Like many, I’m fascinated by Bigfoot. Do I believe that Bigfoot exists? I wouldn’t say I believe; mostly I just want to believe. Okay, I do believe. At least, a little…Which is why I’m fascinated by the seemingly growing search for Sasquatch. I love seeing all the blurry pictures. I love watching the latest shaky (and usually blurry) video clips on YouTube. And I confess, I’ve even spent more than a few consecutive hours couched in front of the TV, watching what might be the worst reality TV show ever made, Finding Bigfoot. Though I watch it on occasion, I can’t defend it’s awfulness. All the sound effects, the hooting and hollering, and all of the occasions when somebody will say, “Whoa! Did you just hear that?” And it all turns out to be a sixty-minute dramatic goose chase. But I watch sometimes, hoping the episode that I catch will finally be the one that lives up to its name.
My wife thinks my fascination is insane. “Turn that off,” she told me the other night, referring to Finding Bigfoot, “our company will be here any minute, and I don’t want that to be on when they get here.” Jessica is embarrassed by my Bigfoot fetish. Which I can understand. If she knew how many nights I’m up, after she’s going to bed, scrolling YouTube for the latest “sightings,” she’d likely organize an intervention. My father-in-law also gives me a hard time, believing that my curiosity about Sasquatch is downright crazy. He’s very dismissive about the whole topic. “There’s no such thing as Bigfoot… PERIOD!” he’s told me on multiple occasions. That, of course, usually causes me—a self-identifying Bigfoot agnostic— turn into the fanatical Bigfoot fundamentalist. I start doing what any enthusiast does when somebody dares to question that it might be a big ole waste of time believing in Bigfoot. I log onto YouTube to find the best footage. I go to the American Bigfoot Association’s homepage and start searching for the best Sasquatch photos ever taken. I mention the number of documented Bigfoot sightings recorded by the Bigfoot Field Research Organization. I mean, you’d be surprised by how much “proof” exists to support the theory that Bigfoot is real. Can every single person who has witnessed Bigfoot be crazy, lying, or crazy and lying? Maybe. Sasquatch believers often don’t have the best reputations. Take, for example, the latest BIG Bigfoot news: Texas hunter claims to have shot, killed Bigfoot. There’s even a corpse and some strange cryptic video.
But alas, despite all the “evidence,” only 29 percent of Americans believe in Bigfoot. The percentage of believers are even lower among Canadians and the Brits, 21 percent and 17 percent respectively. I personally know of only a few Bigfoot believers, mostly other writers like me who have a healthy love of zombies and nature and admit to watching the SyFy Channel on occasion. But usually when I mention Bigfoot in a serious tone, people make fun of me, shame me, and laugh at all of my online blurry evidence. Which is why I don’t talk about it much anymore and have completely stopped trying to convert non believers.
And trust me, I understand why people don’t believe in Bigfoot: it seems farfetched, it’s not in the Bible, and the “proof” is always blurry, shaky, or riddled with lies.
In some ways, the cultural drama surrounding Bigfoot reminds me of our culture’s debate about Jesus, most specifically, the resurrection of Jesus. How many times have we heard preachers–especially evangelical preachers–rattle off a listen of “the very best proof” as to why we should believe that Jesus raised from the grave. Usually those reasons include: the eyewitness accounts of two women who found the tomb empty, the new-found motivation of the disciples to renew their religious causes (many of whom were ready and willing to die for their belief), the large number of people who claim to have seen Jesus after the crucifixion (at last count, roughly 500 or so), and some people mention the Apostle Paul’s conversion to Christianity as proof as well. There are no YouTube videos or pictures, and only a handful of good detailed first person accounts. I mean, compared to the proof that Bigfoot exists, the evidence surrounding Jesus’s resurrection isn’t all that great. And you know, I’m not sure poorly filmed video footage or blurry pictures of Jesus would help the cause either.
Because in the end, my curiosity about Bigfoot isn’t built on the evidence (because I admit, most of it is pretty crappy), it’s mostly built on the stories I heard people tell about Bigfoot when I was a kid, the mythical narratives that made their way into towns, communities, and cultures and spark conversation. Those stories conjured up wonder in me about whether or not the legends might be true. That’s why I watch Finding Bigfoot. Not because it’s good TV, but because it connects me to the stories and myths of my youth.
