Alt-history or Shade of Things to Come

Over the last year I've done some performing with a "historical review" cabaret show. I don't mean burlesque- what with traveling salesmen, booze, and pasties. But true cabaret- with poets, fringe artists, and political statements (as in movies "Invincible" or "The White Countess" ). During this time i've observed a local art scene and a younger concert-going crowd and in this I've seen a disturbing trend.

Being anti-Christian has always been hip, not because people had problems with the theology, but because it was just another way to thumb one's nose at authority. But now, not only is it cool, but there are people of all ages and professions that have been fed a muddled pseudo-history of Christianity. Case in point, a friend of a work colleague is saying that Christianity was originally like the Baha'i faith. The person actually has a degree in religious studies. Where did they do their reading- the Spirituality section at Border's?

Any kind of "alternative" history is automatically accepted at face value, not because there is any truth to it, but simply because it is "alternative". The desire to find fault with Christianity is so powerful that people are willing to believe outrageous historical claims without question.

This attitude is enforced by a sense of victimization within modern paganism and feminism. Remember the Seinfeld episode where the dentist converted to Judaism and was all of a sudden talking about the persecution of "his people"? Just by having the label of 'Jew', he could claim victimhood without ever having to suffer himself.

"Jerry, it's our sense of humor that sustained us as a people for 3000 years."
"5000."
"5000, even better."

It is the same within paganism. The more educated usually don't come across this way, but among the young and hip, people actually talk about how "we were persecuted".

And when were they persecuted? When zealous monks chased the druids from Ireland, or when armies of inquisition-Christians forcefully converted the Gauls and Germans, or when the early Christians breathed a fresh breath into worldwide patriarchy. All these things I've heard people say about Christianity. All these things give you "scene cred" if you say them. All these things absolute shite.

I saw a travelling band the other night, called the Owls i think, or something like that. Good song writers, loads of potential, and lots of vocal harmonization (something which is sadly missing in modern rock). But one of the band members said how St. Patrick's Day was good for Christians and bad for pagans. The "snakes" that Patrick drove out were metaphors for the druids and peaceful herbalists. I almost yelled out an expletive. Okay, I said it out loud. But I didn't yell it. They coudn't hear it from where I was. And the last thing said on the topic: "I hate this holiday". It was a short rant, totally uneccessary, but it established "scene cred" didn't it? Its okay to hate things that are Christian. I don't blame the band member who said that. She is probably surrounded by those kinds of attitudes and maybe even hears it in the classroom.

I have a friend who is an Odinist. She is a very cool person and has a good heart but she frequently rants about Christianity and recently send a broadcast email advertising the following website: www.f**kchrist.com

It essentially blames all global ills on the monotheistic religions. No mention that pre-Christian paganism was brutally patriarchal. Oh no. We're banking that the audience learned in college that pagans were gaia-worshipping proto hippies. Maybe I missed it but I didn't see any mention of socialism's experiment with atheistic governance- which resulted in millions ofdead in just one generation's time in Soviet Russia, China, and Cambodia.

The logic here reminds me of that scene from "Life of Brian" where they are complaining about the Romans:

"They've [the Romans] taken everything we had, and not just from us, from our fathers, and from our fathers' fathers."
"And from our fathers' fathers' fathers. And from our fathers' fathers' fathers' fathers. "
"And what have they ever given us in return?!"
"The aqueduct?"
"Oh. Yeah, yeah. They did give us that. Uh, that's true."
"And the sanitation."
"All right. I'll grant you the aqueduct and the sanitation are two things that the Romans have done."
"And the roads."
"Well, yeah. Obviously the roads. I mean, the roads go without saying, don't they? But apart from the sanitation, the aqueduct, and the roads... "
"Irrigation."
"Medicine."
"Education."
"And the wine"
"Public baths."
"All right, but apart from the sanitation, the medicine, education, wine, public order, irrigation, roads, a fresh water system, and public health, what have the Romans ever done for us?"

You get the idea. Basically the anti-Christian crowd allows itself to indulge in the same prejudices it complains about in Christianity. And no one seems to have a problem with this.

If any college professors happen across this blog and you are teaching this kind of "alternative" history (i.e. made up in order to influence students' attitudes), I will personally buy and send you a paper shredder so you can put your diplomas in them. May it be the first of many future acts of integrity.

If any readers are young college students and you have these attitudes toward Christianity because you heard them 1) in the classroom or 2) from your favorite band, I encourage you to learn some koine greek and read the primary records of Christianity for yourself.