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"To me, however, Jesus is almost entirely inaccessible. I’ve never seen his photograph, listened to a recording of his voice, or read a single sentence that can be surely ascribed to him, let alone met him in person or known someone else who did. Like the rest of the world, all I have to go on are four brief, highly redacted, obviously biased accounts of his life and times, which even in their original form were written some decades after his death, and aren’t entirely consistent with one another. I know plenty of folks who claim those accounts clearly reveal his personality, but as far as I’m concerned, the biblical record of Jesus is far too sketchy for anyone to claim they really know Jesus’s character.
Among the many important things I don’t know about Jesus: whether he was a good carpenter; how he felt about Joseph not being his real father; his sexual orientation; his perspectives on slavery, abortion, and just war; his favorite kind of anything; his sense of humor; his best friend; why he raised Lazarus from the dead but nobody else; what he thought about between the crucifixion and the resurrection; and why he didn’t make sure at least one of his disciples took better notes. I mean, seriously, I know way more about Abraham Lincoln—or Michael Jackson for that matter—than I do about Jesus." Bart
Reading books again is a great way to catch what I missed the first read through, and also to find new wisdom that helps me on an ever growing journey.
The first time I read this book, I had Jesus, my iPhone and a way to track great quotes and was probably reading in my house on the highway in my small town. This time, I was out camping in the bush by a beautiful lake, with my hard copy of the book. I had no electronics, no highlighter, and no Jesus. -- nothing but nature, me, my hubby and the book. It was an entirely different experience. I read through the book in three days.
(The link to my first blog post of "Why I Left, Why I Stayed" )
It was winter of 2020 when I first picked up the book. I had been out of Christianity as a system for over a decade already, but Jesus as a real living entity was still somewhat there. This year, on Good Friday of 2022, I had a funeral for Jesus... and I didn't resurrect him. ( This is the poem I wrote on Good Friday to honour the occasion... entitled "Love Never Breathed" )
"Not surprisingly, I very much like my father’s Jesus, not only for his great compassion but also for his longtime commitment to social justice, environmental responsibility, and women’s rights, not to mention his more recent embrace of marriage equality. I’m just kidding about that last part, of course, because everyone knows it isn’t Jesus who finally changed his mind about our LGBTQ friends, but rather my father who changed his mind about Jesus.
I did the same thing as a Christian. Over and over again, I adjusted my vision of Jesus to reflect my latest values and understanding of the world. The good news was that the Lord I ended up with was quite literally the most perfectly wonderful person I could imagine. The bad news was that, once I realized my Jesus was merely a projection of my own ideals, he lost all authority in my life." Bart
I think what stuck out for me this time was the whole focus on changing theology. Even Tony admits that he changed his theology. So what exactly is the expectation for anyone introduced to Christianity. There doesn't seem to be consistency. That is a huge problem for me. But also it is the open door for me to say that the way out of the chaos of divisiveness is to find a way to be okay with everyone being on their own journey. No conversion necessary, no assimilation required and no shame to manage. Just free people up to find their own way to understand their existence.
"If I’m right, then it makes sense that so many norms, mores, and values are similar across cultures, because there are some laws of nature that apply equally around the world. Antisocial behaviors like lying, murder, and incest don’t work for anyone under any circumstances over the long run, so they are universally proscribed.
Of course, if group flourishing is truly the ultimate standard of goodness, then it also makes sense that rules about food, water, sexuality, child-rearing, and other aspects of community life would vary widely from group to group, depending on the conditions under which they develop. Even so, all such rules are ultimately rooted in mutual care and responsibility in the context of cooperative groups. Simply stated, human morality is and always has been fundamentally about human relationships." Bart
Morality is built into each human being. I didn't understand that until I got to know people who didn't ascribe to divine inspiration or sacred laws. It is really a self-preservation necessity. We need people to survive, and being nice and kind and loving is the smartest way to facilitate that. But religions have put rules around basic humanity. That makes no sense to me now. I'm not loving someone if I do it because I have been commanded to do it, or even asked to do it. Love needs to flow from within me to be authentic.
All that being said... how do I explain the immoral. Immorality happens when people get messed up. It is a vicious cycle. Fear messes up people. Fear gets transferred like urine in a swimming pool or oil in the ocean. One little spill can wreck the water and the experience for others. What comes out of Fear... Anger, Ignorance, Hatred, Bitterness and eventually... Immorality.
"I understand the gut-level attraction of the idea that almighty God defines good and evil, but it’s awfully hard for me to swallow. I mean, are things like rape and murder evil simply because God forbids them, or are they objectively wrong? Regardless, isn’t morality really about thinking through the potential impact of my actions, weighing the various options against a complex matrix of competing values, and humbly making the best decision possible? For me to blindly follow a divine commandment seems like a way to shirk the hard work of deliberation and evade responsibility for the intentions and consequences of my actions. Simple obedience might keep people of faith from doing bad things, but I’m not sure how it helps them become morally good themselves." Bart
Maybe you're noticing that this time the quotes are from Bart. That is on purpose. It was Bart's thoughts I was tapping into the most on this read through. I was out in nature and found myself being freed up to just be and discover me in the woods and the water. I had let Jesus go, and I needed to find a bit of support for that. Maybe it's my need for ammunition in my conversations with my people, or maybe it is just confirmation. I have admitted that I am insecure. I was amazed that even with Bart's well through through responses and story, that his dad didn't see what really made sense. There always seemed to be a defensive comeback. It makes me wonder if it is even possible for committed Christians to have empathy for Post-Christians. I didn't when I called myself a Christian, but I am looking for those who might be different.
"I think we need to stop seeing death as the negation of life, and see it instead as the necessary catalyst for every good thing we enjoy." Bart
Reading in nature gave me a great appreciation for the world I live in. When I came across passages like this, I found myself looking out at the lake or in the trees or at the jaybirds that frequented our campsite. "Life is precious" Bart says in the documentary he did with his dad "Leaving my Father's Faith"
"Indeed, it may well be that the greatest mistake in this world is to live as if you have endless time when in fact you don’t." Bart
Spending three days in nature has given me more confidence in my understanding and my world view. I am feeling less burdened by the need to please my people. I feel like I matter and my journey matters. I am grateful that Bart's words of encouragement came to me in that beautiful place of peace and connectivity with the planet. Thank you again, Bart for an amazing book, the amazing conversations you had with your dad, and the voice you continue to have.
"Look, everybody knows there are bunches of angry atheists running around out there, openly mocking the church and loudly proclaiming that organized religion poisons everything, but I will never be one of them. First of all, I have far too much love and gratitude for the many believers who have positively shaped my life to ever want to communicate disrespect for their communities and traditions. Second, and more importantly, I feel no disrespect." Bart