Monday, 14 October 2019

SAINT PAUL AND JESUS


"The arrest of several Jewish activists for trying to smuggle in a kid and conduct a sacrifice on the Temple Mount is a timely reminder that before the Passover seder was invented, the festival was all about the killing and eating of baby goats and sheep."

Are we saved by -

1. Sacrificing a goat?

2. OR, by being unselfish and kind and tuning into the heaven within us?

Paul taught that Christians are freed from sin by Jesus' death and resurrection.

"By Christ's blood, peace is made between God and man." [146]

According to E.P. Sanders, Paul's belief ties in with "ancient sacrificial theology."[155]

'Paul was successful at spreading the Christian relion.'

But Paul's 'Christian' religion adopted the old Jewish myths?

...

However, "Saint Paul apparently wrote:

Love is patient, love is kind.

It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.

It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 

Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 

It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Love never fails."

1 Corinthians 13:4-8  The epistle is attributed to Paul the Apostle and a co-author named Timothy.

...

Saint Paul is controversial.

Among the critics of Paul the Apostle was Thomas Jefferson, a Deist, who wrote that Paul was the "first corrupter of the doctrines of Jesus."

A bishop's book pictures Paul as a homosexual.

Some people wonder if Paul is an invention.

"St Paul, appears nowhere in the secular histories of his age (not in Tacitus, not in Pliny, not in Josephus, etc.)

"Though Paul, we are told, mingled in the company of provincial governors and had audiences before kings and emperors, no scribe thought it worthwhile to record these events.

"The popular image of the saint is selectively crafted from two sources: the Book of Acts and the Epistles which bear his name. Yet the two sources actually present two radically different individuals and two wildly divergent stories."

Two Different Pauls – A Fabricated Apostle?


Saint Paul takes part in the murder of Saint Stephen.

Saint Paul 'founded several churches in Asia Minor and Europe'.

He was was both a Jew and a Roman citizen.



According to Acts, Paul was dedicated to persecuting the early disciples of Jesus.

Paul took an active part in the martyrdom of Stephen.

[Acts 7:58–60; 22:20]

Paul confesses that "beyond measure" he persecuted the church of God prior to his conversion.

[Gal. 1:13–14] [Phil. 3:6] [Acts 8:1–3]



According to Acts, Paul was traveling on the road from Jerusalem to Damascus on a mission to "arrest the disciples and bring them back to Jerusalem" when the resurrected Jesus appeared to him in a great light.

"He was struck blind, but after three days his sight was restored by Ananias of Damascus and Paul began to preach that Jesus is the Jewish Messiah and the Son of God." [22]

Conversion of Paul the Apostle



Thirteen of the twenty-seven books in the New Testament have traditionally been attributed to Paul.[23]

Seven of the Pauline epistles are seen by scholars as being authentic, with varying degrees of argument about the remainder.

Historical reliability of the Acts of the Apostles



Paul's writings are 'vital roots of the theology, worship and pastoral life in the Christian churches'.

Paul was from a devout Jewish family[45] in the city of Tarsus, one of the largest trade centers on the Mediterranean coast.[46]

Paul referred to himself as being "of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee". [Phil. 3:5]

Professor Robert Eisenman of California State University, Long Beach argues that Paul was a member of the family of Herod the Great.[48]

While he was still fairly young, he was sent to Jerusalem to receive his education at the school of Gamaliel,[Acts 22:3] one of the most noted rabbis in history.

In Antioch,Paul reviews Israelite history from life in Egypt to King David. He introduces Jesus as a descendant of David brought to Israel by God.

Jesus Christ 'was GREEK not Jewish'?



In The Four Gospels, Emile Victor Rieu refers to the Gospel writers.

According to Rieu:

St Mark's Gospel is thought to have been written about A.D. 65 and was probably the earliest of the four Gospels.

Mark makes no mention of the Nativity story.

John makes no mention of the Nativity story.

Some people wonder how many of the Gospel stories were 'invented by zealous teachers' to teach 'some locally needed lesson.'  

Matthew's Gospel was written about A.D. 85 for the use of the 'Jewish-Christian' community in his area.

Luke's Gospel was written about A.D. 85 for the Greek world.

John's Gospel was written about A.D. 100.

The Gospel writers, who all were apparently Jewish in origin, insisted on the Jewish origins of Christianity.

Thomas Sheehan, Loyola philosophy professor and author of The First Coming: How the Kingdom of God Became Christianity, maintains that "Jesus did not think he was divine," nor did he "assert any of the messianic claims that the New Testament attributes to him."

Jesus' Followers 



"He was meek, and merciful.

"He was criticized for associating with sinners. 

"He celebrated a last supper. 

"He forgave his enemies."

That was Krishna, born in 3228 BC in India.



Jesus was a Jewish Communist?

Communists do not generally believe in the Divine.



