Messages in Biblical storys/tales/parables/plot line/etc.
DISCLAIMER: A post in GD commented on the "Jesus myth". The poster said it was his favorite myth because of ... basically describing the main tenants of the teachings of Christ. I was not sure where to put this in the continuum of posts over there on this topic (hard core cynical - moderately cynical - embarrassed to admit an interest in religion), but I replied anyway, hoping to get some feedback ...and got ... NOTHING. So I am bringing these concepts/ideas here to see if this would be a good place to thrash some of these things out and get some feedback. I apologize in advance if this is not appropriate here and I won't waste any more of your time.
I don't know that I would cal myself Christian - there seems to be a lot of other people "defining" what it means to be Christia - I guess I would call myself a John Shuck Christian. He seems to glory in the fact that some "Christians" abhor the fact that he calls himself a Christian....though I guess I am really more Unitarian.
anyway, here are some of the things I was thinking:
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I find that a lot of stories from the Bible (as well as other religions) can speak to us today ...
I will be the first to admit that literal fundamentalist adherence to these stories is senseless and has caused the world a lot of misery. But we should not let that keep us from seeing the universal messages in some of them. I have, for instance, been listening all day and practicing the Jeff Buckley version of Hallelujah. Great song. I have heard Leonard Cohen (the author) interviewed about this song, but never really about what he meant by the different verses. However, there is an obvious reference to the David-Bathsheba and Samson-Delilah. I keep thinking that some of the lines right out of the Bible story have a deep meaning
I've heard that there's a secret chord
That David played and it pleased the Lord
but you don't really care for music do you
Well it goes like this: the forth the fifth
the minor fall the major lift
the baffled king composing hallelujah ....
Sometimes I think that the only things that are ultimately worth having and worth disseminating are metaphysical things like concepts of morality, justice, love, reverence.
I feel a deep reverence in this song, and I respect that. I can be touched and inspired by deep reverence even if it is to/for/of a thing that I don't necessarily revere or accept as truth. It may be reverence for mountains, oceans, the power of the weather, mystery, the unknown, life, death, justice ... or to a myth. Unfortunately, some types of reverence can turn pathological - but I am not speaking of that here.
Back to the song. The final line of that stanza really speaks to me:
the baffled king composing hallelujah
In a way, we are all composing our hallelujah - whether it be to God, Nature, etc. or to drugs, despair, etc. (even if we aren't trying to)
and aren't we all just a bit baffled by it all? ... some of us more than others (that would be me)
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well, that is what was on my mind. I have some other thoughts on it if anyone is interested.
