First and foremost - many good choices there for the hot new look for Jesus. Hard to choose a favorite, though hard pass on #13 Ted - ewwwwwwww!
We could have a great time over our respective beverage of choice talking about why this stuff should never be taken literally, though perhaps still seriously. I am a recovering Catholic (capital C) and still have fondness for the closest tradition to my spiritual way of thinking - the Episcopal church (aka Catholic light). Took a 4 year class - Education for Ministry while being an all in, vestry serving, choir singing member of the Epicopal church. I was all that and a bag of chips in a religious sense.
Today, I'm just looking at ways of how I can be a better human. My new year's resolution each year is to be less of an a-hole than the year before. The composite character that is Jesus might just approve.
Reading this made my day - in case it wasn't obvious from my comments. Fortunately didn't snort my coffee 😇
Lol... just read this. Great learning more about you. Somehow, we should have been best friends way back when. How did that not happen?
Truth be told, I was a closet Catholic. I wanted to be Catholic my whole childhood. Loved all that stuff they did and felt I was really missing out with my agnostic family that didn't attend a single church service as I was growing up.
You are a better human, Laura. That is quite clear. Of course, the bar is pretty low these days 😂🤣😂
My vote of on a face is a far cry Bradley Cooper with a beard. Given the time and place and ethic lines, Jesus would have certainly looked far more like Osama Bin Laden. Both of their cult followers killed and still kill people and hope to bring on the End Times.
The most likely description of JFC is itinerant preacher. My personal favorite. They were homeless wanderers around Judah doing what many did, magic. Magician was a real occupation.
JFCs brother James became a beggar outside the temple walls after his death. Many of the gospels and Epistles were written by people who didn't know him. The names used to label the gospels were not the authors. They were the names of those who were most likely reflected. The Bible as we know it is the winners of a popularity contest by the Romans. Remember the Romans wrote the entries down in Greek and many religious folks call that version the original. No one really knows how accurate the scribes were.
First and foremost - many good choices there for the hot new look for Jesus. Hard to choose a favorite, though hard pass on #13 Ted - ewwwwwwww!
We could have a great time over our respective beverage of choice talking about why this stuff should never be taken literally, though perhaps still seriously. I am a recovering Catholic (capital C) and still have fondness for the closest tradition to my spiritual way of thinking - the Episcopal church (aka Catholic light). Took a 4 year class - Education for Ministry while being an all in, vestry serving, choir singing member of the Epicopal church. I was all that and a bag of chips in a religious sense.
Today, I'm just looking at ways of how I can be a better human. My new year's resolution each year is to be less of an a-hole than the year before. The composite character that is Jesus might just approve.
Reading this made my day - in case it wasn't obvious from my comments. Fortunately didn't snort my coffee 😇
Lol... just read this. Great learning more about you. Somehow, we should have been best friends way back when. How did that not happen?
Truth be told, I was a closet Catholic. I wanted to be Catholic my whole childhood. Loved all that stuff they did and felt I was really missing out with my agnostic family that didn't attend a single church service as I was growing up.
You are a better human, Laura. That is quite clear. Of course, the bar is pretty low these days 😂🤣😂
Yes, low bar indeed. Glad we are friends now and so glad for your writing! Hope we can get together soon and trade stories in person 🙂
My vote of on a face is a far cry Bradley Cooper with a beard. Given the time and place and ethic lines, Jesus would have certainly looked far more like Osama Bin Laden. Both of their cult followers killed and still kill people and hope to bring on the End Times.
My fav - Justin Trudeau. Religion sucks.
I LOVE this piece thanks! So many great lines in here like: "Judea was RIPE as a sweaty pair of tube socks for the religious fanaticism" Wonderful!
The most likely description of JFC is itinerant preacher. My personal favorite. They were homeless wanderers around Judah doing what many did, magic. Magician was a real occupation.
JFCs brother James became a beggar outside the temple walls after his death. Many of the gospels and Epistles were written by people who didn't know him. The names used to label the gospels were not the authors. They were the names of those who were most likely reflected. The Bible as we know it is the winners of a popularity contest by the Romans. Remember the Romans wrote the entries down in Greek and many religious folks call that version the original. No one really knows how accurate the scribes were.
All that to say it's a crap shoot.
Chris Andrews: Personally, I like some of the Nag Hammadi, especially the Gospel of St Thomas and also the Gospel of Judas Iscariot.
A beautiful, anthropological dive into foundations of spirituality is given us by Karen Armstrong, "Great Transformations".
But for real depth in spirituality, I would suggest study of the neo-Platonic philosopher Plotinus and his Enneads.
There is an ethic that would have intellectual depth and bring true love of neighbor.
I would also suggest study of the work of the great founder of Mahayana Buddhism, Nagarjuna and also the great Advaita by Shankara.
ॐ
Karen Armstrong should be required reading in Sunday schools