Happy Epiphany

Happy Epiphany!

Epiphany celebrates the arrival of the three wise men in Bethlehem to recognize the coming of Christ. So, I asked Night Cafe to generate an image of the silhouettes of wise men on camels.

As I understand some denominations of the Orthodox Church use the Julian Calendar and will celebrate Christmas tomorrow. Although the Christian season is not over for everyone, I will use this image will close my collection of Christmas images on Night Cafe.

Christmas is a Time of Controversy

I've noticed that many channels on Youtube like to use Christmas to drum up controversy. I still see it as a day of celebration and joy.

So, I thought I would drop some ideas about Christ. The biggest controversy is the question of whether or not Christ existed.

Did Jesus Even Exist?

There is a possibility that Jesus did not exist. Some find this troubling. I find it enlightening as it is easier to understand the story of Jesus Christ if one first approaches the story as speculative fiction.

It was common for leaders in the ancient world to declare themselves gods. A warlord would conquer an area. Declare himself god and demand that the people submit to his divine authority.

2000 years ago, it was common for people to be subject to leaders who declared themselves divine authorities.

This ancient thought system begs the question: "Just exactly how does a man become a god?"

A corollary to this question is: "What would happen if God became man?"

Would The God that created The Universe be interested in material wealth?

The God that created material has all of the material of the universe at his disposal. The God that created material has moons made of diamonds and planets with solid cores of precious metals.

Would the God that created people seek military might or political power?

A true God wouldn't look up to political power. A true God is more likely to favor the people to the rulers.

The God that created the universe is likely to see all of our wealth, all of our military might and all of our political influence as petty trifles.

The story of Jesus presents a figure that ministered to the people and who was critical of the ruling class.

The Effects of Christianity

Whether or not the story was true. The story had a profound effect.

The story that God became Man overshadowed the claims that the ruling class was in fact god. It switched the paradigm.

A Reason Why God Might Want to Become a Man

There is a profound reason why God might become man.

If God is to judge man; then God must investigate what it is like to be a man.

Don't you see? If God did not know what it was like to be a man, then God could not judge man.

Any judgment would be based on ignorance.

How Could the God that Created the Universe Become Human?

I am not God. I cannot tell you how God created the universe.

I am pretty sure that the God that created the universe could become man.

If God became man; then there would a paradoxical situation where there was a man who was God existing alongside the God of Creation.

The Concept of the Trinity

Philosophers had debated the issue of multiplicity for centuries. Notably Parmenides of Elea (circa 540 BC - 450 BC) argued that everything was one and the multiplicity we see in the universe is an illusion.

The relation of the one to the many was an extremely important topic.

I suspect that the debate about multiplicity which raged throughout the centuries affected the doctrine of the Trinity.

Philosophers discussed many other ideas. For example, there appears to be a chain of cause and effect in the universe. When did it start? What was the primal cause? Aristotle referred to an unmoved mover.

The subject of truth is interesting.

Propositions (aka ideas) exist in human minds.

Each idea has a truth value. Humans lack the ability to discern the truth value of all statements.

Now, imagine the collection of true ideas. Some might see the collection of true ideas as the mind of God.

Since there is only one truth, there is only one God.

The Philosophy of God

A large number of philosophical arguments lead to the idea that there is one truth and likely only one God.

But how does the multiplicity of things we see come from one source?

All of the arguments about this one source lead to paradoxes.

The SteemIt Analogy

Before exploring this paradox, I want to explore an analogy with STEEM.

90 moons ago I registered a STEEM account with the identity @yintercept. Most people reading this post have STEEM accounts. I can use my STEEM identity to communicate with your STEEM identity.

Readers will see me as this registered account.

Here is a puzzling question: Is it possible for me to exist at the same time that my STEEM account exists?

Is it possible for you to exist while your STEEM account exists?

My experience is that I did not cease existing when I registered my account.

I exist and my STEEM account exists.

The Doctrine of the Trinity

So the story of Jesus claimed that God took on human form and became a man who was born on Christmas and who, after confronting the political authorities, was executed on Good Friday only to return to God form on Easter.

The claim is that Jesus is fully God and fully man.

The ancients were into numerology. Theologians claim that a manifestation of God called the Holy Spirit filled the world on Pentecost.

Back to the Existence of Christ

It is easier to understand this dual nature of the Trinity if one approaches it as fiction.

People who start with the definitive claim that Jesus as a physical human get caught up with ideas about physical humans becoming god.

How is Christ's ascension to a divine thrown that much different from Caesar's ascension to an imperial thrown?

NOTE: I live in Utah. The primary church in Utah seem to hold that Jesus as a man like Joseph Smith. Jesus, like Joseph Smith, was chosen for a divine mission and not sits at the right hand of God.

People who start with the idea that Jesus as a man are likely to see the Christ story as yet another claim to divinity.

A person who starts by approaches the story of Christ with the question: What would happen if God became man are likely to develop a better understanding of the tradition.

The Rejection of Christianity

The story of Christianity created a huge schism that affects the world today.

Christianity fits well within the philosophical tradition of the Greco-Roman world. Historically, we see the Greek Speaking world converting to Christianity followed by the Roman empire.

It does not fit well in the Jewish, Arab or Persian traditions.

It is really sad but people have been at war over this issue for centuries.

My Beliefs

Personally, I believe that if God became man, that this man would be a man of peace. He would not be a war lord seeking domination.

The idea is not dependent on the facts.

Quite frankly, I've come to see all reported facts as suspect.

All historical records are in doubt. There is little archeological evidence for Moses or the Exodus.

The writings about Muhammad were collated and transcribed centuries after Muhammad's death.

The earliest mosques seem to point to Petra and not Mecca.

Conclusion

Happy Epiphany!

The Christian tradition holds this to be the day that three wise men arrived in Bethlehem to experience the manifestation of God on earth.

This story put an end to the tradition of rulers declaring themselves god.

The story may or may not be fiction.

It is easier to understand the story of Christ if one starts with the question: What would happen if God became man.

Those who start with the idea that Jesus was first and foremost a human end up scoffing at the divinity of Christ. They end up missing the important question raised by the story.

Personally, I think that people should accept that our religious traditions began with philosophical speculation and myth. People should try to understand the ideas behind different traditions before attacking them.

Understanding the ideas of our forefathers helps us understand the world in which we live. The wise men of the epiphany were seeking understanding and not power. We should do the same.