Many of us believe wholeheartedly in Jesus’s resurrection for the same reason. It’s not the so-called evidence that drives our faith in Christ being alive; it’s the story, the legend, the myths that spread into our towns, cities, and cultures, capturing our imaginations (sometimes scarring the crap out of us) and urging us to explore, hope, and imagine the Kingdom of God. And once in a while, we’re lucky to get a glimpse, often a blurry or shaky glimpse, that just might be “evidence” that Jesus is alive.
And while our sightings of Jesus don’t often prove the resurrection story true for others, they do connect us to what fascinated us about Jesus in the beginning, when we first heard the story… and that becomes enough to help us believe again. And to keep searching. And to keep telling our stories…
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This is really beautiful, and so so good.
I get what you are saying, I think. I am a Bigfoot fan too, also UFOs, but isn’t the importance of Jesus’ Resurrection a bit more crucial? I mean isn’t it an all or nothing type thing. If no resurrection, no anything. Also haven’t countless Christians died and are dying because of their belief in this, while probably the worst thing the Bigfoot dudes have are being thought of as dumb.
There is stuff I really like about this post, but some things I am just like, Yeah but isn’t more than that??
I’d rather be one compelled by imagination than by proof. The former has much greater possibilities.
As an atheist, I’m sure you know where I stand regarding belief without sufficent evidence. That said, the historical Jesus was a real person. He was from Nazareth, he really did cause an incident in the temple, and he really was crucified as the “king of the Jews”. The evidence is pretty clear on that.
What evidence would that be? The Bible? There are no other historical references to verify what you just claimed.
I try to leave room for faith, for doubt, for speculation, for mystery, for evidence. Faith is very layered entity. A faith without doubt to me is somewhat shallow. A doubt without any room for faith is just as shallow for me.
Well, I think there’s more evidence than you’re listing. First of all, the body was indeed missing because if it wasn’t, the authorities could have ended Christianity before it had even begun by producing the body. So they didn’t have it. Secondly, Jesus Himself, claimed he was going to rise from the dead, so even if you don’t believe in Jesus, He was either deliberately lying or He was a lunatic (if He didn’t rise from the dead) which would disqualify Him from being a “good teacher” that a lot of people like to call Him. So there aren’t a whole lot of options left. He either wasn’t dead when they took Him down, which is the least plausible scenario or the disciples stole the body. So the disciples; scattered, afraid for their lives, literally in hiding, come up with a crazy plan to tiptoe past a whole gang of Roman soldiers who (knowing it was an immediate death sentence to fall asleep while on duty) SIMULTANEOUSLY fall asleep. The disciples (most of them were probably necessary for this next step) put their shoulders into a boulder blocking the entrance to the tomb that is estimated to have weighed in the neighborhood of 4,000 LBS. Breaking the Roman seal on the tomb (another crime punishable by death) to again tiptoe past the sleeping guards (obviously exhausted since the heave-ho on a 2-ton boulder didn’t wake them up) to spirit Jesus’ body away. Lastly, and in some ways most importantly, the disciples weren’t just ready and willing to die for Jesus as you put it. They DID die for Jesus, all of them with the exception of John. They were all martyred. But think about that for a second. They died for something they absolutely knew, without question, was a lie. If Jesus hadn’t risen (liked He claimed He would) then everything Jesus had told the disciples was a lie. Would you honestly die for something you absolutely knew was a lie. I wouldn’t. I don’t think you would….I don’t think the disciples would either. Half of these guys were hardened fishermen. Think New York Dockworker and you get a pretty good picture. Salt of the earth type of guys. No nonsense guys. Guys who would not very likely choose an early death for no benefit to perpetuate something they knew was a lie.
Does this prove Jesus rose from the dead? Of course not because without faith it’s impossible to please God. But when you stop looking at any one thing, and you look at everything as a whole of what would have had to have happened for the resurrection to be fake, it’s pretty compelling. I think there is way more evidence to support Christ’s resurrection from the dead than to prove Bigfoot is real….and that’s from someone who LOVES Bigfoot.
Just my 29.5 cents
JamesKropf right on man… and more historical evidence on the life, death and resurrection of Jesus than there was on the entire existence of Julius Caesar…. not to mention MILLIONS of miraculously changed lives since that day. 🙂
LeanneZeck I think I read something just like that in a fortune cookie the other day
Jesus’ resurrection after his death is the ultimate and defining proof of Jesus’ divinity. Just about everyone knows the story, which is summarized in the Apostles’ Creed. Jesus was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into hell. On the third day he arose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
There is only one way for Jesus to prove that he rose from the dead. He had to appear to people. Therefore, several different places in the Bible describe Jesus’ appearances after his death:
•Matthew chapter 28
•Mark chapter 16
•Luke chapter 24
•John Chapter 20 and 21
1 Corinthians 15:3-6 provides a nice summary of those passages, as written by Paul:
For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. As you can see in this passage, Jesus appeared to hundreds of people a number of different times.
