Mola Mola – Re:Mind Studio

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Theology often translates the complex relationship between God and humanity into a simple diagram: Parent and Child. On the surface, this metaphor appears to be the kindest language available to lower the threshold of faith. However, for some, it becomes the most violent of rhetorics. In reality, a family is not always a sanctuary. Facing the tragic statistics where the majority of child abusers are biological parents, the sermon that “God is like a parent” transcends emptiness—it triggers a visceral rejection. Why, then, does theology refuse to let go of this precarious metaphor?

A Fundamental Analogy of Origin The primary reason theology invokes the parent-child relationship is not to portray moral perfection, but to explain the origin and passivity of existence. Humans did not forge themselves; we are beings “thrown” into the world by another. This absolute dependence—the fact that biological beginnings are impossible without a parent—serves as the most powerful metaphor for the theological ontology that we cannot exist without a Source. In this context, the parent is symbolized as the “Source” who brought me into being regardless of my will, rather than simply an object of love.

The Archetypal Longing to Correct Reality Paradoxically, it is precisely because theology recognizes the imperfection of earthly parents that it posits the archetype of the “Perfect Parent.” Biblical rhetoric often compensates for worldly deficiency through the Divine, promising that even if a father and mother forsake their child, the Divine will not. This is not an attempt to justify toxic conditions in reality, but rather an effort to present the image of the “Absolute Protector as they ought to be” to those wounded by distorted family dynamics. In this sense, the theological parent is not a replica of reality, but a paradoxical model meant to expose and heal its flaws.

The Legacy of Patriarchy and Contemporary Limits Yet, the danger of this metaphor cannot be ignored. The parent-child analogy mirrors the patriarchal social structures of the era in which theology was formulated. Language from a time when a father held the power of life and death has, in modern times, risked becoming a tool that reinforces a “Normal Family Ideology.” Projecting a parent—who may be a perpetrator in reality—onto the image of God can become a form of “theological gaslighting,” imposing a new yoke upon the victim. This is why modern theology seeks to expand its metaphors toward friends, lovers, or a “Source of Life” that transcends human personhood.

The Bankruptcy of Metaphor and the Search for New Language A metaphor is merely a finger pointing at the moon, not the moon itself. If the metaphor of “parent” obstructs someone’s existential reality or pain, that metaphor has reached the end of its lifespan. The parent spoken of in theology must never serve as an alibi to mask abuse and neglect in the real world. Ultimately, what we need is not the embalmed myth of the normal family, but an affirmation of existence that remains valid even within the cracks of broken relationships. At the point of encountering an Absolute Other who cannot be fully contained by the name “Parent,” theology must finally move beyond old tropes to find a new language.

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The Intellectual Property of Min Jin-sung
From chronological traces to algorithmic artifacts.

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Man is a being of ceaseless inquiry. We long for the invisible edges of the universe and strive to unearth the elusive essence of the self. To borrow theological rhetoric, humans are “finite creatures oriented toward the infinite.” However, a strange logical collision occurs here. While the Christian worldview appears to grant humans the right to intellectual pursuit and questioning, it demands “unquestioning obedience” at decisive moments. Why is the constraint of obedience requested of a being endowed with free intellect? Behind this paradoxical demand lie three layers of thought.

The Limits of Intellect and the Aesthetics of Humility

While human intellectual desire aims for the infinite, the intellect itself—the tool of that desire—is imprisoned within biological and temporal limits. Theology points precisely to this junction. For a creature to claim a total understanding of the Creator’s providence is akin to a being on a two-dimensional plane attempting to perfectly define a three-dimensional solid. Here, obedience is not the abandonment of intellect, but rather “intellectual humility.” The precondition for obedience is intellectual honesty: acknowledging that one cannot grasp everything and accepting one’s own finitude.

