Atonement Theology and Blood Sacrifice

Within Progressive Christianity, atonement theology is looked down upon. I remember at my church, my pastor did a presentation on the different versions of atonement theology there have been throughout the centuries. Nearly all of the retired pastors were well aware of all of them, and they disliked them all. Basically, it's the idea of Jesus as the atoning sacrifice for the sins of the world. There's been a newer interpretation developing within Progressive Christianity. The idea of it is God responding to all of the injustices by being an example of self-giving love, and willingly sacrificing everything for others. Within other areas of Progressive Christianity, Jesus' death is seen as him dying for what he believed was right. Many say that the life and teachings are what should be emphasized.

I'll confess to having an extremely unpopular opinion, but I ask that you hear me out.

Atheist YouTube vlogger, Jaclyn Glenn, did a response to a debate between conservative fundamentalist Christian vloggers. Paul and Morgan debated Jesse Lee Peterson. In there, Paul and Morgan said that we're all sinners. Jaclyn Glenn commented that she and other Atheists wouldn't put it that way, but said that we all have flaws. The thing is, we're not perfect. We've all done things that have hurt others, whether directly or indirectly. We have to continuously work on bettering ourselves, and we sometimes need things to remind us.

In Religion For Atheists and multiple lectures and presentations that Atheist philosopher, Alain de Botton, has given, he has commented on how fascinated he is by the concept of original sin. When we're born, we aren't able to just magically know everything. We need help and guidance in being good people.

Now where does blood sacrifice come in? It's part of the human race's religious history, and there are places where it is still done. We're hopefully beyond sacrificing people, but there are religions where animal sacrifice is done. Richard Elliott Friedman, in Who Wrote The Bible? speculated that animal sacrifice was possibly a way for people to justify eating meat. That is a possibility. However, there are religions where they don't eat the animals they sacrifice.

It's a part of our history and who we are, and having a symbolic story is a way to embrace that aspect of ourselves. We also are all flawed, and we sometimes need to be reminded of that too. Whether or not you believe atonement theology is how God works or not, I think the meaning behind it is a way for us to acknowledge and embrace who we are while also ridding ourselves of the practice.

Shalom!

A Reflection on Martin Scorsese's Last Temptation and the Devil

Martin Scorsese’s Last Temptation of Christ received a lot of mixed reactions from Christians. It tells the story of Jesus having doubts and reluctancies. When he finally reaches the cross, he screams “My God. My God. Why have you forsaken me?” An angel then appears to him, reminds him of the story of God testing Abraham, and tells Jesus that he’s done well. He can now step down from the cross and move on with his life. He then gets married, has a family, and grows old. However, a few less pleasant things happen. When he’s about to die an old man, he discovers that this angel was, in fact, the devil. He then prays for God to change things, so that he is crucified. In the end, he finds himself back on the cross, crucified a young man, and he shouts in joy, “It is accomplished!” He then dies on the cross in triumph.

Typically, when people discuss the meaning of the story, it’s centered around the meaning of the cross. That may have been Nikos Kazantzakis‘ original idea with the original novel. However, a recent thought and interpretation came to my mind, focused on the depiction of the devil.

Although not an intended formula with my blogs, I’ve frequently used pop culture to reflect on religious messages. This is a similar case. In fact, it was this bit of pop culture that lead to this reflection on the story.

In 1989 and 1990, a pop duo known as Milli Vanilli had five top five hits, three of which reached number one. They won three American Music Awards and the Grammy for Best New Artist. Things turned upside down when it was revealed that they were lip syncing to other peoples’ singing. They returned their Grammy and received backlash.

The story behind it all starts with Frank Farian. He tried to make it as a singer, but he didn’t have the right look. He released songs under the name, Boney M. When some of those songs were gaining success, people wanted to see performances of Boney M. He had a dancer, under the name, Bobby Farrell, lip syncing to his singing.

Years later, he heard a song called “Girl You Know It’s True,” and he got a group of singers to record a cover of it. For marketing purposes, however, he decided to have other people be the public image of the project, posing as the singers. He found what he needed from a couple of models and dancers that were aspiring to have singing careers. They were struggling financially to make ends meet. He came in, gave them a large payment, offered them a deal, and had them sign a contract.

