MovieChat Forums > It's a Wonderful Life (1947) Discussion > No one noticed that the movie promotes R...

No one noticed that the movie promotes Reincarnation?

posted 2 years ago by Vanamali (4)
5 replies | jump to latest

In the movie, the Hero decides to end it all, crushed by his troubles, and this angel shows him how his world would have been if he had never been born
But what if the Hero did decide to kill himself? What then?

Yes suicide is a sin, but we are all sinners and we live in sin, so well, he is escaping this sinful life, right? Whatever, assuming God forgives him, the hero ends up in Heaven and gets to enjoy the good life, as so many hope to do

Free food, shelter, protection and care - no work, no worries
And best of all no more worrying about climate change, covid19, Poverty, Discrimination, evil bankers, drug lords, crime, health issues, retirement worries, loss of loved ones and so many more evils that we struggle with down here

BTW did anyone get that Heaven is a metaphor for the womb, childhood?
We get to run back to mommy, who will feed us, take care of us, we will have no worries?

Anyway, to continue, let's imagine what befalls his family. The bread winner is dead, what is left behind is his family. This is the 50s' or 40's? Women didn't work that much during those days, so now we have his wife trying to find work and make ends meet, feed her family and of course fend off sexist bosses

How much will she make? Not enough to hang on to the house - so the family might end up homeless. The children might have to drop out of school, their futures ruined

I was talking to a young lady begging for a buck at a bus stop in Chicago, on a cold winter's day and she told me her sad tale - she was a happy daughter of a father who doted on her, the mother a bit distant. Solidly middle-to-upper class she had a grand childhood, the princess of her Father. Well, tragedy struck, her father died in an accident
A few months later her mother started dating again
Well, now you may guess what happened. The guy started hitting on this young woman, her mother looked the other way
There was only one option for this young lady - hit the streets!
What dreams her father might have had for her! Now her life totally ruined!

We hear about children getting lost in the forest, being abducted and so many other tragedies that befall families

The Hero could have taken the easy way out - Endless joy & happiness for himself - no more worrying about anyone else!

Did anyone notice that whenever the media interviews religious people they ALWAYS ask about the dead loved ones that have gone before us but NEVER ONCE ASK ABOUT THE LOVED ONES LEFT BEHIND? THEIR WELFARE?
We know why, right? It would make Religious people uncomfortable to say we get to enjoy the good life while our loved ones suffer on earth. The father enjoying a 7 course meal while his children go to bed hungry
The grandfather catching a ball game in Heaven while his grandson, lost in the forest, crying for his mommy, slowly dying of hunger and the cold
The Mom partying in Heaven while her daughter tries to escape rapists & human traffickers

Well, we know what the Hero decides to do - He chooses not to run away! He chooses to stay and fight for a better life! At that moment he would have no idea that he might succeed, things might yet turn out bad or wrong, things might get worse! But the Hero does what all Heroes do - stand and fight instead of turning tail and running away

That is the True Teaching of Reincarnation - the appeal of Death Cults is very seductive - why struggle to put food on the table, work 2-3 jobs, face the world and all its problems when there is a magic land of OZ waiting for us in the afterlife!
It is no wonder that religions put in an injunction against suicide - they had to! - otherwise these religions would be called Death Cults

On the other side what has Reincarnation has to offer? Not much, right? The very same dreary, hellish life that we live? But it is a world where you keep your self-respect, your morals and values. You make a living, stand on your own two feet, EARN what you desire. If stale bread is all you can afford, that is what you eat. You do not beg, you do not live on Charity

And like it or not, this is the ONLY WORLD THAT WE KNOW! THE WORLD THAT GOD MADE FOR US! This world, this earth, this life - Life is a Gift from God and Reincarnation is saying we can savor this Gift over and over!

Quite obvious that Reincarnation - REAL LIFE - is for the Strong, the Warrior and the Principled

[–] strntz (10816) 2 years ago

I admit to reading almost a third of that and quit (which was too much really). You can make your tie-in argument to reincarnation in two or three sentences. If you need to qualify what you're trying to say with that much verbiage before you get to your point, I honestly don't think you have a valid interpretation of this film, or do you know what the accepted definition of the word reincarnation actually means?

[–] Costumer (1786) 2 years ago

Having read this long post I have to say your argument is ... incoherent. In no way do you equate George's experiences to reincarnation. I've heard the argument that George actually dies and what Clarence shows him is all a dying dream. But that doesn't lead to reincarnation. And if he doesn't die, then whether the experience is a dream he has when he jumps and before he comes to his senses and rescues himself, or is actually a actual vision that Clarence brings him, he end up resuming his life where he left off.

Saying the "real" world is the only one we know does not lead to reincarnation. It is the only one we have absolute knowledge of; but that does not lead to reincarnation; which is a belief than a person enters a new life in this world after death; over and over again. (Some faiths believe this ultimately leads to a new level of existence, and others that it is simply an endless cycle.) If you believe in reincarnation, nothing in this film leads to a belief in or promotion of it.

You make several assertions that Heaven is just like Earth, only with no problems. I'm sure there are faiths that believe that, but you seem to be approaching this from a Christian perspective, which does not perceive Heaven in that way.

You also seem to criticize people in Heaven for not caring or being concerned with the people left behind. Well, that is always the case, regardless of what faith you profess, or if you don't profess any at all. If the dead still exist (and I believe they do) they have achieved their reward (or their punishment) and then the living must live their own lives.

Your comment that Heaven is a metaphor for the womb or childhood is also meaningless. I suppose you are conflating God's paradise for a mother who's unborn child is completely dependent on her, and a child whose welfare is dependent on their parents (or other responsible adult). You seem to be saying that the dead no longer have any agency; which largely depends on your belief system. Regardless, I don't see this metaphor, nor do I see any evidence the film intends to promote such a metaphor.

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[–] strntz (10816) 2 years ago

Having read this long post ...

Gunga Din, is that you????

[–] GreenGoblinsOck8 (7401) 2 years ago

I didn't feel like reading the whole post but heaven is not like reincarnation. Reincarnation is when you believe that after you die you become something else on Earth. Heaven is another dimension not part of Earth.

[–] bistritapcv (1660) 2 years ago

Tl;dr