Reinventing Religion

ACCEDING TO THE NECESSITY for law, stipulating that when the creator of the universe decrees that thou shalt not gaze into a wooden box, everyone must gaze not into said box. Violators must experience negative consequences, to discourage future violations. That the punishment should always be commensurate with the crime is a basic principle of law. Someone takes a quick peek at the contents inside an ornate wooden box, having been told to never so do, and finds within a manuscript upon which is written the law. Aside from the question of why-ever would it be considered uacceptable for anyone and everyone to be prevented from seeing the written law, since one might think that everyone would be required to know the law to avoid violating it, the question is; what is the commensurate punishment? No pudding for one week? Early to bed for one week, with no late show? In the Old Testament the actual culprit isn't given any punishment, but fifty thousand and seventy other innocent people are; they are summarily destroyed. The creator of the universe, possessing infinite wisdom, doles out a punishment which is not only out of all proportion to the transgression, but exacts it against people who had nothing to do with it. If this is equal justice under law, if this is sanity, no explanaton is given as to how. Aside from whether the Biblical God is infinitely wise or incorrigibly insane, of whether the religion of whose scripture is the Old Testament, or the one whose scripture is the Old Testament with the New Testament added on thousands of years later, one might marvel that a religion invented by primitive, arguably barbaric people has survived centuries of advancement of human knowledge, and remains a powerful force in the world today. By adjusting to the evolution of society through adaptation, among other means. December twenty fifth is as good a time as ever to celebrate the birth of the Christian savior, and since it appeals to the culture of northern Europeans and brings them into the church by canonizing their extant mmid winter festival of the winter solstice, will do nicely, has done nicely, and continues to do nicely today. The late Roman Empire Emperor Constantine, himself a late life convert to the new cult, saved it from probable extinction in 325 A.D. when he summoned together the highest ranking priests from across his realm to a town in Turkey, and Joshua ben Joseph became the son of God by being elected to the position. The scriptures were codified by putting the Old and the New in one cover, and a precedent was set; it is expedient to adjust and to evolve. Whatever is unwilling to evolve grows rigid and stagnant, and dies of old age. And if, centuries later, the God whose behavior is detailed in the agreed upon scriptures seems entirely out of place in an evolving world; why, the scripture was always intended as metaphor.