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"Jesus Over All"
Jan. 8th, 2016 11:49 amJesus Uber Alles is, to me, a really dark message. I resent it and always have- as a kid, I remember this being hammered into my mind - that, not just the spiritual advancement of others, but 'the personal relationship with the savior' was ultimate, and that even to my my most beloved people, I would only ever be the penultimate. Really at best. Jealousy you know, I've got it as bad as anyone - but the dawning suspicion that sinister forces would demand total loyalty with the offer of mere words & pointless shabby indefinite hopes - I think that, above all - Uber Alles - taught me contempt, suspicion & doubt. In opposition to peace, love & hope I suppose.
I really didn't approach this with altogether bad faith - it could be fairly said, in fact, that I approached it without faith of any kind. But it is interesting that the passages & references that are presented are the sort that strongly reinforce my youthful antipathy to religion generally, and American Protestantism specifically. You go to church as a little kid, holding your mother's hand -the preacher is telling all the women in the crowd that they have to love Jesus before they love their children - you can tell your mother agrees - you're confused about what you might have done differently - to displace Jesus as your mom's main person. You're thinking about it and hoping that there's a way to change the situation - she tells you, later, when it comes up that no - Jesus is always first.
You start to speculate about the virtues of Jesus - who doesn't actually seem to ever do a thing except be talked about - and it's pretty quick from there that you're able to grasp just how nonsensical it all is. The preacher says "Jesus Over All!" And you see that he is doing his best to make sure that you'll be back next week. That you'll part with your money when they send around the begging plate. And if this is what the preacher is doing - are you going to believe that Paul is any better? In the very next passage he goes on about how he's suffered and how that's right- to be persecuted. So here - the fake idea that you believe is More Important than all other relationships. Everyone who says this is bad or wrong is persecuting you - and you should be proud of how you've been persecuted. You should be glib & smug about this bullshit.
And then...
Well really it's pretty fascinating to me - that people don't just see through these things. It's as if a guide to self-deception, to mountebanking is right there before them - and they're made to study it and absorb it and trained to contend that it's true.
But okay. Let's consider this differently. I guess- you know you fall into this logical conflict - if you're following the scriptural tradition based upon the wickedness of cities & the correctness of shepherding - and then you're deep into having an urban culture and that culture is constantly ascribed the value of wickedness- but also, doesn't seem that bad - what you need is a logical bridge - some switch that can be flipped that turns the tables - in this respect the idea of god sacrificing his child and thus making contemporary society acceptable (if just) while demonstrating sacrifice - that happens. Then there's this quid-pro-quo involved - he puts you first above his own babies - you should put him ahead of your own babies. Right, that's fair? That's alright?
As terrible bullshit goes I guess it kind of works.
I really didn't approach this with altogether bad faith - it could be fairly said, in fact, that I approached it without faith of any kind. But it is interesting that the passages & references that are presented are the sort that strongly reinforce my youthful antipathy to religion generally, and American Protestantism specifically. You go to church as a little kid, holding your mother's hand -the preacher is telling all the women in the crowd that they have to love Jesus before they love their children - you can tell your mother agrees - you're confused about what you might have done differently - to displace Jesus as your mom's main person. You're thinking about it and hoping that there's a way to change the situation - she tells you, later, when it comes up that no - Jesus is always first.
You start to speculate about the virtues of Jesus - who doesn't actually seem to ever do a thing except be talked about - and it's pretty quick from there that you're able to grasp just how nonsensical it all is. The preacher says "Jesus Over All!" And you see that he is doing his best to make sure that you'll be back next week. That you'll part with your money when they send around the begging plate. And if this is what the preacher is doing - are you going to believe that Paul is any better? In the very next passage he goes on about how he's suffered and how that's right- to be persecuted. So here - the fake idea that you believe is More Important than all other relationships. Everyone who says this is bad or wrong is persecuting you - and you should be proud of how you've been persecuted. You should be glib & smug about this bullshit.
And then...
Well really it's pretty fascinating to me - that people don't just see through these things. It's as if a guide to self-deception, to mountebanking is right there before them - and they're made to study it and absorb it and trained to contend that it's true.
But okay. Let's consider this differently. I guess- you know you fall into this logical conflict - if you're following the scriptural tradition based upon the wickedness of cities & the correctness of shepherding - and then you're deep into having an urban culture and that culture is constantly ascribed the value of wickedness- but also, doesn't seem that bad - what you need is a logical bridge - some switch that can be flipped that turns the tables - in this respect the idea of god sacrificing his child and thus making contemporary society acceptable (if just) while demonstrating sacrifice - that happens. Then there's this quid-pro-quo involved - he puts you first above his own babies - you should put him ahead of your own babies. Right, that's fair? That's alright?
As terrible bullshit goes I guess it kind of works.
