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Laughing Jesus. He had a better sense of humor than most realize. by Meryl Ann Butler
Easter gets its name from the Saxon goddess of sex and fertility, Eostre. Known variously as Ostare, Ostara and Eastra, she is also believed to be related to Ishtar, the Babylonian goddess of love and sex.
EaÌstre by Jacques Reich by Public domain
The holiday pre-dates Christianity and has long been associated with rabbits due to their legendary enthusiasm for mating, as well as with the egg, the archetypal symbol of fertility.
Easter Bunny and Egg by Public domain, courtesy Dover Pub.
So the traditionally accepted celibacy of Jesus looms as a strange bedfellow to the underpinnings of the Easter holiday.
Singer-songwriter-humorist Greg Tamblyn, called "a contemporary Mark Twain" by Dr. Larry Dossey, offers a unique perspective in his surprise-ending song, Jesus was a Bachelor :
Many of these mysteries about Jesus' life may never be uncovered.
Elton John said, "I think Jesus was a compassionate, super-intelligent gay man who understood human problems. On the cross, he forgave the people who crucified him. Jesus wanted us to be loving and forgiving ..."
And, the possibility of a romantic relationship between Jesus and Mary is not a new idea, and has recently been addressed in the movie, The Last Temptation of Christ, and books such as Holy Blood, Holy Grail, and The Da Vinci Code. In fact, some Mormons believe Jesus practiced polygamy.
Chris Bennett, widely recognized as one of the foremost authorities on the history of cannabis, believes that the Bible supports Jesus' affinity for the bud. Carl Ruck notes, "The word Christ does mean "the anointed one' and Bennett contends that Christ was anointed with chrism, a cannabis-based oil, that caused his spiritual visions."
Cafe Press Bumper Sticker by Cafe Press
The lyrics of the popular Christmas carol, "Some Children See Him," say " The children in each different place will see the baby Jesus' face like theirs." Adults, too, perceive the Divine through the filter of their own experience.
Perhaps that concept, along with a little levity, can roll away the stone that has blocked the deeper meaning of the season, and dispel some of the Puritanical undercurrents.
H. L. Mencken called Puritanism, " The haunting fear that someone, somewhere, may be happy."
