An Easter Doodle and What I'm Currently Reading


Above is a doodle I did to try and explain to my Japanese students why Easter is a holiday. They just looked blankly at me and when I finished explaining that this is what Christians believe one student raised their hand and asked, "Is it a true story?" 


I never had to answer this from the point of view of a skeptic before, and I just started laughing out loud. The students all looked around and smiled. Meanwhile, as I tried to get a hold of myself, I did a pantomime Superman impression, and began to laugh even harder.  I just couldn't help myself.


It was just that I hadn't seen the Easter tradition as ridiculous until now, and eventually the home room teacher had to change the subject to why we dye Easter eggs, and I told the story of Mary Magdalene's meeting with the Emperor of Rome, Emperor Tiberius, and how she quelled his skepticism with the whole white egg turning blood red miracle she performed in front of him to prove that Jesus was resurrected. By that time I think they had all figured out that it was all fictitious on their own.


I'm currently reading all of these books. Let me know if you want any reviews or recommendations. I'll try and push through them in the next two months as time allows.





Comments

  1. tinkbell13April 13, 2010 at 7:08 AM

    They are right. The whole thing is insane. It is amazing how much people really want to believe despite how absurd the whole thing is. The beauty of miracles.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Tristan VickApril 13, 2010 at 3:23 PM

    DM-

    Theists have no "answers" to death either. All they have are fallacious claims and assumptions which stem from their own naivete and the dubious teachings of a folly filled book written in ignorant times before the enlightenment.

    Thanks for playing though.

    ReplyDelete
  3. AnonymousApril 13, 2010 at 4:19 PM

    W'dup T

    I think the fact that one of your students actually asked if it was true says something. Don't you? And if so what?

    Just a side note, but if a kid ask me that question I'd say, well some people believe, some don't. But I do.

    Peace and hair grease, feeno

    ReplyDelete
  4. Tristan VickApril 13, 2010 at 8:51 PM

    Feeno-

    I agree. It does say something. It says that as I presented "what Christians believe" with a serious face, the students own skepticism compelled him to check the story out by asking an authoritarian figure... a teacher.

    Now, the students giggles was all the evidence I needed to know that they didn't take it seriously, and part of my fit of laughter was due to the fact that this student was a better critical thinker than I was at his age.

    Needless to say, if I would have lied and said the story was true, the student may have believed me. And that's how religions, not just Christianity mind you, but all religions, get passed down culturally. They are raised in that faith. It's not a genetic fallacy if it's true.

    That said, the only thing most Japanese know about Christianity is that Christmas is Jesus' birthday. And that's it. Beyond that they don't know and don't really care. Even if I would have told my student it was all true, he probably still would have looked at me suspiciously, doubted the validity of my story, and would have forgotten about it during the next recess and that would be the only "Christian" experience of his entire life.

    So it was a good question. It showed critical thinking. People who are brought up in a faith rarely have the ability to look at it from the inside out... and that's why they never feel the need to inquire as to the authenticity of the religious claims. When you do, you find the answers complicate matters, and faith becomes untenable.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Darren WongApril 14, 2010 at 9:13 AM

    This kind of situation is so common. Most people keep on criticizing others' beliefs as superstitious, while not realizing how stupid-looking their faiths are.

    Are there any other beliefs held by Westerners that would also be regarded as superstitious by those living in the Far East? Or the other way around?

    PS: DM is an infamous spammer among atheist bloggers. Just ignore him.

    ReplyDelete
  6. tinkbell13April 14, 2010 at 10:35 AM

    I often thought that a great documentary would be too go to parts of the world that are unChristianized and UnWesternized. Then, take groups of people and teach them about the Easter Story, the Virgin Birth, the Tooth Fairy and Santa Claus and film their reactions. Would say alot about what we all believe to be true.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Tristan VickApril 18, 2010 at 5:47 AM

    明宏明宏

    You're welcome! Thanks for reading!

    ReplyDelete

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