As an ex-christian, I have a pretty radical view of the religion. I think the entire basis of the belief is loathing, loathing others or yourself.
I don't think Jesus thought that people should think that way and I don't think he actually claimed to be god or intended to start a "religion." The bible is an interesting set of books and reading them in the order they were written rather than the order they are presented paints a picture of an attempt to alter the facts of things that happened. I think the worldview of existence being created by a god as cruel as YHWH, judge jury and executioner, is downright cosmic horror. To have eternal damnation for every creation that didn't worship you? For heaven to be eternal worship of an author? Art goes beyond it's artist. once it is made and given to others, what the creator has to say about it matters far less than what people perceive it to be. That's called death of the author. It wouldn't matter if Jesus came back to life today and told the masses that they entirely twisted his words, because it's how people perceived it and what they took away from it.
I know there are people who use the title of christian who have much more nuanced takes on eternity and god, please know that I am not talking about those people, but also I don't consider those people christians because the christianity i grew up to know is the one forever ingrained in my mind as "christianity." The most beautiful thing I've ever heard said by a christian was pope Francis saying, "I hope hell is empty." That is antithetical to what I have grown up to know as christianity. I think faith is a very personal thing and that organized religion will ALWAYS lead to nasty people like this because any attempt to organize religion and make it mainstream is always about power and not about any pure intent. To erase peoples cultures and still think you are doing them a favor is insane to me. Christianity is very effective at controlling people because it first appears as an easy choice, believe and be saved, but as per sunk cost fallacy, its very hard to get out even when you are asked to do things you know are wrong.
For my own belief, I think that life is incredibly beautiful and a rare thing. I do not think that evil exists, but rather a cycle of pain anger and revenge born from the roiling emotions that we humans have. I don't think anyone is inherently bad and I don't think anyone is capable of doing anything to come close to deserving eternal damnation. I don't know if there is an after life but I don't care, because every moment spent on this earth is precious, I don't want to waste my life focusing on what comes after it. I don't know if a higher being created the universe, and I don't care to know, frankly I hope I never find out. Because it doesn't matter. If it's all a simulation, it doesn't matter. It's real to me, I experienced it, deeply and fully. How lucky I am to exist on a blue marble at the perfect distance from a star with just the right conditions to support life, to live on the same planet as cute cat videos and fantasy novels, at the same time as my best friend. I want to live, feel, create, get hurt, cry, heal, and grow every second I have. That's the only thing anyone can do in life. Life insists upon itself.
No comments:
Post a Comment