(April 5, 2017 at 10:57 am)Faith No More Wrote:(April 5, 2017 at 9:12 am)SteveII Wrote: 9. Appreciates that suffering is part of faithfulness to Jesus.
This another one that bugs, because it's really just a way for Christians to cope with a mindless universe that has no concern for their well-being. I mean, we're talking about the supposed creator of everything, right? He could have designed the universe so that making toast got you closer to Jesus, but instead, he supposedly made suffering a holy thing.
Christian: I just lost my five year-old to cancer, and I'm struggling to get on with my life.
Jesus: Good...Good...
Polytheistic superstitions also have their versions of valuing suffering. While Buddhism likes to widely claim it is a "philosophy" it is a spin off of Hinduism and depending on sect or individual or individual family, their populations are very superstitious and also have their versions of valuing suffering and denial of self as good and moral.
Humans all have their superstitious ways of explaining why bad things happen to good people and good things happen to bad people. I hate what religion does to human thought. Buddhist monks, just like Christians think self denial is a form of discipline, that denial of the senses is altruistic and that giving to others to the point of pain and suffering is a virtue.
It is all superstitious nonsense. The real reason say a human will eat less food to give to their kids is EMPATHY. The real reason say a cop or fire fighter will risk their lives is EMPATHY. Superstitious self denial as religion sells is more about the narcissism of the individual or a billboard to the club.
The Jesus character is a vile concept to me as a story, and it is just that. The death story teaches the reader to value DEATH. On the surface it sounds nice, they try to make it sound like a real sacrifice, say like pushing a kid out of the way of a speeding car and getting hit yourself. No, it is blood worship. It teaches the reader to value violence without realizing it.
On top of that, the Jesus character as the story claims, he does not stay dead, it is a pin prick. He doesn't sacrifice anything forever. The story is written to glorify the hero. In real life, doing the right thing is doing it even when nobody is looking, even if you never get patted on the back.
The other vile aspect of the Jesus story is it takes away your own thought autonomy. A third party forgives the perp who did something to you, even if you don't agree to forgive them. It takes away your own ability to decide for yourself. I am not a vengeful person one bit. But nobody but me decides who to forgive or not to forgive. That is my choice and mine alone.
The Jesus story does not teach empathy for others any further than a sales pitch to gain club members. The end of the book threatening you to hell even for the mere crime of not believing negates any temporary lack of retribution. The Jesus character as written does not have a so called "thankless job", the entire point of the book is to thank him. That is not selflessness, but selfish self glorifying advertising.
