The Alpha Course

Wikipedia: "The Alpha course is a course on the basics of the Christian faith, described as "an opportunity for anyone to explore the Christian Faith in a relaxed setting," with the aim of enabling people with a "spiritual hunger" to encounter the Christian Gospel "in a life transforming way". The course is being run around the world by thousands of churches in all major Christian denominations."

Christians asking all, believers, non-believers, atheists, agnostics and critics, to come and ask all the troubling, inquisitive questions they have, to attempt to answer them. It is a test for the Christians if you like. It is a brilliant strategy for any religion, much like Buddhism, to exert the ability to question themselves.

My sister and I attended the 1st Alpha Course session ("Who is Jesus?") at our local Church, St. Marks. The atmosphere was warm and welcoming - my sister and I were to 1st to arrive, and we felt entirely at home. A little less than 20 people turned up, and we all sat down for a relaxed convivial dinner in a cosy room in Church. After which the Priest's wife got up and made a speech about Jesus, focusing on how it is possible to affirm him to be the "unique son of God".

It is a historical fact (based on historians writings of the time) that Jesus, as a man and spiritual leader, did exist. Jesus has been said to be the "unique son of God" (biblical references made) and he himself has proclaimed this, directly and indirectly (more quotes made). To examine the credibility of this claim, the priest's wife states that there are 3 possibilities:

1. Jesus was deluded and falsely believed he was the unique son of God
2. Jesus was a conman and tricked people into believing he was the unique son of God
3. Jesus really was and is the unique son of God

She then went on to describing the many loving feats Jesus accomplished during his life, as well as his re-incarnation, after which it is correct to establish that Jesus was an incredibly loving and caring person, who put others welfare before his own.

Based on the nature and history of Jesus' character and personality, it was concluded that the possibilities 1. and 2. are incorrect assumptions. Add to this the many miracles Jesus is said to have performed, as well as his re-incarnation; the possibility 3. is brought to be the only answer that we must face, as incredible as it may seem.

The speech over, we served ourselves a cup of tea or coffee, and formed a circle for "question time". Once each one of us took turns in presenting ourselves and explaining why we came, the priest spoke: It may be hard, but please do not be afraid to ask all the problematic questions on your mind.

In my mind, there was not enough evidence to cross out possibilities 1. and 2. As someone pointed out "what if the paraplegic Jesus cured was himself deluded and thought that he was cured?". My question was - is it not possible to conceive that Jesus was in fact a conman? Albeit without the pejorative connotation.

What if Jesus, in his honourable vision for an ideal world of peace, justice and love, came to this conclusion: If all believe me to be the unique son of God, they will forever follow me. If I can trick them into believing this, I will have the utmost confidence, faith and belief of millions - hence enabling me to lead them into a unique world of Love.
How one man was to achieve such a stunt is no easy task to explain, but doesn't rule out its possibility. It would incidentally make Jesus the most incredible person to ever walk the earth. But not the unique son of god.

- I didn't get an answer

The conversation turned to the nature of God. For many people present, the notion of God is hard to grasp. Some imagine him to be some sort of being apart from the world, and raised an issue with God's interventionist demeanour. The biblical interpretation tends to appear contradictory at times. God is presented as the almighty creator, and to communicate with his people he sends us his son. Yet at the same time, God is said to be ever-present, in all things and places. The interpretation entails that only through Jesus can we communicate with God - the very same God who is present all around us, all the time.

Who is the unique son of god, when we too are all sons and daughters of god?
Why is it that God is presented, and greatly perceived, as separate from us?

My conception of God, is that of an energy which constitutes the whole. A infinite wave of consciousness of which all is part. God is everything. From the chair we sit on, to the ocean and the ant. We are all part of the same whole, united by God.

The priest took this all in quietly, to then say that, at some point, we must decide if God is or not the creator. What I didn't have time to say - and I'll make sure I do at our next session - was that it is possible to be both creator and creation. From the same logic that enables God to have spawned out of nowhere, instead of being the one who planted the seed, God could very well be the seed.