EASTER
March 27, 2005
I've said before, probably more than once, that Christianity is evil, insulting to God and so on. But, in all honesty, I'm having some second thoughts. I've been thinking about it, and it suddenly occurs to me that it may not be evil at all, at least on a certain level. It may just be that it's one of God's favorite things to play with. And if God likes to play with it, then who am I to say that it's evil? After all, haven't I also said that if God made everything, then everything is okay? Well, if God made everything, one of those things is surely the process that gave rise to Christianity, and Islam, and Taoism and every other religion. To knock Christianity (or any religion) so severely is to denigrate the human spirit which concocted it. Maybe I owe God an apology
To call Christianity evil, an insult to God, is to criticize God for having fun at his sport. It would be no different than ridiculing a fisherman for fishing. Fishing (excuse me, angling) is a worthy sport and undeserving of criticism per se. If a person wants to fish, let them (so long as there are enough fish to support the activity). In the same way, if God wants to have some fun with Christianity, let Him. Who am I to make fun one of God's pastimes?
As I said, this is resonating from a certain level. On one particular stratum, a lower one, Christianity (and any other religion) is indeed evil, with its emphasis on Man's separation from God and that whole bloody (and ridiculous) drama of Jesus' re-uniting the two elements (God and Man) by being born of a woman (a part of Man), sacrificing himself (to himself, because he's supposedly the very God—in human form—Who requires the sacrifice in the first place) and rising from the dead.
On a higher level, we can see that it's not evil so much as a natural outgrowth of the human spirit, which is primarily motivated by fear, especially of dying. And if God made everything, the human spirit is included. How Man could be made in God's image and be so full of fear is beyond me. At least I don't think God fears. Does He? If He doesn't, then Man isn't completely in His image. Is he? Hmm.... Now I'm having another think. But that's another essay. Anyway, I guess what I'm trying to say is, Happy Easter.
Oh, by the way, did you know how the day for Easter is determined? Let's do it by the numbers:
1. It has to be Spring, which means it can only occur after March 20, or 21, whatever, the vernal eqinox.
2. It has to be on a Sunday.
3. Here's where it gets funky. Before Easter can happen, there has to have been a full moon.
Easter cannot happen until after the first Sunday after the first full moon after the vernal equinox. And people wonder why I think Christianity is stupid. And yet, I can still see how God enjoys it so much.