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How “The Thorn Birds” Illustrates The Terminal Status of The Catholic Church
There were two movies that my mother was desperate to hide from me, and they both had strong ties to heaven and hell.
The Exorcist was the VHS tape that broke the VCR player, thanks to the inconvenience of secretly watching it with my childhood friends, and having the electricity shut down — midway.
The buzzkill of growing up in a country that’s wealthy in oil but too poorly regulated to provide basic amenities, was the annoying frequency of never enjoying a full day of running water, and the privilege of flipping the light switch without disappointment.
Or being able to flawlessly disobey your mother by watching the movie that showcases a young girl being attacked by the demon that’s taken over her body and soul — without being forced to leave the evidence of deceit lodged in the machine that can’t release it until the lights come on.
Doomsday arrived weeks later, when we were all gathered to finally watch the thanksgiving ceremony that heralded the glorious birth of my youngest brother.
As I sat there that challenging God to prove his power and might might by making the video tape disappear, and allowing my father to insert the tape we were waiting to watch without issue, the expected consequences of wrestling a…
