L.B. Posted May 21, 2008 Share Posted May 21, 2008 As for me, I'd say I had two real 'heroes', if you will... Giovanni Bernadone di Assisi, popularly known as 'Francis'. His life's story is obscured in the modern day by tons of useless and pointless hagiography (because I imagine that the real story was probably controversial and provocative enough without resorting to things like angels, spooks, etc). Francis, however, has remained sort of on the periphery of my life's journey or 'spiritual formation' of sorts. There is much that can be gleaned from his few words and writings and legitimate deeds that is compatible with rational thinking, especially as it concerns human kindness and equality and love for even those whose views or non-views on god, etc differ from yours. My other so-called hero is John Michael Talbot. He is a musician and founder of the "Brothers and Sisters of Charity", a Catholic/ecumenical 'association of the faithful' that live in communal poverty, raise their own food, make their own clothing (among other things) and serve the poor of their region (Arkansas in the US) with many helpful and needed endeavors such as food and clothing banks and medical clinics. I admire him not only for his musical ability (which is astounding) but also for the fact that, as a young man heavily into drugs as a rock musician in the late 60's and early 70's, he left a multi-million dollar career with the Mason Proffitt Band and sought out a better and more peaceful way to live. His courage to do so in such a materialistic time and age and nation is not diminished one bit in my view by his acceptance of doctrines that I find unimportant. In fact, his doctrine has changed and his organization is regularly lambasted by the so-called 'trad catholics' who think he and his kind are too liberal and too tolerant. I have a lot in common with these two men, not least: I am a musician (Francis, too, used to love to sing his day's 'rock' in taverns to pretty girls before he changed his life) I consider myself an amateur poet (self-expression is a value I hold dear) I have purposefully left many destructive and narrow, selfish habits and views behind in a search for more meaning. What about all of you? Did anyone in your religious past serve as a 'role model', or hero? Do any of them influence you at all today? Anything you gleaned from your heroes then that still aids or impacts you positively today? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MathGeek Posted May 21, 2008 Share Posted May 21, 2008 For me, it is Catholic saint Thomas More. I liked his conviction to stand the English authority. I also admire Diedrich Boenhoeffer for doing the same. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R. S. Martin Posted May 22, 2008 Share Posted May 22, 2008 All of the options worked for me. In the end I voted for the "mostly private" option. I don't think my values have changed. I'm not sure which came first--my values, or people (heroes) who in my mind personified these values. Jesus is a big one because he stood up for what he believed no matter what other people thought. Also, his brothers and sisters turned against him, too. So I feel like I have a lot in common with him. He may be a mythical character but the guy in Galilee is a very lively character in my mind. I consider it unfortunate the way the Christians dramatize his passion. I wish he'd found a way to clear out of Jerusalem after vandalizing the Temple. Or possibly just skip that part, since he seems not to have had a pact with the Temple authorities to join his fight against the Romans. It's really unfortunate that he's come down to us as a religious hero rather than a political hero. Maybe he thought he had an arrangement with the Temple and then they backed out at the last minute. Those are details we'll never know because of the religious piety slant the Christians put on the story. Then again, when looking at it from this perspective, makes me think maybe the story is true after all. It's just too "true to life"--too much like some young upstart letting rural popularity go to his head, not understanding that leadership of a sophisticated urban center calls for a different kind of mettal--for this Jesus guy not to be an actual historical person. Whatever, I like the guy's spirit and philosophy right up till he gets himself into serious trouble. Then the illogic of religion kicks in and I lose interest. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hereticzero Posted May 22, 2008 Share Posted May 22, 2008 Billy Graham is perhaps the only televangelist I had any respect for and still do. Don't like the religion but I do like the man. He is a wonderful person. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Zenobia Posted May 22, 2008 Share Posted May 22, 2008 If by "Heroes" you mean religious ones then no.. I don't have any of those heroes since I left christinsanity. I just can't look up to people who are based in that kind of sickness. I've seen way too much it's dirty, yellow underbelly to ever look up to any xtian again. Billy Graham? One of my best friends in college married one of his sons and he is an arrogant little raging asshole. I do have NON-RELIGIOUS heroes though... some are real and some are ficticious... Amelia Earheart Hatchepsut Cleopatra Zenobia (the REAL Zenobia was an ancient Queen who fought the Romans - read about her here Xena (yeah I know she's campy as hell but I still like her) many others I can't think of now, mostly women who kicked ass and were successful against the odds... If I had to have a "religious" hero the only one that would come close is Joan of Arc.. and that has nothing to do with religion, just her sheer BALLSINESS for strapping on armor and galloping into battle when the religious zealots of her day strictly forbade it upon pain of death. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thurisaz Posted May 23, 2008 Share Posted May 23, 2008 Options 3 and 5 for me. Two people who immediately occur to me when I think about "christian" and "hero" (however you define hero)... Bonhoeffer and Niemeyer. You know, those pastors who were like all christians claim they are in the midst of the nazi horrors. If only they all were like these two... yeah I know, daydreaming again... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ravenwing Posted May 25, 2008 Share Posted May 25, 2008 You're going to groan ... but my hero was King David (the Psalmist) because he was wild and passionate, in awe of the world, in love with God, angry with God, trusted Him implicitly one moment and in the next breath claimed to be alone and forsaken. He was my hero of the faith because he seemed like the only real person in the entire book. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JernJane Posted May 26, 2008 Share Posted May 26, 2008 For me it was Martin Luther. I admired his fight for what I then believed to be the truth and I still admire his courage, though that's now the only thing I find admirable about him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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