If Jesus was to return today, what would he make of Christianity, and what is practiced in his name. From the Orthodox, who seem about a thousand years out of date, to the Roman C's, the Protestants, heaven forbid where did they spring from, right through to the KFC variety, that's the Kentucky Fried Christians, happy clappers and other assorted odd bods. Interesting indeed, Jesus would probably head for the nearest Synagogue, and a stiff drink of alter wine, thinking he's founds some fair dinkum Christians, sorry to disappoint JC, but they are not in the flock these days! blasphemers!
Just who would impress and who would reject, who are the true followers, and who are the phonies. There are many with their hands up, but who are the true believers? Interested to know.

Did Jesus consider slavery oppression? He certainly did! having grown up in Israel who for 400 years were slaves of Egypt, through their history some taken slaves of Assyria, Babylon, Persia, Greece, and in his day of Rome.

His own disciples looked for the day they would be free of Rome, but he saw another opportunity to reach all nations that is why he commissioned his followers to go into all the World and share the message, heal the sick and free the oppressed.

Some have learned freedom by serving others, as Joseph, Daniel, Esther and thousands who work for the benefit of a dictator because their love is for people is real.

Focus on the need you see to bring change for the betterment of the need of others. In Christ's teaching their is neither male nor female, Jew or Gentile. not slave or free all are seen as equal as Christians [Galatians 3: 28].

Paul wrote: When I say Judaism is an exclusive religion, it certainly was/is when compared to Christianity. There is no evidence that it actively sought converts among gentiles, there was no missionary movement associated with Judaism. In fact Jews considered themselves God's chosen people, at the exclusion of all others. Any converts are more the exception than the rule.

Dear Paul,

A religion that never converted anybody would only consist of its founder. Actually Jews did seek and even forcibly convert gentiles. Jews converted the Idumeans to Judaism resulting in King Herod who horrified both Jews and Christians. Thereupon Jews decided to welcome people who wanted to become Jews but would not seek converts. Current Judaism believes that it is more important to be a good person than to be a Jew. IMHO that makes Judaism superior to Christianity which regards people as better if they accept the Christian mumbojumbo. That is reflected in Christian language. “It is a Christian thing to do.” means that somehow one has behaved better. I think just respecting all people and allowing them to believe what they will is much better than trying to get them to accept the same nonsense you believe in. Missionary religions are a greater curse than other religions. As the late, great Jimmy Durante said, “Why doesn’t everybody leave everybody else the hell alone.”

Dear Josephus,

With all your squirming and reinterpreting you cannot find any direct condemnation of slavery by Jesus. It is not there. Jesus, if he existed, was a man of his time. In his time he probably accepted slavery as most others did. If one accepts slavery it is not considered oppression.

You also wrote: “Focus on the need you see to bring change for the betterment of the need of others. In Christ's teaching their is neither male nor female, Jew or Gentile. not slave or free all are seen as equal as Christians.”

Dear Josephus,

I think it is better to see all as equal whether or not they are Christians. One shouldn't have to follow a particular superstition to be considered equal.

It's like I've pointed out many times before, all those pages, and all those words, and yet this god couldn't manage three simple words: "Slavery is wrong."

Clearly it was needed. Is Yahweh not omniscient, or something? Obviously he's not omnipotent, because he couldn't write a book which would maintain its relevance throughout the ages.

We need a sequel to the Bible, but that given we are no longer as superstitious, ignorant, or fearful as we were when the first one was compiled, I don't think we'll be seeing that any time soon. At least not unless we have an apocalypse, or something like that.

'Do unto others...' is easily circumvented if slaves are not one's 'others'.

Hi AJ,

At the risk of raising Yuyutsu's ire, I venture the suggestion that religion fills a need for people in semi-civilized societies, or at least pre-industrial societies, which provokes a sort of hangover in many people which lingers over into industrial and even ?post-industrial societies.

As Nietzsche might have commented, 'The need for God is dead in full-blown industrial societies'. In such societies, people are also individualised, and have to work out their own value systems and reasons for living for themselves.

Some fall back exhausted from the effort and resort again to religion, some turn to crime and go on to much bigger things such as power, and some struggle all their lives to answer the old question 'How should we live ?'

I guess you and I are in that last, most unfortunate and most fortunate, group :(

Cheers,

Joe

Dear Joe,

You wrote of the need for religion in semi-civilized societies.

People in semi-civilized or tribal societies may be able to think logically and be sceptical of the tribal beliefs. All societies may have some form of religious belief and sceptics of that belief. There is evidence that societies had means of dealing with sceptics.

Believers in pre-literate societies leave artefacts such as burial mounds and figures of fertility goddesses. Doubters in those societies would not leave artefacts, but that does not mean they did not exist. Since they could be seen as a threat to the unity of the group they could have been dealt with harshly, and there is evidence that they were.

The Khazars, a pagan people, were converted to Judaism. Before their conversion the Khazars dealt with young men who had too many questions about the tribal beliefs by killing them.

A few years ago I was in New South Wales and went on a tour guided by an old Aborigine who told us about Aboriginal beliefs and customs. I asked him if there were those who questioned the beliefs. He said that boys who did not accept the beliefs did not survive the initiation ordeals.

Chagnon wrote “Yanomamo, The Fierce People.” The following passage is from his book.

“...a spirit named Wadawadariwa asks the soul if it has been generous or stingy during its mortal life. If the person has been stingy and niggardly, Wadawadariwa directs the soul along one path leading to a place of fire: Shobari Waka. If the person was generous with his possessions and food, he is directed along the other the other path – to hedu proper, where a tranquil semi-mortal existence continues.
The Yanomamo do not take this seriously, that is, do not fear the possibility of being sent to the place of fire. When I asked why, I got the following kind of answer: “Well, Wadawadariwa is kind of stupid. We’ll just all lie and tell him we are generous, and he’ll send us to hedu!”

Sounds as though the tribe may have many sceptics.

continued