What's Wrong With Calling a Kid Messiah?

Cyrus the Messiah

What’s in a name?

Plenty, at least to Child Support Advocate Lu Ann Ballew, who recently ordered a Tennessee couple to rename their son Martin instead of “Messiah” on the specious claim that "only one person earned that name and that one person is Jesus Christ.”

The judge needs a history lesson.  She should start by reading the Bible where she will find many messiahs.  All the word means is “anointed king.”  Guess what? Every king of ancient Israel and Judah was anointed.  They were all called messiahs.  So was Zerubbabel, the man who led the Jews back to Israel after the Babylonian exile, and Cyrus the Great, the founder of the Persian Empire.

In more recent times, say the last 2,000 years, there have been plenty of messiahs.  The list is really extensive, even in Jesus’ day.  The New Testament lists at least two individuals who were identified as their followers as messiahs:  Theudas and the Egyptian.

Neither had a long run.  Theudas died in about 45 CE.  Apparently, he was trying to recreate Exodus, possibly by crossing the Jordan River.  The Judean procurator of the time, Fadus, promptly sent troops to massacre them.  Theudas’ head was then displayed in Jerusalem. 

Josephus

In 56 CE, the Egyptian (otherwise unnamed) and his followers approached a high wall in Jerusalem, clearly trying to imitate Joshua at the battle of Jericho.  The procurator of that time, Felix, sicced his troops on them.  Many died, but the Egyptian escaped and vanished into history. 

Declaring yourself king was like signing your own death warrant in those days.  That didn’t deter everyone.  As the Jewish historian of the day, Josephus, noted: “Imposters and deceivers called upon the mob to follow them into the desert.  For they said they would show them unmistakable marvels and signs that would be wrought in harmony with God’s design.”

Then there’s John the Baptist, who was thought of as the long-awaited messianic figure by his followers.  A religion that believed in him lingered on for about 200 years after his death.

Other non-biblical messiahs include Simon and Anthronges, both of whom were eventually killed by the Romans.  The duo had some success, however.  The Romans needed three legions and four regiments of cavalry to recapture what they eventually renamed Palestine. They also suppressed a messianic movement by razing the capital of Galilee, Sepphoris, in 4 BCE. 

Nor did the belief that Jesus was the messiah disband the line of claimants.  Josephus finally washed his hands of the lot of them:  “Numerous prophets, indeed, were in this period suborned by the tyrants to delude the people, by bidding them wait for God’s help, in order that desertions might be checked…Thus is was that the wretched people were deluded at that time by charlatans and pretended messengers of the deity.”

Coins issued by the messiah, Bar Kochba

After 100 CE, two would-be messiahs appeared including the forgotten Lucuas (also known as Andreas)  who led an unsuccessful revolt against the Romans.  The rebellion lasted two years and encompassed Libya and Egypt to Cyprus, Roman Mesopotamia and possibly Judea.  That was followed by the more famous Bar Kochba revolt.  When that failed, belief in his claim of being the messiah vanished, too.

Many more would-messiahs have arisen since then, including some in modern times.  In my book, The Messiah, I devote two chapters to listing the many messianic figures.  I won’t duplicate that here, but do have a basic question:

Who has the right to tell anyone what to name a child?

Obviously, there has to be some limit.  No one should name a child Adolf Hitler, for example.  That’s cruel.  Someone tried, though.   Pretty much anything other than that should be to the discretion of parents. 

Just look at some monikers children have today:

Bear Blu Jarecki and his mom

Apple, Chastity, Moon , Blue, Birdie, Aleph, Pilot, Bear Blu, Bronx, River, Xander have all passed muster among our celebrities.  Let’s not forget Shaquille, Covelli, Longar, God, Danger, Creedance, Yourhighness, Urban, Picabo, Earthwind and Majestic, which are all names of athletes.

Messiah seems to fit right in there.

Moreover, what are kids going to call little Messiah as a nickname?  Mess?

To me, calling a little boy Mess isn’t wrong.  It’s simply redundant.

Long-time religious historian Bill Lazarus regularly writes about religion and religious history.  He also speaks at various religious organizations throughout Florida.  You can reach him at www.williamplazarus.net.  He is the author of the famed Unauthorized Biography of Nostradamus; The Last Testament of Simon Peter; The Gospel Truth: Where Did the Gospel Writers Get Their Information; Noel: The Lore and Tradition of Christmas Carols; and Dummies Guide to Comparative Religion.  His books are available on Amazon.com, Kindle, bookstores and via various publishers.  He can also be followed on Twitter.

