"Why Not Jesus, Too?" (another great article....)

[queenmommy1975]

Why Not Jesus, Too?

Author: Miles Batty
Posted: August 24th. 2008
Times Viewed: 1,906

Introduction: A little while ago, I wrote an article criticizing Wicca for using deities out of context, wherein just taking the name and a few base details was deemed sufficient. This started a conversation where we discussed the pros and cons of incorporating ALL the aspects - and baggage - of a deity's worship or influence. Specifically, Jesus Christ.

In this article, it could be argued that I am contradicting that article and that taking the deity out of context IS allowed. My feeling is that knowing as much as possible about a deity is good, but letting dogma and doctrine get in the way of magick is bad.

The events recounted in this article are loosely extrapolated from an actual occurrence, fleshed out for the sake of clarity and artistic license.

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Jenny, a friend of the Coven, sat down with us to ask a favor.

“My husband’s very sick – I’d love for you guys to raise some magick healing for him. I know he’d appreciate it.”

We Coveners looked at each other over mugs of herbal tea, and nodded wisely to one another.
“Of course we’ll help, ” I said, “when would you like us to do this?”

“Oh, next full moon, I guess – that is the best time for healing magick, right?” she said.

“That, or the waxing moon, when it’s going from new to full, ” Moonwood volunteered. “When the moon is growing, that’s when you do positive stuff.” Moonwood was new to the Craft and to the Coven, and I gave her a smile and a thumbs-up across the room.

“He has leukemia, they just found out, ” Jenny said, “and he doesn’t have health insurance. It’s hit us all real hard.”

Among appreciative sounds of sympathy, Lady Manatee asked if anyone know any goddesses who would work specifically with leukemia or blood-borne illnesses.

“Well there’s Isis, of course, ” Moonwood said.

“Asclepius, Greek God – demi-god - of healing, ” Dragonwalker suggested.

“Or his daughter, Hygeia, ” I said.

“Maybe Brigit?” Lady Manatee asked.

“Oh, no, sorry, I should have told you, ” Jenny said, “Mike’s Christian. He wants you guys to do a healing for him, but he wants you to use Jesus for the God, and Mary for the Goddess.”

You could have heard a cricket chirp three houses away.

“Um – hello? Pagan?” Moonwood said, “Not Christian?”

“Well, that’s not to say we couldn’t, ” Hummingbird said slowly, “but do you think Jesus would WANT to be called into circle by a bunch of Witches? Exodus 22:18 and all that?”

“Guys, we’ve been debating that ‘All Gods are One God’ thing for a while – here’s a good test!” I looked around the Coven, and waited for someone to challenge it.

“I dunno, ” Moonwood said, “I think it would feel weird, invoking Jesus Christ into circle.”

“Is Jesus a bad god for Witches?” Jenny asked. She was clearly confused.

“Let’s just say that a lot of people in Wicca came from Christian backgrounds, and left with bad experiences. Invoking Jesus would be like, letting your abusive ex-stepfather back into the house after so many years.”

“Wow, I didn’t know that, ” she said, “I figured you guys would be cool with the idea – with Jesus being like a rebel and a hippie and all that.”

“Hmm, interesting point – are we opposed to Christianity because of its history? Dogma? Philosophy? Because of the Burning Times? What would—“ I smiled at myself for saying these words – “what would Jesus do?”

“Jesus, the healer, ” Hummingbird said, catching on, “would have looked past the politics, and seen a sick guy who needs us. He’d have grabbed the incense and cast a damn circle, and joined in on us helping Mike get well!”

“Indeed, ” Dragonwalker said, “Why not Jesus?”

“I’m still not sure, ” Moonwood said slowly, “Christianity still feels icky to me…”

As followers of a polytheistic faith, is there any reason we should regard some gods as ‘off-limits’? If all gods are indeed one god, then all aspects of divinity are facets of the Divine Mystery – so Jesus is as sacred a deity as Aphrodite, or Osiris. Granted, the viewpoints of some aspects may seem cross-purposes to Wicca - I would rather refrain from invoking the wrathful Old-Testament Jehovah, for example, or Cthulhu; but all gods, regardless of pantheon or paradigm, can be regarded as part of the Divine Mystery.
So, indeed, why not Jesus, too?

