Christian women

In general, when I see otherwise intelligent people declare themselves christians I just could not understand if not with the child-indoctrinating and cognitive dissonance thing. However, it is more strange when the person in question is from a few particular groups. Today I would like to focus on the "womens" group, about half the world population, and I am going to focus only in the "serve the man" thing included in the bible, from old to new testament, and then in Judaism and Islam too. Today I am not going to even bother about the poligamy, rape and those other Christian pearls. And to the people saying those are frowned upon in the Bible I ask them to come back when I adress that topic. To the ones saying "that were different times" I say as always, that Ill stop relating it to your alleged beliefs the day bibles don't include those bits.

But on for today's topic.

Probably the first hint is this: Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee. Genesis 3:16

By the way, that's part of women's punishment due to original sin.

Of course, the Old Testament is always a bit old, when considering gender equality (or race equality, or a lot of other equalities, to that matter), so maybe we should point to a few New Testament bits - the kindest half of Bible -

The Pauline epistles are thirteen New Testament books attributed to Paul, the apostle. That is, one of the persons that, as Christians, you should believe received Christ's teachings as directly as possible.
In particular, the first letter to the Corinthians includes this nice bit:

But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God. 1 Corinthians 11:3

This is a couple lines after saying that, since he (Paul) was follower of Christ, you should be followers of Paul, but back to topic, this is quite mild, right? It's not as hard as in Genesis and ruling, is it? In his letter to the Ephesians, he elaborates and generalizes the "Christ head of man, man head of women" thing

Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing. Ephesians 5:22-24

Now here is present the Genesis' idea of wife serve husband, submissive and all. And just to avoid giving the impression it's a temporal rant, he says again:

Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as it is fit in the Lord. Colossians 3:18

As we'll see below, Paul has a nice record of gender in-equality fighting, but then again, he only was one of the twelve favorites of Christ, but not the favorite, as Peter was. Speaking of which...

Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives; 1 Peter 3:1

So, Peter's too. Now that it's being shown this is a bit of a general feeling in bible, I would like to point to why there's not too many women preaching and why, Bible in hand, there shouldn't be any:

Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience, as also saith the law. And if they will learn any thing, let them ask their husbands at home: for it is a shame for women to speak in the church. 1 Corinthians 34-35

That's it, women are not allowed to even speak in church, and they can only learn - about religion, I guess - from their own husbands, not any man. I've seen this bit downplayed, interpreting that Paul wasn't saying this himself, but quoting a previous letter from the Corinthians, but then he wrote this to Timothy:

Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection. But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence. For Adam was first formed, then Eve. And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression. 1 Timothy 2:11-14

In the first two verses, he just repeats that women must learn in silence and servitude, and that a woman shouldn't teach or command a man. By itself, it could be outrageous, but that's why I copied the other two verses, in which the "logic" behind the silence command is based: Adam was first, Eve was after him. That kind of "reasoning" makes this bit laughable, doesn't it? And, by the way, the author blames the whole original sin in Eve. He don't think Adam should have gone Where that fruit came from? The Forbidden Tree? And you expect me to eat too?

Not to be able to learn anything but from men should be hard, that's why I guessed he was speaking only about religion. It seems I understood correctly, because in the letter to Titus he allows women to teach. Not over a man, of course - that would be having authority over him - but they can teach younger women:

The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things; That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed. Titus 2:3-5

As I said before, I guess it requires a lot of simple-mindedness to start believing this things and resistance to learning to keep believing them, for any person, but when considering women? I don't understand how can a woman declare herself a Christian, considering these few Bible bits, declare that she is equal to other persons, and still don't get the incoherence of that thought.

So, women, I hope you see you shouldn't claim to be Christian.

Unless you like to be considered servants, of course.

13th Age Soundtrack Review

Finally I came to buy the 13th Age Soundtrack, not only to use it with 13th Age but looking to use it with other games too. Since I had some doubts about buying it, I'd like to share what I think about it in a track-by-track way.
Before starting, though, you'll want a player that can toggle between song-looping and song play once, and lets you change songs as easily as you can.

13th Age

is a two minutes long song with a bit of epic tones. If everything's right, you should see a player to let you hear it, so you can get your our opinion there. The final smoothness and silence make this song not-loopable.

Dreams of a Lost Age

This song has a certain tint of nostalgia that makes me think about The Shire being look by Frodo after everything happened, kind of a place that you used to know and love, but that you can't really go back to because you've seen too much out of it.

