Essays

I believe in Jesus

I believe in Jesus;  I just don't believe in Christianity.  I believe there may actually be a God in charge of this mess.  And if so, I believe he did inspire a man named Jesus to set up the Christian religion, for the sake of people who have done bad things, and would truly repent if they thought it would do them any good – also for the sake of philosophers, who see monotheism as the only rational alternative to nihilism, but still don't think the Torah got it right, yet are nevertheless willing to go along with the Christian concept of justice, even though it appears terribly unjust.  I was one of those.  It took me 40 years of sincerely trying to believe Christianity before figuring out that I didn't belong in it.

If there's an afterlife, I believe Jesus is the ruler of a community of people who want to be ruled by him – a place where immoral scumbags don't get deserved punishment, except for having to live with other immoral scumbags, but rather live on a nominally equal footing with moral and saintly fools who think it's the only alternative to eternal torment.  Of course, the high end of that society will undoubtedly figure out the true meaning of justice.  And when they do, they will get sick of their so-called heaven, and want the reward they deserve, and want to live in a community of others who also want what they deserve.  Yes, if there's an afterlife, I believe all minds will eventually grow up.