Regardless of a person's religious or philosophical leanings, I think that most of us can agree that one of the most recognized and legendary people the world has ever known is this fellow, Jesus of Nazareth. His life sparked the religion we know today as Christianity. But for all his fame and name recognition, we know next to nothing about the authentic man himself. At best, Jesus is an enigma.
As far as we know, the man didn't leave a paper trail. Though he was said to be literate and well-read, there are no tracts or letters attributed directly to him. No guidebook about how to form a new religion or to live a devout life. The scant information we do have about his life was all written after he died, a great deal of it third and fourth person.
So, what we have ended up with is a blank canvas. Jesus becomes whatever we want him to be based upon our particular opinions, beliefs and religious/political perspective. He is the quintessential straw man.
If you believe this is a harsh statement, then I invite you to surf the internet for an afternoon. In short order, you will find countless sites that promise to reveal the real man to you. Each site presents him as a different person, one who -- surprise, surprise -- supports the particular beliefs of these current day authors! Who would have thunk?
For some, Jesus is the role model they look to in the pursuit of conquest, war and oppression. Question their interpretation of the man's life and they can supply countless biblical citations to back up their claims. For others, Jesus serves as the role model in their pursuit of peace, forgiveness and humility. Like with the former, they too can marshal numerous citations to back up their position.
In essence, the life of Jesus can be twisted and shaped to support almost anything a person might want. Charles Manson used it as a rationale for murder and "helter skelter".
Of course, many people will claim that some of these portraits are illegitimate, that they don't reflect the true man and his teachings. The problem is that everybody makes this same claim and, since Jesus and his contemporaries all died nearly 2,000 years ago, no one can genuinely know which depictions are accurate and which ones are false.
And so, the blank canvas remains. You can add whatever colors suit your fancy. You can draw straight precise lines or you can smear the canvas with finger painting. You can make Jesus into anything you want.
As far as we know, the man didn't leave a paper trail. Though he was said to be literate and well-read, there are no tracts or letters attributed directly to him. No guidebook about how to form a new religion or to live a devout life. The scant information we do have about his life was all written after he died, a great deal of it third and fourth person.
So, what we have ended up with is a blank canvas. Jesus becomes whatever we want him to be based upon our particular opinions, beliefs and religious/political perspective. He is the quintessential straw man.
If you believe this is a harsh statement, then I invite you to surf the internet for an afternoon. In short order, you will find countless sites that promise to reveal the real man to you. Each site presents him as a different person, one who -- surprise, surprise -- supports the particular beliefs of these current day authors! Who would have thunk?
For some, Jesus is the role model they look to in the pursuit of conquest, war and oppression. Question their interpretation of the man's life and they can supply countless biblical citations to back up their claims. For others, Jesus serves as the role model in their pursuit of peace, forgiveness and humility. Like with the former, they too can marshal numerous citations to back up their position.
In essence, the life of Jesus can be twisted and shaped to support almost anything a person might want. Charles Manson used it as a rationale for murder and "helter skelter".
Of course, many people will claim that some of these portraits are illegitimate, that they don't reflect the true man and his teachings. The problem is that everybody makes this same claim and, since Jesus and his contemporaries all died nearly 2,000 years ago, no one can genuinely know which depictions are accurate and which ones are false.
And so, the blank canvas remains. You can add whatever colors suit your fancy. You can draw straight precise lines or you can smear the canvas with finger painting. You can make Jesus into anything you want.
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