Exploration

This song is really nice to enter some dark catacomb, forest or similar place, where secret scriptures speak of forgotten things and there's something hiding among the shadows projected by the torches. It can be looped, but would have been nice to have it in a loop-ready version

High Dock

It is a serene song, relaxing in a cloud-flying-kind of way. Maybe something from where look at past adventures and victories, and the world you and your companions have saved.

Omen

Is another ominous song that promises problems are near, but not in so a immediate kind of way as other songs in the soundtrack.

Tales Around the Fire

This song belongs to a tavern or maybe a encampment's fire, shared with some other travelers. A way to rest, and relax between adventures or maybe in long rests.

The Demon Coast

It's an ominous song, with whistles beyond the mist, hinting that something bad is going to happen.

The Eyes of the Stone Thief

This song is related to a Champion campaign, starts with a warning that a disaster is about to happen, and ends just as it does.

The Fangs

Feels like the background music an adventure movie would have when taking shots of the main characters traveling from the start of their adventure to the climax of it. Makes me think about a ship's trip, grim determination in their eyes, to fight and be victorious or die trying.

Starport

This song sounds like something mystical and epic is going to happen in some calmed way, maybe the immolation of a beloved hero after being recovered from the fight that saved the world but took his life as price.

Icons

There is a song for every Icon except for the Shadow Prince (go figures...). All are about two minutes long, not loopable (because of ending silences and/or too abrupt changes between start and end, depending on the song), so they're not good for background, continuous music, but they are for the presentation to an Icon's place of power.

Archmage

Includes some magic-inspiring bassoon to bring about imagery of magic, mystical energies doing their work around an Archmage's place of power, and also a couple of thunder to remember there's a promise of very serious power going on.

Crusader

This song is perfect for Crusader, starts with a startle and keeps rolling as a juggernaut crushing its way inexorably, with a few touches of chorus to remind listeners there's some holy in its leitmotiv. 

Diabolist

I like how Diabolist theme has a kind of relation with Crusader's, considering they are the proverbial touching extremes. 

Dwarf King

This song has some epic tones, hammers hammering metal and all you can think of a movie sequence flying over Khazad-Dûm. 

Elf Queen

Elf Queen's song is a quiet, smooth song with strings and flutes for melody and violin kind in the background. It can make you think about the elven, kind way of nature, but it has a part too that seems a bit more serious, like for the dark elves part. 

Emperor

Emperor's has kind of martial sounds. This is a presentation music too, majestic and all that, but the ending is too sharp to make it background.

Great Gold Wyrm

This song reminds the kind of place Great Gold Wyrm is, and what it does there, starting with a slightly hard bit but transforming it in a melody that speaks of untiring work and epic vigilance.

High Druid

Uses sound from forests, chorus and tribal kind of sounds. The voices and main sounds are simple percussion and woods, as it should for this Icon. It's not loopable, though.

Lich King

Is ominous, with chorus, bells and chains, and a violin tension-rising as the PCs influence, something foreign to the rest.

Orc Lord

His music promise another unstoppable force, not unlike the Crusader, but with a bestial, reckless kind of feeling that separates both songs.

Priestess

Her song's main sound is a smooth female voice leading a chant, with some rising epic thing that makes it another presentation.

The Three

The other icons songs were easy to link to their Icon, but not this one. The Three's song makes you feel there is some danger going on, and that things are going to get serious and hard quickly, but nonetheless it lacks something to make you think about the triad of the world's most powerful dragons.

Loopable songs

They have included these songs kind of duplicated. First, there's the original song, then there's the loop version, made so it can be loop continuously without breaking the feeling. These songs are around a minute long each.

Chase

The chase brings tension and urgency in a way no other song of the pack does. It's not quick enough that makes the rolls and choices seem like dragging the action, but close to it.

Escalation 0

A very slow song, like nothing's happening but something may or may not start. It has a bit of tension, but barely.

Escalation 1

Feels like a version of Escalation 0 with a bit of melody having been added to the Escalation 0, something that feels right when you're going to change from one to the other.

Escalation 2

A new step up, just rising from Escalation 1 as that rose from Escalation 0.

Escalation 3

This song breaks the pace of the previous three. Played just afterwards, it has hints it belongs to the same series, but it's clearly a different level.

Escalation 4

Action rose clearly to a new level from Escalation 3, but doesn't do that as the first three did, adding bits to the previous one.

Escalation 5

This feels like being from Escalation 4. Strangely enough, beat seems to go down a little while tension goes up a little.