There have been multiple versions of the story told. However, it sounds like they were told that they would be the ones singing, and when they found out that they wouldn’t be, they tried to get out of the deal. Farian told them that that would be fine if they refunded him the upfront payment they had received. As they had already spent some of it, they were contractually trapped. Some have said that if they had a lawyer, the contract could have been voided, as they’d been outright misinformed on the deal. However, they were naive and not in the financial situation to hire a lawyer.

A couple of years later, when it was revealed that they had been lip syncing, they had a press conference to give their side of the story, show that they could sing, and they offered to give the Grammy back. They recommended that the Grammy be given to the actual singers behind the project. In that press conference, they said that they’d made a pact with the devil and were trapped. Someone angrily responded, asking what sort of message that sends. That it’s okay to make a deal with the devil?

Here is my response to that. When some people think of deals with the devil, they go back to the story of Faust. He sells his soul to the devil in exchange for many pleasurable experiences. It’s great at first, but it gets worse and worse. In some versions, Faust ends up in hell for all eternity while in other versions, he’s saved.

In the story of Faust, as well as most deal with the devil stories, he knows he’s making a deal with the devil. In reality, people aren’t aware that it’s the devil they’re making these deals with. I’m a little uncomfortable demonizing a person (even a wealthy producer who exploited multiple people for his own gain), but the aspiring artists that made the deal with Farian had no idea that they were making a deal with the devil. He knew that they were naïve and in a situation of financial desperation. He took advantage of their weaknesses.

Going back to The Last Temptation of Christ, when an angel comes and offers to rescue Jesus from crucifixion, he has no way of knowing that this angel is really the devil. He’s in a situation of pain and suffering that anyone would want to get out of. Although Scorsese’s Last Temptation of Christ is generally seen as a story about the meaning behind the crucifixion, I see it as one of the most true-to-life deal with the devil stories. When people make their deals with the devil, they don’t realize it at the time. Sometimes there are red flags, but these individuals have needs that predators are able to fulfill.

So many abuse survivors are blamed, or blame themselves, for what has happened to them. They need to be loved in a certain way, and abusers are ready to give them what they need. Shortly afterwards is when they take advantage and manipulate. I remember when I was sexually abused, I blamed myself at first, but I had needs that this person was willing to fulfill.

How many times do people accept job offers, are given promises for potential promotions or raises, but nothing happens? How many times do people apply for jobs that start out wonderful, but end up becoming toxic? How many times are people scammed or robbed by people that seem genuinely nice at first?

How many times are people offered their greatest desires only to be exploited?

The Last Temptation of Christ, to me now, is the story of how even Jesus could make a deal with the devil. I see it as the story of a deal with the devil seeming like a heavenly blessing at first. Something from an angel. However, it is only farther along the line where the devil shows their true colors. The lesson? I’m not sure if there is one, but I guess the lesson I have is don’t blame victims for being exploited. Don’t blame people for decisions they now regret. Don’t fault people for what they didn't know at first. Don't blame people for the deals they've made with the devil.

A Progressive Christian Response to Contemporary Satanism

 

A lot of conservative fundamentalists have been responding quite negatively to Lil Nas X's "Montero" music video. Others have responded by commenting on how it is in response to the oppression of Christianity (or at least conservative fundamentalist Christianity). They've forbidden LGBTQIAP+ people from being themselves, they've silenced women, they've forbidden secular music, and they've scared children through threats of hellfire.

This isn't the first time this sort of thing has happened, nor will it be the last. However, there's something that I find deeply saddening about all of this. When looking at Jesus in the gospels, he's someone who hangs out with the social outcasts and rejected. The people he frequently calls out are the pharisees. They're the ones who perpetuate oppression, according to the gospels, using their religious scriptures to justify it.

One example of the anti-Christian sentiment that I frequently think about is from the band, Bad Religion. Their emblem is a cross covered by a prohibition symbol. Their song, "Sorrow," includes these words:

When all soldiers lay their weapons down

Or when all kings and all queens relinquish their crowns

Or when the only true messiah rescues us from ourselves

It's easy to imagine

There will be sorrow

Yeah, there will be sorrow

And there will be sorrow no more 

I can't think of words closer to Jesus' message than that, but when that is seen as an anti-Christian sentiment, it shows just how much conservative fundamentalists and many others who identify as Christian have corrupted the message.

