This article contains spoilers for the film “Thor: Love and Thunder,” currently playing in theaters.
The title character of “Thor: Love and Thunder” has never come across like a traditional god.
Instead, Gorr is called to a mysterious desert oasis where he finds water and an abundance of fruit.
Verywell / Marvel Studios
Even then, Gorr maintains his devotion.
In just this short sequence, Gorr goes from utterly committed to his god to completely losing his faith.
This hypersensitivity to the agency of everything around us provided the psychological basis for eventually conceiving of the supernatural.
Yet, it wasnt until humans started living in larger groups that the gods they worshipped developed amoral dimension.
That’s true even now when approximately 80% of humans believe in a god.
However, there are many positives to believing in a god.
It can help people manage theiranxiety.
It can help people manage theiranxiety.
It can help them be more open to the world….
It can help them have asense of belonging….
It can [help] them have a greater sense of hope.
Faith in Hard Times
Those are just some of thebenefits of faith.
However, both Gaynor and Krajewski observe that belief in God can be especially valuable in hard times.
Similarly, Gaynor says faith in God enables people to feel like there’s some externallocus of control…. Research also suggests that faith can be motivated by adesire for control.
When something traumatizing happens… it imbalances our equilibrium of what is good, Krajewski observes.
Actually I’m pretty powerless and out of control.
So I think that that’s actually not an abnormal thing for anyone to do.
It’s just about where it leads.
Moreover, when people lose faith it may lead torisky or impulsive behavior.
So I think that that’s actually not an abnormal thing for anyone to do.
It’s just about where it leads.
Moreover, if one does find themselves losing faith in God, the experience isn’t always negative.
Faith and religion is really about it being meaningful to you, Gaynor explains.
The biggest thing is giving yourself space to wrestle with the questions.
