my unchosen life as a pirate...
Wish me luck!
In other news, I went to this Christmas play that a couple of Jen's students were in. It was at this new age christian church...you know the type- run by middle age current or former activist types, no monolithic decor (looked like a rec hall), embrace rock and hip hop as long as it praises god, ect. "Cool" christians. Anyway, the kids did this play, and it started with God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit talking up in heaven. All three were black and the Holy Spirit was a girl, which was nice. Jesus was trying to convince God and the HS that he needed to go down to earth to save the humans. Between scenes, the lights would dim and the screen behind the stage would flash statistics: Illiteracy leads to poverty, poverty leads to crime. crime leads to prison, 1 in 9 black males are in prison, ect ect ect. All very valid social concerns that I agree are major issues. In between the stats they would flash bible verses about how God would raise the poor up and save them...stuff like that.
So eventually Jesus heads down to earth (he fist-bumped God before he left) and all was well and then the kids all sang songs. It was very cute and I enjoyed it.
BUT I started thinking...Jesus gets all these props, but what did he really do? I know he is supposedly the son of god, but isn't there thousands of BETTER examples of martyrs who died trying to help humanity? What did Jesus do anyway? He told some good stories. Laid out good morals. And then died, not for our sins, but because he was seen as a heretic by the powers that be. So wasn't he more David Koresh than Nelson Mandela? And humanity has undoubtedly been far worse SINCE Jesus was here- wars, disease, genocide on mass levels- so didn't Jesus just prove that humans are pretty much beyond "saving" anyway? I dunno, it just seems that, "son of god" aside, Jesus is a fairly unremarkable social activist who affected very few people in a very small area, using morals and logic that had been used before and have been used much better since. Do a play where Mother Theresa dedicates her life to helping the poor and sick or something. Hell, Emma Goldman- atheist, feminist, anarchist- did more for humanity than Jesus did.
I know, I know, it's Christmas and the point is to teach kids to avoid social ills by living a moral, Godly life. But by trying to lessen the "jesus is the son of god" message and hype J.C. as some sort of activist hero...I just don't get it.
In other news, I went to this Christmas play that a couple of Jen's students were in. It was at this new age christian church...you know the type- run by middle age current or former activist types, no monolithic decor (looked like a rec hall), embrace rock and hip hop as long as it praises god, ect. "Cool" christians. Anyway, the kids did this play, and it started with God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit talking up in heaven. All three were black and the Holy Spirit was a girl, which was nice. Jesus was trying to convince God and the HS that he needed to go down to earth to save the humans. Between scenes, the lights would dim and the screen behind the stage would flash statistics: Illiteracy leads to poverty, poverty leads to crime. crime leads to prison, 1 in 9 black males are in prison, ect ect ect. All very valid social concerns that I agree are major issues. In between the stats they would flash bible verses about how God would raise the poor up and save them...stuff like that.
So eventually Jesus heads down to earth (he fist-bumped God before he left) and all was well and then the kids all sang songs. It was very cute and I enjoyed it.
BUT I started thinking...Jesus gets all these props, but what did he really do? I know he is supposedly the son of god, but isn't there thousands of BETTER examples of martyrs who died trying to help humanity? What did Jesus do anyway? He told some good stories. Laid out good morals. And then died, not for our sins, but because he was seen as a heretic by the powers that be. So wasn't he more David Koresh than Nelson Mandela? And humanity has undoubtedly been far worse SINCE Jesus was here- wars, disease, genocide on mass levels- so didn't Jesus just prove that humans are pretty much beyond "saving" anyway? I dunno, it just seems that, "son of god" aside, Jesus is a fairly unremarkable social activist who affected very few people in a very small area, using morals and logic that had been used before and have been used much better since. Do a play where Mother Theresa dedicates her life to helping the poor and sick or something. Hell, Emma Goldman- atheist, feminist, anarchist- did more for humanity than Jesus did.
I know, I know, it's Christmas and the point is to teach kids to avoid social ills by living a moral, Godly life. But by trying to lessen the "jesus is the son of god" message and hype J.C. as some sort of activist hero...I just don't get it.