Big news in the religion world, God is working on a new image for us. This is to be the third release, newly updated. He’s getting help from new members of the old gang, in response to comments from the audience amid alarming downward trends in the ratings.
Science has kind of lost its luster, presenting a new opportunity, but still competition is tough. So many things are different now. Here in the 21st century, where conventions of thought and systems of belief are not limited to countries, continents or cultures, it was hard for Him to sell the masterful, dominant he-man persona He was scripted with way back in Moses’s day. The Big Shot In The Sky role isn’t working. Gender is a touchy subject. Plus, all the classic descriptives, scary things, like revenge, playing favorites among societies and sects, eternal damnation and after-life in general aren’t popular anymore. People who still want to practice religion have to sort of look the other way, excusing Mr. God for his stubborn, antiquated attributes, like they would for a nice old grandpa whose apparent senility they excuse and yet whom they love, pardoning His youthful excesses.
There is a special subcommittee working on the problem of how to explain miracles and the ever-presence of Grace, but praying works well and that’s a big selling point.
These new branding consultants, the late Pope Francis’s among them, are proposing this change, stressing the popularity of Francis of Assisi, for example, who was all about peace and selfless service, the kind of ideal, kind Father that Jesus suggested we call Abba. Their advice is for God to drop the he-man image to become a blend of heroic wisdom, feminine mercy and unconditional love. They say this is how God will get the respect God deserves, and how to dethrone science, the later Lucifer. Wasn’t this what Jesus came to tell us in the first place?
Maybe folks will realize war is stupid, that there is no superior race, that science is just one of God’s gifts, that our purpose in life is to make the world better. The world needs a peaceful God. We can work on omnipotent and omniscient once we get the basics down.
Nick Hilton - Reflections 