Originally posted by One Bad Pig
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This forum is open discussion between atheists and all theists to defend and debate their views on religion or non-religion. Please respect that this is a Christian-owned forum and refrain from gratuitous blasphemy. VERY wide leeway is given in range of expression and allowable behavior as compared to other areas of the forum, and moderation is not overly involved unless necessary. Please keep this in mind. Atheists who wish to interact with theists in a way that does not seek to undermine theistic faith may participate in the World Religions Department. Non-debate question and answers and mild and less confrontational discussions can take place in General Theistics.
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"All men will hate you because of me" - something any cult leader could say?
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"It ain't necessarily so
The things that you're liable
To read in the Bible
It ain't necessarily so."
Sportin' Life
Porgy & Bess, DuBose Heyward, George & Ira Gershwin
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Originally posted by One Bad Pig View PostThis doesn't really say what to do when faced with persecution; all it establishes is that it is permissible, if tactically advantageous, to conceal one's faith. This is in stark contrast to Christianity, which teaches that one should stand strong in one's faith regardless of persecution.
Sahih Muslim 6303 which speaks of some of the circumstances in which lying is permitted in Islam.
Sahih al-Bukhari 4037 is a long one in which Mohammed allowed lying in order to kill an opponent of Islam.
Due to these instances and others it has been traditionally accepted this is part of the teaching of taqiyya. Especially among Shia Muslims who have more often been in the minority than Sunni. According to At-Tabari Mohammed himself was engaging in taqiyya with his earlier verses when he portrayed Islam as more peaceful* than it really was.
At-Tabari, Volume VI, p. 95—Abu Talib sent for the Messenger of Allah, and when he came in he said, "Nephew, here are the shaykhs and nobles of your tribe. They have asked for justice against you, that you should desist from reviling their gods and they will leave you to your god." "Uncle," he said, "shall I not summon them to something which is better for them than their gods?" "What do you summon them to?" he asked. He replied, "I summon them to utter a saying through which the Arabs will submit to them and they will rule over the non-Arabs." Abu Jahl said from among the gathering, "What is it, by your father? We will give you it and ten like it." He answered, "That you should say, 'There is no deity but Allah.'"
According to Ibn Ishaq the worst the Quraysh had done to Mohammed was grab him by his cloak when he had just threatened to slaughter them.
I also agree that what Islam teaches with regard to taqiyya is very different from what Christianity teaches.
*One of the more common examples thrown out is Sura [2:256]
There shall be no compulsion in religion; the right way has become distinct from the wrong way. Whoever renounces evil and believes in God has grasped the most trustworthy handle; which does not break. God is Hearing and Knowing.
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Originally posted by Cerebrum123 View PostI don't agree with Gondwanaland that Mohammed predicted persecution in advance, but I do agree with him that such a prediction isn't really compelling for any religious leader to make even if it does come true.
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Originally posted by Mountain Man View Post
That really wasn't the point of this thread. I mentioned elsewhere that Christians facing persecution is not surprising because Jesus promised it would happen. Gond suggested that such predictions are common among religious leaders, and therefore, Jesus being accurate on this point is trivial. I was curious if it was true that other religious leaders have made similar predictions and asked Gond if he had any support for his assertion. Apparently he doesn't. The best he has been able to do is point to Islam which has a doctrine that was established as a response to persecution rather than being a prediction.
My point in this thread is that Jesus said it first - and it came true. If I was starting a cult today and I wanted to give it legitimate trappings, especially in the western hemisphere, I would copy elements of Christianity. Like what Joseph Smith did when he ignorantly claimed his "tablets" were written by God - in King James English. But the cult leaders also need to be careful with their predictions, lest they end up like the Millerites and the disciples wander away.
Anyway, in the case of Jesus - from a strictly secular viewpoint - being first is significant. Like Darwin's evolution or Einstein's relativity, we can look backwards and say "Oh, how obvious." But until someone says it first, it is not obvious.
