Angelina Jolie: Meta-religious musings

(Photo by Gage Skidmore)

So much is focused upon Angelina Jolie’s film career, love life, parenting and international endeavors that very little is published about her religious views.

However, there is some available information about these views.  During a 2010 interview with Parade, Angelina praised her mother’s active Catholic faith.  Not only did Marcheline Bertrand love to attend church, but she also “walked her talk” in everyday life.  Angelina remembered that “she was a proper mother, constant” who “worked every day of her life.”  When the family didn’t make it to church on Sunday, Bertrand would say, “God would want me to spend time with my children, and laugh with my children.”  As a result, Angelina experienced a spiritual-type love and understanding that has sustained her many times since.

In turn, she and Brad Pitt are raising their children “to respect everyone.” In true meta-religious fashion, there is a bookshelf within their house that has “the Bible, the Koran, everything.”  The children will be taken “to church, temple, Buddhist ceremonies, Mosques” in order to teach them “about all faiths.”  The children will then have a solid foundation for ultimately choosing their own faith walks.

As for Angelina’s personal beliefs?  She told Parade, “I respect all religions.  What I don’t respect is when

people use religion to attack others.”  During her travels, she has met people “across the world, in the middle of nowhere, who are just trying to survive and all they have is religion.”  She believes that “in some ways it [religion] helps them…”  On the other hand, she has also seen “people who use it [religion] to hate and kill…”

Angelina, following her mother’s example, “walks her talk.”  She told ABC 20/20 in 2003:  “I’ve been crazy in my life, and I’ve been wild in my life, I’ve never been a bad person.  I’ve never intentionally hurt other people just to hurt them.  And I’m trying to do a lot of good things with my life.”

Resources

http://www.pbpulse.com/gossip/2010/07/09/salt-star-angelina-jolie-on-life-with-brad-her-religious-beliefs-and-more/

http://www.thegreatstory.org/metareligious.html

http://www.religionfacts.com/celebrities/angelina_jolie.htm#14

Copyright June 4, 2012 by Linda Van Slyke   All Rights Reserved