Essay Sample on Holy Ghost People: A Documentary of Selfless Living

Introduction

The Holy Ghost People documentary presents the people of scrabble Creek as selfless individuals who are not ranked in a hierarchy. The church is an excellent example of the livelihood of the individuals in the area. The Holy Ghost Church, which can be characterized by some as religious extremists, is governed by rules from God rather than the laws formulated by men (Holy Ghost People 15-27). The church has no leader, and they believe that they are all children of God, and they, therefore, have equal rights regardless of age, gender, or ethnicity.

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An egalitarian person is characterized by advocating equality for all people. In his sermon, Brother Elsy utterances that "God is obliged to do something for you if you believe" are an example of egalitarian personhood. His sermon explains that every person is equal in the eyes of God, and they can ask Him directly for providence. Unlike in many Christian churches today where the pastors and priests are at the top of e hierarchy and believe that if a person wants anything from God, they have to pray for them, Holy Ghost facilitator was different.

Brother Elsy is a facilitator in the services of the Holy Ghost rather than a leader. As a leader, a person is expected to command respect and to guide the congregation in their daily service. However, this is not the case with the reverend. He guides the follower in the church according to the Biblical teachings without receiving special treatment from the congregation. Therefore, hierarchy is not evident in the Holy Ghost Pentecostal Church, and the only Supreme Being is God.

During the interviews with the church members, they reveal to the narrator that before they accepted the faith in the Holy Ghost, their life was messed up. The first interview explains how he was from jail and was seeking comfort in the lord, and the people of the Holy Ghost people were very welcoming without judging. The film director also explains how he was rejected in his locality due to his homosexuality status but felt welcome in the Scrabble Creek.

The people of the Scrabble Creek are Christians and believe in one powerful God. The nature of their belief is attributed to the Pentecostal faith, which became apparent during the day of the Pentecost. Their belief is characterized by baptism through the Holy Ghost. They practice Christianity by having a six hours service every day, which to most Christians today, can be deemed as impossible. However, despite the strictness of adhering to the services hour, the faith of the Holy Ghost People is so strong that it astonishes the documentary recorders.

The Holy Ghost people practice their faith by worshipping and prayers. During the film, scenes of people praying in groups while standing, lying on the ground, and even speaking in strange tongues are witnessed. During the interviews, one of the church members explains that he used to feel closer to God when he had the gift of speaking its tongue. The Holy Ghost religion includes holding snakes, drinking poison, and speaking in tongues, as witnessed among many members.

The Scrabble Creek people can be characterized as hospitable, egalitarian devoted, and very committed in their faith. Every person who visits the place, including the people taking the film are treated with utmost respect and equality is at its peak. During the sermon, the Holy Ghost people reveal that God considers everyone the same regardless of their race and social standards.

The Power of Possession Question Set

Selfhood and personhood are two distinct terms that can be mistaken in the Holy Ghost Documentary. The personhood nature of the community can be debated by people based on the distinct roles and activities performed by different individuals. While the religion of the Scrabble Creek people stressed equality among all people as the children of God, the gifts and activities that each individual had were different.

The snake handlers were part of the congregation that believed that God would prevent the serpent from biting them. However, despite the stress on uniformity, they were not handled by everyone. During the interview with the congregation members, Peter discovers that it is not every person who has the power to speak in the tongue (Holy Ghost People 4-10). The gifts posed by the members distinguishes them from others despite the none hierarchy state of the church. During the interview, Peter discovers that many people had been bitten by the snakes and died, but that did not deter them from practicing their faith (Holy Ghost People 30-37).

Selfhood witnessed in the Holy Ghost People is common in other religious faith. Christians consider themselves different from others based on their ability, and the role played in church. For example, in the Holy Ghost people, those who spoke in tongues were considered to be closer to God than those who did not. The snake handlers also viewed themselves as having divine power from God, which protects them from the snake's venom. Even after being bitten by the serpent, the church members did not seek any medical assistance as they believed that God will heal them. Despite being observers rather than judges, the Holy Ghost People were very observant of the laws.

Possession of the different gifts in the Holy Ghost Church did not divide the members or made them feel more important than others. Despite having distinct gifts, the church stressed equality among all men as God's children, which contributed to an egalitarian personality. All the members felt accommodated in the church, and none of them felt superior to the others, including the facilitator.

Escatic religions are deemed dangerous and a threat to the community due to their unusual practices, which exposes people to danger. For example, in the past, people have been made to sell their properties and follow a religious leader without knowledge of where they are going. Often, the believers end up suffering along the way, and even some deaths. The primitivism of the religions makes the followers fail to ask questions even when their lives are treated. Some people have been led to wars by their leaders with a view that anybody who does not practice their faith is an enemy of God.

Extremist religious believes are termed as cults, which can be described as satanic. The Holy Ghost People's beliefs and practices include things that a rational believer cannot do. Drinking poison, for example, is termed as attempted suicide, which is against the scriptures. Therefore, the practices carried out in front of children who can try to do the same thing at home is insane and unchristian like. Many cults in the past started like Christian churches with extreme beliefs but later led people to practice evil deeds.

The biblical teachings talk about Jesus, healing sick people, and performing many great miracles. However, the scriptures also acknowledge the works of the doctors in helping the sick. Therefore, any religious practices that prohibit its followers from seeking medical help can be deemed as primitive and a threat to society. Tempting God is also a sin that is very common in cults. For example, the Holy Ghost People handle poisonous snakes and argue vehemently that their God will prevent them from its venom. However, many people die from snake bites without seeking medical help.

Work Cited

Holy Ghost People. Directed by Peter Adair, performances by Brenda Lanham, Michael Lanham, Elza O. Preast, and others 1967