Choose your God carefully. (Because “It’s always the theology, stupid”- my paraphrase of James Carville and Bill Clinton on the economy), Wendell Krossa
Whatever we idealize most, or worship, is what we become like. And if our fellow citizens widely idealize the same ideals then that is what our society becomes. We have two main God options (ultimate reality, ultimate ideal) to shape our belief systems, narratives, and the national stories that populations/societies unify around. These two produce or effect differing influences on people and societies.
Preface: As noted before here, I do not appeal to Historical Jesus as some final authority. I do not “believe in Jesus”. I simply find the content of what he said to be useful for illustration of the best of being human. Hence, I refer to him as a widely known and influential historical figure.
Unfortunately, due to the “burial” of his diamonds under the dominant New Testament Christology of Paul, some of Jesus’ better insights/statements have been undermined and even lost. For example, he stated clearly that true greatness does not lord over others (i.e. dominate) as worldly rulers do but the truly great serve others. Then Paul turns around and makes him the ultimate Lord demanding that every knee bow to him and people subject every thought to his domination and control (Philippians 2:10-11, 2 Corinthians 10:5). Totalitarianism taken to ultimate extremism. Those two entirely opposite views did not come from the same person.
See also on this site: “How Paul constructed the great dualism of highly conditional ‘Christ-ianity’, burying the stunningly unconditional ‘diamond’ of Jesus.” Posted on April 3, 2026 by Wendell Krossa
http://www.wendellkrossa.com/?p=15526
Few true believers will acknowledge this great contradiction in Christianity because of the threat that such admission poses to the essential identity built on this religion and the investment of life in such a religious system- i.e. the beliefs that shape one’s personal narrative, the emotional satisfaction from such beliefs, the guidance for life, the promise and hope for eternal salvation and bliss, and the validation of one’s life by one’s deity (pleasing a parent, satisfaction in parental pride, etc.).
His “Q wisdom sayings” (“the closest we get to what he actually taught”) provide some of best ideas to shape narrative themes and thereby eventually reshape/transform the archetypes of our collective subconscious (Carl Jung’s theory). New fundamental archetypes framed by the themes of the Jesus tradition/message will provide upcoming generations with the most humane of ideals that will inspire them to respond with “emotional satisfaction” (Kristian Niemietz) in their choice of beliefs that will subsequently continue to affirm liberal democracy principles and practises.
The two main deity images- (deity images have always been the ultimate embodiments of human ideals/archetypes)
First, the “stunning new theology of Jesus“:
Historical Jesus presented the image of a nonreligious, unconditional deity that led eventually to the basic principles of liberal democracy societies. His view of ultimate reality/ultimate Ideal (1) affirmed non-tribal principles/practises where all receive protected equal rights and freedoms (i.e. universal inclusion- “sun and rain generously given to all equally”), (2) affirmed non-domination by state elites/bureaucracies and institutions that should function to serve citizens (no lording over but serving others), and (3) affirmed non-punitive justice systems that hold offenders responsible but treat them humanely (no more eye for eye but love your enemy), etc.
And the opposite view of theology–
The opposite and highly conditional theology of Paul’s Christ myth was a retreat to the primitive deity images of previous history- i.e. (1) a deity that embodies the tribalism of true believer insiders versus excluded/demonized unbelievers who are to be punished and destroyed in Hell (Lord Jesus will return in blazing fire to destroy all unbelievers- 2 Thessalonians, etc.), (2) deity as Lord/King that validates human domination (i.e. “divine right of kings, slaves submit to masters”, husbands as lords of families just as Christ is Lord of Christians, etc.), and (3) deity solving problems with violent destruction through apocalyptic purging and eternal hell (i.e. the still widely dominant theme of “salvation/purifying through destruction” shapes religious narratives as well as secular/ideological narratives).
Which theology dominates today? In the last century it was the elements of the apocalyptic millennialism of Paul’s Christ, and we saw the outcomes as that Ultimate Ideal carried entire societies into the mass-death outcomes of Marxist/socialist violent crusades to establish collectivism (see Tabor, Landes, and Ellens quotes below). We also saw Paul’s Christology of “salvation through destruction” work its influence of deforming human minds and lives in the horrific antisemitism of Nazism, and we are now watching it ruin liberal democracy societies again through the salvation by destruction crusade of environmental alarmism, along with the very same theology threatening liberal democracy through the theocracy crusade of Islam. Read the rest of the opening comment here