Essays: Some Irritating Things About Judeo-Christianity

Some irritating observations by me. Doc.

In my limited exposure to Mankind, mostly in the USA and to some extent those around the globe through the use of the internet, there seem to be some commonalities. One of those commonalities is religion and the open dislike, near hostility, towards Judeo-Christianity. This puzzled me. This puzzled me from the standpoint of what is so irritating about Judeo-Christianity that it creates such open dislike around the globe. So, since I am alluded to being well studied and somewhat of an analyst, I began thinking on this. I think I may have hit on some things that might explain some of the irritation with Judeo-Christianity. I thought I would share those here.

The world is polytheistic. Which means to say, that this society of people moving along this planet we call Earth believe in a multitude of powers greater than themselves. Some have convinced themselves to believe there are no powers greater than themselves. Some have convinced themselves that these greater powers are unknowable. The last two make such a minority in world population as to be trivial in the overall. However, these last two groups are extremely vocal and vociferous in their profundity. So shouting down their naysayers, that the less vocal, less educated masses accept it; whether they believe it or not. Funny how that works.

History has shown that people have felt the need to explain why things are the way they are. Some have had great encounters with beings greater than themselves, according to their writings, and made new religions. Most have accepted the concept of intelligent design just by their observations of the complex machinery of the terra system upon which they live out their lives. Having recognized that and Man having the propensity to name things, they began naming those things they saw. To the power that made the wind blow, to the power that makes crops grow in their season, to the power that… well, you get the picture. These powers became personified. Mitra, Istar, Marduk, Ptah, Kali, Osirus, Isis, Zues, Hera, Jupiter, Amaterasu, Shangdi,… and literally millions of other names. Each one represented a facet of life over which they ruled. Then comes to writing the beliefs of a subjugated people coming out of pharaohic Egypt, descended – they say – from the first created man on Earth.

The difference in the religion of these people as compared to their counterparts in their area of the world was they said there was only one power that ruled over everything and created everything. You should be able to see how that might not work so well in a world that had deific names for every facet of life. And yet, these people persisted and prospered. They were also attacked quite often by their neighbors.

So we come to the first and most paramount of irritating things. “Behold, the Lord our God is one.” Yep. The most irritating thing about Judeo-Christianity is it does not recognize, co-exist, or allow there to be any other power in the universe of existence other than their god. “Such arrogance!” some might say. Well, there it is. According to the writings of Judeo-Christianity, there is but one power in whom all power exists. Where did this power come from? This power just exists; which by extension means we exist within that power. We are subject to that power. For the polytheists, that is unacceptable. Why is not their god or gods greater? These polytheists have dedicated their lives to their pantheon of deities for generations. Surely, this god or power of these migrant people is not greater than theirs. So, the argument begins. One god/power versus a multi-verse of pantheons. Who is right? According to Judeo-Christianity, there is but one god and the rest are pretenders and posers. The rest are fallen messengers and servants who once served this greatest power. The first irritation.

The second great irritation: it is your fault.

Yes, according to Judeo-Christianity, it is your fault that you cannot know, understand, get close to, or anything else you would like to do religiously or ritualistically to please their god. The other deities had various and sundry things you could do to curry favor. This god of Judeo-Christianity did not have any of that. It was your fault. Well, more accurately, it was Adam’s fault – the first god created Man; but you are just like him so it is still your fault because you make the same mistakes.

According to Judeo-Christianity writings, Adam was created by the ‘self-existent one in whom all powers exist’ – shortcut writing here to God. Adam was made in the image and likeness of God. Adam was to be like God. Adam was given a job. Adam named everything – something Man still has the tendency to do today. Adam was told not to do something. If he did that something, he would die. Adam eventually did that thing he was not supposed to do. For those theologians out there, he ate of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil after his wife did. When confronted with this “sin,” Adam said it was the woman’s fault. The woman said it was the serpent’s fault. God stopped the finger pointing and settled the argument permanently. Adam and his wife, who he named Eve, were kicked out of the garden inside Eden and told not to come back.

