Friends, how much different would Easter have been if Jesus hadn’t been so serious?
Pictures of him often show him wearing a crown of thorns or nailed to a cross or being pierced by spears but never smiling. What if he’d been less serious, perhaps even a comedian?
How much different would world history have been if he’d been able to leave them laughing. Perhaps what happened in the Colosseum, the Spanish Inquisition, the burning of witches and heretics, and the Crusades, etc, might not have occurred?
Of course, early Gods were much more human than those associated with the Christian, Islamic and Judaic religions. Greek and Roman Gods had faults, some say human faults, ones like envy, ego-centrism, lust, etc. As such, they were much easier for humans to identify with.
It’s hard to try to emulate someone who is said to be perfect especially when humans, by nature, are imperfect, some more so than others.
And it could be argued that if God made us all, then He is responsible for our failings and we can’t be blamed for them and certainly shouldn’t be punished!
Does the idea of Jesus as a happy-go-lucky, always laughing, non-judgmental, affable figure appeal to you?
david, nothing to do with religion interests me in any way………..(except ancient ones like egyptian, mayan etc.)
however, take a look at this article (it’s quite long though) and see that greed and opulence will eventually turn round and bite you……….(and believe me when i say everything in the article is true as i lived in the region for 14 years – and it doesn’t just apply to the country in question)
http://www.independent.co.uk/opiniion/commentators/johan-hari/the-dark-side-of-dubai.1664368.html
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Jeannie Reply:
April 12th, 2009 at 12:50 am
Fantastic article! I had heard about Dubai, all the glitz and glamore, but never the ugly underside.
This may be the future of all of the developed world when the full effects of global warming/climate change and peal oil kick in.
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coco Reply:
April 12th, 2009 at 3:34 am
here is another ‘like’ story…………from al jazeera
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Z5FpfiP6K8
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woops……..mistakes
http://www.independent.co.uk./opinion/commentators/johann-hari/the-dark-side-of-dubai.1664368.html
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David G Reply:
April 11th, 2009 at 9:38 pm
The first link worked, Coco and thanks for posting it. It was a harrowing read and exposes the true tragedy of capitalism and greed.
P.S. What is it about Egyptian and Mayan religions that interests you? Just curious.
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coco Reply:
April 12th, 2009 at 3:17 am
well, it’s the connection with the sun/moon/stars/earth that interests me………..
just seems more natural than something/someone we ‘can’t’ see…………
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Loved the commet that god made us all. I was taught in church, when I was a kid, that god knows everthing that has happened in the past and that will happen in the future; that means that when god made us he knew that we would sin and screw-up so I would wonder why he made us that way and then punished us for it. Why didn’t he just make us good? He was god and therefore powerful enough to do it.
That was one of the questions that lead me away from religion.
I have a hard time imagining a laughting Jesus since I grew up in a hellfire and brimstone church.
It would sure be better!
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Everybody is grinning in the consumerism ads, like a couple starring at a monitor and grinning. (Fox News?) Weird. Then you go out on the street and observe the cars going by and unless they have a cell phone going (grinning), they are frowning. No wonder.
There are now countless legal attempts to force out a birth certificate for King O. The judges either dismiss or deny the cases. But how can they do otherwise. They want to keep their posh jobs or are part of it (Scalia). Reminiscent of NAZI Germany.
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Ken, I’m not quite with the birth certificate issue? Could you elaborate?
Jeannie, I agree about the hellfire and brimstone bit. During my adolescence I was involved with the Baptist Church. They sure knew how to instill fear.
Coco, natural is good!
Cheers.
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If one really believed in the almighty ‘father’ and that this ‘father really cares for his app. 6.5oo.ooo.ooo children on this earth and, if he had the sad/bad situation in Iraq , caring about every single grieving person there, on his mind – who could then laugh (a honest laugher) ? – unless being completely mad ?. (Sad to say, those killed are the most lucky of them all )
If we imagine that 1.ooo.ooo(+) Iraqis have been killed (they have) and we assume that an average family (consist of 4 x one million = 4 million)and recently have lost a child, mother or father, to them (4million), a dear one.
Those who have tried to lose a dearly beloved member of ones family knows how it feels. 4mill.+, not only in deep deep sorrow, but also feeling hatred knowing very well the loss was completely meaningless.. In this mess it would be completely inappropriate to laugh or just the least show happy feelings. Just one exempli gratia – how about Gaza (14?? x
average family is higher there!. Afghanistan etc.,, you name it…
The incarnate truth is that if there were a God he could very easily have avoided the sad situation/disaster by e.g. let George WB perish away, – how ? I don’t know, but if ‘you’ really are/were a God, you could easily do what was necessary to prevent this slaughter and disater – but he didn’t! – and that is, I think, because – he isn’t.
can anyone still believe ?