However, Jesus appears to be a bit Socialist.

According to Acts 2: 44, 45:

"All that believed had all things in common.

"And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need."

Acts 4:34

"For as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them ... and distribution was made unto every man according as he had need."

Matthew 6:24.

Jesus said: "You cannot serve both God and Money."


Jesus is an important figure in the Koran.

Luke 18:18–25

Jesus said: 'Sell all that you possess and distribute it to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven.'

Galatians 3:28

In Christianity, "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus."



Which is more important - the person of Jesus or the ideas of Jesus?

The History of Jesus is disputed.

The ideas of Jesus may not all be unique to Jesus.

According to the Akkadian Councils of Wisdom (Babylonian civilization that existed two millennia before Jesus was born):

"Do not return evil to your adversary.

"Requite with kindness the one who does evil to you, Maintain justice for your enemy, Be friendly to your enemy."

Jesus was not the first to teach 'Love Your Enemy'.

According to Buddhist wisdom (written centuries before Jesus was born)

"Shame on him who strikes, greater shame on him who strikes back. 

"Let us live happily, not hating those who hate us. Let us therefore overcome anger by kindness, evil by good, falsehood by truth. Do not hurt others in ways that would be hurtful to yourself."

...

According to Taoist wisdom (written centuries before Jesus was born):

"Return love for hatred.

"Regard your neighbor's gain as your own and your neighborʼs loss as your own loss. 

"Whoever is self-centered cannot have the love of others."

Jesus was not the first to teach 'Love Your Enemy' / 'love your enemy'

According to the Koran (Qur'an 41.34-35):

"The good deed and the evil deed are not alike.

"Repel the evil deed with one which is better, then lo!, he between whom and you there was enmity shall become as though he were a bosom friend."

...

The 'official' History of Jesus is suspect?

Among the 10 Christ-like Figures Who Pre-Date Jesus are:



Zoroaster/Zarathustra

"Zoroaster was born of a virgin and 'immaculate conception by a ray of divine reason.'

"He was baptized in a river.

"In his youth he astounded wise men with his wisdom.

"He was tempted in the wilderness by the devil.

"He began his ministry at age 30.

"Zoroaster baptized with water, fire and 'holy wind.'

"He cast out demons and restored the sight to a blind man. 

"He taught about heaven and hell, and revealed mysteries, including resurrection, judgment, salvation and the apocalypse.

"He had a sacred cup or grail.

"He was slain.

"His religion had a eucharist.

"He was the 'Word made flesh.'

Zoroaster’s followers expected a 'second coming' in the virgin-born Saoshynt or Savior, who is to come in 2341 AD and begin his ministry at age 30, ushering in a golden age.



Attis of Phrygia

Attis was born on December 25 of the Virgin Nana.

He was considered the savior who was slain for the salvation of mankind.

His body as bread was eaten by his worshippers.

He was both the Divine Son and the Father.

On 'Black Friday,' he was crucified on a tree, from which his holy blood ran down to redeem the earth.

He descended into the underworld.

After three days, Attis was resurrected.


How odd of God to choose the Jews.

JESUS AND JUNG


Carl Jung and family

According to Carl Jung: "We all must do what Christ did. We must make our experiment.

"We must make mistakes. We must live out our own version of life.

"And there will be error. If you avoid error you do not live."


The Psychotherapist & Self Acceptance.

According to the Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung, there is a 'dark side' to all our personalities.

Think of anger, greed, fear and lust.

This 'dark side', or 'shadow', is usually hidden within our 'subconscious'.

The 'dark side' or 'shadow' should not be seen as necessarily always 'evil'.

For example, there would be no marriages or children without there being a little 'lust'.

It is extreme or out-of-control lust that is evil.

If we get angry about injustice, that is no bad thing, so long as we remain rational and do not go berserk.

Essential Secrets of Psychotherapy: What is the "Shadow" by Stephen A. Diamond, Ph.D.



Jesus appears to have had his 'shadow'.

Jesus faced temptations in the desert.

He cursed the fig tree.

The Psychology of Jesus — Chapter 3 — David McKenna



Our rulers want us to be excessively angry, greedy, frightened and lustful so as to control us.

However, there is also a 'good side' to all of us.



Fr. John A. Sanford, in his 1970 book The Kingdom Within, sees Jesus's instruction "love your enemies" as an attempt to help us deal with all the parts of the whole, the 'dark side' and the 'good side', without hurting anyone.

Professor Wallace Clift has looked at Jung's view of humanity as "a story of developing consciousness".

Clift sees this as being similar to Jesus's idea of the 'Holy Spirit' working to improve us.

Jung called the 'dark side' the 'Shadow' and he reckoned that it comes from our animal ancestors.

Jung wrote: ‘"The shadow is that hidden, repressed, for the most part inferior and guilt-laden personality whose ultimate ramifications reach back into the realm of our animal ancestors and so comprise the whole historical aspect of the unconscious."



