Richard Wagner and Jesus

"One might say that where religion becomes artificial, it is reserved for art to save the spirit of religion by recognizing the figurative value of the mythical symbol, which religion would have us believe in a literal sense, and revealing its deep and hidden truths through an ideal presentation. * * * Whilst the priest stakes everything on religious allegories being accepted as matters of fact, the artist has no concern at all with such a think since he freely and openly gives out his work as his own invention. But religion has sunk into an artificial life when she finds herself compelled to keep on adding to the edifice of her dogmatic symbols, and thus conceals the one divinely true in her, beneath an ever-growing heap of incredibilities recommended to belief. Feeling this, she has always sought the aid of art, who on her side has remained incapable of a higher evolution so long as she must present that alleged reality to the worshiper, in the form of fetishes and idols, whereas she could only fulfill her true vocation when, by an ideal presentment of the allegorical figure, she let to an apprehension of its inner kernel-the truth ineffably divine."

It is often believed that Wagner was an Atheist. That is not true at all. Wagner admired Jesus and saw him as a role model. However, he also was far from being an orthodox Christians. He saw the contradictions in "God's word" and rejected the Old Testament, as he saw that it contradicted with the love and mercy of Christian teachings. He saw it as especially great for the poor people (Matthew 5:3) and as a form of comfort. He condemned pictures of the final judgement and saw the teachings of hell as a tactic by the organized church to control. He however nevertheless saw Christian influences through his music. His focus was the hope of Christ. He also saw the contradictions between the God of the Old Testament (Yahweh/Jehovah) and Jesus Christ of Nazareth, of whom he realized that he was of Greek heritage, not Hebrew one.
It may have been a strange try of Wagner to mix Christian teachings with Schopenhauer's philosophy. Many fundamentalists definitely have critisized him for his views on sexuality and his attempts to mix their belief system with Buddhism and Paganism. I believe we have to Wagner saw his music as the greatest gift of God (which I will definitely agree with!) and that it was a way better way of healing than what we are provided in religious and non-religious circles. Wagner knew that God is real, but that not everything in the Bible is inspired by Him.