J.C. as in James Cameron, and Jesus Christ. Cameron claims to have found Jesus tomb along with those of his family and son. The other J.C.? John Connor, as in can he go back in time to stop Cameron before killing his career or destroying Christianity?
James Cameron is making a documentary reporting to offer evidence that tombs uncovered near Jerusalem in 1980 are indeed those of Jesus and his family. They include a son’s casket supposedly reading “Judah Son of Jesus,” along with the two Mary’s of note, the cuckold Joseph, and more.
Not sure how I feel about this. Cameron is taking alot of heat from both Christians and non-Christians. Alot of people seem to be collectively cringing over this as if Cameron has the C word in front of someone whose awaiting biopsy results.
For me I guess it depends on what his overall point is and what kind of proof he offers. On the surface this would seem to be an attempt at the debunking of Christian myth such as that dealing with the resurrection and Jesus’s lack of fornicating with mere humans. I’m all on board for that kind of thing. Debunking all that crap I mean. Not fornicating with humans. Humans are dirty and squirt fluids. I prefer to fornicate with cherubim.
Anyway alot of people are already getting their cossacks into a bunch because of Cameron’s temerity and hubris but that plays into the whole problem with religion for me. OK not the whole problem. Religion has many problems. But one of them is that they are the ones of great temerity and hubris, not to mention terrible and wanton arrogance. But they’ve been at it so long and have been in a position of power and privilege for so long it is considered hubris to oppose them and they keep getting away with calling those of us who call them on their fantastical ravings arrogant. It is no different than any other entrenched institution lashing back no matter how right or wrong they are. It’s not far off the whole right wing approach to debate. Just call the enemy what you yourself practice so you steal truth and deligitimize the criticism.
No wonder Christianity and this generation of Republicans have been so intertwined and made such perfectly matched bedfellows despite all the pragmatic reasons for them not to be. Neither party is pragmatic. Pragmatism is one of the founding principles this country was built on. Probably more so than on religion. But both neo-cons and the religious are about passions and truthiness. It’s ego gratification to put their passions and loose associations with truth and facts on a higher ground. Build it and they will come. And once they’re there they’ll look up to you and play along because you’re making it easy on them.
Taking on religion has been blasphemous for a long, long time. It is sacrosanct and it does not deserve to be merely because so many people believe it. I’m not of the mind that people deserve respect no matter what. We go around trying so hard to respect people’s beliefs as if their beliefs were cancer. That or some hard won, battled for, spilled blood for, amazing achievement of human intelligence, fortitude, and courage.
It is none of those things. It is the well-worn path. The one most taken. And its tenets and dogma require only slightly more effort to encompass than the automatic respectability and honor it affords. People deserve respect for what they do not for what they believe. It absolutely floors me when I see the media bend over backwards to cater to people for what they believe while nothing else is sacred to them. The priorities are out of whack. If what someone believes can’t stand some scrutiny it should be the least respected thing about that person. Respect their humanity, their rights, their job, even their pets. But what people believe needs to be out there with a big red target and may the beliefs that stand up to scrutiny win.
But I doubt this Cameron Jesus tomb thing is going to accomplish any of that. What DNA testing can really prove something like this? Without DNA from known living relatives to compare it to I’m not sure how Cameron can make a real argument. i know there is more that will be used from other disciplines including archeology but without the forensics this is just going to create alot of anger and nastiness. And there are many noted scientists and archeologists already debunking Cameron’s proofs. The translation of the Jesus tomb has been called into question as has other information. And this is the only kind of thing that should matter in the debate. The only thing that the media should look. But of course it will be mostly about the bible stories as if that and the numerous people who believe it constitute proof unto themselves.
So now due to the limited ability of media and masses to hold to contrary thoughts in their heads at once or recognize that just because A isn’t equal to B or C that doesn’t mean that A isn’t equal to C, once Cameron is blown out of the water (Titanic reference), this will somehow be twisted into furthering the cause and claims of Christianity.
So if that’s waht Cameron wants he’s going to do the opposite.
And if what he wants is to show that Jesus was real (since I don’t believe there are remains they could still claim a resurrection I guess), he’s adding nothing to the discourse.
And odds are he’s going to take alot more heat if this thing gets more publicity. Much of it will be political and cut across the already deep divides separating many of us from each other. And with all the anger and protectiveness religion imbues its followers with Cameron could get himself hurt.
On the other hand if he has something I’m the first to back the truth no matter who it offends or upsets. Some say that it’s not worth trying to take faith from people as if faith is a thing itself. I don’t see it that way. Faith is a word used to cover ones ignorance. It has been a tool used to pry open doors to atrocities and to hide behind. But the early indicators is that Cameron and his team are stretching things to get Jesus and his family out of the evidence at hand. If so then Cameron should just let a sleeping dog lie and not be yet another to give time and energy to an unworthy focus thereby making more of a man than he was and thusly elevating him yet further above the failure he and his followers really were and are.
Where’s John Connor and his Terminator when we need them.
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