Can re-writing of the bible be too far off?
While sitting in a lawyers office waiting for a friend, I found this interesting article dealing with Jesus and the facts that pretain to his existence. It is always funny to see that there is a lot of sceptisim about a guy that was written about 2000 years and change ago.
The facts were simple. A person named Jesus was living in the environs of the world at the time that they siad he was. What was mentioned was where di he come from? Scripture that was left out of the bible, and actual historic records show things about hte life of Jesus. No wise men. No virgin birth. Why wasn't Jesus's childhood covered? If this was the son of god, where are all the stories of little Jesus curing cows and changing his milk into wine?
The fact was, I really think Jesus was the first Brand. In case you are unaware of it, corporations use Branding to market a idea or a concept about their products. If you want to be a household name, you create a image and brand it to your product. Religion, especially a new one, needed to bring out a full throttle marketing plan. So, they pick a man, not unlike the model of today. You get a handsome man (and by all accounts, his pics make him attractive), and send him out into the world like the Verizon guy. Instead of " Can you hear me now?" it was "love and peace for all!". Sure, at first, he wasn't popular. There are some spokespeople that aren't at first either. But, like a tv jingle, he got to people.
So, we have this fully-marketed Jesus , and start him off a few years before his death. Maybe someone realized that his half life would be shorter than the premise of Andy Richter Rules the Universe, and set a period to end. THe end of Jesus's life was spectacular, wit hthe bleeding and the whorshipping. Then, the miracle, hbe comes back! But, after that, what happens to him?
I know that religion is based on blind faith, but does anyone really sit and consider that the bible is one of the most heavily edited works in history? It was written, a lot was edited, then it was re-written later. Now, in these new ages, will there be another brand for religion, one that will spark a upsurge in religion. Will it be trendy to sit in church and hope that some deity is actually listening? Religion, like many old ideas, needs to brand itself properly to exist in the newer times. The generations are falling out of sync with religion, and once the older populus drops, what does that leave religion?
Religion doesn't serve you low fat, non-dairy lattes.
Religion doesn't put out blockbuster videogames.
Religion can't release a reality show that pits the faithful against horrible odds.
Religion, most of all, can't hold the attention spans that grow smaller and smaller by the second. It isn't really religions fault, unless you are counting the antique ways and rituals that have spawned from it. The church is one of hte oldest institutions in the world, and every institution, business, and market seeking entity needs to reassess their image to the world.
I don't expect Jesus to appear on tv commercials in spandex or neon colors talking up to date lingo. I don't expect Wheel of Confession or anything like that. I jsut feel that the ideal of religion is fine, but the image is bad. Dark, medevil brooding and death, trials of resisting the devil, it's all good, jsut needs a little bit of a kick.
So, if you need a higher traget count and a rise in contributions, perhaps rethink your global image and perhaps decide a image that can make people feel not so guilty about mourning someone that might not have exist.