All of this is deeply saddening.

When Jesus talks about Satan, there are also a few verses from the gospels that come to my mind on all of this. The first is Matthew 24:5, "For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many." Another one is Matthew 7:15 "Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves." Jesus addresses the wolf in sheep's clothing. It's unfortunate that he says nothing about the wounded sheep in wolves clothing. The last verse I'll bring up is from the Gospel of John. In the tenth verse of the tenth chapter, he says "The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly."

When looking at Lil Nas X's video, it's clear that he's the one giving those rejected by society a place of comfort, while conservative fundamentalist leaders, like the pharisees, use their scripture to oppress and hurt. When I look at his video, I see it as an example of beating swords into plowshares. Although there are Christians, such as Nadia Bolz-Weber, who are doing similar things, the most recognized faces of Christianity are the ones behaving like the pharisees. The false prophets. The wolves in sheep's clothing. The ones coming to kill and destroy, rather than for people to have life.

Shalom!

Tarot From a Christian: Crowley's Thoth Deck

Overall, I feel that nearly everything there is to say about how Christianity and Tarot are compatible with each other has been said. However, there is one thing that I haven't seen discussed too heavily from a Christian standpoint. It's Aleister Crowley's Thoth Deck.

Because of things about Crowley, non-Christians also take issue with his Thoth deck, and there have been several discussions on the art vs. the artist question.

I go to a Lutheran church where we celebrate the day he nailed his 95 theses to a wall, sing a few hymns that he wrote, and we sometimes look at and discuss some of his theological writings. Although Luther wasn't much more anti-semitic than many others at the time, his final book was anti-semitism to the most extreme. He also advocated for pretty harsh forms of law and order when people started destroying Catholic churches. My pastor has also sometimes referenced Aquinas and Calvin, but he's also pointed out many problems with them, especially Calvin. I also am quite fond of Gregorian chant, attributed to Pope Gregory I, who had many problematic qualities to him, 

On the question of something "satanic," here's what I have to say. Myself and other Christians acknowledge that most of the outright satanism today is more in response to conservative fundamentalism, rather than anything from Jesus himself or who we believe God to be. In the Gospels, Jesus talks about the devil, one of the big things he mentions is people who will come and commit atrocities in his name. He doesn't mention people who are outright satanic.

I read something from a Christian Tarot reader mentioning their discomfort with the Lust card in that deck. This person's discomfort was that it depicted something that Christians see as evil in a positive light. It depicted the woman on the seven-headed beast from the Book of Revelation. This was in a comment thread, and someone responded with their opinion of it, using an analogy from Spiderman. When he gets his powers, he first signs up for a wrestling match with prize money for the winner. He's only using his powers for himself. However, after a while, he learns that there are better ways for him to use his abilities. "With great power comes great responsibility." That was the interpretation this other person responded to with that card.

All cards are open to interpretation. That's also not the only discomfort that people may have. Arthur Edward-Waite was a Christian Mystic, and Pamela Coleman-Smith converted to Catholicism. However, the Devil card has many discomforting qualities for many of us. Something that I have frequently seen pointed out from authors on Tarot is that none of the cards are good or bad. It's how we approach them.

On the question of whether or not it's okay for Christians to use Aleister Crowley's Thoth deck, I would say it is up to you to decide. For me, I see that question as similar to asking whether or not it is okay to look at the theology of John Calvin or Martin Luther, despite their problems. A theological belief that I hold dear is that all of us are sinners in some way or another, but God works through us using the bad in us as well as the good, and that includes Aleister Crowley.

Shalom!

Reconciling My Judaism and Christianity

One of the things that was difficult for me when I started going to church and passionately practicing Christianity was the effect it had on my Jewish identity.

