Space For Doubt

Jesus: “Hey dad, those humans are acting up again.”

God: “Which of their many shenanigans are you referring to?”

Jesus: “They keep demanding that the stories their own ancestors made up as mythology and etiology, are literal factual history. And they keep sweeping away all my near-exclusive teachings on the poor, the widow, and the neighbor, as more figurative than literal. They still can’t wrap their heads around the whole my neighbor = everyone bit. I even boiled down the Ten Commandments into just two, and they are really struggling with the love thy neighbor as thyself part.”

God:…

Jesus:….

God: “Don’t…”

Jesus: “I’m just saying…I totally called it! Remember, I predicted that if the humans were left to write the Bible in language that their primitive minds could understand, that later generations would completely misread it. Who was right?!?! 👀”

God: 🤦

Jesus: “By the way, you know what some of them believe about how the world and dinosaurs were created right?”

God: “That’s one of the most painful things about omniscience.”

Jesus: “It’s not knowing someone is about to hurt someone else?”

God: “Oh that certainly hurts too. There’s just something extremely unsettling about their refusal to properly use the mental faculties I gave them. It’s like giving someone a set of climbing tools to get themselves out of a hole, only for them to instead use those tools to dig the hole deeper.”

Jesus: “What do you think their motivation is for doing that?”

God: “Some think by stubbornly clinging to these erroneous beliefs, that they are earning some sort of extra credit cosmic brownie points. They think this behavior somehow shows their superior devotion and loyalty to me. That they are somehow extra-saved or more elect. Some simply fall prey to group think easier than others. Still others think changing their mind equates to a shrinking or weak faith in me. Unfortunately, thinking like this has resulted in many of them being led into participating in terrible acts against other humans.”

Jesus: “What happens now?”

God: “You know this comes in waves. After I brought you back from earth, many in the early church understood these mythologies and etiologies to be just that. They did not take them as literal history. They didn’t view the texts as inerrant. This whole inerrancy thing is a pretty new game they’ve been playing for just the last 100 years or so. Thankfulky it’s only mostly found in those living in the United States.”

Jesus: “So…what changed from the early church?”

God: “As time went on, what to believe became a social identity marker more important than the who behind it. They’ve made an idol out of the what…their own doctrines. The last few generations have confusingly doubled down on this whole inerrant literalist thing. I’ve helped them discover science, I’ve inspired many rational thinking and well-spoken people to proclaim truth, but many have ignored them.”

Jesus: “Do you think they will ever listen?”

God: “Some of them, yes. Some no. Sometimes incorrect belief has to die off with the generation who holds it. It appears human minds are quite a bit harder to change than we had hoped. Some will be so turned off by others trying force these dogmas on them, that they will no longer believe in me at all. But remember, I designed them. I know their limitations. While frustrating and painful, I still love them all the more for it. That’s why we’re saving the whole lot of them. Each one of them reflects me in some way….and I want them all with me.”

Jesus: “When can I go get them? I miss them….”

God: “It won’t be too much longer. When it’s time, I will tell you. They are on the path to fully destroying themselves and the earth. We’ll go get ’em before they really go off the deep end.”

Jesus: “Thanks dad. Is there anything else we can do? Whatever you instruct me to do, I will do it. I can only do what I see you doing.”

God: “Keep working on preparing the place for them. After all, there are billions of them now.”

Jesus: “You know some of these people are expecting gold streets and diamond houses.”

God: “That’s because that is all their imaginations could dream up. What awaits them is so much better.”

Jesus: “Nice. When it’s time, can I bring Gabriel? That dude can blast the trumpet better than anyone I know.”

God: “Sure. Take Elijah too. He’s been begging me to let him visit earth for like 3000 years. Something about wanting his jacket back.”