Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!mips!dimacs.rutgers.edu!aramis.rutgers.edu!athos.rutgers.edu!christian From: pashdown@javelin.sim.es.com (Pete Ashdown) Newsgroups: soc.religion.christian Subject: Re: The missing body/Empty tomb Message-ID: Date: 25 Apr 91 02:46:17 GMT Sender: hedrick@athos.rutgers.edu Organization: Evans & Sutherland Computer Corp., Salt Lake City, Utah Lines: 43 Approved: christian@aramis.rutgers.edu irani@brahms.udel.edu (Jennifer Irani) writes: > And yes, Jesus appeared to people after His death, but then, so is >Elvis. Could anyone please give some logical answers. It does matter, this >is what the Christian faith is founded on--that Christ didn't just die, but >rose! Is Christianity _really_ founded upon the resurrection of Christ? Would the values Christ taught us be any less important if the entire story of his existence was fabricated by the apostles? I don't think so. I'm afraid that too many people base their Christianity solely upon the existence of miracles. I think they're missing the point entirely. -- / "Uhh" - Jon Bon Jovi \ THISSPACEHASBEENRENTEDTHISS \\ / AMGIA!! The computer for the mind. \X v// PAC SMiles! from Ilana EHA |XV [FREE CD'S! SEND ME MONEY!] X\/ SBEENRENTEDTHISPACEHASBEENR Pete Ashdown pashdown@javelin.sim.es.com ...uunet!javelin.sim.es.com!pashdown [One could create a religion based on some sort of values coming from Jesus, without having the resurrection. If you want to do so, that's up to you. (I think you'll have to ignore certain things Jesus said in order to do so, by the way.) I guess I'm not interested in engaging in arguments as to whether such a religion could legimately call itself Christian or not. It would certainly not be the religion described in the NT or practiced by the Church. The story of the crucifixion and resurrection so dominates the Gospels that scholars have referred to them as passion stories with extended prologs. Paul says "If for this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are of all men most to be pitied." (I Cor 15:19) Paul's understanding of Christianity is that the basic Christian experience involved vicarious participation in Christ's death and resurrection. Some people believe Paul has created a mystery religion. They have proposed a religion somehow based on Jesus' teachings without any of this resurrection stuff. Again, if you want to do that, go ahead. But every one of the NT authors sees Jesus' death and resurrection as key. You're going to be constructing a religion that is different than Christianity as it currently exists, and you're going to have to do a major rewrite of the documents you would have to use as sources for Jesus' words. --clh]