You can enroll in his on-line class, Comparative Religion for Dummies, at http://www.udemy.com/comparative-religion-for-dummies/?promote=1

Facts on the Internet Cutting into Religious Base

The power of the internet is affecting religions.

During my regular forays into Florida religious institutions to make presentations on religious history, I occasionally find priests, rabbis and other clergy in the congregation.  Invariably they are attending because they have doubts about the historical pap they have been fed by their religion.

Religions tend to shy away from history – as they do from science – because they realize that the factual information can cause a crisis in faith.  I had one Protestant minister tell me he regularly attended programs like mine, but didn’t share what he learned with his congregation because they are in church “for faith, not facts.”

The problem these days is that the internet doesn’t have a filter.  If you want to find out what research has determined about a particular faith, just log in.  It’s all there.  At one time, you would have had to read a book on the topic – and you are welcome to pick up one of mine – but the same data is readily available online.

No religious institution can sit on the facts anymore.

That has led to a crisis in faith among sincere believers as well as changes in religious attitudes.  Various polls have shown how much has changed since the 1990s when the internet became widely accessible.

For example, less that 75 percent of Americans now see themselves as Christian, a number that has dropped from above 90 percent in less than 20 years.  In some regions, like Scandinavia, Christianity has virtually disappeared.

Empty pews are commonplace.

The last-ditch efforts by arch-conservative political leaders to impose their limited views on the population -- in North Dakota, North Carolina and Texas, for example – reflect the growing realization that they are losing power and support.

The Anglican Church in England has seen steep declines in attendance and interest.  That parallels an international fall off in the use of Roman Catholic facilities for marriages and other life changes.

At the same time, Americans have doubled their support of evolution. The number is still below 50 percent, but increasing knowledge is beginning to shove the percentage higher. 

King David's palace?

The growing awareness of both biblical inaccuracies as well as gaping holes in the fabric of belief has impacted science as well.  Recently, archaeologists claimed they found King David’s palace outside Jerusalem.  No, they didn’t.  They found administrative buildings in a community outside Jerusalem, but none had names attached.  They could be connected to King David or to any other monarch of the time period.  They could even belong to some other culture.

The archaeologists announced the King David to because they know believers are frantic to find anything that might “prove” that history supports their religions.  So, far, historical findings have only done the opposite:

There was no Exodus from Egypt, which is the base of Jewish religious claims; the Gospel accounts of Jesus was written long after events and not by eye witnesses, so are replete with multiple factual errors and obvious misrepresentations; and so on. 

You can read the supporting evidence for these claims on the internet with no problems at all.

The Mormons have been particularly hard hit by the exposure of the real facts.  Hans Mattsson, who headed the Church’s activities in Sweden, ignored information on the internet as propaganda until doing his own research.

He quickly discovered the real facts.  In a published account, Mattsson said,” I felt like I had an earthquake under my feet.  Everything I’d been taught, everything I’d been proud to preach about and witness about just crumbled under my feet. It was such a terrible psychological and nearly physical disturbance.”

Death to doubters

That’s why, for centuries, Roman Catholic leaders encouraged illiteracy and effectively stopped everyone from actually looking at the Bible.  That’s why those who raised questions were excommunicated or even burned at the stake. 

Nevertheless, the truth does win eventually.  The first translations in the 1300s began the process of underlining belief.   In our time, the internet has greatly expanded the process. 

“I don’t want to hurt the church,” Mattsson said. “I just want the truth.”

Unfortunately, for all religions, the truth comes with a very high price for the faithful.

Long-time religious historian Bill Lazarus occasionally writes about religion and religious history.  He also speaks at various religious organizations throughout Florida.  You can reach him at www.williamplazarus.net.  He is the author of the famed Unauthorized Biography of Nostradamus; The Last Testament of Simon Peter; The Gospel Truth: Where Did the Gospel Writers Get Their Information; Noel: The Lore and Tradition of Christmas Carols; and Dummies Guide to Comparative Religion.  His books are available on Amazon.com, Kindle, bookstores and via various publishers.  He can also be followed on Twitter.

You can enroll in his on-line class, Comparative Religion for Dummies, at http://www.udemy.com/comparative-religion-for-dummies/?promote=1

Failing Religions Losing Public Support

Empty pews more commonplace

Religion has stopped having much influence in Scandinavia.  In Sweden, once a bastion of Lutheranism, churches are empty.  That’s true in Ireland, where the child-abuse scandal has undercut faith in that once staunchly Roman Catholic country.  In England, Poland, Italy and Germany, religious influence is fading away, too.

