Many men/women
may certainly
have attained
that humility which says

credo quia absurdum est,

and sacrifices its reason;
but, so far as I know,
not one has attained to that humility
which after all is only one step further,
and which says

creda quia absurdus sum.

The Dawn of Day, by Friedrich Nietzsche, trans. by J. M. Kennedy, aphorism 417

Christmas comes annually. Reminders of an important “origin myth” of American society are everywhere. I mean three dimensional manger scenes in front yards.  Or the common printed graphic representations of Mary, Joseph, the Christ child, angels overhead, shepherds, and a farm animal or two. Everyone knows the rough outlines of the story.

Many aspects of this story defy experience: a star that guides, moving about like the arrow on a google map… Also, angels singing, and birth caused by divine insemination. The Christmas story evokes a warm feeling – as long as you do not think about it.

This points to the first Latin quotation attributed to Tertullian, the Carthaginian Roman writer who lived 160 – 240 AD. Religion does not stipulate reason rooted in experience. Religious belief functions to frame other beliefs, and even reason. Religion thrives upon mystification, upon un-reason’s seduction. Religion is similar to “falling in love.” Religion is shameless to promote what otherwise would be absurd.

Nietzsche, not a fan of Christianity, offers that belief in what is absurd, with “eyes wide open” is not far removed from another possibility. Consider a whole-hearted commitment on account that I have been patiently stupid.  (The Latin verb, sum, means “I am.”) Nietzsche rotates the axis of the quote attributed to Tertullian. Consider if you would — religious investment of the self due to a failure of my own faculties of reason!

Is this what I want?

Think! Think! Think!