I confess I’m hugely amused by religion which strikes me as the ultimate cop-out in explaining the unknown.
Take Christianity. It’s got to a huge following with an infantile belief in a creator God, albeit none of its adherents can tell us what this God bloke looks like, or even what his name is, Godding being an occupation word.
Instead, puzzlingly, they babble on about his son, a nutter (according to Oxford University’s religious studies department) called Jesus whose Dad had him cruelly murdered, this abominable parental action, apparently to somehow save us all from wrongdoing.
If so, it’s certainly been a disastrous flop, suggesting the God bloke got it badly wrong.
What really puzzles me is the constant substitution of the Jesus chap for his dad.
For example, who’d have guessed Jesus was a boxing enthusiast? Mind you, boxing is the oldest recorded sporting activity, recorded in the sense of illustrations over 5,000 years back on Mesopotamian vases and the like.
Nevertheless, following his recent narrow first loss to Ukrainian Oleksandr Usyk, heavyweight champ Tyson Fury, after complaining about the verdict, then added, “I thank Jesus for all the victories he’s given me”.
This inference that Jesus is a fight fan favouring the Brit was then puzzlingly negated by Usyk, who having been declared the winner, then grabbing the microphone and blurting, “Thankyou so much, my God Jesus”.
That sounds to me like Jesus might have preferred a drawn verdict given he was apparently plugging both combatants.
I suppose the forthcoming return bout will resolve this mystery as to who Jesus really backs.
8 Comments
As a lapsed atheist, I regard religion as a useful collection of myths that at best can help people lead useful lives and at worst can encourage a nasty “holier than thou” mentality.
I think it’s important to read and analyse a broad range of philosophical opinions to form a balanced view of the human condition and its many advantages and challenges.
I’m not sure that “turn the other cheek” is sensible advice to a pugilist.
Religion; one suspects, was largely introduced as a means of control through indoctrination, and secondary as a business..Certainly Henry the VIII proved this, and lately Bishop Brian Tamaki..
While much truth lies in the Bible & different versions they preach, those in control rarely practice or adhere to the principles; which are largely good..
One could argue it is a community/network of like minded people, however caution is necessary for parasites amongst them..
I guess everyone needs to find hope somewhere..
Bob : I can tell you exactly what ” this God bloke looks like ” . For a start , she’s a lady , very big and fulsomely built . And black . Very black . Sultry and sweaty . Truth be told I’m not sure if that’s really God , or just a dream I had . But either way , it keeps me centred and joyful .
There’s an excellent book by Joe Bennett called “Double Happiness – How Bullshit Works” which (among other things) ably explains and then skews the notion of religion, and the tendency of sporting folk to thank their god for victories but not blame him/her for defeats.
I believed in Jesus right up until some one else won that $44 million dollar lotto,
2024 years AD this God bloke is yet to show his/her face, and yet millions believe in the fairy story that emanates from the supposed return to this planet (maybe took a wrong turn and is waiting on Mars) The other massive farce is Xmas, another fairy story of the Jesus bloke’s birth, which in all reality was just a giant piss up by the Romans who celebrated the northern hemisphere winter solstice on or about the 25th December. The invention of Xmas was part of the negotiation between the Romans and the Christians when the Romans (Emperor Constantine) converted to Christianity in ~313AD. Perhaps an ex-boxer who made friends with JC.
Perhaps Jesus is the Mexican fight promoter paying both the fighters?
The Greeks and Roman’s had it right with their mythology and their attitude to it and it’s various God’s. All very tongue in cheek and accepting it as a wonderful fairy story. I like the idea that you can embrace it as you wish, and if you upset one of the God’s you can be sure of finding favor with another.
We however have decided to take our mythology as “truth”, watered it down to one “God” who is supposedly responsible for our being and all that surrounds us, and woe betide all who upset him. We may still be embryonic life forms, but we have emerged from the slime, and we do have a reasonably good understanding of how it all works. We do not need a mystic force that we can ascribe all we do not understand to. As a guide to how we should conduct ourselves as human beings, well it has some good points. Not what you could give the Greek God’s credit for I will readily admit, but they are jolly good fun.