In a Philip K Dick story, a hallucinated Christ cannibalizes an astronaut. Interesting theology.

The writer Philip K Dick wrote a short story (I can't remember the name - Warning spoilers below) where an Astronaut was trapped in a space accident and dying. As he was dying, he hallucinated Jesus Christ coming towards him. At first he was happy but then he was horrified as Christ began to tear chunks of his flesh out with his teeth! Then he died.

It turned out an alien had seen the astronaut dying in outer space and wanted to comfort the dying man by projecting a hallucination into hus brain based on the man's religion. So the alien looked into his mind and saw the man's religion had something to do with Christ and the act of eating flesh (i.e., the Eucharist). But the Alien got confused because he could only see in a fuzzy way into the theology in the dying man's mind, so he assumed that the God would eat the Man rather than visa-versa, because it seemed natural to him that a higher being would eat a lower being as a matter of course.

When I thought about this story I started being interested in the idea of eating and being eaten as a religious experience. It sounds gross on the face of it, but that is what happens when you take the Eucharist, right? You eat the Body of God. What if there would be a religion where God eats you? Wouldn't that make sense in a way?

I don't mean to disrespect anyone's faith, I'm just thinking aloud here.

Maybe thats where human sacrifice is from? Offerings to the gods? in the form of dead humans as food? Your onto something for sure.

Originally posted by KarensHoliday
What if there would be a religion where God eats you? Wouldn't that make sense in a way?

In all honesty this is probably why the AntiChrist system is called "the Beast".

reply to post by KarensHoliday


If you can see the symbolism, it makes sense. We are divine (Spiritual) mixed with animal in the material world. The temple sacrifice was done by the priest. The priest could enter the inner temple, but the animal was sacrificed outside. Water cleanses the temple, but so does fire. The beast is sacrificed. In Revelation 13, it says that the mark of the beast and mark of mankind is 666. Carbon has 6 protons, 6 electrons and 6 neutrons. The actual temple of our High Priest is the Spirit that resides within us. The sacrifice that was pictured by the animals and temple in Jerusalem represents what Christ does with us. Our animal is sacrificed, but the Spirit lives on. We are here for repentance by baptism and baptism is the symbolism (like the temple) for our immersion into the water of reality. Consider this verse set from the Gospel of Philip.

When the pearl is cast down into the mud, it becomes greatly despised, nor if it is anointed with balsam oil will it become more precious. But it always has value in the eyes of its owner. Compare the Sons of God: wherever they may be, they still have value in the eyes of their Father.

If you say, "I am a Jew," no one will be moved. If you say, "I am a Roman," no one will be disturbed. If you say, "I am a Greek, a barbarian, a slave, a free man," no one will be troubled. If you say, "I am a Christian," the [...] will tremble. Would that I might [...] like that - the person whose name [...] will not be able to endure hearing.

God is a man-eater. For this reason, men are sacrificed to him. Before men were sacrificed, animals were being sacrificed, since those to whom they were sacrificed were not gods.

The pearl is you. You are cast into the mud (Water and clay). I cannot become more precious to God. We are the Sons of God. Notice that a Christian is the one that makes the powers tremble. God is a man-eater. Why? Remember that it is not literal. It is symbolic of the process of raising a child of God. Buried with Christ in baptism and raised to new life. Water puts out fire (Trials) and cleanses the altar. Read Acts 17. Watch the linguistics. God and god is important. Past and present is important. Knowing what animals do the same allows you to reflect the meaning toward the kingdoms that God will consume. It has nothing to do with God being hungry. More like being fed up.

Very intersting responses!

Thank you all.

Philip K Dick is one of my favorite writers. His gift for portraying irony through imagery is paramount. He's written some pretty bizarre stories....

Being raised in the Catholic church, schools....I was always kind of freaked out by the *eat my body, drink my blood* part of the Mass.

Des

reply to post by KarensHoliday

Maybe you aren't too far off and that's the way it's supposed to work. I wonder when he's coming back for the harvest.

reply to post by Destinyone


One thing that strikes me is the female characters are always so cruel to their men, or borderline psycho.

He must have been a bit of a woman-hater, or had bad luck with women.

Otherwise I like his work.

Originally posted by rtyfx
reply to post by KarensHoliday

 

Maybe you aren't too far off and that's the way it's supposed to work. I wonder when he's coming back for the harvest.

That part always bothered me too...

reply to post by KarensHoliday

Was the astronaut Major Tom?

reply to post by Destinyone

Being raised in the Catholic church, schools....I was always kind of freaked out by the *eat my body, drink my blood* part of the Mass.

Catholics take that way too far, into blasphemy. Communion is just symbolizing taking the Word into your heart. By consuming the Word and taking the Voice of God into yourself he becomes your conscience and you attune to him. Transubstantiation is witchcraft, and christians are forbidden to consume blood or food with blood in it per Council of Jerusalem and cannibalism is also a sin and is one reason why hebrews were forbidden to eat pork, because the pagan peoples living around them sometimes consumed the flesh of men to gain their power and pork has the same texture as human meat, when cooked you can't tell the difference.

Originally posted by KarensHoliday
The writer Philip K Dick wrote a short story (I can't remember the name - Warning spoilers below) where an Astronaut was trapped in a space accident and dying. As he was dying, he hallucinated Jesus Christ coming towards him. At first he was happy but then he was horrified as Christ began to tear chunks of his flesh out with his teeth! Then he died.

It turned out an alien had seen the astronaut dying in outer space and wanted to comfort the dying man by projecting a hallucination into hus brain based on the man's religion. So the alien looked into his mind and saw the man's religion had something to do with Christ and the act of eating flesh (i.e., the Eucharist). But the Alien got confused because he could only see in a fuzzy way into the theology in the dying man's mind, so he assumed that the God would eat the Man rather than visa-versa, because it seemed natural to him that a higher being would eat a lower being as a matter of course.

When I thought about this story I started being interested in the idea of eating and being eaten as a religious experience. It sounds gross on the face of it, but that is what happens when you take the Eucharist, right? You eat the Body of God. What if there would be a religion where God eats you? Wouldn't that make sense in a way?

I don't mean to disrespect anyone's faith, I'm just thinking aloud here.

edit on 28-9-2012 by KarensHoliday because: (no reason given)

You do realize he was just one science-fiction writer? Why would anyone try to find religious understanding by science-fiction writers.

Yes, all clowns are hiding in sewers because Steven King said they were.

reply to post by WarminIndy


It's an interesting idea, and we are free to speculate based on it.

Ideas are inspired from many places. A chewing-gum wrapper fluttering across the parking lot can set off a train of thought that can lead to solid inspiration if the conditions are correct. Did not archemedies shout out the first "Eureka" after watching bubbles in his bathtub?

Loosen up.

reply to post by WarminIndy

Have you ever peeked outside of that box you're living in?

Originally posted by rtyfx
reply to post by WarminIndy

 

Have you ever peeked outside of that box you're living in?

Maybe I am the one outside the box seeing you in it?
Woohoo, another person who does not know me jumps to conclusions and assumptions about my education and knowledge.

So tell me, what do you assume about me? This will be interesting to hear.

In Soviet Russia... no, no I won't.