The Case on Behalf of Piety

A Rebuttal, Of Sorts:

The Case On Behalf Of Judaism and Christianity

Ju-day-o, Ju-day-ay-ay-o,
Big light come an' all God's children go home.

In more than one of the essays to be found in my portfolio, I spend time lambasting and berating the Almighty for one reason or another. It only seemed fair, therefore, to dedicate at least one small composition in His (or Her) defense, and make it clear that I recognize how another side to the story does exist.

It also should to be said that neither Jews nor Christians, or those of any other faith, need me as their spokesperson; I make no pretense as to my lack of qualifications in assessing the qualities, or lack of same, with respect to any of the world's great religions.

On the contrary, my opinions are strictly my own and meant to be read as editorial commentary and nothing more. As a brief aside, it should be noted that while I often reference God as being of the male gender in most of my other essays, I do so strictly in the generic sense of the term. In English, the male gender is used grammatically when the true sex of the individual is either unknown or irrelevant.

No discussion of God is possible, nor should one even begin without first mentioning--and defining--the concept of miracles. A miracle is henceforth defined as: A marvelous event manifesting the supernatural act of a divine agent.

In regard to Christianity, two key events describe the base and context for first, the Old Testament of the Bible, and secondly the New Testament. The great event of the Old Testament is, of course, the act of Creation itself. After which all else follows. In the New Testament, it is the Resurrection which gives meaning, substance, and credulity to all the rest. These three elements combined: the existence of miracles, the creation of all there is, and Jesus surviving his own death, form the basis upon which any discussion of Christianity should either start or conclude.

If one is to make the case for a Christian God, each of the three subjects in question need to be addressed, and a rationale offered that satisfies all but the most hardened of skeptics. Let alone atheists.

Miracles are not hard to find in a world (and universe) positively brimming with them. One need only be willing to see with open eyes, an open heart, and especially an open mind. Everywhere we might look, there exist things, places, and events for which no scientific or logical explanation is readily available. In some situations, no cause or reason is even conceivable beyond that of Divine providence. For the record, I should be counted as being among the first to concede the veracity of such observations.

The only real question is not so much whether or not miracles exist, but to what form of causality are they attributed. Whether most are the result of extraordinary coincidence, the presence of extraterrestrials, or the existence of God and all which that portends. A number of other choices might well be in play, but if they are, it seems likely that none can be explained in terms of any meaningful consensus. So for now, we'll pretend to be content with the three I mentioned.

For the purposes of this particular essay, no differentiation is made between the forces of supernatural origin and those that derive from a more religious source or foundation. If we accept and believe in the one, then the other must also follow. No ghosts or goblins are allowed without angels and demons. And no supreme Evil without a supreme Good.

Coincidences? Some, certainly, but certainly not all. Not even close. Some people argue that there are no coincidences--ever. As always, we should first define the word.

A coincidence is typically an event that might have been arranged, although it was really accidental; an apparently incongruent relationship associated with two things happening at the same time; concurrent events or situations that occur simultaneously or in connection with another, that are seemingly unrelated, unintentional, or entirely accidental in nature.

In other words, stuff happens that, in the absence of any other expedient explanation, is simply dismissed as being coincidental in nature. If you were thinking of someone when the phone rings, and it's them, chances are good that it was only a coincidence. If you were thinking of that same person, the phone rings, and you're told that they've been involved in a bad accident or even killed, chances are also good that your intuition was more than coincidence. But since we usually don't know, one way or the other, it's easier to shrug things off as simply coincidental.

Ask anyone you know. These sort of things happen all the time. And it is doubtful that simple happenstance was the reason, each and every time.

Extraterrestrials? Maybe. The rank and file of believers represent a large and growing number of adherents, many of them ordinary people who remain convinced that extraordinary beings are, in one way or another, intervening in human affairs. Such intrusions are manifested by everything from amazingly detailed abduction accounts, to the eyewitness testimonies from credible, often unimpeachable sources.