In China, 47 percent of the population claims to be atheistic.  In the Czech Republic, 48 percent admit they have no religion.  In France, which once ferociously defended its Catholic faith, 29 percent of the population identifies themselves as atheists; 34 percent there have no religion, according to the Global Index of Religiosity & Atheism.

Add the United States to the list.

10 Commandments placed in front of a Florida courthouse

A Gallup poll released this week found that more than 75 percent of Americans say “religion is losing its influence in the United States,” according to a CNN report.  That’s the highest such percentage in more than 40 years. In fact, the survey found that American perception of religious power has never been lower.

Devout believers have been well aware of the decay in faith. They have been devoting their efforts to inject religion back into American lives, with well-publicized efforts to post the 10 Commandments in courthouses, force religious prayer into public schools and impose their religious ideas on the public in other ways. Naturally, they are only promulgating Christian teachings.  Attacks on minorities like Jews and Muslims have been designed to make sure that Christianity remains dominate and pervasive here.

Robertson

Their logic is based on biblical teachings where God punishes societies for failing to obey His laws.  As a result, they fear that God will turn his wrath on this society for the collapse of religion in daily life.  People like the Rev. Pat Robertson (left) put such ideas into words by claiming every natural disaster reflects a message from an angry deity.

Nevertheless, such efforts aren’t having much effect.

Benedict XVI

One reason has to be the demoralizing effect of the child abuse scandal that continues to wrack the Roman Catholic Church, the largest single religion in this country with about 24 percent of the population.  This week, another multi million-dollar settlement was announced.  A Cardinal resigned because of his role in covering up the abuse. Other Cardinals have been reprimanded and lost authority. One church leader is already in jail. Various priests have admitted their participation.  Bishops have stepped down.   There’s long been speculation that Pope Benedict XVI resigned his office because of his ties to the Church’s cover-up.

No country housing the Roman Catholic Church has been exempt from the pervasive scandal.

John Paul II

No prelate has avoided being tarred.  Even beloved John Paul II lost a lot of luster when parishioners realized that much of the attempts to shield abusive priests occurred during his time as pope.  The
Vatican never involved itself in the investigation while John Paul II was in office.

The result has been a decline in financial support, increasing shortage of priests and a decline in the use of Church rituals.  People are not turning away from the belief, but from the institution that represents that faith.

Another reality eating away at religious support is the wide increase in knowledge, specifically related to science.  Religion operates best and most successfully when ignorance predominates.  The Church was never stronger than in the Middle Ages when few were literate, much less educated.  Islam, too, makes sure adherents reject anything that challenges religious teachings.  The Middle East has produced virtually no scientific leaders in about 1,000 years because of that -- after previously leading the world in efforts to gain knowledge.

Today, with the internet, it’s impossible to keep scientific advances away from anyone with a computer.  Even the Church has been forced to acknowledge the accuracy of evolution and the Big Bang theory.  God didn’t create the university; He didn’t create man.  There’s not much left for Him to do.

Religion has been relegated to providing dubious answers about the afterlife.  That’s an area lacking data since science can only penetrate that murky time only so far.  The growing awareness that religion has been dead wrong about life, however, ensures doubt about religious teachings about what happens when life ends.

As a result, belief in today’s religions is likely to continue to erode.  That doesn’t mean religions will disappear.  Humans are amazingly resourceful at coming up with new absurd ideas to enthrall themselves.  They’ll happily troop toward some new concept, probably an amalgamation of existing beliefs.

That’s how today’s religions developed.

Countries losing interest in the old faiths may someday become bastions of the new as the cycle renews.  We all want answers.  When the old ones don’t work anymore, we are always ready to seek out something fresh to beguile us.

Long-time religious historian Bill Lazarus regularly writes about religion and religious history.  He also speaks at various religious organizations throughout Florida.  You can reach him at www.williamplazarus.net.  He is the author of the famed Unauthorized Biography of Nostradamus; The Last Testament of Simon Peter; The Gospel Truth: Where Did the Gospel Writers Get Their Information; Noel: The Lore and Tradition of Christmas Carols; and Dummies Guide to Comparative Religion.  His books are available on Amazon.com, Kindle, bookstores and via various publishers.  He can also be followed on Twitter.

You can enroll in his on-line class, Comparative Religion for Dummies, at http://www.udemy.com/comparative-religion-for-dummies/?promote=1