The Meat of the Matter

The Butcher Hacks at the Baby Jesus

OK, since I've been nothing but an iconoclast, bitching and moaning about the church and clasting icons in general, I thought I would stand up and say what I do believe. I believe in Jesus. But I don't believe he was born of a virgin. I believe Mary was pregnant and unmarried, and the "virgin birth" became a very convenient miracle. I think it is far more fitting that Jesus was literally the bastard son in a society that was, at the time, subjugated by one of the most powerful empires in history. The only more fitting message would have come from a leper. Wisdom rises from society's lowest places. I believe in Jesus. But I don't believe he is "the only way to God." I believe that notion was spawned by clever monks who were ensuring their seat of power. The true basis of wisdom that Jesus taught can also be found in the teachings of Krishna and Mohammed, and in large part, Guatama Buddha. I believe in Jesus. But I don't believe he rose from the dead. That's a hollywood ending to a story that can only be a tragedy. When faced with true wisdom, the world rejects it. End of story. We as individuals, however, have the option to accept or reject it. I believe in Jesus. But I don't believe he is coming again. I think he did everything he needed to do quite well the first time, thank you. The "2nd Coming" thing is man's attempt to put an ass-kicking military solution to Christ's message, which is what they wanted in the first place, and what they want now. This "kill 'em all" Hollywood ending flies in the face of pretty much ALL of Christ's actions while he walked on earth. But it plays in Indiana. I believe in Jesus. But I don't believe in Christians. They have become just too difficult to deal with. Their insistance to choose faith over reason makes them seem like prey. This may be why the Romans threw them to the lions. It may seem obvious now, but I also don't believe that The Bible is an inerrant, god-inspired book. I believe parts of it are inspired, but parts of it were folderol added later. Some Christians may ask me "then how do you know which parts to believe and which parts not to believe?" That's where critical reasoning comes in. If it matches up with the peaceful-loving-accepting-tolerant-healing-nurturing-merciful Jesus, then the message is one that I believe in. If the message lines up with the ass-kicking, yer-going-to-hell, kill-em-all Jesus, then the message is something I eschew. My "leap of faith" is that the Jesus I believe in is the former, and not the latter. Some Christians may say that what I don't believe has left me with nothing but tinsel and ribbon, but I say I've taken the tinsel and ribbon out and what I'm left with is the real gift and the meat of the matter: his message.