Those who might otherwise shirk any particular religious faith will, for one reason or another, often cling to a belief in the existence of aliens from another world. They'll espouse the fanciful notion that E.T.'s have in the past, and are presently, involved in any number of strange events for which no other explanation is available--beyond the guesses by scholars, scientists, or theologians. Many of whose reasons are no worse or necessarily better than those offered by the most ardent believers in the idea that extraterrestrials live among us.

In some cases, modern-day miracles previously defined as purely religious in nature, have found an audience among UFO enthusiasts. Numbers of people believe that Biblical accounts of flying machines, healings, advanced technologies, and catastrophic events such as those described for the ancient cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, were the result of extraterrestrials playing God.

The presence of advanced science, seen through the eyes of technologically primitive societies, has often been viewed as an otherwise religious experience. Real faith for a Christian must (and does) rise above the wishful thinking of people whose only real hope in life seems to spring from a cynical belief in the hopelessness of humanity. That without either the help or threat of aliens or supernatural--but not necessarily spiritual--forces, our species is somehow doomed to fail.

Redemption amid the chaos. In a world that buzzes and bangs with all manner of ideas, speculations, and theories about everything under the sun, including stars themselves, religious faith can offer a calm and quiet refuge from the noise and confusion of a troubled planet.

Among the world's handful of great religions, meaning those which have persevered during almost the full span of civilized cultures, Christianity is not only unique, but offers a clear choice for those who choose to believe, and those who do not. That choice exists in the form of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, in the belief that he was not only the Son of God, but more to the point, that he rose from the dead as a Holy Ghost, and again walked the earth subsequent his crucifixion.

These two facts, but especially the Resurrection, exist as the cornerstone (no pun intended) of Christian belief without which, Christianity itself is no more than just another social club. To my knowledge, no other mainstream theology makes a similar, equally audacious claim, nor requires the acceptance of such an assertion as a minimum requirement for membership.

It's important to point out at this juncture that I make no claim as to the possession of expert or special awareness with respect to Christianity, Christians, or others of faith. I am hardly more than an atheist, an agnostic at best, but one who dislikes and rejects those particular words, finding them both insulting and inadequate terms in regard to how I view religion in general. Let alone my specific philosophical approach to the meaning of life, the universe, and everything. Likewise, I reject the militancy and arrogance of most atheists, as if their disbelief and faith in what doesn't exist, is somehow superior to the disciplined devotion that another holds near and dear.

One needn't be a Buddhist to be one. A joke is in there somewhere, but I don't want to take the time to find it. Nor do I need to, I don't think. One needn't be Jewish or convert to Judaism in order to live a life in concert with many of the principles and traditions of the Hebrew faith. Want to be a good Hindu? It's not much more complicated than simply deciding you are one, and then duing some of the things that Hindus du. Or not duing what most Hindus dun't. (sorry, I couldn't resist)

Muslims are a bit more persnickety, with Islamic rules that may insist you not be a Christian or of any other faith, other than Muslim. Being a good Muslim is more or less a matter of not belonging to the church of anyone else. Christians, however, both Catholic and Protestant, are rather more adamant about what it takes to be a member in good standing. And by that, it's meant to describe one's eligibility for acceptance into Heaven. And the ultimate reward of everlasting life.

The more conservative factions of Christianity are stricter yet, and one's eternal reward is governed by an absolute adherence to a single and specific admonition; namely that one be saved--a condition accomplished solely by accepting Jesus Christ into one's life as the only means by which entry into Heaven is possible.

Even further, that Jesus died precisely so that men and women might be forgiven their inherent, inborn sins and thus be allowed to enter the holy Kingdom. No amount of good works, compassion, or other selfless deeds are sufficient--by themselves--to earn salvation and eternal life. Worth repeating is the fact that no other major religion, to my personal knowledge, makes such a demand of its congregants; a mandatory condition which is inseparably connected to the Resurrection event mentioned earlier.