To start, I will admit that I had a heavily interfaith upbringing. My dad was raised Episcopalian, but when studying for his confirmation, he saw how heavily Jewish the Christian religion really is. He decided that if he were to get married and have any kids, he'd find a Jewish woman and raise his kids to be Jewish. Well, my mom was Jewish by blood, but her parents were Atheists. However, they were not going to tell that to her grandmother. Whens she grew up and became a feminist in the '70s, she befriended several Pagans. My godfather is a prominent figure in the local Pagan community, but he also had an interfaith upbringing, occasionally goes to church, and was also quite active at a synagogue. In addition to that, my grandfather was the organist for an Episcopal church, and the family that babysat me for years was heavily Catholic.

When I turned 13, I had a bar mitzvah by choice. It was, in fact, my godfather who we considered to be the rabbi. My parents had joined a temple, but there was a requirement to be part of it for two years before having a bar mitzvah, and I wanted it to happen while I turned 13. Because of that, I had it at home.

Eight years later, something happened that lead me to setting foot inside of a Lutheran Church two blocks from my house. I started going to church every Sunday, as well as during the holidays. Within the year, I became part of the administrative team for a Christian Facebook. I did that for five years, and shortly after that, I became a staff member at my church. Although I prefer identifying as a Protestant instead of a Lutheran, I am glad to be part of the ELCA.

Having said all of that, it has been difficult reconciling that with my Jewish identity. Christianity is deeply rooted in Judaism. Not only is the so-called "Old" Testament a collection of Jewish writings. Not only was Jesus Jewish. Nearly all of the writings of the New Testament are Jewish. However, over the past 2,000 years, both religions have worked to separate themselves from each other. Even with overlapping stories, the calendars and holidays are different. It has been difficult figuring out how I can reconcile the two.

Something that has been wonderful during this struggle is that more than a year ago, I became close friends with a Jewish convert to Buddhism. That friend has similar struggles. They are deeply proud of their Jewish heritage, but they have become passionately Buddhist. There are different ways they've been working to reconcile the two, but we have similar stories.

Something else that helped was seeing films of Indonesian Muslims observing the pre-Abrahamic practices of their country from beforehand. One of them said that Islam is their religion, and the pre-Abrahamic practices are tradition. When asked which they preferred, they said they like them both.

I have a deeply complex background, and it will probably be a lifetime struggle to reconcile the two. However, at the moment, the way I've come to reconcile the two is that I see Christianity more as the religion I practice, while Judaism is the tradition of my family heritage that I observe.

Christianity and Tarot

I came across a Facebook post from a Conservative Fundamentalist, condemning Christians that were partaking in meditation and yoga. He then commented that those are un-Christian, and then asked what was next. Christian Tarot? There is a bit of irony about that, considering that Arthur Edward Waite, the person behind the most commonly recognized Tarot deck, was a Christian himself. There's a bit more irony that a likely origin of Tarot cards came from Medieval Europe, a Christian dominated society. When looking at what would now be a standard Tarot deck, taken from the ideas of Arthur Edward Waite that were brought to life by Pamela Colman-Smith, you see several bits of Christian symbolism.


On the High Priestess card, she holds a scroll that says "Tora" on it. It is also implied that she is in the Temple of Solomon, as the pillars are labeled 'J' for Jakin and 'B' for Boaz. Between the two pillars is a curtain, which could possibly be in reference to the curtain covering the Ark of the Covenant. This all seems to have many references to the Torah and the Books of Kings. In addition to those references, she wears a cross.


The Hierophant card is literally a picture of a pope and monks. In fact, it was originally called the Pope card. The title of Hierophant is fairly new. However, in addition to all of that, the hierophant is holding a papal cross with one hand, has a sign of benediction with the other, and at the bottom are two keys crossing each other, which has been the symbol for the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven.


The Lovers card depicts Adam and Eve, with an angel above them. There's a tree by Eve with a serpent on it, representing the Tree of Knowledge. There's another tree by Adam, representing the Tree of Life.


On each of the four corners of the Wheel of Fortune card is one of the four Evangelists. The top left corner shows a man with wings, the symbol for Matthew. The top right corner shows an eagle, the symbol for John. The bottom left corner shows an ox with wings, the symbol for Luke. The bottom right corner shows a lion with wings, the symbol for Mark. In addition to that, each of these beings is writing a book, referencing them as the authors of the gospels.


