Monday, January 21, 2008

I still don't get it

Hmmm. Kim D. sort of mostly got my point, Joyce less so. I think this could be my fault, so I will attempt to clarify: I'm not saying "why did Jesus have to die?" I am saying, how ever does dying translate into saving others and giving them life?

I mean, it sounds like we're talking about meat. In meat I see how it works: something dies, and by that death we live.

In Christianity, I am just not getting it. I am so down with Jesus Christ the person, who lived and died, and all his goodness. He definitely was an enlightened person (and I don't necessarily use "enlightened" in the buddhist sense, although it could apply). But I would hasten to point out that the Romans crucified a lot of people. Jesus was hardly alone. Famously, he wasn't even alone that day, what with reassuring the thief next to him this was just a "see ya later" and all.

So out of all the people to be crucified, this one saves us. HOW?

EVEN IF you are saying "It's because He is God's son..." "He gave his life for us..." (greater love hath no man, etc.) "He was half divine...." I am saying EVEN IF I accepted those statements, then HOW this dying-for-us business?

Come on, someone's got to see that this is at least as wacky as the Mormon notion of everyone eventually getting their own world to populate.

This is not about "why did s/he have to die?" Everyone has to die. (And pay taxes.) This is, why are you ascribing random consequences to this death?

I mean, MLK Jr died, eh. Today we remember this. But no random consequences of his death. Rather, decidedly less random consequences of his LIFE are what I consider to be his legacy.

I now have two things I am just waiting for someone to explain to me satisfactorily: this and Obama.

I shall keep waiting....

1 comment:

Smirking Cat said...

I'll take a stab at this topic...I was raised Catholic and saw first-hand how Catholics feed on guilt and punishment (as long as it's being directed at someone else). I believe the teachings of Jesus were wonderful, but I also believe the "he died for you" concept came about as a means to make us feel guilty for our very existence. I don't know why so many religions need to mix in that guilt thing, but it's the only explanation I can think of.