Tuesday 22 December 2009

Happy Birthday, Jesus Christ



He wasn't born on the 25th December.

He wasn't born in the year dot. Herod was dead by then.

There was no universal census decreed by Augustus. And had there been, no one would have had to return to the town of their birth. The Romans weren't as crazy as Obelix thought.

Indeed, there was no stable, no shepherds, no magi. All this was gossip that did the rounds after his death. After all, the 'Messiah' had to be born in Bethlehem.

What we celebrate at this time of year is- 'Peace on Earth Goodwill to Men'.

This is the other festival of the Christian Calendar. At Easter we celebrate what he did. At Christmas we celebrate what he MEANT. Because the fairy tale of the stable, is exactly that; a fairy tale.

So- what did he mean?

Oh, 'Christians' will tell you what Christianity means.

They love to quote the Good Book. But Christ did not write the Good Book. Christ's attitude to the old can be summed up by 'I come not to replace the law but to fulfill it.

In other words, Christ's words are not the Old Testament.

Nor are Paul's words Christ's words.

In fact, I doubt Christ would even have LIKED Paul.

And I doubt he would have liked most 'Christians'.

Certainly, he would have had little time for the likes of Ian Paisley or most of the US Televangelists.

He did not sanction the inquisition, and he would have turned in his grave at much of the Christian Right today.

It would sicken him to see his 'followers' prepared to let a continent die of AIDS rather than use condoms. Or see regular church attenders support the death penalty.

The ignorance of Creationism, the intolerance of Homophobia.

Not in his name.

I don't find much written by Christ on the subject of sex. Love, yes. Sex, no. The only time he was asked to judge on this, he said 'Let he who is without sin cast the first stone'.

But I see a lot about Pharasees walking by on the other side. About Good Samaritans. About the pure of heart.

I see a lot about not judging people. About forgiveness. About compassion. About common humanity. About....Love.

His God was not just a Jewish God. His God was the God of all men. His God hated war and persecution.

And his God hated poverty and injustice.

Christ was all about 'Turn the other cheek'.

In modern language, his message was 'Make Love, Not War'.

And when he got to his Father's house- he found it full of moneylenders and animals. I wonder, would he be any less disgusted today by those who take his name?

Perhaps it is an irony of our time. Christians no longer hear Christ's message; so many are the New Pharasees. And it is perhaps amongst the new 'Gentiles', the agnostics- even atheists- who decry traditional religion, that the TRUE Christian spirit is mostly to be found.

The Pharasees are too busy grovelling to their God and preaching at the sinner to hear the words of Christ the Man.

Too busy worrying about the chips in everyone else's eyes to see the logs in their own.

The Man was a truly great MAN.

One of the greatest who ever lived.

And maybe it would be a nice touch if just a few more of us could actually take the time during this season- between the presents and the food and the alcohol and the parties- to take a read of what he actually said and what he actually meant.

And wonder if he'd actually LIKE us.

Because if he wouldn't- then we're not doing it right.

You see- it's about being a good person. And it don't matter how often you go to church, it changes nothing.

And it doesn't matter who you sleep with, or how many, or whether you like to party. It doesn't matter.

Be nice to people. And tell the truth. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

So simple most of his own 'followers' seem to miss the fact he said it.

A new decade starts in ten days.

Two thousand years after his death, are we actually going to start listening?

5 comments:

Gledwood said...

Apparently winters are pretty harsh in that part of the world... harsh enough that there's no way shepherds would be tending flocks by night in December... that's one thing. As for the rest of it, I just consider Xmas a pretty pagan festival. Really it has nothing to do with Christianity at all!

Have a merry one though ~ and a tremendous 2010

;->...

gnataes said...

Unfortunately, most people don't take the time to think about Christmas and what it means... even if they're aren't Christian. They ought to though, it'd probably make the world a better place

Shelly Rayedeane said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said...

.... and a happy nude year! Tra lallaal laa !!

Crushed said...

Gledwood- No, it doesn't.

But it's not Pagan, I don't think. The sentiment is good.

'Peace on Earth, Goodwill to Men'.

My Xmas was white, anyway ;)

Yeah, I got a good feel for 2010.


Akai- It would, definitely. Having said that, I DO think there is a genuine sense of goodness goes down this time of year.

It is also true that having children around makes you feel differently about it. Gives it a certain magic aqain THROUGH the joy in their eyes.

Shelly- Now let me just get one thing clear.

I understand the little alliance of evil is coming apart; no honour amongst thieves now, is there?

Bot 'my enemies enemy is my friend' is the sort of logic you lot have used.

It ISN'T mine.

Now if you were genuinely and sincerely penitent of YOUR part in the shit and mayhem Carly has caused in her blogging career, I'd be sympathetic. And I understand you are trying to gain my support on the grounds your sins against me personally have not been so very great.

But your sins against OTHERS at Carly's request have been.

Don't pretend you were just her dupe all along. You knew damn well for a very long time what a piece of shit she was and went along with it.

And as for this conspiracy theory drivel; I ain't interested. I don't care. It's bollocks.

Here's a simpler theory. You are weak and easily led. But you also know how to manipulate.

You, Carly, James Higham, you all feed off eachother. A matrix of hate, tapping into eachother and feeding eachothers needs.

No, I don't think you are actually as cynically devious as the likes of them. I don't think you a psychopath- which they all clearly are. You DO need to get help for your paranoia though.

Yes, if you can break free of scum like that, find decent people and sort through your issues, I think you can be a good person.

They never will.

Now as far as I am concerned, there is no bad blood between yourself and myself. But leave Chrystal alone. And I mean that.

If your 'repentence' is truly sincere and not just a grim realistion that now you too are a Carly victim, then there are things you need to do to prove that.

A lot of people online are gullible and easily fooled. I'm not one of them.

The hand is held out; take it in the spirit given.

Mutley- I was out with the flu, I'm afraid...

Fancy organising a bloggers orgy?

I think it's what the blogosphere needs. A masked blogger's gangbang.

Up for it?