David,

I think this is dead right - bravo. You correctly say exactly what Christianity should be about and everything it shouldn't. It was an interesting point you made about Paul's influence on the Church. I have read that Paul and James tussled quite strongly over the true meaning and teaching of Christianity. Your explanation starts to unravel this for me.

>>This basic form of Christian law says that we can do anything we like to anyone at any time under any circumstances, and provided we find a reason why we are right, we remain free of sin. This form of Christian law has infiltrated our society to the extent that the first reply that comes back if we question someone’s actions will be “I am right”; or “it is legal.”<<

This comment is exactly right. I'm thinking George Bush and other fundamentalists here. The consequences of such actions as you describe are that when the wheel eventually turns, all those who did bad deeds to others will pay with interest. The Church's repressing of others ability to spiritually grow will be particularly severely punished.

I saw the SBS show Lost Worlds re the Inquisitions last night. Nasty piece of work the Churches were responsible for. All so the Church hierarchy could maintain its hold on earthly power.

Nicely said!
If Christians actually followed some of Jesus's teachings then I'd have more respect for them. As it is they are just the modern Phareeses, doing what Jesus lectured against! This is so cynical, if not evil.
When churches do science (ie. show an interest in getting it right rather than potificating and bullying), then I'll pay them some respect. For now though it's like "Jesus was a great man and the Son of God. Lets do the opposite of what he said, and just to rub it in, we'll do it in His name!".
Finally. Anyone lazy/egotistical enough to not work, but instead label themselves "the agent of God" as a career...should definately *not* be allowed to do this role. It's like putting the fat kid in charge of the chocolate!

Good essay altogether, and yes it is time that we threw away all of the usual institutionalized nonsense with both hands.

Havent we had enough of this nonsense after 2000 years!

Indeed the breaking of the toxic spell of institutional religion/religiosity is a real necessity if something radically new is to emerge.

But what is an authentic understanding of the Life and Teaching of Saint Jesus of Galilee, and how does one get to practice an authentic Spiritual life?

This reference gives an Illuminated Understanding of the Life and Teaching of Saint Jesus.

http://www.beezone.com/AdiDa/EWB/EWB_pp436-459.html#jesusandtheteaching

Plus in more general cultural-historical terms

http://www.dabase.org/birthday.htm

But how does one generate an authentic Spiritual Practice because True Spiritual Practice is not, and never has been, an exercise of do-it-yourself-spirituality. Although us Westerners might like to think so.

One needs the guidance of a thresh-hold "personality", or one who has gone through and thus mastered the difficult process of psycho-physical transformation, and is thus qualified to Teach and Guide others through the process.

The key to Spiritual Life and Practice is transformation of ones psycho-anatomy, or the intrinsic structures of our body-minds. It has nothing whatsoever to do with ideas.

True Spiritual Life is the most difficult and creative endeavor one can engage in. Therefore, like all difficult and challenging creative-processes, on needs a teacher, an accomplished master.

As in all other areas of life that require mastery of the necessary disciplines.

http://www.aboutadidam.org/spiritual_master/spiritual_teacher.html

Plus True Spiritual Life can only be practiced within the context of a Sacred Community and not out there in amongst the insanity of the common world.

http://www.dabase.org/restsacr.htm

This contemporary reference gives some glimpses as to the necessity of the guidance of a Spiritual Master

http://www.goldensufi.org/a_chasm_fire.html

Highly recommened

<<Does Christianity exist for us,or do we exist for Christianity?>>we should egsist for neighbour and god

..the word of God belong to us all as freely as it is given

<<..for the few chosen ones of organised religion?>>of course NOT

<<Christianity/not a religion,..it's a legal system.>>contains law but is not the law

<<The Pharisees had a law for everything,and they administered the law.There was no spirituality in their law.They set themselves up as God’s legal representatives on earth,and if anyone wanted to contact God they had to go through God’s-lawyers.>>

GOD IS A PERSONAL GOD...[jesus reveales we can each KNOW god PERSONALY]...hear his still quiet voice WITHIN...know our masters voice..[of love]..like a beast in a stable knows his masters voice...thus not be fooled into sin[knowing all good comes from god..[that we shall do greater than we saw jesus do]..love god/love neighbour

<<Not only did Jesus challenge the right of the Pharisees to act as God’s lawyers,he taught that if we wanted to seek truth,we could look within to find it.>>..you shall call him emanuel..[god within us all]

<<it would have been the end of the Pharisees and the end of a legal system that separates us from God...When Paul/infiltrated the early Christian/church he imposed the Pharisees’legal structure onto Christian thinking and converted Christianity..from a religion following the teachings of Jesus..into a legal system.>>a-greed

<<The murder of Jesus has been made legal because it was..>>..been DEEMED to be God’s will...made into creed to feed the greed...he knows sin is forgiven[by god]..BUT..not nessesarilly the one wronged..lol...that can take a lot of sincere redeeming in the next life..[7 fold] best not to do ill unto others.in the first place, that you do to the least you do to god.

<<This wrathfilled vengefull form of Christian law has infiltrated our society to the extent that the first reply that comes back if we question someone’s actions will be“I am right”;or“it is legal.”>>..when it should be is this of the same good jesus would do..[ie..be of the same grace as god gives][as the same grace jesus revealed]turn the other cheek

Surely, as with every religion, Christianity exists only for the individual, and not - in any spiritual sense - external to the individual?

As such, the question "Does Christianity have a future" cannot possibly be answered by consensus, or acclaim, or by a plebiscite. The only credible answer can be "For me, yes", or "For me, no".

To attempt to generalize, as the author does, leads to some ridiculous conclusions:

>>This basic form of Christian law says that we can do anything we like to anyone at any time under any circumstances, and provided we find a reason why we are right, we remain free of sin.<<

That is clearly a nonsense. As nonsensical as it would be if you substituted the word "atheist" for "Christian" - as indeed, many Christian apologists do, regularly, on this very forum.

The entire piece seems, to the non-religious, to be an advertisement for something called gnosticism.

>>The gnostic way is the opposite of the legal way. Think for yourselves, make your own decisions, and accept responsibility for your actions.<<

Once again, the shallowness of the argument can be exposed by the same tactic - replace "gnostic" with "atheist". It still makes absolute sense.

What we are not told, and just might be of a little interest, is whether and how these ideas have changed since the book was written ten years ago.

"Jesus, Son of God? Jesus, king of the Jews? Jesus, the fulfillment of the Jewish prophecies? Does it matter?"

Of course it does. Assuming he existed at all, then if Jesus really was the son of god, his sayings have a uniquely authoritative backing. If he was just another Smart Dead Guy then he has to take his place in line with Buddha, Mohammed, Socrates, Aristotle, Descartes, Newton, Bacon, Einstein, Spinoza, Heraclitus, Marcus Aurelius, Bertrand Russell, Wittgenstein, Harvey, Jenner, Lister, Marie Curie, Keynes, Galbraith, Richard Dawkins and thousands of others, all saying contradictory things.

How do we tell which Smart Dead (and Living) Guys to believe? How about following the ones who have done most to extend our lifespan, improve our material comforts and increase our literacy and understanding? And where does Jesus stand on those criteria? Well outside the top hundred, I'm afraid.

The attempt to salvage Christianity by depicting Jesus as some kind of super-smart human guru falls down when it comes to describing the largely banal and platitudinous things he had to say. If Jesus made any kind of unique discovery or had any especially useful insight then let's have it, and we can judge it on its own merits. But what we find in the Bible is a nice guy, not especially bright, who is doomed by his failure to outgrow his own Messiah complex.