"I’ve found this is the best way to approach upsetting topics with my daughters: to remind them that anything they’re scared of, and anything they’ll suffer, Christ has already suffered for them, will suffer alongside them, and will utterly destroy in the end. You’re worried about death? Great news: it’s already been cast into the pit where it belongs."
This is fascinating to me, because while I wasn't raised Christian and am not now, the closest thing to a religious experience I can remember having was as a small child (6?) coming to what felt like the full understanding of this concept (plus the original sin idea), and feeling utter and complete despair, that a world where that was true would be too awful to fully comprehend, and meaningless. So, uh, your mileage may vary, I guess? my response is certainly the rarer one though, and you likely need to start out kinda atheistic to get there.
Sure, though keep in mind it was a mostly emotional experience and a pretty long time ago. The issue was that if a) we are sinful and fallen and bad things happen because of the apple in Eden thing, and b) god is indeed all-powerful and all-knowing, and c) all of us are gods children, but especially Jesus, then the story as I understood it was one of an abusive father, who *creates* a child specifically to torture, so he doesn't "have to" torture the other children, all because the firstborn broke a rule which he knew they would break before they were even born. And then expects us, the less-tortured children, to be grateful he's punishing our older brother, so he doesn't have to beat us as much. (as an aside, I use Father and He because it was a very Christianity-focused thing and that is how he's talked about, but in my thoughts at the time it was Parents and They). I get that this is uh, not what what people mean by "god sent his son to die for your sins" but that's how it felt, and I still fundamentally don't get how it's a comforting idea. That the only way for things to be made better is for one person to experience all the suffering, it's just a very bleak idea to me.
"I’ve found this is the best way to approach upsetting topics with my daughters: to remind them that anything they’re scared of, and anything they’ll suffer, Christ has already suffered for them, will suffer alongside them, and will utterly destroy in the end. You’re worried about death? Great news: it’s already been cast into the pit where it belongs."
This is fascinating to me, because while I wasn't raised Christian and am not now, the closest thing to a religious experience I can remember having was as a small child (6?) coming to what felt like the full understanding of this concept (plus the original sin idea), and feeling utter and complete despair, that a world where that was true would be too awful to fully comprehend, and meaningless. So, uh, your mileage may vary, I guess? my response is certainly the rarer one though, and you likely need to start out kinda atheistic to get there.
Interesting! I’d be curious to hear more about why you feel/felt that way.
Sure, though keep in mind it was a mostly emotional experience and a pretty long time ago. The issue was that if a) we are sinful and fallen and bad things happen because of the apple in Eden thing, and b) god is indeed all-powerful and all-knowing, and c) all of us are gods children, but especially Jesus, then the story as I understood it was one of an abusive father, who *creates* a child specifically to torture, so he doesn't "have to" torture the other children, all because the firstborn broke a rule which he knew they would break before they were even born. And then expects us, the less-tortured children, to be grateful he's punishing our older brother, so he doesn't have to beat us as much. (as an aside, I use Father and He because it was a very Christianity-focused thing and that is how he's talked about, but in my thoughts at the time it was Parents and They). I get that this is uh, not what what people mean by "god sent his son to die for your sins" but that's how it felt, and I still fundamentally don't get how it's a comforting idea. That the only way for things to be made better is for one person to experience all the suffering, it's just a very bleak idea to me.
*pushes up nerd glasses*
*makes 1,000-slide PowerPoint presentation about all the points of Christian theology that six-year-old you got wrong*
(no, but for real, thank you for sharing 😊)
"The answer... [is] the God of the universe absorbing all [evil things] into his own flesh and bone and exploding them from the inside."
But that's how the Matrix trilogy ended, and it was awful. And they made a fourth one, anyway, so... checkmate, Christianity.
I’m almost positive there’s only one Matrix movie
That doesn't sound right, but there's literally no way for me to check. Good blogpost, though, enjoyed reading.