When the 'dark side' emerges, for example in a War I or in a divorce, many people look for scapegoats.

We demonise our enemy.

There is a tendency to blame everything that goes wrong on Moslems or Jews or Blacks or Gays or Gypsies.

Most people deny their 'shadow', unconsciously 'projecting' it onto others so as to avoid confronting it in oneself.

Essential Secrets of Psychotherapy: What is the "Shadow" by Stephen A. Diamond, Ph.D.



Each of us should accept that we have a 'dark side' or 'shadow'.

The shadow is most dangerous when it is repressed and projected onto others.

When we will not acknowledge our dark side, we are at risk of becoming mentally ill and starting a war.

The 'saint' should acknowledge his or her 'dark side'.

Jekyll was saintly, but he hid and did not acknowledge his other side, Hyde, who was evil.

Jekyll's personality was split rather than whole.

Essential Secrets of Psychotherapy: What is the "Shadow" by Stephen A. Diamond, Ph.D.



When the CIA and its friends use their Monarch mind-control programme to brainwash children, they create in the children more than one personality.

One personality may the 'normal' personality and another may be the 'assassin' or sex slave'.



As mentioned above, the 'shadow' or 'dark side' contains positive some qualities.

Fear can be useful, if it keeps us safe.

Jung believed that most of us have lost touch with certain parts of our selves.

Jung believed that we should not try to be 'normal' because that means suppressing our real self, including the 'shadow'.

The healing of the disturbed person comes when they stop trying to be 'normal' and conformist.

We need to accept our 'shadow' and see that it involves some normal instincts and creative impulses.

Encyclopedia of Psychology and Religion (Springer Verlag, 2009) / Anger, Madness, and the Daimonic: The Psychological Genesis of Violence, Evil, and Creativity (SUNY Press, 1996) / Meeting the Shadow: The Hidden Power of the Dark Side of Human Nature (Tarcher/Putnam, 1991) - all by Stephen A. Diamond,



To be a good Christian you have to be fully aware of the 'shadow'.

Jesus asked us to consider our own faults, before we look at the faults of others.

Jesus had dinner with tax collectors and sinners.

Jesus had his difficult moments.

"And if anyone will not receive you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet as you leave the house or town. Truly, I say to you, it shall be more tolerable on the day of judgement for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah than for that town...

"But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!...woe to you, blind guides...You blind fools!...You blind men!...You serpents, you brood of vipers, how are you to escape being sentenced to hell?"



Jesus was not necessarily kind to pigs or Greeks.

"The moment the evil spirits were cast into the pigs, they rushed headlong from the steep bank onto the lake and were drowned."

"The woman was a Greek ... she begged Jesus to drive the demons out of her daughter. 'First let the children eat all they want,' he told her, 'for it is not right to take the children's bread and toss it to the dogs.'"

Rejection of Pascal's Wager: The Personality of Jesus

Jesus did not claim to be perfect.

Jesus said: "Why do you call me good? No one is good - except God alone."

Carl Jung said: "On the cross his mission deserted him.

"But because he had lived so fully and devotedly he won through to the Resurrection body...

"It seems to me to be the Holy Spirit’s task and charge to reconcile and reunite the opposites in the human individual through a special development of the human soul."

THE REAL JESUS?


www.smc-mb.net

The early Christians had various theories about Jesus.

Jesus did not become 'officially' divine until 325 AD.

This was when the Council of Nicaea, set up by the Roman emperor Constantine, decided that Jesus, like many Roman Emperors, was divine.



Most scholars agree that Jesus did actually exist.

"Amy-Jill Levine states that ... 'there is a consensus of sorts on the basic outline of Jesus' life' in that most scholars agree that Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist, debated Jewish authorities on the subject of God, performed some healings, gathered followers...."[68]

Christ myth theory - Wikipedia



In The Historical Jesus; Five Views, Robert Price suggests that the story of Jesus in the Gospels contains borrowings from pagan mythology.

In the same book, Professor Luke Timothy Johnson lists all the things historians can know with 'a very high degree of probability' about Jesus - Jesus taught in parables, Jesus healed people, Jesus taught about God's Kingdom.

The Recliner Commentaries: Five views of the historical Jesus



Osiris's resurrection is celebrated on the third day

Does the story of Jesus show strong parallels to myths of dying and rising gods?

Apparently not.

"Early in the 20th century, Gerald Massey argued that there are similarities between the Egyptian dying-and-rising god myths and Jesus.[22]

"Massey stated that the biblical references to Herod the Great were based on the myth of 'Herrut' the evil hydra serpent."

However, the existence of Herod the Great "can be well established without reliance on Christian sources."[23]

In other words, Herod was not Herrut.



