Do I have to be baptized? Must I pray towards Mecca 5 times per day? Is Jesus the ressurected Son of God? Or perhaps just a prophet? Is the earth really only 10,000 years old? Why is my religion at odds with science? What exactly are my beliefs?
One thing we know for sure is that throughout history, people have always looked to the heavens and asked, "What does it all mean"? As long as humans have been able to write, that which they have written is regarding their religious beliefs. From the Egyptian hieroglyphics to the Mesopotamian epics of creation and of Gilgamesh, human writing has always had much to say about the god(s).
It makes sense how primitive societies in an attempt to explain or cope with the unknown would have passed along metaphorical myths. But what about modern society? How are we to view the more fantastical, miraculous parts of religion today? Do we accept it on blind faith? Do we dig deeper and try to explain it analytically? Or do we abandon it all together?
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Speaking at the most recent EG conference, author, philosopher, prankster and journalist A.J. Jacobs talks about the year he spent living biblically -- following the rules in the Bible as literally as possible.
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The Didache is a late 1st century writing on the teachings of Jesus as taught by the 12 Apostles. It was widely circulated by 100AD and read by many of the early Christian churches as scripture. The Apostles were Jews, and we know from the Bible did not abandon Judaism practices, but continued to practice it with a renewed "Christian" perspective. The Didache was more or less how the Apostles viewed their spiritual priorities and how they felt their Christian-Judaism should be adapted for Gentiles. Through much controversy however, it did not make the NT canon, and therefore is not commonly read today.
Nothing in it is contradictory to the New Testament Bible. It is more or less NT Gospels 101... Love your neighbor, turn the other cheek, etc. However what is most interesting is that it does not mention the diefication of Jesus, or many typical modern religious priorities. I believe it should not be used to discredit modern Christian faith (Lord knows we have enough factions as it is), but rather to teach us all that living lowly and compassionately as Jesus did is more important than your intellectual beliefs.
The first 2 chapters sum up the entire book nicely. I will paraphrase the 1st chapter here:
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Don't let the title fool you. Ken Schei is an Atheist, but that hasn't stopped him from collecting some very good information on the original message of Jesus.
Unlike Shei, most atheists that I have conversed with in my lifetime only seem interested in obliterating religion from the world. Their goal more or less is to rob you of your faith, and replace it with nothing. Statistics show however that communities with large numbers of atheists also have high rates of depression and suicide. Whether true or not, healthy religion is good for the body, mind and soul.
Instead of being destructive, Schei has dug deeper into the scholarly history of Jesus' teachings, and instead of finding a resurected Son of God that must be worshiped, found an inspirational message of compassion. The message that I believe is most beneficial to the world in which we live.
1 commentsby Jaxon on March 29, 2010
I never in my life thought this could happen in the US. But now with the support of the majority of Californian residents and many local politicians, the legalization of Marijuana could soon be a reality. The new measure would permit adults 21 and older to buy up to an ounce and grow small amounts. They would not be able to use it in public or around minors.
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