in the name of

i can't imagine being a fan of jesus christ.

if we put all fictional and historical figures in one huge pantheon, i think jesus will drown in the roster of more charismatic figures. nowadays, there are so many contemporary figures we can look up to that seems to make jesus obsolete. girls are in love with kpop idols and kids want to be one of the avengers. i'm not an expert in fandom, they all must have different reasons for worshipping these characters. probably their competence, heroism or aesthetic allure. we try to imitate the outward expression of our idols - what they wear, how they speak, how they act. sometimes, when available, we even sympathize with their internal struggles - the odds overcame, the steady stream of setbacks, their future fears.

everyone in the pantheon of fictional and historical figures all inspire awe.

and if the metric for worship-worthy is the level of awe they inspire, then modern-day figures blow jesus christ out of the water. people constantly consume content depicting their idols. people are in cinemas, concerts and centers of commerce. people pay with their money, time and energy to worship these modern-day figures. it doesn't matter whether the cost of stepping into the doors of a church is zero. it doesn't matter if putting your hands together for prayer takes little effort. it doesn't matter if, in return, we're promised something as grand as eternal life. the immediacy of present-day pleasures trumps jesus christ, because religion demands us to forgo what feels good, to live rigidly and constantly temper temptation.

jesus christ is not worth the worship because the burden of christian life makes our temporal time difficult - at an age when tv shows and movies are easily accessible on-demand, when artificial intelligence can do our homework for us, when dopamine hits are a couple of screen swipes away.

expecting devotion to the divine when all they can do is walk on water is comedically pathetic in comparison to vibranium shields and catchy song-and-dance numbers.

you can translate the bible to as many languages as you want, but the only universal language is profit. you can't build theme parks or manufacture toys in the image and likeness of christ and expect to earn enough to inspire confidence among corporate board members. jesus can break as much bread as he wants, but nothing can satiate constantly increasing annual sales targets. the ten commandments will falter to the simplicity of the law of supply and demand.

as long as we continue to covet corporately created icons, the demand for christ will eventually diminish.

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