Holy Blasphemy

A couple of Bible quotes make me think of the three little pigs. There they are, followed with an analysis of the theological meaning.

“Blessed is the man who has not walked in the counsel of the ungodly, and has not stood in the way of the sinners, and has not sat in the seat of the evil men. But his will is in the law of the Lord; and in His law he shall meditate day and night. He shall be like the tree which is planted by the streams of water, which shall yield its fruit in its due season, and its leaf shall not scatter, and in everything he does he prospers.”

“Not so are the ungodly, not so; but rather they are like the chaff which the wind scatters upon the face of the earth. Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in judgment, nor the sinners in the council of the righteous. For the Lord knows the way of the righteous; but the way of the ungodly shall perish. ALLELUIA.”

So, the three little pigs story is pretty much based on Christian theology (or, more precisely, folklore wisdom that got written into the Bible.) The basic idea is that being good, being clean and sinless, makes you strong like a tree (or having built a brick house) and, sinful fun-loving cretans will get blown away by the big bad wolf (i.e. sin or Satan.)

That’s a pretty decent interpretation. But this quote is also anti-Christian. Christ, in both words and deeds, taught that we need to hang out with the sinners, hang out with the prostitutes, drunks and lepers. Christ taught that ‘purity’ is not a physical state that can be spread like the flu, but an internal peace that is self-controlled. Actually this quote is a remnant of Old Testament self-righteousness which Jesus condemns. Don’t be proud. Pray in secret. Don’t assume you’ve made it into heaven, Jesus warns; be prepared.

Building up a strong character is the moral equivalent to a brick house. Charity, kindness, wisdom, and faith are all bricks. But once you’ve built your house, make sure to share it with those in need.