Why ask difficult questions for fun?
Filed under Religion
I'm just considering some of the questions found in one of the home fellowship lesson plans… and wondering just how honest I should react to the questions… and sometimes, the truth is, I don't really like to listen to the voice of honesty.
But the cue is… to 'encourage' conversation… so I'm asking these things…
1. Was the family of Jesus a rich family?
Materially.. no… the typical 'Christian' answer would be, yes they're rich because they lived with the fullness of God upon them (or something to that effect lah)
2. Do you think their home was large and impressive?
Nope. Probably a terrace house… or maybe even a small flat with two rooms…
3. If they had lived in Malaysia, what town do you think they would have lived in?
Probably some small little town, maybe Tampin… or maybe in rural Kelantan, or some small little kampung in Perlis. Honestly I think if Jesus had only appeared in this time and in this era, Malaysia has got to be Jewish. Historically speaking Islam as a religion MUST occur only after Christianity kan? So I don't think this concept sings too well here… but hey folks at the HF you asked, and I'm a difficult person.
4. Do you think that if they had lived today they would have had a television?
Yes.
If so, what do you think they would have watched?
Probably Dungeons and Dragons, the cartoon. Or maybe Harry Potter… something with a distinct mystical feel… okay maybe Prince of Egypt kua
5. Would Jesus have used a computer?
Yes. He would probably be blogging on His own site and have about 10 000 commentors a day, 80% of them calling him a know-it-all arrogant prick.
6. What kind of music do you think they would listen to?
We're talking about Jesus in Malaysia, right? Probably Dangdut, or Gamelan.
Would it be all Christian?
We wouldn't think of Jesus as Christian yet, duh. Christianity as a religion CAME into effect when Paul became the thirteenth apostle. So no, it wouldn't be Christian. It would be Malaysian. Then maybe about 50 years after Jesus was crucified (I think in M'sia … probably he would be hanged), then you'll have the very first Christians telling people to believe in the Son of God.
7. How would they have talked with each other?
Lovingly. And Jesus would probably say something like, 'Siapa Emak saya? Siapa Abang saya? Kakak saya? Adik saya? Oh, dengarlah semua ni, anda semua, pengikut saya, maka anda adalah abang, kakak, adik dan juga keluarga saya…
8. How would they handle disagreements?
I don't think there'll be much disagreements. All you have to do is listen to Jesus. Trust me, when Jesus speaks, its super hard to find fault with His reasoning. You can't quite argue with God, can you?
9. In one statement, describe the home of Joseph, Mary, and Jesus, his sisters and brothers.
Honestly? Here's my serious answer: I really think that home is very ideal, and I can't quite see how we can reinvent that Jesus home 'model' in the Malaysian context. In our homes most of us are far too eager to be the king of all reason. I think it was easy for people to subscribe to the notion that Jesus was God because everything He said made complete sense in the Home. Also of course Mary and Joseph had already the Angel-delivered messages from God telling them that this boy Jesus is son of God. With this information in place, you will learn to listen to Jesus anyway… (read Anne Rice's Christ the Lord…)… besides, I seem to read that Jewish people are an obedient lot, if compared to the kedegilan that we Malaysians so proudly exhibit… Okay… my statement is freaking long as it is… but here I say …
I wonder why these questions were ask. I don't think I'll be able to pose these questions to my group as this Friday I will be attending the Asiaworks LP starter program. But I'm wondering actually how well Christians as a whole would react to questions like this. How diverse our responses would be. And would we, in spite of the diversity of our answers, learn to recognize the passion for God within our differences, and learn to respect that version of love even though our deeper conscience cries out to 'correct' our fellow brethren's version of Christianity?
I work with so many Muslims, and they often ask, 'How come there's so many different kinds of Christianity? So what do you guys actually believe in?'
But difficult questions like this one I ask, why do we ask it for fun? Should I have considered the answers in a more acceptable, Christian version? Should I say, that Jesus would have hated Dungeons and Dragons and not watch it at all? That he would only have listened to Chris Tomlin's How Great is Our God, or that he would tell a Buddhist woman He probably would have met while waiting to get some water at a local Syabas water rationing area, that she believes in the wrong God? Would He have cursed a coconut tree not to bear fruit ever again, or would He honestly, have been crucified, based on the current laws that Malaysia has? Would the symbol of Christianity still be a cross?