It is interestingly noted in the relatively young science of psychology that denial of fault, casting blame, and unwillingness to accept responsibility for one’s own actions are main underlying factors in most psychological maladies… psychological / psychiatric maladies, not medical / physiological… there are differences.

This leads us to the ‘S’ word. Yes, sin. The third great irritating thing about Judeo-Christianity.

Sin means evil, missing the mark, not-equal or iniquity. It means you have done something or have something or born to something that makes you less than equal and separated from God. People I know and have met do not like this bit at all. This bit that they are somehow not equal to the task or somehow not quite up-to-snuff. They are not all that they imagined themselves to be. There is this part of them that is missing to make them all right. It is a tough thing to address. No ritual, no deed, no special birth, no task, no quest, no chemically induced vision, no hiding place, no special knowledge, no acquisition of charms, amulets, power… nothing bridges the gap. Nothing fills the separation. Nothing accounts, makes good again, the inequality.

So ‘sin’ is the third great irritation. Sin differs from other religions’ forms of separation. In Hindi/Buddhism, you can eventually become a part of god through many journeys of perfection to perfection. In other religions, if you were accepted – blessed or graced – by your deity your life could be good or your after life could be good. Valhalla, the big Norse party for heroes. But, you still were not equal to them. You just passed the grade to be among them. You were not like them or equal to them but you could please them and they would reward you for your service to them. That is a central theme in most of the religions that I have studied. But, that is also where Judeo-Christianity differs. There was no act that you could do to make you equal or to take away the separation from God.

The next most irritating thing about Judeo-Christianity causes irritation even among those who purport to follow its teachings: Jesus.

Jesus, the guy who went to the cross and died for our sins, is so irritating that wars have been fought, people persecuted, villages wiped out, individuals murdered, and people subjugated, all in his name. Why?

After millennia of being separate from God and having no way to get back to him, along comes someone named Yshua (its Hebrew for Jesus) who says serve God and love one another. Okay, that’s not bad, so why is this irritating? I am glad you asked.

The God of Judeo-Christianity, according to their Holy Bible, has said several times throughout the history of Man that he will do things. One of the first was the seed of the woman will crush the head of the serpent. This was stated back in the garden days. From then forward, God has been giving clues to what this person would be like and what this person would do. These things culminated in the person we know today as Jesus Christ.

How is that irritating? I’m getting there.

The descendents of Israel document their prophets’ descriptions of this person who is going to fulfill them, bring God and them back together, and rule over them. Oh by the way, this person would be God in the flesh, God with them. That means they would have to obey him. These Israeli looked to a savior against Egyptians, Babylonians, Medes, Persians, Assyrians, Philistines, Greeks, Romans, et cetera. He did not show up. Instead, they got a Galilean carpenter from Nazareth who said love the God of Israel, serve him only, and love your neighbor as yourself. Of course they hated him immediately. He was talking sense and going against the established powers.

After three years of this man’s teachings, they found away to get rid of him. Of course they went about it in a complete backhanded way. I won’t go into to all of the details. That is easy enough to research. Let us stick to just the irritating things about Jesus. The subjugated by the Romans Israeli leadership of the day arranged things so that Jesus was numbered among the many thousands crucified by Pontius Pilate, governor of Judea at the time. Here is the difficulty. It didn’t work.

Not only did Jesus teach the kingdom of God, righteousness, loving God, loving your neighbors, loving your enemies, don’t listen to these dead bones in white washed coffins leaders teaching you wrong, but he also said he was God. He said he was the anointed salvation of God’s people. And, he didn’t stay dead. Irritating, I know.