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But ... but I thought God wrote the Bible in King James English and that the Jews and early Christians had to translate it into Hebrew and Greek so that they could understand it. That's what I was told in church years ago.When I Survey....
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Originally posted by Hypatia_Alexandria View Post
If one considers the contemporary politico-religious and social situation it cannot be entirely ruled out.
Enter the Church and wash away your sins. For here there is a hospital and not a court of law. Do not be ashamed to enter the Church; be ashamed when you sin, but not when you repent. – St. John Chrysostom
Veritas vos Liberabit<>< Learn Greek <>< Look here for an Orthodox Church in America<><Ancient Faith Radio
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I recommend you do not try too hard and ...research as little as possible. Such weighty things give me a headache. - Shunyadragon, Baha'i apologist
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Originally posted by seanD View Post
I definitely wouldn't solely base the strength of apologetics on this one issue (because there are far stronger arguments), but I think it's a pretty strong argument, at least proving Jesus wasn't a liar and trying to fool them like we would expect of religious charlatans. We know Jesus initially started out his ministry predicting this because in Mark he makes this prediction when he first commissions his disciples, and we know it's an authentic saying because he uses the self-descriptive Semitic "Son of man" reference. I don't see any other instances of this in any other religion, which makes sense to me. Religious leaders, especially of the fraudulent variety, want to win converts with false promises and they don't want to discourage the converts they already have with warnings of persecution.
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Originally posted by One Bad Pig View Post"Cannot be entirely ruled out" and "not improbable" express widely divergent levels of possibility. In any case, it would seem that their reviling of Jesus and the fundamental incompatibility of their actions with Jesus' teachings make it infinitesimally unlikely.
However, given the contemporary politico-religious and social situation in the province in the early first century CE a more "direct " attitude would certainly not be unknown or unlikely. Nor was he either the first or last Messianic claimant.
"It ain't necessarily so
The things that you're liable
To read in the Bible
It ain't necessarily so."
Sportin' Life
Porgy & Bess, DuBose Heyward, George & Ira Gershwin
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Originally posted by Hypatia_Alexandria View PostWho were the λῃστάς λῃσταί [Mark 15.27] [Matthew 27.38] crucified with him? It is not improbable that they were members of his own group.
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Originally posted by ReformedApologist View Post
First the text does not say they were members of Jesus' own group.
"It ain't necessarily so
The things that you're liable
To read in the Bible
It ain't necessarily so."
Sportin' Life
Porgy & Bess, DuBose Heyward, George & Ira Gershwin
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Originally posted by Hypatia_Alexandria View PostWhy would they? You forget that these texts are apologetic and written after 70 CE.
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Also since someone brought up Joseph Smith, one problem with that claim is that Mormonism had already built on many previous Christian principles that was already well known in early America. In addition during the early church they were looked at as Seditious to the Roman Empire, they refused to worship the emperor alongside Jesus Christ. In contrast to Mormonism you really don't see any of those factors in play. So again comparing Apples to Oranges.
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Originally posted by ReformedApologist View Post
Again you make the assumption they are his followers but you provide no evidence. All you have is assertion, and then try and use the Greek to prove your point to which fails miserably.
ἐν ἐκείνῃ τῇ ὥρᾳ εἶπεν ὁ Ἰησοῦς τοῖς ὄχλοις· ὡς ἐ πὶ λῃστὴν ἐξήλθατε μετὰ μαχαιρῶν καὶ ξύλων συλλαβεῖν με· καθ’ ἡμέραν ἐν τῷ ἱερῷ ἐκαθεζόμην διδάσκων καὶ οὐκ ἐκρατήσατέ με
I am therefore merely offering an opinion that, premised on the known historical situation prevailing at this time in Judaea [and not the tendentious writings of the four canonical gospels] that my suggestion cannot be entirely ruled out.
We know that claiming, being suspected of claiming, or being acclaimed as, the Jewish Messiah was a capital offence under Roman law in Judaea at this period.
