Reading Judas

Just finished Reading Judas by Pagels and King.  It didn't commence the armageddon like the last book I read, but it did exactely what I wanted it to do- a new bit (2007) of bible scholarship that should not only bleed me into the study of  the early days of the church - the historian in me has again taken over- but also interest me enough into pursuing that course.

Deal done.

The Gospel of Judas is a new discovery.  It came to lite in 1983  and was published to the great unwashed in 2006. It is a gospel, just like the four 'official gospels' that are in the New Testament.  It is very different from the four 'official' gospels, but not too different as to be a totally seperate document.  But, unquestionably-- there are some radical differences.  Throughout the last, say, 115 years, there have been various of these ancient text found.  The biggest find, for example, is above : the picture affixed to this post is of the Nag Hammadi Codices, a bunch of old texts found to-gether in the early 1900's (I think the date is rite- and no, Judas was not a parto' this haul.).

So, why isn't the Gospel of Judas in the 'official' bible??  It represents one of the many strains of Christianity that were about @ the time.  Sorta like today, where we have Catholics, mormons, Baptists, etc...  However, the strains of Christianity were very different back then.  Somewhere along the line, certain people decided to 'clean' up the various strains so that they could attain a 'one, true, catholic' church.  So out went the Gospel of Judas, the gospel of Mary, the Apocalypse of Peter, and many many more.  The 'winners' in this debate (well, I hate to say, what eventually became.... the catholic Church)   then did away with all of the other gospels.  The only way we knew they existed was that surviving works from that time actually discussed them is passing.  It wasn't until sometime in 1898 and after  that many of the old gospels were found in caves and etc scattered across Jesus's land, Palestine.  They were found in fields and caves and other places, and we are incredibly lucky somebody 1800 years ago sought to save and perserve their gospels.  In some ways, I like to think of it in terms of Anne Franks's diary, but w/out putting the nazi imagery onto the early church.  After they were rediscovered came the long work of perserving, translating, and studying the 'new' gospels.

Again, ten years ago Vito and I had a discussion about these finds.  Both Vito and I were rite, as I think back now, although ten years ago we didn't agree.  As we were talking ten years ago (to go to our main point) Vito held that these 'gnostic gospels' (as they are called- gnostic meaning ) were important for what we could glean from them about jesus teachings - who knows what else he taught, and we shouldn't ignore these works.  I held that the four official gospels held the superessence of Jesus, and it is impossible to miss (the whole love yr enemies' bit.  It wasn't a violent discussion, just an exchange of ideas, but I remember that that point rather ended that part of our conversation*

I think differently now.  True, the message of Love is perfectly important, but there's always more ways to look @ things.  I cxame to this conclusion in the past few weeks, but Vito's idea is maybe best expressed by Pagels /King:

"Exploring these discussions, then, offers more then insight into our past and present; it also opens up a far wider range of visions than we had even imagined of what Jesus- and his teaching- might mean." (p. 103)

The adult in me has seen so many people with differing versions of God- or, to  even narrow it down, but not much- differing versions of Christ.  There's the street prophet "Der Feurher", a skitzop. who is The One who "receives" "The Signals" from "God".  His God loves numerology and seems the world was created .... I don't know.  Then there is George W. Bush, who claims to follow Jesus teachings (and lets just say, in this case I needent be the one to judge).  The Mormons, the Catholics, the Spliffites, etc etc the etc etc etc.......  So, I dunno.  Long ago I realised that any religion is as fine as mine- yes they are trying tho teach us to hate Muslims in this country now, but I fully realise that it is a religion of peace- just to to some.  Same thing about Judiasm- despite what is being done to palestinians in it's name.   And despite the Crusades, the Holocaust, the Inqusition, etc - Christianity is a great religion.  

So, I'm kool with the gnostics.  But what real bad effect they  can have on people?  I have written of  my own distorted view of women via the madonna/whore concept.  m/w has it's funkiness fer sure, but I always worry about my views on women (to name but one subject) because of it.  Which takes me to Der feurhers teaching to Jamie Tree- what about Jamie losing years of his life doing 'bible studies' -- for FUCKING HOURS A DAY OVER WEEKS OF DAYS OVER MONTHS OF WEEKS OVER MONTHS OF YEARS -- with der feurher ??  Is this valid ??  If I say the Gnostics are valid, was that supreme waste of tijme valid as well?

Well, totally against the grain, I think I actually do have an answer, though not the one y'd think:

For all intents and purposes, Jamie has finally freed himself from "Der Feurher".  He understands that the guy is just a leach**.  He had deep anger @ the guy ; since the cloud der feurher scupped up on his head is dissapaiting, the lies become apparent.  

I guess the lesson is.........one must do it for them selves.

..............................................

*=No no no no no no, this conversation didn't happen in November of 2006, so this of course is not the "Ithica" conversation.  To parafrase Hitler before the invasion of Russia - "Don't worry; he's coming".  To parafrase one of Hitlers generals after the invasion of Russia : "We've grabbed the tiger by the tail and dear not let loose"

**=Der Feurher just cleared another guy's bank account of $25,000- no, not on drugs or anything like that-  but on waste, like fur coats and shit like that.  He's another skitzo./ not on meds.  who really doesn't understand anything expect to manipulate.