"The overall scholarly consensus is that while the examples provided often involve death of the deity, they do not generally involve resurrection of the same deity.[2]

"Eddy and Boyd state that upon careful analysis, it turns out that there is often either no death, no resurrection or no god in the examples used to construct each of the examples in the category.[17]

"Jonathan Z. Smith, a scholar of comparative religions, writes the category is 'largely a misnomer based on imaginative reconstructions and exceedingly late or highly ambiguous texts.'[1][37]


Mithraism
Is Christianity similar to the Roman religion Mithraism?

Early Christian authors "took an extremely negative view of Mithraism" and saw their practices "as evil copies of Christian practices."[209]

Stanley porter notes that "Mithraism only reached Asia minor in the latter part of the first century, after the basic elements of the gospels were in place, and hence could not have influenced the essential elements of the gospels."[211]


www.ellenwhite.info

David Strauss (1808–1874), a German theologian, believed that Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist and that the encounter had influenced the views of Jesus.

However, Strauss believed that "the additional elements of the sky opening, the dove descending on Jesus as the Holy Spirit, etc. were subsequent miraculous embellishments by the authors of the gospels intended to emphasize the importance of a key event in the life of Jesus."[220] [225]

Strauss believed that the divine spirit was embedded in all of humanity.



In 1890, Sir James George Frazer published the first edition of The Golden Bough which showed "the shared elements of religious belief."

Frazer himself believed that Jesus existed.[235]

William Benjamin Smith (1850–1934) argued for a symbolic interpretation of the stories about Jesus.

Smith argues that in the parable of the Jesus and the rich young man there never was a young man, and the young man symbolizes the nation of Israel.[254]

Dying and rising gods



What evidence is there that Jesus was (A) an opponent of the Establishment, or (B) a tool of the establisment?

1. Jesus shared meals with outcasts, which annoyed the Pharisees, strong supporters of the laws and traditions of the Jewish people.

Jesus said: "Be on your guard against the Doctors of the Law, who like to walk about in robes and be saluted in the streets... who devour the livelihood of widows..."

2. Jesus talked of 'good people' being his 'brothers' and 'sisters'.

3. Jesus urged people to 'renounce self'.

Jesus said: "If anyone wishes to be the first, he must be the last of all and the servant of all."

Jesus said: "Why do you call me good? No one but God is good."

4. Jesus said: "How difficult it is for men of wealth to enter the Kingdom of God."



What about Quantum Physics, Jesus and Intuition?

"Free will allows us to choose to continue to influence reality with our memories (Ego)

Or we can choose to accept our identity as projections of the Father and consciously co-create with the Father...

"Quantum physics has proven that the belief of the observer is translated in the test tube.

"Each energy packet can become particle or remain as energy depending on the expectation of the observer.

"This is known as the observer effect.

"Positive Thinking is Merely Scratching the Surface of Truth: We must be attentive to intuition

"As the Quantum physicist has discovered, our beliefs come true. 

"This is the key to the kingdom which we forgot shortly after birth.


www.peje.co.za

"Our parents probably forgot that we are connected, just as they are connected to the One.

"In this same way, Herod of Judea forgot that he and Jesus were both born of the Creator/Father/One.


"Herod attempted to kill Jesus by ordering all the newborn children of Bethlehem to be slain.

"But, since Joseph was attentive to his intuition, (for intuitive training go to Andrea Hess...) he was warned by the One/Creator/Father to flee to Egypt.

"Jesus was safe during His childhood. They only returned to Israel after they were told of the death of Herod.



"When Jesus was grown, he fasted for 40 days and 40 nights before beginning His ministry... a month of fasting will cause an altered state of reality.

"When Jesus was tempted by His Ego to turn the stones into bread, He reminded the tempter that 'man does not live by bread alone.' Thus He determined to finish his vision quest...

"Jesus told the Ego to get behind Him because it is only the One/Source/Creator who would be served.



"To accept our identity as co-Creators with the One, we must put our finite Egos behind us.

"Our Subconscious mind is connected to our Higher Mind and to the Creator/One/Source.

"The Ego is only connected to our conscious minds and helps keep us involved in this physical world.