Escalation 6

This one feels like another step down in pace but another up in importance. Maybe these last three could be reversed when using them as Escalation Die theme.

To close this, the soundtrack is composed of good songs not only for 13th age, but for probably any medieval fantasy kind of game. The inclusion of loopable versions of action songs is really nice. The only step up I can think off would be a player that could change between songs, repeat none and repeat continuously with one touch and probably something that could merge one escalation level into another.

The Dresden Files

Following a friend's recommendation, I started reading The Dresden Files book series, by Jim Butcher. At the time of writing this, I'm finishing Grave Peril, and they're not bad. The idea of contemporary wizards, vampires and all that stopped being a general "wow, that's new" probably after Anne Rice's novels with her Vampire Chronicles, Mayfair witches or Wolf Gift books, but to me was after discovering Vampire, the Masquerade and the whole Mage, Werewolf, Wraith, et cetera series.

I don't want to make any spoilers, but to review them I have to say something anyway. First of all, they're cool, they have good ideas that will probably be new and original to most people, and they're well written, taking you into the rabbit hole, working gradually from the ignorance that Dresden (the main character, kind of a wizard - private investigator) shares with you to a climax not unlike an action/adventure film.

What to expect, then?

A lot of cliffhangers. About once a chapter we leave Dresden in a fucked up situation he has to solve in the next one. Sometimes it feels a little too much because about one third of each book he's so tired and beaten up you can't believe he just doesn't collapse, and still manages to keep going forward. I guess it should be kind of epic, like John McClane, getting several beatings in every movie and still saving the day at the end, but in a narration feels just too self-conscious and a bit... whining.

A lot of angst in the person of Dresden, often whipping himself because of the people that dies directly or (very) indirectly because of him. This can be a bit tiring sometimes, sometimes because it's too often, sometimes because he was making a mistake too clear not to realize, including repeating his own previous mistakes, like not telling somebody the information they need to survive. Actually that seems to be specially difficult for him, since several deaths and wounds are caused precisely because of that.

First person narrative - so everything is just as misunderstood as Dresden is misunderstanding it -. That's interesting because we are left able to think that some things are not as Dresden understands them, but still see the way he understands them. For instance, sometimes Dresden seem too... manichaeist. He understands magic as the white/black magic, emotions as good/bad, all that. Some creatures - like vampires - are inherently evil. Honestly, I'm a bit tired of that. Several times he states that magic's origin is the life force - kind like the Star Wars Force powers - despite evidence to the contrary (like most times he fights another practitioner or just his own use of it) Anyway, life includes death of others, anger, lust, and a lot of the emotions he calls "negative". It's ironic that he doesn't seem to throw in the "negative" lot the anger he feels as reaction to be scared - and that saves his and other peoples' ass.

You can expect a refreshing "this is not everyday" feeling. I mean that between books pass months or years, so it's not like "wow, the CSI team get the interesting of the week, every week". Reading them all without that feeling of time passing could be stretching too much the suspension of belief.

There are some things that would seem more likely in a TV series than in books. Dresden always dress with sneakers, jeans and a duster as a lot of characters in a lot of movies following The Matrix. It was a bit too much, considering all the people who suddenly discovered it was cool - like the Underworld series, Van Helsing or Nicholas Cage in The Sorcerer's Apprentice. Now, I just try to remember what Terry Pratchett said through his wizards and witches, that half the magic is in people thinking you're special, but besides the costume department and the cliffhangers, every woman is sexy. His friend at the police department, his journalist friend, his female clients, some other females he just happen to come by - including vampires and werewolves. It's just like that part of Last Action Hero, when the kid tells Arnold "Don't you find strange that every women is hot?"

And there are things I just can't buy anymore, like the Christian faith and love being powers above everything else. Specially the thing with Christian faith, since having read some downplayed bible bits, like Exodus 22:18 "do not allow a sorceress to live", combined with Michael, Dresden's friend, ally, and a Knight of God's Fist, makes too clear that any bible-reading, inquisitor-kind of character should be against Dresden on principle.

Anyway, they're fine books, worth reading if you're into this kind of fiction as I am.

Linaje de Jesús

Con motivo del sábado de semana santa, otra entrada para llamar la atención sobre otro detalle de la Biblia. En esta ocasión, el linaje de Cristo.

Se habla del linaje de Cristo en dos evangelios, Mateo 1, 2-16 por un lado y Lucas 3, 23-31 por otro. Lo gracioso, claro es compararlos.