My version to my answers would be heretical: No He would have watched Dungeons and Dragons and be amused, Chris Tomlin probably wouldn't have written How Great is Our God, He probably wouldn't have condemned Buddhism, if the coconut tree was in place of the fig tree so we won't be enjoying coconut water for the next 2000 years, and I think if Jesus was really sentenced to death in Malaysia a lot of us would be wearing a strange noose symbol around our necks …
Just thinking yah…
Oh yeah I KNOW what I said might just be controversial… I KNOW IT. But I'm thinking all of this, can't help it. Have to write it out…
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Apr24
April 25, 2007 at 2:33 am
lol.. interesting question asked by a typical malaysian.
but i like it!
April 25, 2007 at 2:41 am
From an atheism point of view, the answer to question 8 is something I find rather distasteful in religion. Blind subservience and abdication of responsibilities.
Assuming Jesus existed in the christian sense, I would like to ask why he choose to create a universe that is rife with suffering, Why not just not bring anything into existence.
I’m guessing the official line of response would be God/Jesus is a creative being, creations must have free will etc… doesnt change the fact that he is defined to be omnipotent and not bounded by any constrains, not even himself. Seems pretty irresponsible to me that a being would create something knowing full well of the havoc it would wreck on its creation. And all for what, to satisfy a creative whim?
So, no thanks to such a god. Even if he is the sole arbiter of power in the realm of existence, I sooner rot in hell with Gandhi then share the same space with such a deity.
April 25, 2007 at 5:02 am
Personally, I doubt Gandhi’s in hell, even if there’s such a physical location, .. even if I do say so as a follower of Christ
April 25, 2007 at 9:54 am
Hie Claire, do you mind if I reproduce this on my blog? My own version of course, but I’d like to take your questions. ^_^ Credit will be given, of course.
Xiao Li, you have a valid point. I would ask you this though, knowing what we know, would you have been content to remain alone in the Universe even though you knew what suffering your Creations would cause you and themselves? Just a thought.m
April 25, 2007 at 10:46 am
Jesus would probably have migrated out of this malay shithole.
April 25, 2007 at 11:09 am
I wonder if anyone will take this post seriously.
April 25, 2007 at 12:33 pm
The list of questions are interesting. Personally I don’t think there is a right or wrong answer. Everyone has their little version of what music Jesus would listen to or whether He’d read the Harry Potter series because of the witchcraft stuff.
I wonder if Jesus would be labelled as less holy than Mrs. Tan because He might choose to listen to “I Don’t Love You Like I did Yesterday” by My Chemical Romance? Or would He be made to feel that He is lesser a christian because He doesn’t jot down little notes at every sermon on Sunday?
April 25, 2007 at 1:44 pm
Mini, cute questions and answers you have there. Personally, I don’t think the questions posted above have that much relevance to our faith, at least to my walk with God, etc, etc. But cute questions, anyway. Especially your answer to question #7, classic. Love that answer. Haha. Thanks again for sharing.
Bless you,
alvin
April 25, 2007 at 2:37 pm
Jesus is a Kimi Raikonnen fan.
April 25, 2007 at 3:17 pm
hmmm…
he would preform miracles…
and he would kick the ‘jews’ out of the bank and temple!
April 25, 2007 at 4:31 pm
The comment up there –
Just imagine. If Jesus himself would rush to migrate out of Malaysia…you just know the rest of us here are screwed.
Sigh…
Hooray for airplanes I suppose…
PS: Jesus would not be an MU fan. Nor Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea or any other overhyped talentless football club. Peace.
April 26, 2007 at 5:13 am
River,
I agree with your 100%. Manchester United is a club ordained by the “higher authorities” for absolute greatness (despite being called the Red Devils and all).
Chelsea is crap, Arsenal is gay, and Liverpool, ah Liverpool .. what can I say about them?
April 27, 2007 at 10:51 am
The questions seem to me like going a BIG BIG round to ask What Would Jesus Do questions. Are these questions meant to be taken seriously? Or are those ice-breaker questions for cell group?
May 1, 2007 at 1:50 am
Ahhh…could be ice-breaking questions.