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| Jesus And Christian Symbology by MIZIEYA: 12:54pm On Oct 02, 2006 |
[b]by Mizieya ATTENTION: The following article references female Instruments and female reproductive functions and correlates them with the allegorical life of Jesus and Christian symbolism. If any of this offends you, please leave now and do not read the following piece. Rock of Ages, cleft for me, let me hide myself in thee; let the water and the blood, from thy wounded side which flowed, be of sin the double cure; save from wrath and make me pure. This beautiful hymn was written in 1776 by Augustus M. Toplady as he sheltered himself during a storm amidst the rocks of Cheddar Gorge in England. He penned the hymn on a deck of playing cards. In Galatians 3:28 Paul states that in Christ there is no male nor female. And, as with Adam, the gender of Jesus was dual. Adam gave birth to Eve and all humankind through a gash in his side, just as Jesus gave birth to the church through his wound. While beginning life as males both Adam and Jesus were/are intersexual, or hermaphroditic, by function. They represent the range, from female to male, of the sexuality of God. When the disciple Thomas was confronted by Jesus he would not believe it was Him until he placed his finger within the wound in Jesus' side. The rupture that took place between Jesus and his followers would be healed when they became born again. The imagined unity and wholeness which is shattered when the child realizes that her/his mother is a separate person can now be mended by a second birth that restores this necessary fiction. Woman caused the break with oneness by her very being, Jesus now heals this breach through His wound. Thomas was literally climbing back into the womb. When the side of Jesus was pierced at the crucifixion the gospels report that blood and water flowed forth. This echoes the water and the blood that issues with the birth of a child. A contemporary Catholic meditation on the passion of Christ is quoted: From the side of Christ comes the life-giving grace we need to return safely to the Father. In times of temptation and danger, we can hide ourselves in the Side of Jesus, finding strength in the sacraments which flow from that place of salvific grace. An intercession in the same work: Jesus, your side was opened by a lance and poured forth blood and water to symbolize the birth of your spouse, the church. From the movie 'God Told Me To' directed by Larry Cohen Many Christian theologians believe that it was the piercing of Christ's side that actually killed him, not the crucifixion per se. These attribute more symbolism to that particular wound. Others believe that Jesus was dead already and that it was water that had gathered near his heart that flowed from the wound. This belief allows the believer to maintain anti-Semitic prejudices of Jews as the killers of Christ. (1) In the same way that women do, Jesus bleeds yet does not die. His blood and water are represented in the sacraments of baptism and communion. While you are born once of woman, you must be born again of Jesus. You are washed by the blood of Jesus. She's My Sister, She's My Daughter, The 18th century Moravians of Germany worshipped the side wound of Jesus ('seitenhohlchen,' or 'little side cave'). Within this sect copulation was raised to the status of communion with God, and Jesus was considered the husband of all people, as all souls were considered to be female. Highly sexualized rituals were performed and hymns written in the community. The wounds were described as, "worthy, beloved, miraculous, powerful, secret, clear, sparkling, holy, purple, juicy, close, long-suffering, dainty, warm, soft, hot, and eternal." The followers were described as those "who feel at home in the Sidehole and crawl in deep." The church was born from the side wound of Christ and at the same time was his bride and wife. (2) The Christian Fish Symbol Even today, ordinary Christians routinely make use of the fish symbol, not fully understanding its origin. As with many religious symbols it was coopted from Pagan sources. The symbol of the fish can be found in ancient Chinese, Indian, Egyptian, Greek, Roman and Scandinavian goddess religions. One Greek fish goddess, Aphrodite Salacia, was worshipped on Fridays by followers who ate fish and engaged in sexual activities. This practice, sans the sex, was later appropriated into the Catholic tradition. The fish symbol consists of two facing crescent moons, representing the waxing and waning of the moon. While the sun generally represented the god, the moon is traditionally a goddess symbol. Additionally it mimics the shape of the vulva, or 'mons veneris.' 'Veneris' comes from 'Venus,' meaning both love and worship. The words 'venereal', 'venerate' and 'reverend' all share this common root. In French, Friday is 'Vendredi', in English Friday, from the Scandinavian name 'Freya', the goddess honored by the eating of fish. (3) Additionally, the original eucharist included not only bread and wine, but also fish. When Jesus fed the masses he served them bread and fish. The Lance that Wounded Christ Cults grew around the relic of the lance that pierced the side of Christ. Several lances competed for the honor of being considered the true lance. One of these, the Spear of Longinus, could be traced to the time of Constantine and had led the charge into many bloody Christian battles. Adolph Hitler believed in the power of this true spear to guarantee the battles of anyone who held it in possession and seized it from the House of Hapsburg. Hitler committed suicide within 80 minutes of its seizure by the United States. (4) From 'Videodrome' directed by David Cronenberg The Wound in Contemporary Cinema Two contemporary movies explore the theme of a generative side wound, Larry Cohen's 'God Told Me To' and David Cronenberg's 'Videodrome.' In 'God Told Me To' an alien Christ figure asks his brother to impregnate him through his wound so that they can generate a super race. For more on this see Lights, Camera, Blasphemy. In Cronenberg's 'Videodrome' the Christ figure Max Wren, played by James Woods, develops a wound which allows him to act as a human VCR, the 'video-word made flesh.' "Long live the new flesh," he cries as he stalks the proprietress of the "Mission of the Cathode Ray Tube." These two movies illustrate the horror associated with depicting a fully female spirituality through the bodies of men. The Cleansing Wave Oh, now I see the cleansing wave! The fountain deep and wide; Jesus, my Lord, mighty to save, Points to His wounded side The cleansing stream I see! I see! I plunge, and oh, it cleanseth me! Oh, praise the Lord! It cleanseth me! It cleanseth me - yes, cleanseth me. (5) Summary Patriarchal Christianity met great resistance by peoples who had for millennia worshipped the goddess and female generative powers. In the end Christianity subsumed the powerful symbols of these religions within its own. Jesus showed great compassion to women in his ministry, and in fact his ministry was financed by the women that followed him. It is unlikely that early Christianity was as hostile to women as legalistic churches are today. While contemporary patriarchal dogmas threaten to drown out the voice of Jesus we have but to put our finger in His wound, and believe. NOTES: 1. Death by Crucifixion, by Steve Febbraro, Vessel Ministries. 2. Gollin, Gillian Lindt, MORAVIANS IN TWO WORLDS, A STUDY OF CHANGING COMMUNITIES (Columbia University Press, 1967). [back] 3. PRINCIPAL CHRISTIAN SYMBOLS: THE FISH (ICHTHUS), CROSS AND CRUCIFIX, Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance. 4. Hitler And The Holy Lance, by Bill Kalogonis. 5. CLEANSING WAVE, Words and Music by Phoebe Palmer Knapp (1839 - 19808)[/b] |
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