| Did Jesus really die and rise from the dead? | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The belief that Jesus conquered death and rose again is one of the central dogmas of orthodoxy of most Christian churches. Commonly known as “the Resurrection”, for many Christian scholars since the earliest days of the church it is regarded as the most important act by Jesus. |
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| There are many famous and ancient religions that share the concept of resurrection, most notably the ancient Egyptian religious belief of the resurrection of Osiris. In terms of symbolism, nothing is more powerful than the idea that death can be somehow overcome. It calls to the natural central fear of every conscious living being- the fear of death. For generations of Christians for two millennia, the belief that both spiritual and physical death can be overcome is one of the most primal attractions to Christianity. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Evidence that the crucifixion was an elaborate fraud | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| One of the most controversial theories that has persisted since Jesus's day was that he did not die on the cross, but was secretly taken away by family members and kept in hiding until he regained his health and relocated to Southern Europe. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| This theory has persisted on account of the very evidence within the New Testament texts themselves pointing to a "private crucifixtion" not a public spectacle, the overt involvement of Joseph and Pontius Pilate in the proceedings, the presence of trusted and senior Roman soldiers at the event and the conspicuous absence of reference to any of the Sanhedrin (official Jewish body of the time) overseeing the event. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Then there is the Gospel of John and the explicit story of Lazarus, an aramaic anagram of Su'Razal of "good/holy man". John is at pains to point out that Lazarus/Su'Razal survives death and that the authorities are out to kill him. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| But the greatest evidence of survival of the crucifixtion is the fact that the story as accounted by Paul of Tarsus (St. Paul) and those that followed him is identical to the long historical string of "saviours" of the pagan world. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Christian theological argument | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| To combat the persistent denials of the resurrection of Jesus, and event that defies all known laws of physics, the christian church under Augustine developed a sophisticated and threatening theological argument. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
It is that by “conquering death”, Christians believe that Jesus freed all people from Augustinian concept of "original sin" allegedly of Adam and Eve and opened the gates of Heaven as well as the salvation of the souls of the faithful. Therefore, not to believe in the resurrection is not only unChristian, it is to deny (by implication) the notion of salvation and the forgiveness of original sin. |
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Yet, like the notion of “virgin birth”, the concept of “resurrection” continues to mask and distort the central and key messages of Jesus. His ministry concerned the idea that Heaven was not only a place, but an active home- an idea far more sophisticated than a vague spiritual plane such as the Elysium fields of Roman belief. Secondly, Jesus spoke of Heaven being something attainable by all people, not just those of privilege, religious aristocracy and life long piety. Finally, Jesus throughout the Gospels seeks to constantly battle the natural fear of death and the unknown of the disciples by reassuring them again and again that death is only a door and not the end. |
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For people living in the 21 st Century, such ideas may not appear astounding. But you need to consider what such ideas represented to people two thousand years ago. Such ideas had always been the restricted knowledge and secrets of mystery schools and the initiated. Common people (like you and me) were never supposed to hear such wisdom. So for Jesus to openly explain such freedoms of fear over death is truly historic and revolutionary. |
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| Whether Jesus rose from the dead or not, his central message lives on. Sadly, once again, the weeds and thorns of dogma and orthodoxy cloud such wisdom with argument over articles of faith without accountability of action. Churches demand loyalty without wisdom to the deeper and wider historic and cultural importance of the message of Jesus concerning overcoming death. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Once again symbolizing and supernatural and paranormal beliefs cloud our judgment and distract from the real question. Do you believe in heaven? Do you believe if you help others that when you die you will go to heaven? Are you helping people today? | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
This was the message of Jesus. |
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Copyright © One-Faith-of-God.org 2010. All Rights Reserved |
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