This may be a dumb question but what do you think Simon meant when he said that he is God's instrument? What do you think this means, according to Simon?
shareI think it means God is using him (in this case, the "instrument") to conduct a plan. As Simon says, "God has a plan for everyone."
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Thorpe89
It means that Simon is coping with his rejection by indulging in narcissistic fantasy. That would explain why he exhibits no humility or awe at being "God's instrument." It explains how he can justify his lecherousness and foul temperedness (he is God's special case, so the rules don't apply to him). It also explains why he disrupts the church service simply because the minister reminds the congregation that coffee and doughnuts are being served. Simon, as God's special case, knows that coffee and doughnuts are evil, and expects everyone to obey him on that point.
Guess you can tell I hated this movie
I gotta concur. I don't know why someone would say you got "a few screws loose" simply because you find Simon's hypocrisy and madness to not be noble or cute.
I did like this movie as a kid, but I grew up, became an atheist and since then ahve *beep* no-end to the hate and insults from "believers" (theists) who are hands-down the rudest jerks I've come across, so ready to insult and judge, the ones I've met and come across, anyway. Which is personal experience so it's far from a generalization of all theists.
This is one of those times where it is best to read the book before you see the movie. Simon Birch was based on a novel by John Irving called "A Prayer for Owen Meaney." What he means when he says that he is "Gods instrument" is that it was through his (Simons) hands that Joe's mother dies, and it is also through his courage, faith, conviction and ultimate belief that God's plan for him is that he is supposed to save the children on the bus. In the book there are a few other examples of his being God's Instrument, it is an amazing read and I highly recommend it.
shareSo your best friend would be a god's instrument to take your mother away?
what rubbish.
Are murderers that god's instruments to make people "angels"?
So there should be no criminal charges with that useless logic.
You can't have it both ways.
No DUI homicide convictions even.
For gods sake, read the book before posting *beep*
The "murder"-weapon is a foul baseball.
No No, I wasn't calling Simon a murderer. That was all an accident.
I was talking about how this twisted logic wouldn't hold up in the real world for other tragedies.
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Dude, that's religion. It doesn't make sense. To Christians, it makes sense for God to sacrifice his son because he's pissed off at humans.
Well, everything happens for a reason right?
But think about it.
If Simon hasn't killed Joe's mother, Joe may have never found out who his Father was. And he also saved all those kids on the bus.
You know how? Beause he was small, and they listened to him because of that. That's why he said God made him like that for a reason.
Wouldn't it be better to just not have bus loads of children plunge into lakes,
or deformed children, or potent priest? I mean if you really are all powerful and such....
getting self actualization off of other people's misery is quite an absurd religion if you ask me.
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Simon Birch (and other LPs) are not "deformed children" what makes you think that? they are Dwarves or LPs with forms of dwarfisms. don't call them deformed children for the simple reason that they aren't.
~a brother of an LP
He believes that god has a plan for everyone, and his explanation for his dwarfism is that that is how God is going to use him therefore, that is how he is "God's instrument.
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I keep missing the start of this film. But the book (A prayer for Owen Meany) explains everything perfectly...
SPOILER OF BOOK
Owen (the character that is called Simon in the Film) is good friends with John (Joe in the film), spending alot of time at Joe's house. One night he wakes and is scared, so he goes into John's mother's room to seek comfort. There he sees what he believes to be an angel, hovering over Joe's mom. Owen screams, John's mom wakes up and the "angel" disappeared.
When Owen hits the fatal foul ball he was used as God's instrument in rectifiying a mistake. The mistake being that the "Angel" was meant to take away the soul of John's mom on that night.
Also Owen believes, thanks to his under educated parents, that he was the result of an immaculate conception.
Owen is to some degree self indulgent and a fantasist. However this does not negate the fact that he does indeed save people and work in a fashion one can only describe as extraordinary.
I would recommend that you should read the book. Tis only brilliant!
IMDb is not a fansite.
Eventhough we're flawed, God still has a purpose for our lives and thankfully our flaws don't prevent God from accomplishing His work through us.
"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose." Romans 8:28
Joe discovered who his father was and got a new father figure in his life.
Simon discovered God's purpose for making him small and accomplished the work that God called him to do.
I don't know about all of you but I thoroughly enjoyed this movie.
simon helped save the kids off the bus. god gave him that purpose in life.
but god also put the deer in the road which made the bus driver swerve in the first place.
why did he do that?
why did he do that?
Sorry to repeat what so many have said but if you can, read the book. It is wonderful, funny and sad. The movie does a decent job of using some of the books themes but it doesn't go into them the way the book does.
"Oh God, please give him back, I shall keep asking."
It means God wanted him to be a guitar.
I peed.
In 'A Prayer for Owen Meaney', Owen (Simon Birch's character) has a dream about his death. He knows children are involved and that his best friend is there and a general idea of what will happen, but not sure of the circumstances. Simon knew he needed to practice holding his breath. In the book Owen and John (Joe) practiced a coordinated slam dunk that would allow him to put a grenade out of harm's way
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