"But, at the same time, we must learn to influence our Subconscious Minds in order to create our reality..."

~~~~

Aangirfan: JESUS, CAESAR'S MESSIAH, REAL CHRISTIANITY

aanirfan.blogspot.com/2016/07/jesus-caesars-messiah-real-christianity.html

1 Aug 2016 - The biblical scholar Joseph Atwill claims that the story of Jesus Christ is a HOAX designed to control the people. Joseph Atwill's Blog | Discussing "Caesar's Messiah". Atwill says that theJesus story was designed by the Roman empire to justify slavery and to pacify the citizens. Atwill writes: "Christianity was ...

aangirfan: Jesus and humility

aangirfan.blogspot.com/2007/02/jesus-and-humility.html

Jesus and humility. The following is fiction: James: How was your trip to India to meet the great guru? Peter: I enjoyed India. But I've come to the conclusion that the only good guru is a humble guru. The guru I met in India was sitting on a throne and claiming to understand everything about the universe. He did not look in ...

aangirfan: CROSSAN ON JESUS

aangirfan.blogspot.com/2009/11/crossan-on-jesus.html
Who was Jesus? John Dominic Crossan, professor emeritus at De Paul University Chicago, is an Irish-American religious scholar. (John Dominic Crossan Web Site) Crossan "believes that less than 20 percent of what we read in the Gospels are original sayings of Jesus." (http://www.y-jesus.com/bornid_4.php) Crossan ...

Aangirfan: THE REAL JESUS

aanirfan.blogspot.com/2015/04/the-real-jesus.html

14 Apr 2015 - The Talpiot tomb, in the Talpiot area of Jerusalem, is said to contain the bones of 'Jesus, his wife Mary and his son Judah'. The tomb, which dates back to 'the time of Jesus', was discovered in 1980. One bone from the tomb bears the inscription, 'Jesus, son of Joseph'. Other bones from the tomb include the ...

Aangirfan: JESUS - MYTH AND REALITY

aanirfan.blogspot.com/2016/08/jesus-myth-and-reality.html

1 Sep 2016 - However, the letters of Paul, only some of which were written by Paul, see Jesus as being in some way divine. The letters of Paul do not refer to Jesus's criticism of the rich and praise of the poor. Paul was a conservative Jew. The letters of Paul "are written to propagate the cult of a god crucified for the ...

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Saturday, 1 October 2016

JESUS FOR KIDS


...

The ideas of Jesus are important.

Jesus talked about a person having a spirit.



Jesus said that Heaven is within you.

Jesus said that anyone who has faith will be able to do the 'miracles' that he did.



Jesus said:

Love one another.

You must love your neighbour as yourself.

We are all brothers.

Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.

Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.



Do not be anxious about tomorrow.

Do not let your hearts be troubled.

Ask and it will be given to you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you.

It is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven.




Respond to this quote.


Jesus Christ: His Face Reconstructed

Jesus can be compared to Shakespeare.

Who was the real Shakespeare?

Who was the real Jesus?

We should not throw out the ideas of either Shakespeare or Jesus simply because we are not sure about the origin of the ideas.

The early Christians had a variety of views about Jesus.

Some of the early Christians saw Jesus as being an ordinary man.

Some saw Jesus as being in some way divine.

Some people think that bits were added on to the story of Jesus.


How accurate is the story of Jesus?

"There is a complete absence of evidence for the events described - no authors mention the phenomenal events that supposedly occurred at the time of Jesus' resurrection, and, there are no records of Jesus being crucified in the first place.

"This is despite there being multiple historians of the time who kept extensive records of events in that era, especially of unusual events and the misdeeds of rulers.

"The only records we have are those written by Christians themselves, the Gospels. And within each of those gospels nearly all details of the crucifixion and resurrection are different.

"Very important details, such as Jesus' last words, are so different that it appears they are simply being made up by the authors. 

...

"The earliest Christians did not know simple details such as where Jesus was buried.

"Most of the details of Jesus' death and rebirth are similar to the existing myths surrounding god-men in that era. 

"The similarities to the Christs of other pagan religions are shockingly detailed, so much so that early Church fathers had to defend themselves against pagan critics who said that the stories of Jesus were simply pagan stories with new names."

"The Crucifixion Facade: 6. Conclusions" by Vexen Crabtree



CONCLUSION

Jesus may not have died on the cross.

The ideas of Jesus are very important.

Believe in miracles.

...


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Thursday, 1 September 2016

JESUS - MYTH AND REALITY

.

A. It is the ideas associated with Jesus that are important.

'Love your enemies' is very different from 'an eye for an eye'.

Jesus's teachings have some similarity to those of Hillel the Elder.

Hillel said: "That which is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbour."



Jesus's teachings have some similarity to those of several other teachers, including Buddha, Lao-Tzu and certain physicists.

"We can choose to accept our identity as projections of the Father and consciously co-create with the Father..." - Quantum Physics, Jesus and Intuition?


Patrick Matthew, who published the basic concept of natural selection as a mechanism of evolution in an appendix to his 1831 book.

