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<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=1 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD><SPAN class=TopStory>Is Christianity a farce?</SPAN>
<SPAN class=Subheadline></SPAN></TD></TR><TR><TD>Rev Mervin Stoddart
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
<P class=StoryText align=justify>There is a certain contradiction seen in Christianity that requires examination. It might be just a weakness in the religion or, God forbid, if there is no reasonable explanation, it might require that Christianity be declared a farce. Before identifying this Achilles heel of the number one religion of the West, let us revisit its biblical roots.<P class=StoryText align=justify>One accepted scriptural canon offers 27 New Testament books as the basis for Christian faith and practice, with 39 Old Testament books, equally inspired, providing background. The Christ of Christianity is presented in the New Testament as God the Creator's final revelation of himself to mankind. The OT is presented as God's progressive, dispensational revelation from the origin of the universe to the birth of the Christ, with a 400-year intertestamental period when God seemed silent. During those four centuries, the Greek and Roman empires, respectively, held global sway, insofar as biased reported history is concerned. In addition, the so-called chosen people of God, the Jews, institutionalised their politico-religious practices to ensure their survival amidst Roman imperialism.<P class=StoryText align=justify>Somewhere between 6 - 4 BCE, the Christ was born in Judea of Israelitish parents, to use the OT name for the Jews. Those Israelites, descendants of the OT's Jacob, aka Israel, must not be confused with the modern Israelis whose European-oriented religious customs, skin colour and socio-political practices belie the authentic OT records. It is best to look among the modern Ethiopians for the authentic descendants of the biblical Jews, including the possible resting place of the all-important Ark of the Covenant, said to be hidden in Aksum, Ethiopia, Africa.<P class=StoryText align=justify>Let us summarise the birth of the Christ. Apparently, 17-year-old Miriam (Mary) was engaged to 30-odd-year-old Yosef (Joseph) when an angelic being announced to Miriam that she was pregnant by the Holy Spirit. Since the science of cloning was disclosed, that immaculate conception has become less mysterious. Nevertheless, Miriam and Yosef were not very well accepted among their people and their son, named Yeshua (Joshua or Jesus), was stigmatised a bastard. The NT records the story of Yeshua's claim to be the Messiah (Christ) of Israel, predicted by the OT prophets. It also notes that the Jews of the first century CE rejected Yeshua as Christ and demanded that the Romans crucify him as an imposter. However, the canonised Gospels and apostolic NT writings (especially the Pauline texts) claim that the Christ had to be crucified to effect redemption from sin for all mankind, in the will of the Creator God, named Jehovah, or Jah, for short.<P class=StoryText align=justify>To those who accept the NT record, the teachings of the Christ are mostly clear, though sometimes muddled, especially when the Synoptists vary in their accounts of the same event. Nevertheless, there are certain indisputable Christian doctrines that followers of the Christ cannot ignore. First, love is the bedrock doctrine of the NT Christ.Second, the Christ was a pacifist who opposed wars and condemned even the thought of taking human life. Third, the Christ championed the cause of the poor, the weak and the downtrodden of society. Fourth, the Christ taught that true religion was moreso practical application of love rather than pious practice of rituals. In fact, both the Christ and his apostles, especially John the beloved and James, taught that all the important tenets of Christianity could be summarised in one word: love.<P class=StoryText align=justify>How, therefore, did Christianity become a religion of such hatred, wickedness and murders? Should it not be impossible for Jama
<SPAN class=Subheadline></SPAN></TD></TR><TR><TD>Rev Mervin Stoddart
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
<P class=StoryText align=justify>There is a certain contradiction seen in Christianity that requires examination. It might be just a weakness in the religion or, God forbid, if there is no reasonable explanation, it might require that Christianity be declared a farce. Before identifying this Achilles heel of the number one religion of the West, let us revisit its biblical roots.<P class=StoryText align=justify>One accepted scriptural canon offers 27 New Testament books as the basis for Christian faith and practice, with 39 Old Testament books, equally inspired, providing background. The Christ of Christianity is presented in the New Testament as God the Creator's final revelation of himself to mankind. The OT is presented as God's progressive, dispensational revelation from the origin of the universe to the birth of the Christ, with a 400-year intertestamental period when God seemed silent. During those four centuries, the Greek and Roman empires, respectively, held global sway, insofar as biased reported history is concerned. In addition, the so-called chosen people of God, the Jews, institutionalised their politico-religious practices to ensure their survival amidst Roman imperialism.<P class=StoryText align=justify>Somewhere between 6 - 4 BCE, the Christ was born in Judea of Israelitish parents, to use the OT name for the Jews. Those Israelites, descendants of the OT's Jacob, aka Israel, must not be confused with the modern Israelis whose European-oriented religious customs, skin colour and socio-political practices belie the authentic OT records. It is best to look among the modern Ethiopians for the authentic descendants of the biblical Jews, including the possible resting place of the all-important Ark of the Covenant, said to be hidden in Aksum, Ethiopia, Africa.<P class=StoryText align=justify>Let us summarise the birth of the Christ. Apparently, 17-year-old Miriam (Mary) was engaged to 30-odd-year-old Yosef (Joseph) when an angelic being announced to Miriam that she was pregnant by the Holy Spirit. Since the science of cloning was disclosed, that immaculate conception has become less mysterious. Nevertheless, Miriam and Yosef were not very well accepted among their people and their son, named Yeshua (Joshua or Jesus), was stigmatised a bastard. The NT records the story of Yeshua's claim to be the Messiah (Christ) of Israel, predicted by the OT prophets. It also notes that the Jews of the first century CE rejected Yeshua as Christ and demanded that the Romans crucify him as an imposter. However, the canonised Gospels and apostolic NT writings (especially the Pauline texts) claim that the Christ had to be crucified to effect redemption from sin for all mankind, in the will of the Creator God, named Jehovah, or Jah, for short.<P class=StoryText align=justify>To those who accept the NT record, the teachings of the Christ are mostly clear, though sometimes muddled, especially when the Synoptists vary in their accounts of the same event. Nevertheless, there are certain indisputable Christian doctrines that followers of the Christ cannot ignore. First, love is the bedrock doctrine of the NT Christ.Second, the Christ was a pacifist who opposed wars and condemned even the thought of taking human life. Third, the Christ championed the cause of the poor, the weak and the downtrodden of society. Fourth, the Christ taught that true religion was moreso practical application of love rather than pious practice of rituals. In fact, both the Christ and his apostles, especially John the beloved and James, taught that all the important tenets of Christianity could be summarised in one word: love.<P class=StoryText align=justify>How, therefore, did Christianity become a religion of such hatred, wickedness and murders? Should it not be impossible for Jama
Cartoon is your source of inspiration and for the other part is this quote:"the foolish dog barks at the flying bird". All I can say is that Jawge won't end up in a nursing home
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