching this sad, broken man accept a higher power into his life and perceive a noticeable difference in his quality of living was an incredible transition to see.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, the man who turned to religion after his wife left him made for a fascinating story. The conversation between the pastor and the ex-wife was unnerving – it cannot be stressed enough that I’m not used to this level of contact between a religious leader and their parishioners, and to see that relationship unfold was an entirely new experience. All in all, it was a very fascinating look into a world I don’t know.