What Sells apparently doesnt understand is that he is totally convicted of the mortalist "vision" of how things seem to be.
Everything he writes is a testimony to this fact.

The "vision" or model of human beings as described by scientific materialism. Scientism being the ruling paradigm which PATTERNS every last minute fraction of our "culture"---and has done so for a long time now.

Chapter One of this reference, titled The Purification of Doubt describes the anti-spiritual blindness of the common dreadfully sane mind---the mind that "informs" Sells writings on religion.

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

Nietzsche was correct when he claimed that "god" was dead. The possibility of a truly Divine Life was and is completely absent.

The "resurrection" didnt happen.

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

Of course Sells does not mention the other half of the equation. Namely the totally absurd belief that true believers will be bodily resurrected at the "second coming of Jesus".

Which body will be "resurrected"? That of the newborn baby, a young child, teenager, a thirty year old in the prime of their life, the decrepit body of someone who wasted away with cancer?

What about bodies vaporised by a nuclear explosion?

These are the secrets of the Kingdom of God taught by Saint Jesus of Galilee while he was alive.

The Divine must be understood to BE at the "inside" of the world, and everyone in the world. Therefore, rather than seek for God as "outside", or as some Rule or Ruler of the world, the Divine MUST BE ACCEPTED AS the Ruler of the heart, and the mind, and the body---such that the ego-"I", or the selfish heart CEASES to be the False Ruler of the active life of the human individual.

The Kingdom of God is neither in nor of the world, but IT must be established within the heart of every individual. THIS practical moral and devotional teaching about right life is the first secret taught by Jesus.

It was the basis for his "outer" or public teaching work.

The second secret is the SPIRITUAL teaching about how to establish Kingdom of God within the heart, mind, and body by means of psycho-physical self-surrender of heart, mind and body into Communion with the Divine Spirit Breath.

By means of this comprehensive psycho-physical practice of Spirit Breath, worshippers or devotees would be established in constant Communion, or at-one-ment with the Living God.

Thus worshipping devotess were to constantly and INWARDLY with full concentration of heart, mind and body, Ascend into the Kingdom or Absolute Condition of the Light of the world. Or the Indivisible and Self-Illuminated Divine Spiritual Fullness That Shines Eternally Above the heart, mind and the body of every human being.

This was the esoteric or "inner" dimension of the teaching of Saint Jesus which was reserved for those who responded to the "outer" teaching---and calling.

I thought the article started well for apologetics, yet agenda overtook rational and objectivity went out the window. I don't profess to be knowledgeable regarding the bible, over the years any time I've looked at it, was from a cultural, psychological, and anthropological aspect, a pet subject of mine and part of my work. So I wondered at the following

<”This has produced “scientific man” who will not believe anything unless there is objective, observable evidence. A thorough application of this principle would produce a person who was uninterested in art or love, a frightening prospect. It is no wonder that there exists the character of the mad scientist.”>

This isn't the case, historically those representing a deity display condemnation and censorship of both love and art. Historically and objectively observed to this day, something you find much less of in non ideologically controlled cultures. Observable evidence is how we determine justice and functionality within rational societies, if it's not applied in understanding, you end up with irrational societies. I believe there is ample observable evidence supporting that hypothesis.

<”That Jesus was “crucified under Pontius Pilate” confirms this historical nature.”>

I've come across this argument many times and have yet to find any reputable evidence supporting it ever happened. All the verifiable historical evidence shows it didn't. So another deception.

<”My hope is that Christians may be able to rejoice on Easter morn with the traditional greeting “Christ is risen!” and be answered equally enthusiastically by “He is risen indeed!” and do so with a clear conscience.”>

Using deceptive arguments doesn't give one a clear conscience, neither does trying to forget the visible outcomes inflicted upon all those through out history over run by those following what's scientifically accepted myth.

There's nothing wrong with having a belief, it's a psychological necessity. It doesn't matter if your belief can't be verified. What's fundamentally unconscionable, is to go to such lengths as to claim what is not and has never been as outcome of your belief.

<”That Jesus was “crucified under Pontius Pilate” confirms this historical nature.”>

I've come across this argument many times and have yet to find any reputable evidence supporting it ever happened. All the verifiable historical evidence shows it didn't. So another deception."

stormbay, just confirming that I am reading you correctly here: Are you suggesting that all the verifiable historical evidence shows Jesus was not crucified?

It appears that is what you're saying, but I just wanted to confirm.

If that IS your claim, then how do you explain away the gospel accounts, tacitus, josephus, and also paul, who was writing 20 years after the event, and says he was passing on an earlier tradition that says Jesus "died for our sins"? In other words, followers were reporting Jesus death within a few years after it happened

"The controversy between science and religion has revolved around whether God existed as a supernatural being and whether he could interfere with natural processes. We must admit, I think, that science has won the day here and has successfully chased God from the physical world."

The quote above is a big concession, and lies at the heart of this article. There are many "miracles" and "inexplicables" breaking the laws of nature and which are simply unexplained by science. Just check out "Lourdes cures" sometime, not to mention Fatima public ones. Even atheists admit these facts. Assuming these and others can all be explained away in the future indicates a rationalist mind at work whose subjective capitulation in the religious domain is a rather sad one. How does one handle the Shroud in light of the new evidence as well? Check our the Sudarium in Spain. It even fits the Shroud, they have now found. The Carbon14 dating has been blown away..Note the Pollen evidence as well.

If Jesus Christ is truly present in the validly confected Eucharist as the Catholics believe they have, then Christ has been present since He was transfigured as He promised, and likely to the end of time. Interestingly, it was only at the breaking of bread that they recognised Him at Emmanus. Also Aquinas has wonderful material on the transfigured body.

I feel a little sorry for this author. He seems an abused victim of the 19th century Historical Critical Method of scholarship. Have a read of this new Pope's book called "Jesus of Nazareth" and have your eyes opened....

Also check this link, and works quoted on it. I found them useful.
http://www.rcta.com.au/RCTAApologetics-Apr2008-GospelDating.html

There is a third option.
He didnt die.
It was all a big hoax.
It worked too!