I – for my part removed my membership to the christian church (2006) when Israel bombarded Libanon, (killing 1100+ civilians, as far as I remember.)
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and another thing about j.c is that all the pictures depict a tall, western looking person. when in actual fact, someone from that region in those times would have been a stumpy, dark skinned individual. n’est pas?? anyone seen a picture of prophet mohammed? (pbuh)
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Sorry David, when I think twice about it I’ve done a grim million-digits MIScalculation when I wrote that 4.mill. Iraqis are in deep grief because of loss of a relative.!
Now – I realize there can ‘only’ be 3.mill. left to mourn when those died do not feel anything anymore..
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coco Reply:
April 12th, 2009 at 11:34 am
jlj, it matters not an iota your MIScalculation………….what matters most is the fact that even ONE iraqi mourns the loss of a loved one due to the ‘degraded, willful, despicable, unconscionable’ actions of a ‘rogue’ nation……………(and its cohorts)
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He looks better when laughting….great article david!
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Well, David, if Jesus had been a village rabbi who just wanted to make people a bit happier by reminding them that being kind to others feels good for everybody, if he was a good-natured rabbi, who did not instill fear and instead of preaching told jokes (I think those guys in fact exist and maybe Jesus even was one of them…before he was hijacked by political power in the 4th century…) if he was such a guy – we would never have heard of him. Only the guys considering themselves to be “chosen” create the monsters of religion. And then all laughter ends…..
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King O Birth Place not known. Nor is father really known. Age not known. When the PTB says jump, they jump. No proof needed on anything when totally in control. Like 911.
Latest on the BC issue (Probably not legally the president but will never matter.):
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=94535
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Happy Easter Everyone!
What popped into my head as I read your curious little message was irreverant but here goes:
what if Jesus had been a body builder? A muscle man who shunned steroids & lived a healthy, weight-lifting life, that cross would have been a piece of cake & just imagine those bulging arms stretched out , would he have flexed them for the Romans & other onlookers?
Instead of that flimsy loincloth some nice speedo coordinated with his sweatband of thorns.
I like it; instead of king of the Jews, Mr. Universe.
I feel the need to apologise, everyone was so determined to be serious, did I make anyone smile or teehee? No giggles at all? sigh, again, happy Easter
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David G Reply:
April 14th, 2009 at 7:31 pm
I admit to a giggle, Kate!
Thanks.
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Yes, free, happy go lucky if you will, lovin life with a defiant streak for justice, that Jesus works for me! Thanks for asking David. Happy belated Easter and may your life be filled with pastel rainbows. (wretch.) and chocolate rabbits, yuum.
On a serious note, I once saw a painting of Jesus walking on the beach with his few close disciples. This image greatly impressed me, the simplicity and pure enjoyment of life and walking in wisdom struck me and I wanted it wth everything in me. (I still want it!) Soon after seeing the painting, I was drawn to a Guru that claimed to be the incarnation of God on Earth, and this was my chance to be a close disciple and walk with The Lord on Earth! Of course i signed on the dotted line and became an aspiring disciple. Six years wearing seamless robes, spending most of my days in unpaid service to the guru. Long story. am free now. Whew.!
Somehow, some authentic part of me survived and allowed me to find a more existential, buddhist, naturalist – much preferable life. I regret those years in a cult and in some ways view it as lost time. I try to take what pearls of widom there are to retain. So not is all lost, eh. Long life to you all. Peace, Grace.
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David G Reply:
April 16th, 2009 at 6:37 pm
Grace, what a great comment. Your humanity is both touching and inspiring!
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Thanks David for providing a great blog to get to chime in on!
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You made me giggle, kate!
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Condolences to the Baptists and especially the Fire & Brimstone variety. My son’s father suffered this fate. I know of the damage personally.
My catholic training taught that we were given free will by our Creator and it is incumbent upon us to make good choices. That worked with my Hindu upringing understanding of free will, cause and effect and karma. Now I see it as all of that AND a creative Creation. There is alot of freedom in this view. As opposed to what i call the flat earth point of view. Let go to yourself. You may only fall off a man made edge (no real cliffs please) To quote:
Love and Rockets,
No New Tale To Tell
“You cannot go against nature
Because when you do
…Going against nature is part of nature too
Our little lives get complicated
It’s a simple thing
Simple as a flower and that’s a complicated thing”
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