The most irritating thing about Jesus was this. He said he was the way, the truth, and the life. He said no one could get to the Father – talking about God – except through him. After millennia of being separated from God and having no way to even get barely close to God, this Israeli carpenter said he could make it happen and he was the only way it could happen. Then, he died. But no, his disciples said they saw him. Then there was that event during Pentecost after Jesus’ crucifixion. Then how do you shut up all those thousands of people who now said they believe (earnestly know in one’s heart, not guessing) that Jesus was who he said he was.

Irritating, I know.

Next in irritation is the Church.

Jesus called his chosen ones his elect, his church. The church was not what we know it today. It was not a hodgepodge of religions all vying for the same hat saying their design is best. No. The church, back in the day, meant electors. Those people called up to hear arguments, reason the case, and to make a judgment on that thing. Yes, it was the Greek ekklesia, the proto-democratic body. But, that original idea of a group coming together to decide a thing morphed over time into several thousands of denominational organizations around the globe that have very little to do with the original concept.

Those that are supposed to be following the same teachings are more apt to argue and fight among themselves than to do anything else or substantial. It is not a wonder so many choose not to be a part of “organized religion.” The Church is irritating because above all others its organization or variants thereof seem most to blame for a lack of cohesion among those professing Judeo-Christian beliefs. Some have argued that the Sunni and Shiite split among Islam is tearing Islam a part. Those same pundits fail to note that the Jews, Catholics, Anglicans, Lutherans, Presbyterians, Methodists, Baptists, Anabaptists, Church of Christ, Disciples of Christ, Nazarenes, Assemblies of God, … I left out quite a few … are in a virtual civil war within the Church. No one on Earth is going to take the Church serious until it takes itself serious and repairs it’s many breeches.

The next irritating thing: I’m better than you

It is called religion and religious practice, but in reality it is religious elitism. I’m this, you’re not, you’re beneath me then. CROCK!

This religious elitism crops up in some really irritating ways. Chief among them ritual. Ritual is the first death knell of any religion. It is a ‘do’ oriented aspect rather than anything else. Do this or you cannot be apart of what we are doing. Do this or you will not be close to God. Do this, do this, do this, do this… It is really irritating.

This leads into ‘you aren’t doing this you are going to be punished.’ More crosses have been raised, more stones thrown, more stakes burned for this one aspect. If you don’t do it our way you will be punished and we just may speed you along your way to this punishment but not without us acting likes gods first. Irritatingly true however. History documents this rather well.

Association by birth or association:

Yeah, this is a personal pet peeve / irritation for me. My father or my grandfather was … My mother or my grandmother was … All this means is you have a heritage. That’s it. If they were and you are not, then you are not. Period. Biologically, you could be a descendant of Israel, Isaac, and Abraham, but that does not make you a Judeo-Christian adherent. The same goes for those who had predecessor parents that gave their lives to God through Jesus Christ. The same goes for those who manage to show up at synagogue for every Passover or church for every Easter. The same goes for those that carry a card or are listed on a roll that they are members. You are not what you profess you are. And, it is for this reason no one gives credence to the words that you say when you talk of God, because you really aren’t of God. Are you?

Judgment:

There are those that are quite religious in their pursuit of religion; even among the Judeo-Christians. They are apt to tell you because you are doing or not doing a thing you are bound for judgment by the Judeo-Christian god. The number one thing that comes to my mind when I run across these people is ‘Are you reading the book whereby you are judging others?’ Judge not lest ye be judged. Whatever you give you will receive, pressed down, shaken together, overflowing. Judgment is listed among those things to be returned to them overflowingly.

The last irritating thing about Judeo-Christianity:

This, more than any other, is probably the most irritating to the world, meeting a real one. They do not stand out. On the contrary, these real adherents to Judeo-Christianity rarely call themselves Jews or Christians. They read their Bible and take it to heart. To them, it is real and it is scary. To them, there is a real God that created Adam, that spoke with Noah, that spoke with Moses, that saved Israel many times, and that gave up his son Jesus to repair the breech, to be the price of covenant broken. These real, everyday adherents are usually quiet; often times oppressed people, who live their daily lives suffering. They usually suffer at the hands of others who purport to follow after God but do not. They rarely strike back, and if they do strike back, they usually repent and pray for wisdom.

