the frankfurt silver inscription, praised as first testimony of christian piety north of the alpes, shows christ as "lord of the world" who will protect those who confess him against the blows of life, for instance the one who carries this magic amulet. this means of rescue shall protect the man who indulges in the will of jesus christ son of god as all knees bow before him the ones in heaven the ones on earth and the ones under the earth.

why is this called belief rather than opportunism or personal advantage. probably because not everyone shares the opinion that jesus christ is the lord of the world, but instead put mithras, wotan, jupiter or sol invictus at this position. this uncertainty does not exist in facing the political rulers in whose reach one lives. but leaving aside this distintion between the realm of idea and the realm of physical reality, here and there we see again the fatal relationship between submission and rule, based on an exchange. the many submit to the rule of the few, acknowledging their superiority, and receiving protection for it. rather than self-employment, courage and critic it is self-abandonment, moral cowardice and subordination what is required. what is fed by anxiety and egoism, being submissive to become rewarded for it, is being transfigured as act of belief.

what would be the alternative model. the alternative model would be to accept what is given as hardship in the existence, as border, as pain, as death. to believe would mean that exactly this is to learn. to learn, to practice. to believe would mean that this acceptance, this learning and practicing is good, rather than avoiding or putting off the border, being afraid of it, hating it, being discontent with it, fighting against it. one behaviour connected with this belief would be the mutual support to carry what is difficult to bear and to suffer.

belief would then not be based on exchange and would not expect that any act pays off. belief would be without a concrete addressee, and in particular not a ruler having power to kill or to let live. belief would always be connected with absurdity, with a dedication without any certainty that this dedication is being read, or perhaps even with the certainty that the dedication will not be read. a new variant of the credo quia absurdum.

this would be a sad belief, because it sees the notion of belief occupied by dressed up egoism and a submission which looks even more disguisting than any other submission as it exchanges submission to own power as profit. a sad belief, as it sees so few efforts to understand the borders of existence as mystery which is given to us to be solved. at least to try it, perhaps failing forever.

this would also be a happy belief, amongst others as it is connected with the absurd. and because it is connected with many normal human beings who live this belief again and again and everywhere, it be with or without a jesus or a buddha, as attention, care, sincerety, in particular when there is no profit to gain and no interests to be payed on the account of good deeds.