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Interview by Inga Yandell MAN’S QUEST FOR FAITH
DISCOVER WHAT GOD MEANS TO PEOPLE ALL OVER THE WORLD Expanding on Peter Rodger’s award-winning film ‘Oh My God’ the new book detailing the filmmakers journey!
THE OMG CHRONICLES
WWW.OMGMOVIE.COM /
WWW.PETERRODGER.COM
Did you discover any prevailing philosophy to your question 'What is God'? The first thing is that I asked the question "What is God?," not "Who is God?" and I did this purposely. By asking "what" instead of "who" questions the entity of God rather than any anthropomorphic interpretation of said entity; it is therefore more objective.
What I discovered is a kaleidoscope of different opinions, united in most philosophy but utterly reconstituted by culture, politics, diversity of geography and the influence of Man. The underlying message seems always to be the same - the interpretation can cause untold conflict.
Has this journey changed your own perspective on God? Yes it has changed me. I take religion with a large pinch of salt because it is so politicized and abused in many cases. But at the same time I loved finding the unity of Man and realizing that there is a profound power - a glue if you like - that binds us all together and is often referred to as God. I believe God to be a word to describe something indescribable, but is more like the majesty of the balance of nature and physics.
What was the most profound insight gained from this incredible quest? We are very primitive organisms living on a big rock in an infinite and scary vacuum all desperately trying to hold onto something. We're not sure where we came from, and we're not sure what happens when we die, and a lot of us are driven by fear.
What I learned is that we can all hold onto something without having to push other people away. I also believe that we are already in paradise, yet that paradise can also be perceived to be hell by many. The trick is to see the beauty that surrounds us, even in the most dire situations, and hold onto that without lamenting in a pool of dissatisfaction. Easy to say - difficult to execute!
Given the nature of the question was it difficult to get an open and culturally uncontrived response? No. It was surprisingly easy. People really opened up, took the questioning very seriously and were generously delighted to share their thoughts on something very intimate.
What was the best response you received?
“Don't live your life desperately trying to buy your place into heaven when you die. Instead realize you are already in Paradise - you are already saved, and you earned your journey here, so make the most of it!”
Did the environment influence spiritual law or legend? Yes. Without generalizing, the poorest, more indigenous groups seemed to make the most sense. The established, wealthier cultures seemed to be much more confused and driven by the need to navigate a complicated politicized.
What do you hope people take from this documentary? Tolerance and understanding of other cultures - that we are more united than divided. That most, if not all the religions in the world have the same message in their routes. If you are religious - read your book yourself and don't rely on priests and politicians to interpret it for you. There are many paths up the mountain but the view from the top is always the same.
What's next for Peter Rodger? I am directing a film I wrote. It is a drama set in Pittsburgh entitled "Comfort Of The Storm" and has nothing to do with the subject of God! I am also producing another that I wrote that also has nothing to do with God - entitled "Swapped."
world that is horrendously
KNOWLEDGE
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