Tuesday, August 15, 2006
A Scientist of Religion
(2)
Well, after that rant on Non Serviam, I feel obliged to offer the interested reader something which fits nicely with Jesus' teachings. I subscribe to the view that Jesus was a 'partial product of alien culture.' That is to say that Jesus introduced Eastern Religion into traditional Judaism in a very big way.
My conjecture is this: Jesus was a Jew who was interested in 'all religion.' Contemporary information regarding Eastern Religion was introduced into Jewish culture by traders who had visited the ancient Eastern cultures (in India, for example). Those traders had brought back strange new ideas in regard to religion, and Jesus was an avid student. Jesus was, in effect, a 'scientist of religion.' He was able to learn new Eastern Ideas and formulate those ideas into a new religious paradigm.
My conjecture is that Christianity was ultimately the melding of Judaism and Buddhism, and that Jesus represented at the time the primary social impulse in that regard.
I offer as proof the inability of modern fundamentalist preachers to exposit in any coherent way Jesus' teachings. They have no clue. 'Compassion,' for example, escapes them. They preach 'compassion' only in the context of tithing to an organization (like The 700 Club) which supports their particular ministry. 'Compassion in general' is only mentioned as an afterthought. The major emphasis in on what I call, 'save my ass religion.' That is to say that the prospective convert is attracted by the idea that this new religion will save his sorry ass from whatever it is that afflicts him, including the prospect of Hellfire after he dies.
Well, after that rant on Non Serviam, I feel obliged to offer the interested reader something which fits nicely with Jesus' teachings. I subscribe to the view that Jesus was a 'partial product of alien culture.' That is to say that Jesus introduced Eastern Religion into traditional Judaism in a very big way.
My conjecture is this: Jesus was a Jew who was interested in 'all religion.' Contemporary information regarding Eastern Religion was introduced into Jewish culture by traders who had visited the ancient Eastern cultures (in India, for example). Those traders had brought back strange new ideas in regard to religion, and Jesus was an avid student. Jesus was, in effect, a 'scientist of religion.' He was able to learn new Eastern Ideas and formulate those ideas into a new religious paradigm.
My conjecture is that Christianity was ultimately the melding of Judaism and Buddhism, and that Jesus represented at the time the primary social impulse in that regard.
I offer as proof the inability of modern fundamentalist preachers to exposit in any coherent way Jesus' teachings. They have no clue. 'Compassion,' for example, escapes them. They preach 'compassion' only in the context of tithing to an organization (like The 700 Club) which supports their particular ministry. 'Compassion in general' is only mentioned as an afterthought. The major emphasis in on what I call, 'save my ass religion.' That is to say that the prospective convert is attracted by the idea that this new religion will save his sorry ass from whatever it is that afflicts him, including the prospect of Hellfire after he dies.