Being like Paul: When we look at these Bible passages, there is a question that comes to mind — why did Jesus stop making these appearances? Why isn’t Jesus appearing today? It really is odd. Obviously Paul benefitted from a personal meeting with the resurrected Christ. Because of the personal visit, Paul could see for himself the truth of the resurrection, and he could ask Jesus questions. So… Why doesn’t Jesus appear to everyone and prove that he is resurrected, just like he appeared to Paul? There is nothing to stop Jesus from materializing in your kitchen tonight to have a personal chat with you. And if you think about it, Jesus really does need to appear to each of us. If Paul needed a personal visit from Jesus to know that Jesus was resurrected, then why wouldn’t you? It is an important question for the following reasons:
•We are told by the Bible that Jesus appeared to hundreds of people.
•We therefore know that it is OK for Jesus to appear to people — it does not take away their free will, for example.
•We know that it would be easy for Jesus to appear to everyone all through history, since Jesus is all-powerful and timeless.
•We know that, if Jesus did reappear to everyone, it would be incredibly helpful. We could all know, personally, that Jesus is resurrected and that Jesus is God. If Paul (and all the other people in the Bible) needed a personal visit to know that Jesus was resurrected, then why not you and me?
•Yet, we all know that Jesus has not appeared to anyone in 2,000 years.
THINK folks! Which is more likely: A dead man walked out of his grave 2,000 years ago, ate a broiled fish lunch with his fishing buddies and then 40 days later levitated into outer space, or, this entire story of a Resurrection is a legend: a legend based on false sightings and/or visions and hallucinations, of well-intentioned but uneducated, illiterate, hope-shattered, superstitious Galilean peasants, desperately trying to keep alive their only source of hope in their miserable, first century existence?
News Alert: Scientists have proven the Bible False
And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years: 15 And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so. 16 And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also. –the Bible
The ancient Hebrews and therefore the early Christians believed that above the earth, God had created a “firmament” or domed ceiling, upon which he hung the sun, moon, stars, and planets. Heaven was directly above this “ceiling”.
Let’s now look at the story of the Ascension of Jesus:
When he (Jesus) had said this, as they were watching, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. 10 While he was going and they were gazing up toward heaven, suddenly two men in white robes stood by them. 11 They said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up toward heaven? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.” -The Bible
If you lived in the first century AD and believed that heaven was just on the other side of the firmament or “ceiling” above the earth, then it would be very consistent with your worldview to believe that if Jesus was going to return to heaven, all he had to do was to ascend past the clouds and he would soon reach the “ceiling” of the firmament, to which are hung the planets, the sun, and moon, and he then would pierce the firmament to enter heaven. And if one can look up and see the planets and stars, then these heavenly objects must be within a day’s travel time. You would know this by common sense: if you can see a mountain in the distance, chances are you can reach it in a day’s time. So believing that Jesus could ascend to heaven, at a speed slow enough for his disciples to watch him ascend into the clouds, would be completely consistent with this world view.
The problem for the Bible, and for Christians who believe that the Bible is the inspired, inerrant word of the Creator, is that this worldview has been proven absolutely false by modern science. There is no firmament. Jesus could not have reached the outer reaches of the universe to enter heaven moving at a speed at which humans could watch him ascend. Scientists have demonstrated that for a rocket or space ship to reach the next closest galaxy to our own, the Andromeda Galaxy, it would take two million LIGHT YEARS to get there!
Unless Jesus entered a tractor beam once he got into the clouds, a tractor beam that “beamed him up” to heaven like Captain Kirk would regularly do on Star Trek…Jesus…at this very moment…is in outer space, putting along, somewhere between earth and the Andromeda Galaxy. Bombshell! Jesus hasn’t made it to heaven yet! Jesus is not sitting at the right hand of God the Father as the Bible claims.
Thus, scientists have proven the Bible false.
Trust science, my friends, not the scientifically ignorant superstitions and legends of ancient peoples, nor their holy books, full of preposterous supernatural claims.
Yes.