...Cheese Makers? Okay so that was taken from The Life of Brian but it brings up a very good point. That is; did everyone hear Jesus correctly? See in the movie there is a guy names Brian that parallels Jesus for many years and is often mistaken for the Son of God. In the beginning of the film however there is a great gathering and people in the way back of the crowd people thought Jesus said blessed are the cheese makers, and they looked at one another with perplexed faces until someone told them that the messiah said blessed are the meek.
So who isn't to say that over the past 2 millennia, no lets call it what it is two thousand years, there wasn't someone that tool liberties with the book of books and maybe changed things a little. There is thought to be a Gospel of Judas written with in a century or less of the Crucifixion (the only surviving copy is dated to 280AD +/- 60 years) and a Gospel of Mary found in 1896 written in Fifth century papyrus and argued to have been written some time around 120 -180 AD or even earlier if you subscribe to Hollis Professor of Divinity Karen King at Harvard Divinity School placing the writings to have been done during the time of Christ. Mary however has been lost to the Christians since it was Peter and Andrew that felt there should be no teachings by women so her accounts were disregarded and lost for just under tow thousand years.
Now that we have opened this box of Pandora what do we do with the knowledge? Well most Christians would say this is not part of the New Testament and is to be dismissed as heretic writings. I however want to know why it is okay to learn and discover new things all the time, I mean look at the evolution in technology over the past 100 years and we all (well all that will find this writing at least) take this new knowledge and run with it. We use computers, cars, fly on planes, call our friends and family on our cell phones, surf the web on our iPads and listen to music or books on the go on our MP3 players but when it comes to a new idea or lost knowledge in our religion we are unable to bend at all much less embrace some more evidence in that a divine life had touched a few in such a profound way as to build a new and ever growing theology for millions in the years to follow. I challenge anyone to show me in the New Testament where it is written that all that is between the cover pages is never to be added to and is a final end all draft. The New Testament contains writings that we hold as Holy and the word of God, but written by man and some of those men do not hold the same values we do today such as women being equals much less teachers. Does that mean that the Savior of the religion and people of this world held the same narrow minded beliefs. I think not simply based upon the words in the New Testament. Jesus surrounded himself with those less favored and those that were shunned by society in hopes that people would see equality in flesh rather than a separation based upon status or holdings. Jesus loved everyone and respected everyone because his father gave them and us this life as a gift to behold and enjoy so why should anyone of us deserve to enjoy this life any less than the next person. Following the teachings of Jesus means following a life of constant sacrifice, giving until it hurts, until it no longer hurts, until the giving alone is the gift in return. Christians are a very giving group of people but when do they give so much as to take away a luxury from their own family. Example, take $40-60 a month off of your cable bill by cutting out all the premium channels and extras not needed to keep up in today's society and give that money to a charity or community group that is working hard to not only help the needy but working just to keep its doors open. That would be an effort to walk in the path of Jesus. The problem lies more in the children and how they are being parented rather than the willingness of the people to sacrifice. See by cutting out premiums then the parents would have to do more parenting and that means more talking with their children and please God we don't want to do that. Not that taking away movie channels would mean we would have to sit and talk more but we would be taking away something from the kids that they would in turn feel left out of when they go to school and then parents would have to explain things on a life level to their kids and aside from the few hours a week getting ready for and going to and coming home from church who wants to spend that kind of time and devote that kind off effort to their kids.
Look, I'm all for working hard for the joys of life and taking advantage of the luxuries we have in this country, I have an issue with those that use their religion as a soap box to sling their convenient bull shit to the masses in a vain effort to self indulge in masturbating their ego. THAT IS NOT WHAT BEING A CHRISTIAN IS ABOUT! Step off your high horses Christians and walk in the way of your faith. True faith is having and bearing sacrifices, and if you cant follow the faith to the letter then get the fuck off the soap box and stop looking down your noses at the rest of the world for being who they are just as you do. I point my finger sternly at those that feel the need in elevating themselves in their own minds and in front of their peers at the cost of someone else’s feelings in any way.
I'm not saying we are to live perfect lives, just that we should all do what we cant to not step on others in the process of enjoying the gift we got, don't take away the gift that is life from anyone in anyway if you can help it, at least try to do Whats right and when you do wrong learn from it and make things right even if it hurts you in the end.
I may seem to be picking on Christians but I consider myself a Christian but in the eyes of other Christians I am a lost person in a sea of sin. There is the catch 21, we could argue this until Jesus comes back again =) There is no way to prove with tangible evidence that my faith is right and your faith is wrong. I just hope that this falls on one good receptive ear and it makes a difference. That’s the least Jesus hoped for.
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