Mateo 1, 2-16	Lucas 3, 23-31
Abraham	Abraham
Isaac	Isaac
Jacob	Jacob
Judá	Judá
Fares	Fares
Esrom	Esrom
Aram	Arní	Seguro que son dos versiones del mismo nombre
	Admín	Mateo pierde una generación aquí
Aminadab	Aminadab
Naassón	Naassón
Salmón	Sala	De nuevo, supongo que son dos versiones del mismo nombre
Booz	Booz
Obed	Obed
Jesé	Jesé
David	David
Salomón	Natán	A partir de aquí, sí que es difícil que sean dos versiones del mismo nombre: once generaciones con nombres distintos
Roboam	Mattatá
Abiá	Menná
Ozías	Meleá
Joatam	Elliaquim
Acaz	Jonam
Ezequías	José
Manasés	Judá
Amón	Simeón
Josías	Leví
Jeconías	Mattat
	Jorim	Mateo se olvida de nueve generaciones
	Eliezer
	Jesús
	Er
	Elmadam
	Cosam
	Addí
	Melkí
	Nerí
Salatiel	Salatiel	Se reúne el linaje
Zorobabel	Zorobabel
Abiud	Resá	Otras nueve generaciones de nombres distintos
Eliakim	Joanán
Azor	Jodá
Sadoq	Josec
Aquim	Semeín
Elud	Mattatías
Eleazar	Maaz
Mattán	Nangay
Jacob	Eslí
	Naúm	Mateo obvia otras diez generaciones
	Amós
	Leví
	Mattatías
	José
	Jannái
	Melki
	Leví
	Mattat
	Helí
José	José	Menos mal que están de acuerdo en quién es el padre
Jesucristo	Jesucristo

Una explicación de esto es que uno de los evangelistas habla del linaje por línea paterna y otro por vía materna. Destaca que trazar un linaje matrilineal es inusual - para los judíos, al menos, entiendo - pero que, total, como el nacimiento virginal es inusual también, pues qué más da.

Desde luego, si estos linajes son del mismo padre (José o María) queda claro que, como mínimo, uno de los dos no tiene ni idea, a pesar de que los judíos fueran escrupulosos con los registros de nombres. Sin embargo, suponiendo que cada uno habla del linaje de uno de los padres, el linaje de uno de ellos no nos importa, porque José no es más que padre putativo de Jesús, así que, ¿qué más da quienes fueran sus ancestros?

Por otro lado, la misma cantidad de años pasa entre el nacimiento de Zorobabel y el de Jesús, pero Mateo cuenta once generaciones y Lucas veintiuna. Los años de las diez generaciones adicionales de Lucas tendrían que repartirse entre las generaciones que pone Mateo. Eso significa que, de media, las generaciones que da Lucas tuvieron a la siguiente generación con la mitad de años que las de Mateo - como sería habitual que el hombre fuera mayor que la mujer, entiendo que eso supone el linaje matrilineal para Lucas y que Mateo es el que da datos que no tienen ninguna relevancia. 

Quedamos entonces que la única información que podemos sacar de Mateo es para cuadrar la media de años por generación y que entre Mateo y Lucas resulta que, de media, las mujeres se casaron con la mitad de edad que sus maridos. Ahora perfectamente podríamos imaginar una sucesión de hombres casándose un poco tarde - como a unos 40 - con jovencitas de 20 durante diez generaciones. El mínimo que se consideraba en Roma era de 14 años para hombres, 12 para mujeres. Lo habitual era que las mujeres esperaran hasta los 14-15 años y era muy raro que un hombre esperara hasta los 30. No hablamos de matrimonio, sino de hijos, así que imaginad por el lado del linaje femenino - el de Lucas - una sucesión de veinte generaciones de niñas de trece años teniendo sus primeros hijos. Trece años, de media, así que pensemos en un rango de 12 (mínimo legal) a 14 (lo normal) casándose con hombres que les doblan la edad (24-28 años)

Un poco jóvenes para mi gusto, pero era la época. Lo llamativo es que se mantuviera esa tendencia durante veinte generaciones de madres casi en su primera regla.

En fin, que si sangra y pesa más que un pollo...

El látigo

Algo que algunas veces se aconseja como guía de acción para cristianos es preguntarse "¿Qué haría Jesús?" Bueno, pues hace varios meses vi un ejemplo que me hizo bastante gracia y voy a aprovechar que es viernes santo para compartirlo.

