The Strange Kingdom of Faith

How does a modern rational mind reconcile itself to religious beliefs like Christ’s Resurrection?

A couple of months ago, it was reported that Jesus Christ might have been married. A papyrus fragment of an unauthorised  gospel had come into the possession of Karen L King, a professor with Harvard Divinity School. She had confirmed its antiquity. It was a 4th century Coptic translation from an original text of the second half of the second century. According to Smithsonian magazine, which featured the find, from the papyrus she ‘gleaned eight fragmentary lines:

1. “not [to] me. My mother gave to me li[fe]…”

2. The disciples said to Jesus, “

3. deny. Mary is worthy of it

4.  ” Jesus said to them, “My wife

5. she will be able to be my disciple

6. Let wicked people swell up

7. As for me, I dwell with her in order to 

8. an image’

The Smithsonian article added: ‘The line—“Jesus said to them, ‘My wife…’”—is truncated but unequivocal.’  

This was thus the first ancient record of a direct quote by Jesus about a wife. Except that as a piece of history of his life, it was meaningless. King herself acknowledged it. A line 400 years after his time means nothing. What it did show was that even then there were people who believed he was married. So, as a pointer to the history of Christian faith, it did have meaning.

Among historians, there is broad agreement that someone named Jesus existed. Also, that he might not have been an important man in his time, because if so then Roman historians would have a lot more to say about him. Instead there are just passing references and that too not when he was alive. The allusions come after the cult had taken off.

To understand how a religion that is the largest in the world today can have its beginnings with the teachings of a local mystic, look at contemporary parallels. Take the case of Ramakrishna Paramahamsa. He more or less lived his entire life in a small temple abutting Kolkata. He was prone to episodes of mystic ecstasy (or delirium, if you are a rationalist). He was not literate and his behaviour was erratic. What he taught—a mix of Bhakti and Advaita—was nothing new.  And yet, he found a following among a few urban youths, and they, in turn, went on to create a missionary movement spread across the globe. At some point in a successful cult or religion’s life, you have institution builders. If Dhirubhai Ambani had been a full-time follower of a neighbourhood saint, then you can bet that it would be an international phenomenon today. In Ramakrishna’s case there
was Vivekananda. In Jesus’ case, there was Paul. Later, the myths accumulate until man becomes an incarnation or Son of God.

All this is understandable. What is inexplicable is how, despite the steady decimation of every domain that religion commands, the human brain refuses to let it go. If the Big Bang is true then the world couldn’t have been created in six days. But the contradiction makes no difference to believers. Consider evolution. It is not even in question anymore and is happening before our eyes. But a huge swathe of the United States, the most advanced country in the world, believes even evolution is Creation. It goes under the label ‘intelligent design’ by God.

Religion and gods exist because the human mind does not have a replacement for them. If you don’t have money to pay your electricity bill, then it’s no use understanding the mechanics of light. There needs to be a god to do something. But to have that faith, it is necessary to be wilfully blind to common sense, which says that it is neither possible nor necessary that He exist. Or that anyone can die and resurrect himself after three days. Then you will have questions about what happened to his brain while he was dead. Like in stroke patients, shouldn’t it, starved of oxygen, start decaying and wouldn’t he arise paralytic?

Aldous Huxley had a solution to this existential problem of what to do when it becomes impossible for God to find space in human consciousness. In his book Brave New World, he constructs a society where people are perpetually drugged by a narcotic called Soma. Which itself was an irony. Because in the Rig Veda, Soma is not just a narcotic, it is also a god.

About The Author

Madhavankutty Pillai

Madhavankutty Pillai has no specialisations whatsoever. He is among the last of the generalists. And also Open chief of bureau, Mumbai  

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