Fastfalcon

<a href="http://www.frugalsites.net/jesus/physician.html" target="_blank">http://www.frugalsites.net/jesus/physician.html</a>
I actually found this while surfing the net, searching for articles about Jesus and this almost made me cry. Here is the text:

{Edited to remove copyrighted material - Wizardry}

(my note: this man seems to be a well respected medical doctor, not a raving maniac)

[ May 17, 2002: Message edited by: Wizardry ]</p>

enrious

You didn't spend any time looking through the archives or searching for past threads on this topic before posting this nonsense, did you?

Fastfalcon

On my honor as a Christian, I did not.

The Cromwell Institute

I will take the optimist position and tell you that if this is your best post yet, you have limitless room for improvement.

ex-preacher

Most of us around here accept the proposition that Jesus died by crucifixion, as did tens, if not hundreds, of thousands of others in the Roman empire.

What I find bizarre is the notion prevalent among Christians that Jesus' death was somehow the most cruel, painful death that anyone has ever faced. That's simply untrue.

First, we could compare Jesus' crucifixion to the crucifixion of others. Many victims took days to die, while Jesus died relatively quickly - in about 6 hours.

Second, if we compare the total scope of Jesus' suffering - scourging plus crucifixion over an 18 hour period - it doesn't even begin to compare to the suffering that many others have faced. What about prisoners of war in Japan during WW2 or Vietnam? The U.S. is home to 400,000 survivors of torture in other countries. Many of these were tortured over and over for years.

What about the victims of diseases such as cystic fibrosis or various cancers who suffer continuously for years? Jesus had a pain-free life except for the last 18 hours.

Finally, Jesus' pain dwindles when it is argued that he rose after 36 hours in the grave. Victims of the Christian hell will suffer much more than Jesus ever did and for all eternity. Maybe we should worship them.

Taken as a whole, then, Jesus suffered very little compared to the rest of humanity.

enrious

It shows.

I truly hope you learn a lot about research before you hit college.


Incidently, I place zero stock in "honor as a Christian.

[ May 17, 2002: Message edited by: enrious ]</p>

Godless Dave

OK, we have a doctor giving us details, based on historical information and medical knowledge, about how horrible a death crucifixion is. This applies to the execution of Jesus of Nazareth (assuming it happened) as well as the deaths of the thousands of other people crucified by the Romans. Fair enough.

Then the doctor makes a leap and talks about the resurrection, but does not talk about any of the medical details. What qualifies him to talk about someone coming back from the dead? Has he observed this in his medical practice? Did he learn anything about it in medical school?

But then he almost redeems himself with this tidbit:

I agree that Jesus's followers would have been despondent and depressed after he was executed. So despondent and depressed that they started telling stories about him coming back to life to make themselves feel better!

Fastfalcon

It is noted that he is a doctor AND a Christian. So he believes in Christ's resurrection.

Another note: Since Christ has died, christianity should have died with him, as the good doc said. But there seems to have been something impossible happening (resurrection) if it was to stay alive.

Anunnaki

Fastfalcon,
You almost made me cry when you posted that stupid Christian propaganda.

Crucifixtions were not plaesant at all,but this does not prove that there was a Jesus or that ANYBODY ever was resurrected and floated into the sky. You are probably unaware of this,but your fellow Christians do not believe Jesus` spirit went into the sky. They believe his WHOLE BODY FLOATED OF THE EARTH AND WENT UP TO HEAVEN.
Not only that,but Catholics believe that Mary,after having her hymen magically restored,also BODILY FLOATED OFF OF THIS PLANET.

Goodluck in your new cult.

Queen of Swords

Originally posted by Fastfalcon:
<strong>Okay, This is my best post yet</strong>

Most of it isn't even your own words/your own thoughts. Is that why you consider it to be your best post?

<strong>I actually found this while surfing the net, searching for articles about Jesus and this almost made me cry.</strong>

Almost? Did it have to be a little gorier to actually produce that effect?

<strong>An attempt to examine the infinite psychic and spiritual suffering of the Incarnate1 God in atonement2 for the sins of fallen man </strong>

Oh yes, this is quite unbiased and objective.

I'll save time for anyone who might not want to read the entire article; the condensed version is below :

<strong> suffering... bloody... agony... blood... bloody... bloody... battered... blood... bleeding... bruises... bleeding... blood... bleeding... blood... bleed... blood... bleeding... pain... torment... agony... pain... pain... pain... agony... pain... blood... death... Death... blood. </strong>

Think Anne Rice's love child by the Marquis de Sade.

<strong>This is an ugly sight and is likely to leave us despondent and depressed.</strong>

There are so many ugly sights in the world (the bodies lying like cordwood in concentration camps, for example). The purported sufferings of one person (who, if the story was true, ruled over heaven because of his death) do not leave me in the least "despondent and depressed".

<strong>But the crucifixion was not the end of the story. How grateful we can be that we have a sequel: a glimpse of the infinite mercy of God toward man</strong>

The mercy that sends you to hell if you don't do exactly as he says.

Really, Fastfalcon, this was by no means your best post; you can only go up from here.

[ May 17, 2002: Message edited by: QueenofSwords ]</p>