El episodio en cuestión:
"Se acercaba la Pascua de los judíos y Jesús subió a Jerusalén. Y encontró en el Templo a los vendedores de bueyes, ovejas y palomas, y a los cambistas en sus puestos. Haciendo un látigo con cuerdas, echó a todos fuera del Templo, con las ovejas y los bueyes; desparramó el dinero de los cambistas y les volcó las mesas;"
Juan 2, 13-15

Este debe ser uno de esos episodios que gustaron más, porque a diferencia del asunto de la higuera, aparece en los cuatro evangelios oficiales.

"Entró Jesús en el Templo y echó fuera a todos los que vendían y compraban en el Templo; volcó las mesas de los cambistas y los puestos de los vendedores de palomas."
Mateo 21, 12

"Llegan a Jerusalén; y entrando en el Templo, comenzó a echar fuera a los que vendían y a los que compraban en el Templo; volcó las mesas de los cambistas y los puestos de los vendedores de palomas"
Marcos 11, 15

"Entrando en el Templo, comenzó a echar fuera a los que vendían"
Lucas 19, 45

Juan es el único al que no le importa decir que les echó a latigazos, a Mateo y Marcos quizá les parecería que no quedaría bien una acto de violencia tan directo, así que sólo dicen que volcó las mesas. Y Lucas supongo que era más sensible a lo políticamente correcto de los cristianos actuales y ni siquiera habló de volcar mesas.

Aunque cada uno da detalles distintos, que aparezca en los cuatro supongo que indica la popularidad del episodio, al que llaman "limpieza del templo". En todo caso, es como una de esas anécdotas de días de fiesta, del estilo de "¿Os acordáis aquella vez que... ?", porque en lo que sí se diferencian es en el cuándo.

Juan lo pone al principio de la vida adulta de Jesús ¿Os acordáis que, cuando empezó la movida...?

"Así, en Caná de Galilea, dio Jesús comienzo a sus señales. Y manifestó su gloria, y creyeron en él sus discípulos. Después bajó a Cafarnaúm con su madre y sus hermanos y sus discípulos, pero no se quedaron allí muchos días. Se acercaba la Pascua de los judíos y Jesús subió a Jerusalén."
Juan 2, 11-13

Mateo y Lucas lo ponen el día de la entrada triunfal en Jerusalén, el día antes del asunto de la higuera. (aunque Lucas no incluye la higuera) No fue así, fue en los últimos días, que iban todos jaleándole

"La gente, muy numerosa, extendió sus mantos por el camino; otros cortaban ramas de los árboles y las tendían por el camino. Y la gente que iba delante y detrás de él gritaba: = «¡Hosanna = al Hijo de David! = ¡Bendito el que viene en nombre del Señor! ¡Hosanna = en las alturas!» Y al entrar él en Jerusalén, toda la ciudad se conmovió. «¿Quién es éste?» decían. Y la gente decía: «Este es el profeta Jesús, de Nazaret de Galilea.»"
Mateo 21, 8-11

"Al acercarse y ver la ciudad, lloró por ella,"
Lucas 19, 41

Marcos también participa No, no fue el día antes, fue el mismo día. Le debía durar el cabreo con la higuera

"Y entró en Jerusalén, en el Templo, y después de observar todo a su alrededor, siendo ya tarde, salió con los Doce para Betania. Al día siguiente, saliendo ellos de Betania, sintió hambre. Y viendo de lejos una higuera con hojas, fue a ver si encontraba algo en ella; acercándose a ella, no encontró más que hojas; es que no era tiempo de higos. Entonces le dijo: «¡Que nunca jamás coma nadie fruto de ti!» Y sus discípulos oían esto.
Llegan a Jerusalén; y entrando en el Templo, comenzó a echar fuera a los que vendían y a los que compraban en el Templo; volcó las mesas de los cambistas y los puestos de los vendedores de palomas"
Marcos 11, 11-15

El caso es que, si en algún momento sentís la necesidad de buscar en la biblia lo qué podéis hacer para solucionar algún problema, recordad que una posibilidad es coger vuestro cinturón y azotar a los que os estén fastidiando.

La higuera

La Biblia se supone que es la base de todas las sectas cristianas, que es la palabra de dios, inspirada por él a los autores, y redactada a través suyo. Al ser esa base de toda forma de cristianismo, todos los que se declaran cristianos se declaran implícitamente de acuerdo con la biblia, sus ideas morales y la idea de que los hechos relatados son ciertos. Por suerte, la mayoría de los cristianos no sólo no sabe de la biblia más que los pasajes escogidos que les han leído y no han sido educados con rigor en la "moral" que defiende ese libro, pero lo malo - después de las personas que sí se lo creen a pies juntillas - es que creen que el resto es como las partes bonitas que les han contado.

