Surprising candor from the Academy Award-winning star, via Beliefnet:
While promoting his new film, “The Way Back,” Oscar-winner Ben Affleck recently shared about his personal faith and thoughts on Christian beliefs. Speaking exclusively with Beliefnet contributor DeWayne Hamby, the actor confirmed that he had been attending the church he and his ex-wife Jennifer Garner began attending with their children four years ago.
“I go to the Methodist Church, (my) kids (are) baptized and I got introduced to Christianity a little bit later in life,” he said. Four years ago, during the promotion of Affleck’s ex-wife’s film “Miracles from Heaven,” Jennifer Garner revealed she had begun taking her children back to church.
Explaining what eventually drew the actor who starred in the irreverent religious comedy “Dogma,” to Christianity, Affleck pointed to the “beauty” of grace and forgiveness, something that gives hope to anyone who feels too far gone.
“One of the things that I found most beautiful about it, and I struggle with my faith, I struggle with belief, but I do see there’s something enormously beautiful and elegant about the notion that we are all sinners, and that it’s our job to find our redemption, to find God’s love, to redeem ourselves, to live the best life that we can, to love one another, to not judge one another, and to forgive one another.”
In “The Way Back,” Affleck plays Jack Cunningham, a broken man looking for hope. That hope comes in the form of an offer to come back and coach basketball at the same Catholic high school he once attended and excelled as a player. But Jack experiences heartbreak that derails his marriage and sends him into the life of an alcoholic. As the title suggests, the film centers on Jack chasing after that newfound hope and trying to establish trust with those he hurt.
The actor, known recently as Batman in “Justice League” and “Batman V. Superman” as well as the Oscar-winning, “Argo” and “Good Will Hunting,” also feels that the world would benefit from more of Jesus’ instructions to forgive and extend grace.
And watch part of the interview below.