The Dialectics of Doubt and Distrust

The biblical narrative is, surprisingly, filled with the records of “those who questioned.” Job, crying out in his suffering, and Thomas, who doubted the resurrection, were not cast out; instead, they were granted the opportunity to encounter God face-to-face. What Christianity guards against is not “healthy doubt” directed toward truth. Rather, the object of caution is the attitude of distrust—closing the door of the self before even seeking an answer. In the context of faith, obedience is not the cessation of questioning, but an exhortation to trust the One encountered at the end of the inquiry. In other words, the question becomes a ladder to reach God, and obedience is the existential decision to acknowledge the Absolute encountered at the top of that ladder.

Submission as Relational Trust

The word “obedience” often evokes images of authoritarian coercion. However, within the linguistic system of faith, obedience is interpreted as the height of “relational trust.” This is similar to a young child who, despite not understanding every judgment made by a parent, takes their hand and steps onto an unfamiliar path because they trust in the parent’s goodwill. A voluntary transfer of sovereignty occurs not because intellectual thirst has been fully quenched, but because of a personal conviction that the Being who fashioned me is good. Ultimately, obedience is transformed from a humiliating defeat into an act of rest—entrusting oneself to the safest “Other.”

The Destination of Questions and the Rest of Existence

The reason humans are infinitely questioning beings may paradoxically be that there is a void within us capable of containing an infinite Being. Questioning proves the greatness of human intellect, while obedience guarantees existential safety in realms the intellect cannot reach. To never cease questioning, yet to momentarily lay down the weapons of the intellect when encountering a vast Goodwill that overwhelms human thought at the end of those questions—that is the essence of obedience in Christianity. It is the deepest level of peace attainable by a creature that questions.

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The Intellectual Property of Min Jin-sung
From chronological traces to algorithmic artifacts.

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From Victory Reports to Doctrine: The Secular Origins of the Gospel

The Greek word Euangelion, meaning ‘Gospel,’ was not originally a religious term. In Ancient Greece, this word referred to a ‘victory report’—the news that a war had been won. The moment a messenger runs in and shouts, “We won!”, that news immediately transforms the lives of those who hear it. This is because a ‘practical utility’ occurs, such as being liberated from the crisis of impending slavery. Christianity borrowed this format of a secular victory report and named the narrative of God overcoming death as the ‘Gospel.’ In other words, the origin of the Gospel is based not on noble metaphysics, but on the ‘value of information’ that brings immediate change to human life.

Is the News the Essence, or a Signpost to the Essence?

‘News’ is not the essence. News is merely a medium connecting an Event to a Recipient. If the Gospel is truly news, then what matters should not be ‘the news itself,’ but the ‘Event’ that the news points toward. However, Christianity curiously sets this news itself as the object of faith. Beyond simply understanding the news by thinking, “Ah, such a thing happened,” the condition for salvation becomes ‘receiving’ and ‘trusting’ that news. Here, the medium transcends being a simple means of delivery and is elevated to a powerful doctrine that defines the essence. This is a logical inversion, much like a scenario where the messenger’s shout (the news) becomes more important than the victory (the event) itself.

The Religious Mechanism that Disguises Information as Reality

Why did Christianity make ‘news’ the core of its doctrine? It is because the Gospel is the only device that pulls a ‘completed event of the past’ into the ‘reality of the present.’ An event from 2,000 years ago cannot physically exist for us in the present. It can only reach modern humans by borrowing the form of information known as ‘news.’ By granting ‘spiritual authority’ to this information, religion designed a system where the content of the news is reenacted as a real event within the believer’s inner self the moment they hear it. This paradox, where the news becomes the essence, is a highly sophisticated method of information processing intended to overcome the constraints of time and space and bind humans within the system.

Subjugation to the News, or Facing the Event?

From the perspective of an ‘Individual’ (the Single One) who values efficiency, staking one’s entire life on news is a dangerous gamble. This is because news always contains the possibility of distortion and can be edited according to the intentions of the deliverer. If the Gospel is truly good news, it should end with a declaration to humanity: “Such a thing has happened, so you are now free.” However, the current Gospel attaches a condition—“If you do not believe this news, you are guilty”—thereby subjugating humans to the news itself. The moment the medium overwhelms the essence, humans cease to be free recipients and instead become prisoners trapped within the frame of the news.

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The Intellectual Property of Min Jin-sung
From chronological traces to algorithmic artifacts.

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