I just read an article by the Jesuit writer James Martin on the historical evidence of who is actually responsible for the death of Jesus. He is advisor on a new play coming to Broadway and tries to be historically accurate in his take on the whole crucifiction story. Unlike that dweebo Mel Gibson, who claimed to be accurate and then took poetic liscense and made it seem like the Jews were the conspirators and executioners of the Christ man. What a great example of Christianity Mel has turned out to be huh?
First of all, I have a hard time with the fact that some people really hold that the gospels were written by charlatans and cultists. I find it difficult to believe that anyone writing in the first century A.D. could be anything but brilliant. Not too many folks went to school way back then btw, in case you didn't realize that And to have their writings exist two thousand years later???!!!! wooooooo hah, that puts them in a very rarefied category indded. Kinda like the king of the world!
Of course, I agree that the church did pick and choose who and what to include in the new testament, kinda like I tend to post things that agree with my liberal take on the world, and I would love to read an entirely gnostic bible, but the fact remains historically that Jesus did live and he did die as a martyr to the cause.. Whether he was resurrected physically is a point of faith, not science. People today believe in everything from alien abduction to Sarah Palin.. Why not a miracle?
The blessed trinity that Catholics believe in, states that God, Jesus and the "Holy Ghost" or "Holy Spirit" are one in the same being. This is indicative to me that Jesus owns a spritual non corporeal part of his being, as I believe we all do.. I still talk things over with my dad who died over 20 years ago, and i believe he is still with me. I can't prove it, but i do know it.
Secondly, traditionally executions are the provenance of government...hence Rome at the time. Just like today, the fat cats <read: Sanhedrin> were lobbyists to the Roman government, and just like today, someone speaking out for the poor and downtrodden is considered a "rabblerouser" by the powers that be.....rabble being anyone who threatens their wealth and greedy ways. This leads me to believe that Jesus was put to death by the same type of people as we have today who are most interested in keeping the "status quo" read: the poor poorer and rich richer: Kinda like the Koch brothers or Glenn Beck, using their money and influence to make sure that anyone who speaks about the common good is untrustworthy.and is someone to be feared.
I don't go to church very often, because i know how Jesus felt when he saw the moneychangers in the temple. The church covers up her sins instead of doing penance for them. The church dresses her leaders in gold, and allows persecutions of non believers. The church will not accept science fact unless it absolutely has to. The church remains silent when human rights and the dignity of others are blasted to all hell.
The church is still run by the fat cats and lobbyists that cater to Rome. BUT there are still rabblerousers like me who believe that working for the common good is the highest calling on earth.
Happy Easter to all.