It seems to me that such a requirement isn't all that difficult either to understand or fulfill. If one accepts the Resurrection as a serious and factual revelation, the logical conclusion that Jesus is the way, is the only way, and is on-the-way, should invariably grant us the grace to enter the pearly gates. Such a syllogism makes complete and total sense, in my opinion. It all fits together as a very neat set of puzzle pieces that when viewed as a whole, gives even skeptics like me, reason to pause and contemplate the elegant beauty of what it means to adopt a truly faithful life.

The appeal is seductive, hypnotic, compelling, and of potentially profound consequence. I like this aspect of devout Christianity because everything is put on the line, up front, and minus all the hesitations, vagaries, and doubts sometimes found among other faiths. Here it is--take it or leave it. But do the latter at your own peril. Clean, neat, and unambiguous.

On the down side, the dire consequences of not being "saved" are severe and off-putting to many. Whatever one's concept of Hell, that is precisely what awaits the unsaved, minus any added discussion. While Christianity is relatively easy to adopt and live by, failure to do so correctly may incur those hefty penalties just spoken of.

Similar to the story of Noah, the skies nowadays are not only cloudy, but a light sprinkle can be felt wherever one goes, regardless of where one looks. The modern equivalent of the Ark, it might be asserted, is the acceptance of Jesus as one's personal savior. It's not a bad analogy, and one I've created especially for this particular composition.

As I reflect back on a relatively full life that included a wide variety of experiences, both here in America and abroad, one of the more powerful truisms I discovered along the way, has to do with the people, both refined and eloquent, who I've either met or observed in my travels.

Almost to a person, these individuals have been folks of faith. Jews, Catholics, Protestants, Jehovah's Witnesses, Muslims, Buddhists and others. And more often than not, conservative Christians and Orthodox Jews. Say what one will, believe what one might, I have seen, listened to, met, and known no better souls than those whose lives are governed by the rules and rituals of their chosen faith.

If you'll forgive the odd but strangely accurate comparison, a pregnant woman exudes a certain quality of being that is hard to describe, but very real nonetheless. It's often referred to as a "glow" that emanates both health and happiness. Among the truly religious people it has been my pleasure to meet or know, each of them--in their own way--has appeared to possess some inner calm and equanimity, a confidence and strength different from fanaticism, zealotry, or what we might imagine as a form of brain-washing.

Nope, these folks were on to something that changed them in some truly meaningful way that I, for one, couldn't hope to explain--nor should I even try. I'm too much of a wiseacre, a troublemaker who makes a "doubting Thomas" look gullible by comparison.

Lest there be any misunderstanding, I don't confuse intelligent, spiritual people, with equally intelligent, genuinely religious people. I believe I am a very spiritual person, meaning that while I think of myself as existing at the bottom of the food-chain, I revel in the grandeur of both the world and the universe. I hold in reverence all things great and small, from dinosaurs to spiders, from peaceful pastures to exploding galaxies. All of it greater than I, and none of it separate from me. But that's me.

What I don't have, is the serenity of spirit that I so admire in other people. Some people. Some Jews and some Christians. They would be the first, I'm sure, to tell me that I'll learn the real truth some day. And maybe sooner than we all may think. Maybe.

I can bring this essay to a quiet close by honestly declaring that I hope the gentle religionists have it right. No, I really do. Nothing would please me more than to live an everlasting life. Seriously. I even wrote an essay about that, somewhere around here. Unfortunately I'm often my own worst enemy.

One problem is that I don't appear to warrant an actual invitation. My blasphemous nature doesn't score me any points when determining who's welcome and who isn't. In this respect, however, I think my religious friends might be wrong; I believe there's a loop-hole for people like me. Something in the fine print that even they don't know about or recognize.

In the meantime, put me down as largely pro-Christian, pro-Jew, and definitely anti-atheist. That ought to improve my average, somewhat. Just in case.

Maybe I should root for the Catholics more. I think they still believe in purgatory, which if true, has got a bench with my name on it, reserved for the next ten-thousand years or so.

If I'm lucky.