Maybe not exactly heresy per se. These are my views on religion - in light of the Easter holiday. i was raised as Christian adjacent, so that is what i'll include.
So, what should we hit on: the nature of God, the resurrection, pre-destination, afterlife, and other ideas. How about a real challenge mythological "God", instead of bringing someone back from the dead, how about bringing back someone who never really lived life instead.
Much of what was in the bible was never meant to be taken strictly literally (especially the New Testament). There are parables, coded messages, allusions and metaphors that are lost on the modern reader. Not to mention questionable translations, edits/exclusions, and the like.
Wall of text incoming.
- The "resurrection" - i find Frankenstein's monster to be more believable. There is nothing about the resurrection narrative that makes any sense to me. Resurrection is impossible. True, there have been people who temporarily "came back from the dead" (were never actually dead), but most quickly died afterward. Makes more sense as a metaphorical rather than literal construct.
- Afterlife - i do not, and have never believed, in the concept of the afterlife. When you're dead you're dead. You cease to be, you do not exist is some ethereal plane (heaven) or some place that is worse than the real world (hell).
- The nature of God: i have never believed in the concept of a micro-managing, hands-on God. Like an all-powerful being is actually going answer the prayers (begging) of all the people. If there were a God, i think it would be more of a hands-off watchmaker type. The abilities of God would likely be overstated by the "creations" of God. Earlier people would have seen tech as either magic/divine - that does not mean the "God" actually has power to influence everything.
It is more likely to me that man created God, not the other way around.
- Afterlife: i don't believe in an afterlife, so the concept of God is basically irrelevant to me. The afterlife always seemed like a sucker bet to me (life sucks now - give us power, money, control it will get better after you die). Unless that God can do something for me in this life, what's the point. That segue ways into the next idea.
- Predestination/fate/destiny - while i would like to believe there is some overarching plan that life will follow, i don't. God isn't some scriptwriter for a bunch of minor characters. If God was, i have some ideas about where my character arcs should go. Would it be easier if there was some immutable script for your existence? Yes.
People crave some type of order and some feeling that life isn't random. That's why some polytheistic societies likely made a God for any natural phenomenon.
- Free will: does free will truly exist? Only in a limited fashion. Most of life's "decisions" are far more limited in options than most think. There is an element of societal programming in decision making.
- Morality - in general, biblical morality is not a bad thing. Though, not coveting is against human nature.
No comments:
Post a Comment