These people are irritating because they will not argue with you over your religious ideals. They will not ‘fight’ back when ‘attacked’ for what they believe. To these few real Judeo-Christians, you are worth more to them than an argument, and they greatly fear their God. They have read their book they call their Bible and are afraid of what is coming. They have discovered the God of the Bible does not lie. Therefore those things he said would come to pass will. They have experienced this in their lives. Their experiences can withstand logical argument. Their trust, dare I use the word ‘faith,’ can withstand what they see as trials to their trust in a God the rest of the world sees as irritating.

These people are scary, because these people believe and are not insane. These people are irritating, because like their Messiah – their anointed one, they see a bigger picture on a longer time scale. For them, it is not about right now. It is about then.

Reviews

[Robert Luna]

Once again you have written a piece that is very thought provoking and really hits home. You words are written with such a purpose and really make you stop and think about the world around us. I really felt this was written so perfectly not be judgmental but stating simple facts.

Wonderfully Done Sir!!!

[Helen Woodward]

Like you, I could write a large Tome on this subject! I respect those who are cradle Jews and dare to defy their elders by attending Mass and wearing a cross. Their elders are too stubborn to accept that Christ WAS the messaiah they had waited for! And are still waiting for... I agree with all you say Doc, the infighting that goes on in Christian communities is rotten to the core, so is the vatican! I have been hauled over the coals many times (even by Catholic priests) about the fact that Mary plays a huge role in my life as the mother of Christ, I look at it this way, She was chosen to give birth to God's son...that's good enough for me! You say these people are scary, they're actually a threat, which is what I think you meant, especially since their numbers are increasing every day. There has always been a thick boundary line between the old and new testaments...Well, that is fading dramatically!In the days of Moses, people gathered in their homes to share food and prayer, I believe, as I watch All churches fall into disrepute, that we will again meet in our homes with kindred spirits, not those who would rather argue than eat!!In the end...whenever that may be...every person left standing will be on their knees asking for forgiveness, ...after they've asked for help. The problem with society is that they see those who stand firm in their faith as idiots...I take exception to that Doc! YAY!!! To the Judeo/Christians...they have a power that their ancestors have never had, the power, strength and mercy of Christ! Jesus was a Jew........Could Adam have been a black man?????

[Rain]

Hi Doc..
I am probably closer to agnostic than any religious belief, However, your critical look at Christianity seems to be from periods past. I don't believe Methodist are bombing Baptists,etc. I find fault in every religion. What kind of critical look have you taken at Islam, the crusades of the great Emperors of China. I cannot think of any religion that has not layed scourge in it's holy name.
In today's time, what God lays claim to being the only God, and all others are infidels. Keeping in mind I have no faith in any God who would line the path with fake gods and then damn you to any kind of hell should you choose the wrong god.
I think you shatter many of the Christian doctrines, but I'm sure with your decerning eye, you could rip apart most all religions. It's that you are surrounded by Christianity.
Go to any Muslim country where a man can kill his wife for adultery, woman are not allowed to learn. All religions make me nervous, but I do not fear Judeo-Christians killing me because I do not accept their vision of God. Still, a very intellectual work, with a great deal of thought in it.
Rain

[Ryan McAuley]

Wonderfully worded, detailed, and researched.

A quick typo:
They usual suffer at the
supposed to be "usually"?

I was rather surprised you didn't mention anything about Constantine as well. This was a very well put bit of writing, and very professional. Thanks for sharing.

[Sean M. Addams]

Very interesting with some very good points... really made me think about the world we live in ... this is a very good thought provoking piece...

[Dezaraye]

Very well-written and it seems like you sure did a lot of research. It is so sad that so many people judge others in this world.

Thanks for writing and posting this; it's very thought-provoking and well put together.