Darwin did not invent the theory of Evolution on his own.

There were earlier scientists who contributed to the theory Evolution.

Similarly, the ideas of Buddha are based partly on the ideas of earlier thinkers.

Paul, who was dedicated to the persecution of the early disciples of Jesus in the area of Jerusalem.

The first three Gospels do not refer to Jesus as God.

However, the letters of Paul, only some of which were written by Paul, see Jesus as being in some way divine.

The letters of Paul do not refer to Jesus's criticism of the rich and praise of the poor.

Paul was a conservative Jew.

The letters of Paul "are written to propagate the cult of a god crucified for the salvation of man..."

The Legend Of Jesus Christ.

The letters of Paul were written before the Gospels.

Horus

B. The facts about the life of Jesus are disputed.

And the same is true of a number of other people with whom Jesus has been linked.

1. The facts about Horus (3100 B.C.) are disputed.

Reportedly:

Horus had 12 disciples.

Horus was born of a virgin.

Horus's birth was announced via a star.

Three wise men arrived.

He was baptized when he was 30 by Anup the Baptizer.

He raised someone from the dead.

He walked on water.

He was crucified, buried in a tomb, and resurrected.

5 Near-Identical Jesus Christ Myths That Predate Jesus.

Mithra

2. Mithra (2000 B.C.)

Reportedly:

Mithra had a virgin birth on December 25th.

Mithra was swaddled and laid in a manger.

Mithra was tended by shepherds in the manger.

He had 12 companions (or disciples).

He performed miracles.

He gave his own life to save the world.

He was dead for three days, then resurrected.

He was called 'the Way, the Truth and the Light.'

He had his own version of a 'Lord’s supper.'

5 Near-Identical Jesus Christ Myths That Predate Jesus

Krishna

3. Krishna (around 3000 B.C.)

Krishna was born after his mother was impregnated by a God.

Angels, wise men, and shepherds were at his birth.

At his birth, Krishna was given Gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

A jealous individual ordered the slaughter of all newborns.

Krishna was baptized in a river.

Krishna performed miracles, including raising the dead and healing the deaf and blind.

Krishna rose from the dead to ascend to heaven.

Krishna is expected to return to earth someday to fight the 'Prince of Evil.'

5 Near-Identical Jesus Christ Myths That Predate Jesus

Osiris

4. Osiris (around 2500 B.C.)

Osiris was the son of an Egyptian God.

He was killed and the resurrected after three days in hell.

He performed miracles.

He had 12 disciples.

He taught rebirth through water baptism.

5 Near-Identical Jesus Christ Myths That Predate Jesus



5. Buddha (563 B.C.)

Buddha fed 500 people from one basket of food.

Buddha walked on water.

Buddha healed the sick.

Buddha taught equality for all.

Buddha was resurrected when he died.

5 Near-Identical Jesus Christ Myths That Predate Jesus


6. Cleomenes, king of Sparta

"Late in the third century B.C. Cleomenes, king of Sparta, embarked on a revolutionary policy of cancellation of debts, redistribution of land and emancipation of the helots (slaves)."

"He was driven out of Sparta...

"In the story preserved by Plutarch, Cleomenes and twelve friends had a last supper together on the night before his death.

"He was betrayed to his enemies...

"His dead body was crucified.

"A prodigy occurred after the crucifixion; and the people of Alexandria called him a 'hero and son of the gods'."

The Legend Of Jesus Christ.

Conclusion:

The basic teaching of Jesus, about loving one's neighbours and tuning in to some kind of Holy Spirit, are fine.

But the 'official story' is not entirely true.

There is a suspicion that the 'biography' has had untrue bits added, and that there is a lot of 'spin'.

Below is what we wrote earlier:

...

The biblical scholar Joseph Atwill claims that the story of Jesus Christ is a HOAX designed to control the people.

Joseph Atwill's Blog | Discussing "Caesar's Messiah".

Atwill says that the Jesus story was designed by the Roman empire to justify slavery and to pacify the citizens.

Atwill writes: "Christianity was actually developed and used as a system of mind control to produce slaves that believed God decreed their slavery.”

Story of Jesus Christ was a HOAX designed to control the people, Biblical scholar claims

Atwill is very pro-Israel.

His claims have apparently been debunked.[2][3][4



John Dominic Crossan (above), professor emeritus at De Paul University Chicago, "believes that less than 20 percent of what we read in the Gospels are original sayings of Jesus." 

Jesus attacked the Old Testament.

Jesus said: "Turn the other cheek."

We think that those Jewish Christians who wrote the New Testament made alterations to the Jesus story, in order to tie it in with the Old Testament.

And, we think that the Romans made alterations to the Jesus story, in order to aid the Roman empire.

But, the true parts of the Jesus story have been of benefit to the world.



Joseph Atwill argues that, at the time of Jesus, Jewish sects in Palestine were awaiting a 'warrior Messiah'.

According to Atwill, the Powers-That-Be thus designed the Jesus story in such a way that it would appear to give the people a Messiah, while at the same time making sure that the people remained slaves.

Atwill says: "Instead of inspiring warfare, this Messiah urged 'turn-the-other-cheek pacifism' and encouraged Jews to 'give onto Caesar' and pay their taxes to Rome.

"Christianity can be ... an insidious form of mind control that has led to blind acceptance of serfdom, poverty..."

