Okay, that's a bit harsh. Blame it on frustration.
Last night while meandering through the Internet I somewhat lazily clicked on an article about a certain pop music figure's new tattoo of an image of Jesus. Aside from obscuring the glaring truth that none of us really knows for certain what Jesus looked like beyond a bare sketch (first century Palestinian Jew, around thirty years old during his active ministry, wore a beard) the article wasn't all that memorable. But as I scrolled through the comments I came across the latest transgression in a recurring Internet meme: some anonymous yahoo ridiculing all the concern about a "mythical figure" from a "made-up book." And he wasn't talking about the pop music icon.
No, I didn't reply, although I might have if the site hadn't required a Facebook or Twitter registration. But if I had it undoubtedly would have done absolutely no good at all. For all its ballyhooed benefits in "education" and "knowledge provision" the Internet is also a slough of perpetuated ignorance. What this guy alleged--that Jesus is an ahistorical figure, and the New Testament has the same value as history as the Harry Potter series--is pure nonsense. No serious academic historian doubts the historicity of Jesus. Plenty of critics may call into question various aspects of the New Testament writings but that these books actually refer to a person who really lived in Roman Judea and the Galilee is beyond dispute. Yet there is a small vocal group that feeds upon itself trying to keep this lame idea alive. It is enough to make one despair of mankind's basic rationality.
And then I remember Paul's letter to the Romans, the first chapter, and I am reminded just how desperate is the motivation to suppress the truth in unrighteousness.
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2 comments:
When I attended our friend, J'fer's, church a couple of years ago, her pastor pointed out that there is far more historical evidence for the existence of Jesus than for heaps of other figures that people wouldn't dream of dismissing as fiction. I just wish I could recall the examples he gave, though!
Plenty of figures from ancient history would fit here, such as Socrates and Plato. But the existence of Socrates doesn't make so many demands on us; with Jesus, his question to Peter and the disciples remains pressing: "Who do you say that I am?"
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