Karen Christ Blasphemer!

I’m sorry God, but I believe the story of Jesus Christ wasn’t based on history. I remain unconvinced that Jesus Christ, as described in the Bible or from church pulpits, existed at all. I’m willing to concede he may have existed, but I also don’t really care; it doesn’t alter my viewpoint on the story. There's still good things to take away from the tale.

The concept of Jesus Christ and his life story doesn’t bother me too much in substance. Well, I must admit to struggling with the virgin birth scientifically. [In the absence of sperm there is also the absence of a Y chromosome, therefore no SRY gene, where testes cannot biologically be formed. Let’s not be distracted by science though.] I also challenge the resurrection factor, but I’m not even going to battle that. Moving on...

To me, the story of Jesus Christ describes a human in a state of full enlightenment. He had an understanding of everything around him; humanity, flora, fauna, sociology, politics, spirituality, medicine, religion, etc. Jesus was able to manipulate and control all facets of these things. He is not the only person recorded capable of such things. I would consider St Francis of Assisi as being of profound abilities and in control of surroundings. Mahatma Gandhi also displayed an amazing countenance and sought peace for all.  Jesus Christ’s story is one of perfection and inspiration for all of us – the perfect human being.

During my school days there were many “Little Johnny” jokes. Little Johnny fit into every story and could’ve represented any young person; we sympathised with his personality and it was a common name.  Now, Jesus was a very, very common name.

It all makes me wonder whether Jesus Christ wasn’t a story of perfection told by elders to those they were teaching. If elders were sitting around the campfire and had a life lesson to teach, perhaps they’d use Benjamin Christ as the protagonist because Benjamin was sitting there on a log. Or Calub Christ. Or Rebecca Christ. Depends which kiddies were present. After all, it’s just good story telling. Christ, means “anointed one” or “chosen one” so it makes sense to tell every child they’re special; we still do it today. [Then one day, Jesus was the name chosen for the scribe and it became set in stone (pun intended)…]

I’m happy to accept the Jesus Christ story if it’s one of aspiration and, importantly, attainment. So, I’ll take up the Karen Christ challenge and aim to be a harmonious human in pursuit of full enlightenment and understanding. It doesn’t make me a Christian; it makes me someone who wants to be the best version of a human possible, at peace with all around me.

I can hear people crying “Blasphemer!” and picking up their pitchforks while lighting torches. Yes, yes, I’ve heard it all before. Don’t forget, though, that my mind is not confined by doctrine and I don’t understand blasphemy because these things aren’t sacred to me. Perhaps religious protocols restrict people’s minds when it shouldn’t.

Karen Christ is capable of achieving all that Jesus achieved. Why not? Didn’t Jesus Christ encourage his followers to be like him? If the story of Jesus is unattainable to all humanity, then what’s the point of the story? Nobody ever gains much when something is put up on a pedestal. It’s fruitless to wander around the world with an unachievable goal constantly dangling in front of you all your life. That seems like the definition of abject frustration. 

I’ll take up my Karen Christ moniker and aim for the very, very greatest in human enlightenment. If I fail to reach the pinnacle of the Jesus Christ of campfire stories past, which I expect I shall, then I’m still likely to hit a high grade because my goal is wa-a-a-a-y up there. It’s definitely worth an attempt rather than settling for less than best.