Like it or not, the Devil card is filled with Christian symbolism. Although this is the card that makes nearly every Christian cringe, by the time Tarot cards came along, the devil had been a figure in Christianity more than in any other religion. The card also includes Adam and Eve, who are chained below the devil.


The Judgement card shows a scene directly out of the Book of Revelation. An angel is blowing a trumpet which has the flag of a white cross hanging from it, as the dead are resurrected.

These are only some of the examples. There are several examples that I skipped over, but my point stands. The Tarot cards of a standard deck are oozing with Christian symbolism. When designing newer decks, some people have gone out of their way to remove all the Christian symbolism while others have added additional Christian symbolism. There also are some who have simply not let that be a worry.

In addition to symbolism that is already on the cards, people have put together various writings, giving overtly Christian interpretations of the meanings of all of these cards. The Magician and the Hanged Man have both been interpreted by various people as representing Jesus, and the High Priestess and the Empress have both been interpreted by various people as representing Mother Mary.

What do I think of all of this? Tarot is extremely subjective, and the cards are open to interpretation. Personally, I think Tarot can be a valuable tool for reflection. I definitely think the Christian symbolism is nice to have. At the same time, I wonder if having that symbolism on cards also limits one's interpretation if they are a Christian, or is potentially a distraction. I guess it depends on the individual.

Do I believe that it's of the devil or anything? Absolutely not. Tarot cards are ink on paper. They're tools that one uses for reflection. A musical instrument is only an object. It is the musician who brings it to life and gives it meaning. The same goes for Tarot cards. There are some Tarot enthusiasts who believe differently, believing in some sort of mystical energy within the cards. If I have a belief like that, I sometimes wonder if God might be guiding the cards. However, I don't believe in any sort of demonic powers or anything within those cards, and I find it laughable to see these cards as being of the devil. I see them simply as printed images.

There are definitely ways I think that Christians can use Tarot. If one does daily Bible reading, they can then do a brief Tarot reading to reflect on what they'd just read from the Bible. There are several daily Bible calendars that pose questions for reflection after each reading. However, a nice thing about Tarot is you're not getting someone else's biased approach. You're getting something completely random, unless you believe the cards to be guided by God. Because what you get is an image that is open to interpretation, it isn't exactly the same as being given questions for reflection. However, it can be a valuable tool for a daily Bible reflection.

Although I'm not a preacher, and I don't have a need for this, I think that it can also be a useful tool for preachers. Many churches use some sort of lectionary, which is a yearly schedule of what Bible passages they are to preach on each week of the year. They're expected to give a speech on the meaning of the same Biblical passages every year, or with the most commonly used lectionary, once every three years. Tarot is sometimes a tool that writers use when they're feeling blocked, and preachers can possibly do that as well.

Tarot is also a tool that several non-Christians use for spiritual reflection. With what I've shown, I think it seems perfectly fine for Christians to use it for spiritual reflection as well. Prayer isn't strictly a Christian practice. Singing praises isn't strictly a Christian practice. Belief in God isn't strictly Christian. When the most recognized name in Tarot is someone who happened to be a Christian, it isn't antithetical to Christianity to partake in that activity

Shalom!

Toxic Masculinity

 I have a separate blog page, where you can read this blog here.

As of the writing of this blog post, it feels like what was intended to be a blogging page on my religious views has started to become a page on sexual misconduct and misogyny.  Here I am, yet again, addressing the issue.  In light of the #MeToo movement and also multiple shootings, we need to discuss what may possibly be the biggest underlying problem of it all, toxic masculinity.

In my confession blogs in regards to #MeToo, I skipped confessing to my absolute worst behavior against women, due to the fact that those actions were so obviously terrible, they weren't under the label of sexual misconduct, and I was not even ten years old at the time.  As a warning, these are not pleasant stories, and thinking that a nine-year-old would never do something like that is completely incorrect.  I was nine years old, and I did.