Well, folks, a week and a half later, we did cast that healing circle for Mike. Moonwood opted not to participate, and we understood, but everyone else was there – including Jenny.

We had a picture of Mike on the altar, and a small resin statue of the Risen Christ. We’d decided to use that instead of a crucifix – we agreed that the crucifix represented sacrifice, whereas the Risen Christ represented success and transformation.

I wanted a Buddy Christ, from the Kevin Smith movie ‘Dogma’, but we couldn’t find one. Jenny brought a small statue of Mary, standing on a globe crushing a snake. We didn’t like the snake imagery very much – same reason we don’t celebrate St Patrick’s Day – but we let it go.

Everyone filed into circle, we cleansed and consecrated, invoked the elements, and I held aloft my athame.

“Hail, Jesus Christ! God of healing, god of forgiveness, god of the poorest of the poor! We seek your aid in the healing of one of your own. Join us in our circle of magick, oh Lord. Hail, and Welcome!”

“Hail, Mary, full of Grace, ” Hummingbird said, “Goddess of mercy, mother of the sacrificed king, join us in our rite. We have a man seeking your aid and tender mercies. Hail, Mary, and Welcome!”

When preparing his invocation, I'd put some thought into what Jesus, the man, would have been known for. Healing the blind, the lepers, walking among the common man, all that. I think that if you take Jesus the Christ out of the context of Christian politics and propaganda, he’s really not such a bad guy. It’s his followers, people speaking on his behalf – or assuming to – that have given Christianity such a bad rap. Constantine and his mother, for starters. Torquemada. John Hagee. But Jesus?

Yeah, invoking him did feel a bit weird at first, but if you think about it for a bit, Jesus, as he was then, is one of us, really. Part of an underground – and misunderstood – religion, trying to make good. A rebel, a hippie. Lose the Christian doctrine; that was written centuries later. Think of him in terms of his mythological origins, of the archetype of the sacrificed king. Jesus the Christ is part of that myth-cycle, and as much a qualified deity as Mithras or Osiris.

And maybe those Witches, like Moonwood, who are still suffering from the psychological damage of bad experiences with Christianity, could benefit from working with Jesus as an individual deity, without all the baggage of Christian dogma and doctrine.

 

****Again, I love the point of this particular article.  It makes perfect sense to me.  Enjoy***

[nightshade3_99]

Sep. 1, 2008 at 8:50 AM

Saving this one too!  You're on a roll today!  Thank you for these.....I'm really needing them right now.

[queenmommy1975]

Sep. 1, 2008 at 9:42 AM

No problem =D  Glad they are useful to you.

(Original Poster)

[Musical-Monkey]

Sep. 1, 2008 at 4:11 PM

Great article!!!  Like Moonwood though...at times, still felt a "little icky" but got past that, once the great message at the end was read.

I did smile when they said, "he'd grab some incense and join in..."  :-)

hmmm, I'd like to see how it turns out for the family though.

[yarnjunkie]

Sep. 2, 2008 at 1:14 PM

It is a fascinating question.  As a "recovering christian" myself, I have seen and felt firsthand this prejudice against the religion of my upbringing.  I have participated in Unitarian church congregations with many others who felt as I did.  We took bits of wisdom from any world religion that had wisdom to offer, but some of us felt a hesitation to get too cozy with christianity.  I guess I come at it from a different viewpoint than a pantheist (who gives all gods the potential to be real), since I don't believe any of them are real.  But as a philosophical question, it is worth considering for us all.  As I teach my kids, Jesus did have some good ideas.  The fact that I quarrel with what his followers have made him into, does not negate the wisdom he had to share.

By the way, nice to "see" you again!  I've been far less active on the cafe in recent months, but I noticed the daily pagan quotes had disappeared.  Hope all is well.

[queenmommy1975]

Sep. 2, 2008 at 1:33 PM

Hola Yarn!!!  It's good to 'see' you too.  I've been slowly getting back into the swing of things here in the Cafe.  I had some family issues to deal with so my daily Pagan quotes, herbs, etc went by the wayside :(   I'm trying, though :)   I'll think of something new and exciting to post instead!  Any ideas???

(Original Poster)