What do we think?

Atwill, being a fan of Israel, does not like a pacifist Jesus.

Many of the people who have opposed poverty and serfdom are the followers of the Real Jesus.



What evidence is there that Jesus was (A) an opponent of the Establishment, or (B) a tool of the establisment?

1. Jesus shared meals with outcasts, which annoyed the Pharisees, strong supporters of the laws and traditions of the Jewish people.

Jesus said: "Be on your guard against the Doctors of the Law, who like to walk about in robes and be saluted in the streets... who devour the livelihood of widows..."

2. Jesus talked of 'good people' being his 'brothers' and 'sisters'.

3. Jesus urged people to 'renounce self'.

Jesus said: "If anyone wishes to be the first, he must be the last of all and the servant of all."

Jesus said: "Why do you call me good? No one but God is good."

4. Jesus said: "How difficult it is for men of wealth to enter the Kingdom of God."

We are a fan of Jesus.

David and Jonathan.

Jesus appears to attack the Old Testament.

Jesus said: "Turn the other cheek."

In Numbers 31:14, 17, 18: "Moses said 'Kill all the women and boys, but keep the girls for yourselves."

Moses, if he ever existed, was obviously a child killer.


The Bible is like the curate's egg - good in parts.

The Bible, like the Koran, is a very human attempt to describe what life is all about.


In Matthew 5:1,2  "Jesus went up into a mountain: and when he was ready, his disciples came to him: And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying...."

This is the Sermon on the Mount.

In Luke 6:17,20: "Jesus stood in the plain, and the company of his disciples, and a great multitude of people...came to hear him.. And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples and said..."

This is the Sermon on the Mount, but, it is in the plain.

Luke seems to be making it up.

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The Old Testament is endless contradictions.

In Isaiah 14:21 we read that people should "Kill the children because of the sins of their fathers."

In Deuteronomy 24:16 we read "Children should not be put to death for the sins of their fathers: every man shall be put to death for his own sin."

In Jeremiah 13:14 we read: "Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not, but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling."

In Psalms 145:9 we read: "The Lord is good to all, and his tender mercies are over all his works."

A List Of Biblical Contradictions

Christians killing Christians.

In Jeremiah 32:27 we read "God is all powerful."

In Judges 1:19 we read: "God is not all powerful."

Biblical Contradictions

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Many of the people who leave comments on this blog have been brainwashed by fundamentalist Christians.

Sensible Christians "consider some passages of the Bible (e.g. those referring to slaveryburning some hookers alive, forcing rape victims to marry their rapists, raping female prisoners of war, etc.) as not being valid today, as immoral, and against the will of God.

"They differentiate among various homosexual and heterosexual sex practices, treating some (rape, prostitution, temple sex rituals) as immoral and some (consesual activity within committed relationships) as positive." 



www.smc-mb.net 

The early Christians had various theories about Jesus.

Jesus did not become 'officially' divine until 325 AD.

This was when the Council of Nicaea, set up by the Roman emperor Constantine, decided that Jesus, like many Roman Emperors, was divine.



Most scholars agree that Jesus did actually exist.

"Amy-Jill Levine states that ... 'there is a consensus of sorts on the basic outline of Jesus' life' in that most scholars agree that Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist, debated Jewish authorities on the subject of God, performed some healings, gathered followers...." [68]

Christ myth theory - Wikipedia



In The Historical Jesus; Five Views, Robert Price suggests that the story of Jesus in the Gospels contains borrowings from pagan mythology.

In the same book, Professor Luke Timothy Johnson lists all the things historians can know with 'a very high degree of probability' about Jesus - Jesus taught in parables, Jesus healed people, Jesus taught about God's Kingdom.

The Recliner Commentaries: Five views of the historical Jesus


David Strauss (1808–1874), a German theologian, believed that Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist and that the encounter had influenced the views of Jesus.

However, Strauss believed that "the additional elements of the sky opening, the dove descending on Jesus as the Holy Spirit, etc. were subsequent miraculous embellishments by the authors of the gospels intended to emphasize the importance of a key event in the life of Jesus."[220] [225]

Strauss believed that the divine spirit was embedded in all of humanity.



In 1890, Sir James George Frazer published the first edition of The Golden Bough which showed "the shared elements of religious belief."

Frazer himself believed that Jesus existed.[235]

William Benjamin Smith (1850–1934) argued for a symbolic interpretation of the stories about Jesus.

Smith argues that in the parable of the Jesus and the rich young manthere never was a young man, and the young man symbolizes the nation of Israel. [254]


"Free will allows us to choose to continue to influence reality with our memories (Ego) 

Or we can choose to accept our identity as projections of the Father and consciously co-create with the Father...

"Quantum physics has proven that the belief of the observer is translated in the test tube. 