The gospels tell us that Jesus made an entry into Jerusalem displaying his role as the prospective King of the Jews and the coming ruler of God’s people as prophesied in Zecharariah 9.9. The gospels also tell us that Jesus was accompanied in this by a a following and that his symbolic entry was recognised by the local people.
All all this [so the gospels tell us] occurred on the eve of the Passover when the population of Jerusalem would have been greatly increased [doubled if not more] by Jewish pilgrims coming in from the surrounding region; and thereby substantially increasing existing tensions and the possibility of trouble breaking out. Hence at Jewish festivals the Praefectus came to Jerusalem from his headquarters at Caesarea Maritima and brought with him additional military forces to supplement the permanent garrison in the Antonia.
Mark also mentions an uprising στάσει [15.7]. Now we cannot assume that the uprising mentioned by Mark is directly connected with Jesus of Nazareth but once again we cannot absolutely dismiss it either.."It ain't necessarily so
The things that you're liable
To read in the Bible
It ain't necessarily so."
Sportin' Life
Porgy & Bess, DuBose Heyward, George & Ira Gershwin
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Originally posted by Hypatia_Alexandria View Post
Given that Jesus of Nazareth was executed for sedition it would therefore not be unreasonable that two of his associates were executed with him. Nor is it likely we shall ever find an attested contemporary historical account of what exactly took place.
However, given the contemporary politico-religious and social situation in the province in the early first century CE a more "direct " attitude would certainly not be unknown or unlikely. Nor was he either the first or last Messianic claimant.
Enter the Church and wash away your sins. For here there is a hospital and not a court of law. Do not be ashamed to enter the Church; be ashamed when you sin, but not when you repent. – St. John Chrysostom
Veritas vos Liberabit<>< Learn Greek <>< Look here for an Orthodox Church in America<><Ancient Faith Radio
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I recommend you do not try too hard and ...research as little as possible. Such weighty things give me a headache. - Shunyadragon, Baha'i apologist
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Originally posted by One Bad Pig View PostYet the NT accounts are wholly silent as to the possibility.
We do not know the real background to the actual events. And given the events of 66-70 CE, if the real man had been more "direct" in his actions it is hardly likely that these tendentious Christian writings would acknowledge that fact.
After The First Jewish War anything with known Jewish antecedents was regarded with suspicion and deep hostility. Hence the portrayal of Jesus in the Passion narratives where he is shown as being pacific and the blame for his death is shifted on to the Jews and away from the Romans along with the caricature figure of Pilate with which we are presented in those texts.
Originally posted by One Bad Pig View PostGiven the centrality of Jesus' crucifixion to the NT, it beggars belief that the two people who died with him would remain anonymous if they were in any way associated with him. From the beginning, those who were executed for their association with Jesus were held in highest esteem and celebrated.
Originally posted by One Bad Pig View PostThat he was the neither the first nor last Messianic claimant would make their association with him LESS likely; Messianic claimants would have been rivals, with competing groups of associates.
Your comments are reminiscent of the remark made by the character of Arthur played by John Cleese in the The Life of Brian when Brian insists he is not the Messiah:
Arthur: "I say you are, Lord, and I should know I've followed a few"!
Originally posted by One Bad Pig View PostFurther, banditry was notorious in the area in contemporary historical accounts, and bandits may or may not have had any connection with a Messianic claimant
You should read Richard A Horsley's book Jesus and Empire: The Kingdom of God and the New World Disorder as well as his book written with John S. Hanson Bandits, Prophets, and Messiahs, or see if you can find Horsley's 1979 paper "The Sicarii: Ancient Jewish "Terrorists". You need to remember the old adage that one man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter!
"It ain't necessarily so
The things that you're liable
To read in the Bible
It ain't necessarily so."
Sportin' Life
Porgy & Bess, DuBose Heyward, George & Ira Gershwin
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