Taboo Topics

My aunt and I had a discussion today. I guess it was inevitable; we have talked about everything else: money, politics, music, sex, relationships. Really, it's amazing we didn't have this chat sooner. The topic was the most volatile of all: religion.

I'm not entirely sure how the subject came up, but I distinctly remember how the conversation twisted and turned, touching on issues most people wouldn't dare approach. One of the major subjects we talked about was the infamous legend of The Da Vinci Code. I related my mother's reaction when I enlightened her about the story; she was outraged I could even fathom such a thing! My aunt and I, however, find nothing wrong with the thought of Jesus having a family. How is that supposed to affect my faith? Yes, it makes Him more human, but in a good way. I like the thought of God marrying and having children; it makes Him seem less intimidating and more approachable. I find it much easier to relate to a man who loved a woman wholeheartedly than someone who wandered this earth all alone before sacrificing Himself for a multitude of people whom he loved (in my thinking) on principle.

Another issue of contention among Christians is exactly how literally the Bible is to be interpreted. Did God create the world in precisely 6 days, or did He "use" evolution as a tool to accomplish His ultimate goal? Did Jonah really live in the belly of a fish for a period of time? What about all of those prophecies in Daniel and Revelations? Are the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse literal, or figurative? And who are the churches singled out for loving rebuke?

I read an article stating that Jesus' may not have been the "virgin birth" we have all been led to believe. What if Mary and Joseph had been "together" as the Bible puts it? Does that make the concept of a child "conceived of the Holy Spirit" any less likely? Is any of this important to my core beliefs? Not really.

I was raised to accept all of the traditional "Christian" beliefs unquestioningly. If I told my mother that I don't care whether or not Mary was a virgin, she would probably tell me to talk to her when I had my head on straight. Knowing this, I am not planning on discussing my personal beliefs with her any time soon. Her rigidity is one thing I find both extremely admirable and excruciatingly frustrating. How does she know how things were? Was she there? (No, because reincarnation is certainly out of the question, at least in her mind.) She knows as much as I know, which is not much.

In First Corinthians 13, better known as "the love chapter", Paul states that "now we see incompletely, as in a mirror. Then [in Heaven], we will know fully." Until we are there, however, there is no point in arguing the minor points of Christianity. Did marching in circles and playing trumpets truly cause the walls of Jericho to collapse? Who knows? And, more importantly, who cares? Although it does make for a fascinating discussion.