God's word

I just bought this month's National Geographic. It runs an article about the Judas Gospel, which is currently a source of great debate. The text is a Coptic copy (written in Greek characters) of a supposedly Greek original, which is also referred to in independent Christian sources from the 2nd century AD. It describes a conversation between Jesus and "his most faithful disciple", Judas in which the Christ foretells the role the Apostle will play in his undoing. This was, of course, denounced by the Church as heresy early on.

I don't really want to go into much detail about Judas. However, the questions raised by his treatment in cannonic scriptures are among those that underscore my scepticism towards Christianity. I mean, without him, there is no Calvary, no salvation and consequently, no Christianity (at least as we know it). If he is to be hated, are we not admitting that the Christ's sacrifice was a product of chance, rather than fate? If he acted of his free will, wasn't this whole thing an accident? However, if it was meant to be, should he not be seen as victim (even as a hero)?

There are just too many uncertainties like that for me to forge faith out of it. And this religion has been abused so much anyway, all that's left are rags. It's like a piece of meat that's been thrown to the dogs, really.

Its morals are not its own, the most fundamental ones are not reliant on religion and have been known to exist for as long as we have records of human existance, while many of its teachings have been proven to be false, downright lies or just plain stupidity. It was also turned into an institution of convenience, which should not be the case for what it pretends to be.

The only reason I could see myself submitting to it is just that, convenience, and for that, I have no need. Do I need it to tell me what's right or wrong? I have my sense of that, be it a divine gift or nothing more than a product of civilization. Do I need it to make sense of the world or to find my place in it? I'm doing pretty good without it, thank you. And I've found better answers than it can provide.