Many things in our modern bible are clearly invention, created to conform to a particular narrative. Rather than the plain unvarnished truth. And given that is so, why does any of a 2 thousand-year-old mythological legend have to have any basis in actual fact? And why do we need to believe these manmade inventions with such fervour?

And why do we give credence to such things as the so-called sacrament of the confession or its alleged seal? Created around 700 years after the alleged Messiah.

Along with the evil of celibacy and all that then flows from it and the normal human frustrations that creates!

A seal that quite literally has served to allow terrible evils to persist and go unpunished in the reality where they were committed.

If we are to hold to something? Why not the irrefutable mighty truth? And no worthier goal! And start with those things we can prove as irrefutable fact, and that love is stronger and more enduring that hate.

That it is often easier to do a good turn than its opposite, given in the first instance everyone involved get a positive outcome out of it. Both the recipient and the donor. A good turn can be as simple as lending a helping hand to someone who has slipped or fallen. Or helping someone, with the gift of time and a word of encouragement, or to get their car started, or a fire put out. Other than charity or material assistance!

There are so many ways to be normal, decent, empathetic human beings besides pounding a pulpit, judging all else and trying to decide which victimless activity is sinful or not!

Only God can make a tree or judge what is truly in a man.s heart! Time to open our minds to the truth rather than manmade fantasy and invention.
Alan B.

Golly gosh, what has any of that got to do with Truth & Reality and the human situation especially in this time and place?

Some references which thoroughly deconstruct and outshine the contents of Sells phantasmagorical naive magical thinking.
http://www.beezone.com/da_publications/bloodsac.html
http://www.beezone.com/da_publications/exochrist.html
http://www.aboutadidam.org/articles/secret_identity/beyond_hidden.html

The author of these essays points out that unless you actually witnessed and participated in the "events" that you describe everything you say is just "religious" psycho-babble, or an exercise in phantasmagorical magical thinking

Back in the days of polaroid cameras he once humorously quipped - show me the photographic evidence that these "historical" figures actually existed as living-breathing-feeling human beings.

AUSTRALIA DAY?

Off Topic and speaking of the Gorilla in the room Australia Day.

I reckon that moving the date of Australia Day would resolve nothing.

26 January denialists would see the date change as a political victory. This would just be the start of their political campaign.

They wouldn't happy until Australia is totally abolished at any day of the year.

Instead they want:

- extra compensation for all "Indigenous" People (presumably including those who are 15/16s "white") and

- an "Indigenous" Third "Indigenous Only" House of Federal Parliament, that has the power of veto over laws and money bills that have already passed the House of Reps and the Senate.

CORRECTION - AUSTRALIA DAY?

Off Topic and speaking of the Gorilla in the room Australia Day.

I reckon that moving the date of Australia Day would resolve nothing.

26 January denialists would see the date change as a political victory. This would just be the start of their political campaign.

They wouldn't BE happy until Australia is totally abolished at any day of the year.

Instead they want:

- extra compensation for all "Indigenous" People (presumably including those who are 15/16s "white") and

- an Third "Indigenous Only" House of Federal Parliament, that has the power of veto over laws and money bills that have already passed the House of Reps and the Senate.

It is interesting to note that an advertisement promoting one of the leading all-American "religious" psychotics appears on the same page as Sells essay.
This site describes his "character" back in 2011. Since then he has become even more psychotic.

http://americanloons.blogspot.com/2011/02/156-franklin-graham.html

Here is some real truth for the simpletons.

The resurrection, as described in the bible, relates to numerous earlier writings and oral traditions, which number in their hundreds if you wish to do a little research.

More importantly, the resurrection is an allegory, specifically relating to specific terrestrial and cosmic observations.

The act in question relates directly to the Solstice. Here is a pertinent snippet re the solstice from Wikipedia for the uninitiated, “The word solstice is derived from the Latin sol ("sun") and sistere ("to stand still"), because at the solstices, the Sun's declination appears to "stand still"; that is, the seasonal movement of the Sun's daily path (as seen from Earth) stops at a northern or southern limit before reversing direction”.

The reappearance of the skyward march occurs on the third day, i.e. the resurrection of the sun’s journey in reverse again.

Simple stuff, no mumbojumbo, just a plain fact.
Galen