Could God Have Created a Daughter as Equal to Jesus, Only to Protect Her Better?
The idea of God creating a daughter like Jesus, protected to a higher degree, is an intriguing but ultimately unsupported notion within religious and historical contexts. We will explore this question by examining the life of Joan of Arc, whom some have respectfully referred to as the Blessed Virgin Saint Joan, and the comparative realities of her circumstances versus those of Jesus.
Joan of Arc: Not Protected Better
Despite being referred to as God’s daughter, Saint Joan of Arc did not enjoy a superior protection or fate compared to that of Jesus. Joan faced unimaginable suffering, both physical and spiritual, throughout her life.
Joan endured several arrow wounds during her battles, including a particularly severe one that went through 6 inches deep between her neck and shoulder. Miraculously, she removed the arrow herself and returned to battle, achieving a decisive victory at Orleans in the Hundred Years' War against the English. Her wounds, however, attest to her resilience and not to divine intervention.
Beyond the battlefield, Joan's life was a constant struggle. She spent five months in rigorous questioning and torture during her "Trial of Condemnation," where she was chained, starved, threatened with torture, and nearly poisoned. This ordeal left her physically and mentally exhausted. Despite her eventual suffering and the gruesome execution by being burned at the stake, she never claimed divine protection or invincibility.
Biblical and Theological Foundations
The notion of a divine daughter equal to Jesus faces numerous theological and historical challenges. Let us delve into the core principles within Judaism and Christianity that highlight the improbability of such an assertion.
God Did Not Have a Son Like Jesus
The concept of Jesus as God's son is rooted in early Christian beliefs that originated around the 4th century during the Council of Nicaea. This belief is an abomination within traditional Judaism, where God is understood to be one and indivisible. Jesus is portrayed in the gospels as a human prophet and teacher, not as a divine being.
According to Judaism, the awaited messiah (Moshiach) would be fully human, not divine. The messiah is expected to descend from King David's line through a biological father, not through divine conception. If Jesus were divine, his status would contradict the established prophecy. Furthermore, divinity is not a qualification for the messiah in Jewish teachings; the messiah is expected to fulfill a series of tasks and not to be a savior in the Christian sense.
No Heaven or Hell in the Old Testament
Christian beliefs about heaven and hell are not supported by the Old Testament. The terms 'Sheol' and 'Gehenna' were misunderstood to mean hell by early Christians, but in the original context, they simply referred to the grave or the pit. The Old Testament speaks of death as an end, not a place of eternal torment.
No Original Sin in the Old Testament
The concept of original sin, that human beings are born with inherited guilt, is also a Christian interpretation not present in the Old Testament. In Judaism, people are born without inherent sin and are held responsible for their actions. The Old Testament refers to 'sin' primarily in the context of breaking laws or commandments.
Conclusion
Based on the evidence from historical events and theological principles, it is not feasible for God to have created a daughter like Jesus, only to protect her better. The life and treatment of Joan of Arc provide a tangible example of suffering that confronted even those believed to be 'God’s daughters.' Judaism and early Christian beliefs do not support such an idea, and the realities of historical figures like Joan of Arc offer a stark contrast to the divine protection often attributed to the figure of Jesus.
The comparison reveals that while Joan of Arc was a pivotal figure in French history and faced tremendous hardships, her experiences were no different in their severity from those of Jesus, who was also a strong human figure in the narrative of early Christianity. Understanding these historic and theological contexts is crucial in evaluating such abstract notions of divine favoritism.