Sunday, October 5, 2014

Contrast Dogma - Something to Fear?



It’s important to know what contrast dogma is before making that all important “fight or flight” decision. The phrase, however, is not easily defined and when defined, not always understood.
By definition, contrast is to compare in order to show unlikeness or differences; note the opposite natures, purposes, etc., of whatever the subject might be. Dogma is a specific tenet or doctrine authoritatively passed down, as by a church. So, contrast dogma would be a comparison of differences in the doctrine of the church and alternative doctrine or concepts. The question that begs an answer is; should we fear contrast dogma?



The answer, like the definition, is not easily interpreted. For more than two thousand years, people all across the globe have been dominated by the dogma of the Catholic Church; that of the omniscient and vengeful God. A God who, throughout the stories of the Bible’s Old Testament, incited war, famine, genocide, incest and an innumerable amount of iniquities upon his own creations. Not only is such a God worthy of complete and paralyzing fear; the Catholic Church dogma demands that He be feared!
By contrast, Jesus as portrayed in all three novels of the Imagine Trilogy is a soft spoken, kind young man (mostly like the Catholic version). He performs miracles that help people in need (like the Catholic version). He has come to save humanity from oppression (sort of like the Catholic version). He has returned to save the world (a tiny bit like the Catholic version). He has returned to teach the people of the world The Way to happiness and immortality (not anything like the Catholic version).
This Jesus…Eloah…comes from a parallel universe (not the womb of a virgin). He says that an omniscient God does not exist, nor is there a place called Heaven and another called Hell. He claims that the spiritual energy of all people is immortal. In addition, this energy instills morality and ethical behavior and is genetically passed along to every human and mammalian physical life.
Eloah (Jesus) is a human being from a society that is technologically and sociologically advanced. His sole purpose is to do good deeds and to teach others how to live harmoniously throughout all of the multiverses. Eloah and all that he represents are the walking, talking contrast dogma to the Catholic Church and all other monotheist religions.
Would you be afraid of a man like Eloah… of contrast dogma? Not likely. On the other hand, the omniscient God that dominates the religious beliefs of Christians, Islamists and Jews has often been characterized as a fractious God. He has been described as loving and gentle one moment, and extremely vicious the next. If He existed, I would be very afraid of this God, wouldn’t you?
Although I’ve no proof, it is said that Stephen King appointed himself the Master of Horror. So, it is that a close associate to a professional partner of mine, after reading the first novel in the Imagine Trilogy, labeled me, Master of Contrast Dogma.
I like it, although most people simply scratch their heads and walk away whenever I try to explain it to them. That’s okay… not every new idea or phrase becomes an overnight success; sometimes it takes a week, a few months or even years. Whether or not contrast dogma ever becomes a household phrase or even a new fiction book genre, is not a question. The original question was should we be afraid of contrast dogma? You tell me.

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