• In third grade, the boys in my class approached me, and we happily formed the "all boys club." I was super excited to be part of it.  I felt a place of belonging with the other boys.  What did this "club" do?  You're not going to like it.  During recess, we'd run after, and beat up, the girls. Yes, you read that right.  Nine-year-old boys beating up girls during recess.  Looking at it now, with how much our school had an emphasis on non-violence, I really wonder how none of the teachers or supervisors caught us.  It wasn't until a girl came forward to our teacher, saying that I hit her with my lunchbox, that any adult did or said anything.
• The following year during recess, a boy blocked me from entering a spot of the playground saying "no girls allowed."  I got through, but I also then felt the need to prove that I was a boy.  I decided to be as aggressive as I could, blocking all girls from that spot.  That happened for days, if not weeks, until all the girls rose up against me, and turned the tables.

The teachers didn't teach this behavior to us.  They'd probably teach against it.  My parents, and probably the parents of other kids as well, possibly taught against this behavior as well.  At least, they didn't teach it to us directly.  On television, there were continuously commercials for toy cars, tanks, and guns, marketed for boys.  Girls were sold pretty dolls and clothes.  Teachers may have also told boys to not cry, while asking girls what was wrong when they did.

In movies and TV, you regularly see the male star not expressing emotions, regularly resorting to violence, and somehow charming a woman, possibly against her will.  Indiana Jones and James Bond are just a couple of examples.  Actors like Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger were regularly examples of this.  These were all people that boys were taught to look up to as heroes.  In the music industry, when I was a kid, Eminem was what we were all supposed to listen to.  He regularly rapped about being tough, and made remarks objectifying women.  By then, I was more fond of *NSYNC, who were marketed towards girls.  Even there, however, songs like "It's Gonna Be Me" or "I Want it That Way" by the Backstreet Boys taught boys to be forceful and insistent.  Boys were also exposed to football and wrestling, places where men are taught to be aggressive and strong.

With all of these things that boys are exposed to, should anyone really be surprised with the sexist behavior I was lured into at such a young age?  Did my teachers really teach against it, or did they just disapprove and speak against it?  Boys are exposed to seeing several bad examples on how they're supposed to behave.

Within all of this, however, there have been a few male role models for boys that have gone against the ideas of toxic masculinity.  Mr. Rogers, for example, is gentle, kind, and always shows a positive outlook on life.  In the children's anime show,  Yu-Gi-Oh!, there are a few times where the title character, Yugi, breaks down and cries, expressing doubts and fears, and he continuously values love and friendship.  He even surrenders a duel when it means risking the life of his opponent.

The show, Xena: Warrior Princess, has quite a few men who are soft and gentle.  Perdicas, introduced in the first episode, who makes a couple more appearances, gives up fighting, and wants to live a quiet life with Gabrielle.  Darius, a character in the second episode, is a widowed father to children, who lives a life of peace.  Neron, a character inspired by Romeo from Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, doesn't take things into his hands, but desperately prays to Cupid for help.  He's expressive of his emotions, and his entire character is based off of being in love with a woman named Hermia.  The fourth season introduces the character of Eli, someone who chooses pacifism as the way of living, and talks about love and compassion.  When attacked by Roman soldiers, he willingly surrenders, to the dismay of Amarice, a woman who expresses many of the traits of toxic masculinity.  Eli also expresses many doubts about himself in the show.

Eli, however, was inspired by another example that breaks away from the stereotypes of toxic masculinity, Jesus.  Although a lot of men who identify as Christians claim Jesus to have been a man's man, he continuously talks about love.  Love for your enemies.  Love for your neighbor.  Love.  When one of his disciples picks up a sword to defend him, he even tells his disciple to put their sword away, for "those who live by the sword shall die by the sword."  When tortured and beaten, he accepts the pain and abuse, rather than showing his dominance.  Instead of trying to take control when being crucified, he prays "Father forgive them for they know not what they do."

It's quite ironic that Jesus, who is probably the most recognized male figure in western culture, is also quite the antithesis of toxic masculinity.  However, he's not the only major figure.  Rishabhanatha, the said founder of Jainism is another positive example.  Jainism emphasizes no violence, and it even adds to be gentle to animals, including mosquitoes.  Buddha is another great example, and emphasizes gentleness, compassion, and finding one's inner peace.

In our society, we can maybe have a few male characters who show their strength and might.  However, what we desperately need are more men who are gentle, loving, willing to cry, and sometimes willing to accept what is out of their control.  Toxic masculinity is a problematic attitude of how men should be, which we need to stop teaching boys from an early age.

Shalom!