REESE WITHERSPOON ON HER RELIGION AND HEAVEN

A PRACTICING EPISCOPALIAN, WITHERSPOON BELIEVES THAT EVERYONE WILL BECOME AN ANGEL AFTER DEATH.

Balancing spiritual life and work life as a celebrity is a challenge. For Reese Witherspoon, however, this is quite the opposite. Raised in New Orleans in an Episcopalian family, Witherspoon still holds on to her faith strongly and is not ashamed to show her devotion or talk about it in public. A regular attendee at the Episcopal church in Los Angeles, she has also managed to influence the partners she has had to the Episcopal faith.

Witherspoon believes that religion holds the key to much that we are seeking on earth. She believes that she, just like anyone else has many unanswered questions, and a church is a place where people with similar such problems come together. As a result, there is a feeling of community and companionship, as you realize that you are not alone and that there are many people who are having the same thoughts and questions as you.

Discussing her personal beliefs, Witherspoon says, “I truly believe you’re on a spiritual path that is yourself.” What she means to say is that spirituality is a personal matter and every person has to do that journey as a person who is born alone, and will also die alone. When asked what happens to a person when he dies, she says she believes people go to heaven and become angels, they get wings, halos, and other such things. The 40-year old actress is outright opposed to religious intolerance and extremism. She believes that people today are misusing religion and Biblical passages to spread hatred and violence and asserts that this goes against the very fundamental tenets of the Christian Faith. Recalling her childhood, she said that as she grew up in the South, she found the people to be very connected and loving, something that exists even to this day. However, she says nobody can deny that there is a small section of people who misquote the scriptures for personal agenda and create strife, discord, and hatred among people.

As a staunch Episcopalian, Witherspoon says using exclamations such as “Oh my God!” has always seemed wrong to her. She says that this is nothing but “taking the Lord's Name in vain” and goes against the Ten Commandments. This has always been an issue to her and she says that it bothers her even today. Born in New Orleans, Witherspoon was raised in Tennessee in a very religious Episcopalian family. The actress is famous for starring in the film Legally Blonde.