Alguna vez he visto comparar la Biblia con el acuerdo de uso de un programa informático, algo que nadie lee, sólo vamos al final y marcamos "Acepto", y por destacar esa idea con algo que pueda resultar sorprendente sin ser demasiado ofensivo, me gustaría llamar la atención sobre la historia de una higuera en particular.

Esto es lo que dice Mateo al respecto.

"Al amanecer, cuando volvía a la ciudad, (Jesús) sintió hambre; y viendo una higuera junto al camino, se acercó a ella, pero no encontró en ella más que hojas. Entonces le dice: «¡Que nunca jamás brote fruto de ti!» Y al momento se secó la higuera."

Mateo 21:18-19

Es decir, según Mateo, Jesús tiene hambre y como no encuentra higos en la higuera la mata. Así, como suena. Un niño coge un bote de galletas y cuando ve que no quedan, le da una rabieta y lo tira lejos. No es por despreciar el sufrimiento que pudiera sentir la higuera al morir, pero menos mal que no le entró sed al ver a una cabra.

Tiene cierta gracia recordar este fragmento a los cristianos y ver que con frecuencia ni siquieran se sorprenden de las acciones de Jesús - y mucho menos las consideran exageradas o equivocadas - sino que lo que suele molestarles es que se les señale, como si fueran incapaces de aceptar que el héroe al que les han acostumbrado a respetar desde que eran niños inocentes, crédulos y manipulables pueda tener estos prontos.

Es una de estas cosas que suele escocer mucho a los que defienden algo - una religión, un partido político, un equipo de fútbol -: señalar que entre sus propias historias y acciones, de las que pretenden enorgullecerse, hay algo que provocaría vergüenza ajena en los que no estuvieran tan adoctrinados.

Sin embargo, aunque la versión de Mateo tiene gracia, la de Marcos tiene algunos matices que la hacen mejor aún:

"Al día siguiente, saliendo ellos de Betania, (Jesús) sintió hambre. Y viendo de lejos una higuera con hojas, fue a ver si encontraba algo en ella; acercándose a ella, no encontró más que hojas; es que no era tiempo de higos. Entonces le dijo: «¡Que nunca jamás coma nadie fruto de ti!» Y sus discípulos oían esto. [...] Al pasar muy de mañana, vieron la higuera, que estaba seca hasta la raíz. Pedro, recordándolo, le dice: «¡Rabbí, mira!, la higuera que maldijiste está seca.»"

Marcos 11:12-14;20-21

La contradicción entre secarse de inmediato o a lo largo del día no es de las más significativas de la Biblia, pero tampoco es el detalle que me interesaba, sino que no era época de higos. Leyendo a Mateo se podría pensar que la reacción es injusta con la higuera porque oye, que los que viven por allí podían haberse comido todos los higos ya y la higuera no tiene culpa de ello, pero el grado de estupidez añadido por señalar que no era tiempo de frutos supone que la higuera muere porque fue creada como fue creada (creada por Dios, por cierto)

Que sea una higuera hace pensar en "Bueno, tampoco importa tanto. No es que se haya cargado a nadie. Es una rabieta, pero sólo daña a una planta." Y a quienes quisieran alimentarse de sus higos cuando fuera época, pero no es ahí dónde quiero ir. Es que el episodio de la higuera, según algunos puede referirse a

La higuera es imagen del templo y se seca porque esa institución no vale para nada ya

La higuera es una metáfora de los creyentes, que sepan lo que les espera si Jesús les pide fruto (buenas acciones, supongo) y no se lo dan

Y por supuesto, la excusa de "soy como Dios me ha hecho" no evita el castigo, porque también la higuera es como Dios la hizo y el destino es el mismo.

Si queremos verlo con cierta seriedad, sea una metáfora o una anécdota, este episodio es igual de injusto en la condena, igual de incoherente con lo que pretende defender en otras partes de ese libro, y eso es lo que se presenta como ejemplo de justicia divina e infalible.

En serio, ¿cómo puede haber aún gente que defienda el cristianismo? Que tenga alguna idea buena no es motivo para defenderlo como bloque. La posibilidad de que un dictador pueda ser buena persona no basta para defender la dictadura como sistema de gobierno - salvo desde la posición del dictador, claro.