"Each energy packet can become particle or remain as energy depending on the expectation of the observer. 

"This is known as the observer effect.

"Positive Thinking is Merely Scratching the Surface of Truth: We must be attentive to intuition

"As the Quantum physicist has discovered, our beliefs come true. 

"This is the key to the kingdom which we forgot shortly after birth. 


"Our parents probably forgot that we are connected, just as they are connected to the One. 

"In this same way, Herod of Judea forgot that he and Jesus were both born of the Creator/Father/One. 

"Herod attempted to kill Jesus by ordering all the newborn children of Bethlehem to be slain.

"But, since Joseph was attentive to his intuition, (for intuitive training go to Andrea Hess...) he was warned by the One/Creator/Father to flee to Egypt. 

"Jesus was safe during His childhood. They only returned to Israel after they were told of the death of Herod.


"When Jesus was grown, he fasted for 40 days and 40 nights before beginning His ministry... a month of fasting will cause an altered state of reality.

"When Jesus was tempted by His Ego to turn the stones into bread, He reminded the tempter that 'man does not live by bread alone.' Thus He determined to finish his vision quest...

"Jesus told the Ego to get behind Him because it is only the One/Source/Creator who would be served.


"To accept our identity as co-Creators with the One, we must put our finite Egos behind us. 

"Our Subconscious mind is connected to our Higher Mind and to the Creator/One/Source. 

"The Ego is only connected to our conscious minds and helps keep us involved in this physical world. 

"But, at the same time, we must learn to influence our Subconscious Minds in order to create our reality..."

Who was Jesus?

John Dominic Crossan, professor emeritus at De Paul University Chicago, is an Irish-American religious scholar. 

(John Dominic Crossan Web Site)

Crossan "believes that less than 20 percent of what we read in the Gospels are original sayings of Jesus." 


Crossan does not dispute that Jesus Christ really lived.

Independent accounts "prove that in ancient times even the opponents of Christianity never doubted the historicity of Jesus." 

(Quoted in Josh McDowell, Evidence That Demands a Verdict, vol. 1 (Nashville: Nelson, 1979), 87.)

Crossan sees Jesus as a healer and man of great wisdom. 

(John Dominic Crossan - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia )

The fundamentalists are no fun

According to Crossan, Jesus's teachings would have upset the elite.

According to Crossan, "The Kingdom of God comes not at some future time

"You cannot point out the sign of its coming

"The Kingdom of God comes not at some special site

"You cannot point out the place of its coming

"The Kingdom of God is already here, among you, now."

kiss me
Egyptians, by Veralyn Adeyinka

In a review of a Crossan book, Peter Broady wrote (Review of The Essential Jesus by John Dominic Crossan.):

"One can only wonder what the Jewish peasant who spoke of the poor and destitute as ‘blessed’ along with the ‘peacemakers’ and ‘those that hunger and thirst after justice’, and said that it is nearly impossible for wealth and the ‘kingdom of God’ to coexist, would think of our unimaginably wealthy country where the gap between rich and poor has reached heights unimaginable in his time..."


Jesus said, "Why do you call me good? No one is good except God." 

He also said that he was not seeking glory for himself.



Jesus wanted people to be humble, like little children. He wanted people to see themselves as servants. Jesus washed people's feet.

What about Jesus when he was criticising some of the Jewish leaders and calling them names?

In Matthew, Jesus says, "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!... You blind fools!... You serpents, you brood of vipers, how are you to escape being sentenced to hell?"

This seems to conflict with Jesus's teaching about not judging people; and about seeing your own faults; about turning the other cheek and about not resisting evil.

When Jesus talked about being at one with the Father, that could mean many different things. 

Jesus believed that we can all be one with the divine.

The guru must teach that we should be humble, kindly and flexible in our thinking. But, the guru must himself be humble, kindly and flexible.


The fundamentalists are no fun

The Religion OF Jesus - not ABOUT Jesus: Toward the theology OF Jesus

"Jesus, in fact, was typical of a certain kind of fanatical young idealist: at one moment holding forth, with tears in his eyes, about the need for universal love; at the next furiously denouncing the morons, crooks and bigots who do not see eye to eye with him, It is a very natural and human behavior." - Margaret Knight, 'Honest to Man' : p26 ( personality )

The Prophet said, "Have I not taught you how the inhabitants of Paradise will be all the humble and the weak..." Islam: Hadith of Bukhari.

"Be humble, be harmless, Have no pretension..." Hinduism: Bhagavad Gita

"To know when one does not know is best. To think one knows when one does not know is a dire disease." Taoism: Tao Te Ching

"The fool who knows that he is a fool is for that very reason a wise man; the fool who thinks he is wise is called a fool indeed." Buddhism: Dhammapada

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JESUS, MUHAMMAD, BUDDHA - WHAT WERE THEY REALLY LIKE?

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THE SPIRIT WORLD
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GOD
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