The two questions you asked deal directly with the basis of the Chirstian faith.
a) Was Jesus Christ an impostor?
The response you will get, depend on the religious disposition of the of
the repondee. To all men of FAITH, Jesus Christ is real. And HIS coming
into the world to restore man to the spiritual glory lost during the time of
Adam was foretold in the OLD Testament. Ther are several scriptures which
men of the faith-Christianity will quote to support the assertion that
Jesus Christ was the promised MESSIAH of the Old Testament. BUT his kinsmen
rejected him and called him an IMPOSTOR. The result was the charge against
him at the court of Pontius Pilate ( a Roman Administrator of Judea) and the
subsequent execution by crucifion. To the believers, Jesus christ was not
an Impostor. But for the non-belivers ( which include the Jews) he is an
impostor. Many sects in the Jewish faith of JUDAISM are still expecting
their MESSAIH.
b) CHRISTIANITY AS UNBELIEVABLE RANDOM CHANCE PHENOMENON OF UNIVERSAL
PROPRTIONS?
If you read history of the rise of the Christian faith, you will discover
one thing and that is: the individuals or institutions that percuted the
followers of Jesus Christ , also turned around in later years to help spread
the growth of Christianity. Note for the following examples:
a) The Jewish persecution of Christians under a Greek Jew called SAUL. He
became the loudest and strongest proponet of the teaching of Christ. He
changed his name to PAUL. Most of the books in the NEW TEATAMENT are
PAULINE EPISTLES. If you remove Jesus Christ , you may be right if you call
christianity, PAULIANITY. Jesus Christ left no single document behind.
b) The Roman State. The greateast persecution of the christians was done by
the Roman Emperors. From a little known group known as the followers of a
mysterious Jew, the persecution brought Christianity into the lime light .
From Emperor Nero( the man who fiddled while Rome burned) down to
Diocletian, christians were burnt, fed to animals and used as gladiators
because they refused to renounce their faith. Emperor Hadrian actually
erected a Roman temple on the site and on top of the Jewish Temple from
where Christianity took off. The irony was that it was that persecution
that set off people wanting to know more about the teachings of Christ
secretly. It was the Roman Emperor CONSTANTINE who finally legalised and
proclaimed Christianity as a State Religion.
From there on Christianity has never looked back or played second fiddle to
any other religious faith.
For the people of FAITH, this is not chance phenomenon. It is God, the
creator of mankind, the unmoved mover, the alpha and Omega, the ominipotent
and ominisience walking through his creation to reveal his power.
To them, the Creator God often uses the UNTHINKABLE TO GET HIS MESSAGE
ACROSS TO HUMANITY.
To them Jesus Chirist is the promised MESSIAH of the OLD TEASTAMENT. His is
the son of God and the God Head rolled into one-the Father, the Son and Holy
Ghost.
Merry Xmas and a Happy New Year!!
Iyi Eweka.
At 11:12 AM 12/27/98 -0600, you wrote:
>I am very serious with the question in the subject of this mail.
>
>An historical overview of the roman empire recently aired on the american
TV History Channel with seemingly authoritative Ph.D. historians from
several european and american universities strongly suggest that Jesus
Christ was basically an insignificant preacher who posed as the sun of God.
In a nutshell, an impostor who ultimately got the death penalty as is well
known by crucifiction, the death penalty tool of roman law. The historical
review further suggests that without roman imperial support and promotion
for political purposes, christianity might have been but a footnote in history.
>
>What makes the argument very relevant in my view is that, contrary to the
appeal to faith found in the bible and most christian denominations
teaching, this is a cold, considered historical perspective backed with
known historical facts.
>
>Was Jesus Christ an Impostor? And Christianity an unbelievable random
chance phenomenon of universal proportions? If that were the case, what
would that say about the strenght of human psyche and intellect?
>
>Hope there are a few philosophers among us.
>
>Bonne journee.
>===========
>KMF
>
>PS. The historical review referenced above is available on video tapes from
the History Channel, and there is an 800 number to get the series for about
USD 60. (I don't remember the exact number).
>
>
>
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><HEAD>
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><DIV><FONT color=#000000 size=2>I am very serious with the question in the
>subject of this mail.</FONT></DIV>
><DIV><FONT color=#000000 size=2></FONT> </DIV>
><DIV><FONT color=#000000 size=2>An historical overview of the roman empire
>recently aired on the american TV History Channel with seemingly authoritative
>Ph.D. historians from several european and american universities strongly
>suggest that Jesus Christ was basically an insignificant preacher who posed as
>the sun of God. In a nutshell, an impostor who ultimately got the death
penalty
>as is well known by crucifiction, the death penalty tool of roman law. The
>historical review further suggests that without roman imperial support and
>promotion for political purposes, christianity might have been but a
footnote in
>history.</FONT></DIV>
><DIV><FONT color=#000000 size=2></FONT> </DIV>
><DIV><FONT size=2>What makes the argument very relevant in my view is that,
>contrary to the appeal to faith found in the bible and most christian
>denominations teaching, this is a cold, considered historical perspective
backed
>with known historical facts.</FONT></DIV>
><DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV>
><DIV><FONT size=2>Was Jesus Christ an Impostor? And Christianity an
unbelievable
>random chance phenomenon of universal proportions? If that were the case, what
>would that say about the strenght of human psyche and intellect?</FONT></DIV>
><DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV>
><DIV><FONT size=2>Hope there are a few philosophers among us.</FONT></DIV>
><DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV>
><DIV><FONT size=2></FONT><FONT color=#000000 size=2>Bonne journee.</FONT></DIV>
><DIV><FONT size=2>===========</FONT></DIV>
><DIV><FONT size=2>KMF</FONT></DIV>
><DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV>
><DIV><FONT size=2>PS. The historical review referenced above is available on
>video tapes from the History Channel, and there is an 800 number to get the
>series for about USD 60. (I don't remember the exact number).</FONT></DIV>
><DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV>
><DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV>
><DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV></BODY></HTML>
>
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