Be a Heretic

I came across a Munk Debate from 2018 in which Stephen Fry argues that political correctness does not work. He argues people should take themselves more lightly and be less certain. During the debate, he also states the following: “Progress isn’t achieved by preachers or guardians of morality but by madmen, hermits, heretics, dreamers, rebels and skeptics.”

This struck a core with me. What am I certain of? Based on my own experience, Jesus Christ has always been in the midst of my humanity. That does not mean I understand much of it, especially why he still loves.

I am sure Jesus was accused of being a madman at the time. As C.S. Lewis argued either Christ was a madman or he spoke the truth. We must decide for ourselves whether Christ was a madman or spoke the truth. Not many are willing to think this through but the fact of the matter is we need to take a position.

All other terms do apply to Jesus and his contemporaries were well aware of that. Hence the need to kill him. 

  • Christ was a hermit (at times) — he spent 40 days in the desert and regularly sought solitude
  • Christ was a heretic — the religious leaders certainly agreed
  • Christ was a dreamer — he preached the coming kingdom
  • Christ was a rebel — he attacked the religious system and institutions of his day
  • Christ was a sceptic — he questioned established opinions

The truth is these sentences need to be in the present tense. However, we have tamed Christ into a left-winged Latte Jesus who is not radical and not demanding. He is just "nice". A little bit like Che Guevara who is reduced to looking cool on a t-shirt.

In many places, the educated and aspiring bourgeoisie is self-centered and conventional and does not want to rock the boat, lest their own boat is being rocked. The church in its many forms has joined the establishment.

I am part of this because I have not made any real and radical sacrifices as far as I can tell. I guess I need to muster the courage to become a heretic myself.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Minority Report — A White Dude’s Guide to Harlem

When we told our friends we’d return to the United States and move to New York City, many were excited. When we followed up by saying we’d move to Harlem, there was a pregnant pause. I guess many people who have never been here still believe this part of New York to be crime ridden and outright dangerous. Granted, it is not as clean and safe as, say, the Upper East side but there are differences. There is West Harlem – which has significantly changed over the last decades. Proximity to Columbia University on the Upper West side helps. It also helps that Brooklyn has become too expensive and the gentrification bulldozer has moved on to Harlem.  We don’t live in West Harlem. Our new home is Central Harlem and one way I first realized the difference was by walking southwest from my home. At around West 118 th  St towards Morning Side, I noticed I wasn’t the only white dude on the block anymore. A recent conversation with an old African-American friend had me reflect on some of my...
Read more

Who Benefits from the Debate about the Assassination of (insert X)?

Cancel policy and murder have become an integral part of the political debate in many Western countries. That only means they are catching up with what has been the case in other places for decades: shutting up people with different opinions. There are few who look for real solutions. It seems the biggest chunk of the debate is about whose fault it is. What we should ask is: who benefits and possibly most importantly what are our common interests as voters? The Familiar Pattern The murder of Charlie Kirk followed the established pattern: outrage (some of it real), thoughts and prayers sent to his family and friends (some of them real) followed by the wait for another gun shot. Not another assassination but the starter gun for the obligatory mud-slinging. The culprit (this time) is the left. When the two Democratic Minnesota state politicians were murdered in June it was the right. So, technically 50% of the population in either case. There is the added hand wringing in non-U.S. media a...
Read more

Dying Can Change Your Life — If You Stop Sleepwalking

  Is it life changing when you almost die? For me it was an important starting point of a much longer process of transformation — NOT “improvement”. I am not a better person now. I’d like to believe I am better equipped to deal with life. That does not mean, I am the finished product.  Dying Can Change Your Life — If You Stop Sleepwalking So, is it life changing when you almost die? You’d think so but it entirely depends on how you react. I know because I (almost) died — five times to be exact. Four of these times would have been quick affairs: two near misses involving a car and I really mean “near” and instant death. Twice I almost drowned. That was different because you have the time to get scared and fight back — especially when you are on your own in the ocean. Note to self: don’t go ocean swimming in stormy weather when the red flags are out and the lifeguards aren’t. Unfortunately, the subsequent thrill and gratitude of having survived didn’t last very long and the day-...
Read more