That did not take long!

 I can’t say that I was expecting it, but while I was writing my previous post the thought did occur to me that some folks might take exception to my statement that over time everyone is forgotten, by invoking the names of biblical figures as examples of beings who will live forever and never be forgotten. One reader did send an email using that very argument to dispute me, specifically citing god and Jesus as examples. I really don’t want to get involved in a discussion on that subject, because the writer of the email is not comparing apples to apples. But…I feel like I have to respond so here goes.

My post dealt with real people, people whose existence can be/has been factually proven. The bones in the cemetery photo in the previous post are real, and with diligent effort their identities could be discovered. There is not one shred of concrete evidence proving that Jesus existed. There is circumstantial evidence but no actual proof. Many respected historians believe that Jesus probably existed. Two ancient historians; Tacitus and Josephus frequently mention Jesus in their writings, but they were writing almost 100 years after the supposed death of Jesus. Personally I believe that a man named Jesus – minus the parables and miracles, probably existed. I also believe that over time he will be forgotten.

Jesus is viewed as a god-like figure, and as such he will go the way of all gods. The longest reigning god in recorded history is the Egyptian god Osiris (center figure above) who was worshiped from about 3100 BC to 30 BC. That’s over 3,000 years. Other Egyptian gods not far behind him are Ra and Isis. All three were gradually replaced with the Greek gods; Zeus, Hera, etc., who in turn gave way to the Roman gods. Just imagine how many hundreds, maybe thousands of gods came into being and then disappeared during the 200,000 years of human existence prior to recorded history. Some ancient gods are still hanging in there. The Indian gods Shiva, Brahma and Vishnu are still with us today.

Human history tells us that, though gods will come and go, it is likely that there will always be gods. In this era one of the most active gods is the Christian god Jehovah, whose followers believe that it is their duty to convert non-Christians. And they are succeeding, having grown to 2.63 billion members from 2.52 in 2020. Christianity has the most followers world-wide, followed by Islam, Hinduism and Buddhism.

Gods only exist if people believe in them. When belief disappears, so do the gods. Why do we need gods…what purpose do they serve? Gods are needed because we are afraid of death and want a landing pad…an afterlife. They are also needed to explain origin – of us and the universe. That is why every religion has a creation story.  

Let me finish this post with some thoughts that I seem to always have about this time of the year. Christmas shopping really heats up starting in November. Gifts and decorations are purchased as are plane tickets and other Christmas related items. Stores increase their hours and inventory and hire seasonal help. Airlines and airports do what they can to accommodate travelers. Work crews are busy decorating city parks and streets while home owners and businesses are stringing lights. Pigs run for their lives but to no avail. They will be the center piece on the Christmas dinner table. And then on the 25^th of December everything comes to a halt. The cost of this mass celebration is estimated in the USA to be 1.1 trillion dollars. And the root of it all is to celebrate the birthday of a man named Jesus, who may never have existed. That to me is mind boggling.