Jesus had it easy

So, all right, most of these posts are going to be about Christianity because that's the religion I know best. I may speak to other religions now and again, but this one is easy not only because I know it well but also because it's so well thought-out and documented. Lots to work with.

One of the core elements of Christianity is the suffering Christ. Christ died for your sins. That's a central message. Because Christ died for our sins . . . depending on which flavor of Christianity you choose, that gets you anything from an all but confirmed seat on the train to Jordan, or gets you not much at all because all the seating is pre-assigned.

The sacrifice of Christ, however, has never much impressed me. Jesus was God. Knew he was God. He *knew* he wasn't really dying. He *knew* he was going to rise from the dead and ascend to Heaven. The suffering was real (except in certain ancient heresies), but he knew the suffering would end and he'd be back up in greener pastures.

Now, I ask you, who made the bigger sacrifice: the god-made-man who knew he was going to be fine, or the poor chump martyr who knew only that he was going to die and be dead and *maybe* be resurrected and go the Heaven?

Personally, I have much more respect for any American solider who marched into harm's way to protect his homeland and certain ideals that probably weren't all that clear in his mind to begin with. I am much more humbled by the revolutionary who throws himself against tyranny on the incredibly slim chance that he might make a difference.

Now *that's* somebody who died for me. *That's* somebody who inspires awe and respect. The Jesus thing is right up there with Zeus turning into a swan. He was a god first and he knew he would be a god afterward. The swan thing was just a diversion. No real sacrifice because nothing was sacrificed.

Hey, if a god wants to offer up a genuine sacrifice, then go away and never come back. Now that would be something, wouldn't it? A god who disappears? That would definitely be divine sacrifice.

But don't come down for what amounts to a weekend slumming and expect me to get all choked up about it. There are real people suffering real consequences and until you can match that, getouttatown.

-= Skip =-
still smilin'