Everyone is religious. Everyone. Now, before some people feel like I have rescinded their opportunity to disagree, let me explain. We are religious creatures. We wake up to the  ominous tones of our alarm clocks and mobiles, we slowly open our eyes to a world already
waiting for our arrival, then we enter into the world, not as creators (necessarily) but rather as people who think we need to be inherently led by habit. Religiosity exists within us. We are religious people.

We adhere to certain beliefs or disbeliefs, some are dogmatic, some are less so. Some use their beliefs or lack of to defend a need for social activism and philanthropy. Others are spurred on more inwardly into a more contemplative approach to life. This contemplative approach whereby we enter into discourse with our inner selves and attempt to find a center or a balance to justify our existential and ontological angsts also makes us religious beings.

Jesus of Nazareth was a first-century Rabbi (Hebrew: Teacher) who taught about the need to care for our neighbour, the responsibility of loving the unlovable, and at times attacking the religious systems without and within. Some people think Jesus intended to start a religion called Christianity. How do I define such a belief system? Christianity has become something it seems it should have never been.

It has been victimized by our inherent religiosity. Religion can be good when used in small doses and intentionally, but when certain people use their religion to hurt and judge others and become the very antithesis of its supposed inspired progenitor, then we might have to look this expression in the face and call for revolution.

This revolution has to start from within,both figuratively and literally. It cannot suspend itself in historical animation and look to the past any longer, we all know what happens when someone gets dogmatic about any belief of any kind, there is tendency that other who are not so dogmatic are marginalized and abandoned by society. Unfortunately, Christianity as a systematic set of beliefs has become this very thing.

This is what inspired me to write my first book ‘Jesus Bootlegged’; a socio-historical  look into the life and times of Jesus the Rabbi. I attempt to answer many of the  big questions within Christianity, such as: Was Jesus really the Son of God? Was Jesus’ death about some sort of salvific tool for the world? Is heaven and hell real? What about other religions? These are just a few questions I dive into in my current literary offering.

Buy Jesus Bootlegged here
 

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About the author

George Elerick