The central idea of Christianity-- everyone who wants to can go to heaven and be saved despite rank or place in society-- is a very attractive one. It still is. No matter what a shitshow your life is, if you accept Jesus as your savior, your next life will be wonderful. That's quite comforting. Also, the notion that Jesus was 'one of us' reverberates. The lowly son of a carpenter, who turns out to be the Messiah...that's the hero's journey. We thrill to that tale, over and over and over, no matter what hero is at the center of it.
Also, the triumph of Jesus rising from the grave, after being tortured and executed, also appeals. It's a rather timeless retelling of the birth/death/rebirth motif found in so many cultures-- which echoes spring planting and harvest, cycles that dominated and still dominate the world. Without food, after all, we starve to death.
Christianity has the necessary fluidity at its core to last through several reworkings and even schisms. It can be molded and stretched and rewritten and still retain that basic core--salvation no matter who you are if you accept Jesus as savior. The trappings might change. The congregations might profess different views on minor or major things, but Christianity, so far, has proved to be rather like a ball of Silly Putty. You can bend and stretch it any way you like. It has not remained a rigid moribund antiquated collection of morality fables, though it might seem so. People have layered it and stretched it and taken what they needed from it. Until the idea at the center dries up...Christianity is more than likely going to be with us for a while yet.
But. As we humans still thrill so much to the basic hero's journey, I doubt that 'simple' tale of Jesus will be relegated to the Aesop's Fables section any time soon.
Also, the triumph of Jesus rising from the grave, after being tortured and executed, also appeals. It's a rather timeless retelling of the birth/death/rebirth motif found in so many cultures-- which echoes spring planting and harvest, cycles that dominated and still dominate the world. Without food, after all, we starve to death.
Christianity has the necessary fluidity at its core to last through several reworkings and even schisms. It can be molded and stretched and rewritten and still retain that basic core--salvation no matter who you are if you accept Jesus as savior. The trappings might change. The congregations might profess different views on minor or major things, but Christianity, so far, has proved to be rather like a ball of Silly Putty. You can bend and stretch it any way you like. It has not remained a rigid moribund antiquated collection of morality fables, though it might seem so. People have layered it and stretched it and taken what they needed from it. Until the idea at the center dries up...Christianity is more than likely going to be with us for a while yet.
But. As we humans still thrill so much to the basic hero's journey, I doubt that 'simple' tale of Jesus will be relegated to the Aesop's Fables section any time soon.
-- Elizabeth The Magnificent
My comment: I wrote this question at "Yahoo Answers". Some Christian asshole complained about it and got the whole thing vaporized. This was just after I was able to save the best answer here. I never met a Christian who wasn't a stupid fucking asshole.
My comment: I wrote this question at "Yahoo Answers". Some Christian asshole complained about it and got the whole thing vaporized. This was just after I was able to save the best answer here. I never met a Christian who wasn't a stupid fucking asshole.
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