XPost: alt.satanism, alt.horror.cthulhu   
   From: invalid@address.com   
      
   > The Hypocritical Personality of Jesus (copied/pasted - author unknown)   
   >   
   > Whether Jesus was a real or mythological figure, it has been asserted that   
   > he represents the highest standard of ethical and moral living, second to   
   > none! Both Christians and non-Christians believe that if the teachings of   
   > this New Testament biblical character were followed to the letter, this   
   > world would be a veritable paradise.   
   >   
   > Is this even tenable? Does Jesus deserve such pandemic praise? Let's us   
   > examine the man and his motives:   
   >   
   > Was Jesus the Lamb of God?   
   >   
   > The birth of Jesus was heralded with "Peace on Earth, Good Will Towards   
   > Men." But in the holy scriptures he states, "Think not that I am come to   
   > send peace: I came not to send peace but a sword." (Matthew 10:34) "He that   
   > hath no sword, let him sell his garment, and buy one." (Luke 22:36) "But   
   > those mine enemies, which would not that I should reign over them, bring   
   > hither, and slay them before me." (Luke 19:27)   
   >   
   > The burning of so-called witches during the Inquisition was rationalized by   
   > the holy words of Jesus: "If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth. . .   
   > and men gather them into the fire, and they are burned." (John 15:6)   
   >   
   > Jesus looked at his disciples "with anger" (Mark 3:5), and "When He had made   
   > a whip of cords, He drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the   
   > oxen, and poured out the changers' money and overturned the tables." (John   
   > 2:15). Jesus drove demons into innocent animals and senselessly drowned   
   > them - "And He said to them, 'Go.' So when they had come out, they went into   
   > the herd of swine. And suddenly the whole herd of swine ran violently down   
   > the steep place into the sea, and perished in the water." (Matthew 8:32). He   
   > refused to heal a sick child, stating, "I was not sent except to the lost   
   > sheep of the house of Israel." He relented after the mother begged and   
   > begged (Matthew 15:22-28).   
   >   
   > The most disturbing aspect of his personality was his belief in eternal   
   > damnation. "The Son of man [Jesus himself] shall send forth his angels, and   
   > they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which   
   > do iniquity; And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be   
   > wailing and gnashing of teeth." (Matthew 13:41-42) "And if thy hand offend   
   > thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than   
   > having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be   
   > quenched." (Mark 9:43)   
   >   
   > Is this kind? Does the threat of violence make the sermons of Jesus more   
   > effective? Is hellfire a loving, peaceful idea?   
   >   
   > Did Jesus Teach Us "Family Values"?   
   >   
   > "If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and   
   > children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot   
   > be my disciple." (Luke 14:26)   
   >   
   > "I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter   
   > against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. And a   
   > man's foes shall be they of his own household." (Matthew 10:35-36)   
   >   
   > When a disciple requested time off for his father's funeral, Jesus rebuked   
   > him: "Let the dead bury their dead." (Matthew 8:22)   
   >   
   > Jesus never married or fathered children and even disowned his mother.   
   > "Woman, what have I to do with thee?" (John 2:4)   
   >   
   > What Were His Views On Equality And Social Justice?   
   >   
   > Jesus encouraged the beating of slaves: "And that servant [slave], which   
   > knew his lord's will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his   
   > will, shall be beaten with many stripes." (Luke 12:47) He never denounced   
   > servitude, incorporating the master-slave relationship into many of his   
   > parables.   
   >   
   > He did nothing to alleviate poverty. Rather than sell some expensive   
   > ointment to help the poor, Jesus wasted it on himself, saying, "Ye have the   
   > poor with you always." (Mark 14:3-7)   
   >   
   > No women were chosen as disciples or invited to the Last Supper.   
   >   
   > What Moral Advice Did Jesus Give?   
   >   
   > "There be eunuchs which have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of   
   > heaven's sake. He that is able to receive it, let him receive it." (Matthew   
   > 19:12) Some believers, including church father Origen, took this verse   
   > literally and castrated themselves. Even metaphorically, this advice is in   
   > poor taste.   
   >   
   > If you do something wrong with your eye or hand, cut/pluck it off (Matthew   
   > 5:29-30, in a sexual context).   
   > Marrying a divorced woman is adultery. (Matthew 5:32)   
   > Don't plan for the future. (Matthew 6:34)   
   > Don't save money. (Matthew 6:19-20)   
   > Don't become wealthy. (Mark 10:21-25)   
   > Sell everything and give it to the poor. (Luke 12:33)   
   > Don't work to obtain food. (John 6:27)   
   > Don't have sexual urges. (Matthew 5:28)   
   > Make people want to persecute you. (Matthew 5:11)   
   > Let everyone know you are better than the rest. (Matthew 5:13-16)   
   > Take money from those who have no savings and give it to rich investors.   
   > (Luke 19:23-26)   
   > If someone steals from you, don't try to get it back. (Luke 6:30)   
   > If someone hits you, invite them to do it again. (Matthew 5:39)   
   > If you lose a lawsuit, give more than the judgment. (Matthew 5:40)   
   > If someone forces you to walk a mile, walk two miles. (Matthew 5:41)   
   > If anyone asks you for anything, give it to them without question. (Matthew   
   > 5:42)   
   >   
   > Is this wise? Is this what you would teach your children?   
   >   
   > Was Jesus Reliable?   
   >   
   > Jesus told his disciples that they would not die before his second coming:   
   > "There be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see   
   > the Son of man coming in his kingdom" (Matthew 16:28). "Behold, I come   
   > quickly." (Revelation 3:11) It's been 2,000 years, and believers are still   
   > waiting for his "quick" return.   
   >   
   > He mistakenly claimed that the mustard seed is "the least of all seeds"   
   > (Matt. 13:32), and that salt could "lose its savor" (Matthew 5:13).   
   >   
   > Jesus said that whoever calls somebody a "fool" shall be in danger of hell   
   > fire (Matthew 5:22), yet he called people "fools" himself (Matthew 23:17).   
   >   
   > Regarding his own truthfulness, Jesus gave two conflicting opinions: "If I   
   > bear witness of myself, my witness is not true" (John 5:31), and "Though I   
   > bear record of myself, yet my record is true" (John 8:14).   
   >   
   > Was Jesus A Good Example?   
   >   
   > He irrationally cursed a fig tree for being fruitless out of season (Matthew   
   > 21:18-19, and Mark 11:13-14). He broke the law by stealing corn on the   
   > Sabbath (Mark 2:23), and he encouraged his disciples to take a horse without   
   > asking permission (Matthew 21).   
   >   
   > The "humble" Jesus said that he was "greater than the temple" (Matt 12:6),   
   > "greater than Jonah" (Matthew 12:41), and "greater than Solomon" (Matthew   
      
   [continued in next message]   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)