#divinity school address

On 15 July 1838, Ralph Waldo Emerson delivered his infamous Divinity School Address to six graduands of Harvard Divinity School, arguing that Jesus was not God, but rather the incarnation of God as man. Historical Christianity revered Jesus as a demigod, according to Emerson, and yet society was not the better for it. He proclaimed that the moral intuition of the individual rather than following religious doctrine led to a truly principled life. Outrage was caused among Protestant theologians as a result and Emerson was deemed a persona non grata at Harvard for the next thirty years.

This controversial address deepened the schism that emerged in Unitarian theology and further developed the first notable American intellectual movement, transcendentalism. Men could think for themselves and judge the morality of their actions as individuals. Emerson told this class of young theologians that goodness in man is achieved only when man is able to explore his own virtue.

Alright, so this is in a scotch glaze; however, take it no lighter than any other post. This one is inspired by a speech I'm writing, so this is very introductory to start.

        So, it's 1838, people are just as crazy as today (I know...shocking), and Ralph Waldo Emerson is invited to give the commencement speech at Harvard Divinity School for all the little boys, actually "all" meaning the six of them, six? Really, damn those tests must have been hard for only that many people to graduate... "all" of them looking to be ministers or priests or whatever they have there; oh, and there teachers are there too. I should say that Emerson is invited to give this speech because he gave a speech at Harvard a year earlier, that became "The American Scholar" to some frat bros and they were all "WOOOO RALPH!" So here we are in church school and Emerson begins talking about how great individuals are...not God...wait, "WHAT IN THE DAMNATION?!?!?!" Yes, you heard right, not God, the individual is divine in Nature. (You'll notice Nature is capitalized; because it is meant to mean the world is divine, not God.) And that this Nature thing is part of the God thatweare.

       Basically, this dick is coming to a bunch of clergymen and saying "Screw your god, mang, I AM GOD!!!!! AND YOU CAN BE TOO!" At this point the faculty is collectively cursing themselves for letting this asshole talk. Apparently when you say that people are God, not God, it really pisses off the people that disagree. Continuing his heretical speech Emerson basically spits on the Bible by saying people shouldn't be learning from "dusty old books," but from Nature and their own experience (Grammar Nazis must be rolling over when I capitalize Nature...sooo Nature Nature NATURE!). Then, after spitting on the Bible (metaphorically speaking...maybe... I mean, I wasn't really there sooo in my mind he did) he proceeds to say that Jesus wasn't really the son of God... Well shit man, this is gonna turn to torches and pitchforks soon. Seriously, he outlines Jesus as just being a really great guy that did some sweet stuff... water into wine? Probably not, but this is a college crowd so they probably ate that shit up. Emerson said that Jesus' acts shouldn't be taken literally, which was met by a disappointed sigh from the graduates (because of the wine thing...follow along now); but that Jesus is an example for human behavior and we can learn from his deeds, not his divinity, or lack there of. So, because Jesus is only a little better than us, these graduates now have a little bit higher self-esteem, then we have the power to be just as good as him or better! Better than Jesus? Damn, that would be a platform to run on... <Insert name here> "Better than Jesus...Seriously! 2012."

         Alright, now we're all divine and better than Jesus...now what? (Damn this got heretical...) Well, with our newfound divinity we should go about the world and admire because the entire world is also divine...so you may have beaten Jesus but that rock over there has got you beat by not tripping people... You got beaten by a rock, not so high and mighty, fire and brimstone now, are we? (Had to bring you down off that power trip) So the entire world is divine and so are we Emerson says, we can change the world and the world can change us...Well okay that's great Ghandi but some of us actually want to understand what the hell you want from us. (The internet says Ghandi said "Be the change you want to see in the world." But the internet is a dark place, seriously, have you heard of the Pain Olympics? DON'T DO IT!) Emerson believed we needed to live our lives howwewanted, not by some book or by what someone says...even though he said this sooooo this post may really be for nothing........shit.

        Anyway, so to rundown the list of heresies:

              1. God is not real

              2. You are God

              3. 1 & 2 may seem like a paradox but I just mean in the religious sense

              4. Jesus is not the son of God (because he/she/it doesn't exist)

              5. Learn from experience, not the Bible

              6. YOLO, it's a sin. Don't ever say it. Ever.

        So, Emerson really fucked some shit up at Harvard and wasn't invited back, and people were really pissed. This surprised Emerson, because he thought scholars would understand that they have to learn from others and Nature but then he remembered he was basically talking to a religious congregation that had their jaws on the floor after two minutes. So everyone went their own way, (But not like Fleetwood Mac, they're the worst.) Emerson wasn't smote by God, Sodom and Gomorrah were still gone, and YOLO is still used by idiots everywhere. This is all because of the personal freedom people enjoy being their own God, so says Emerson.