This might be a little off topic but since Easter is mentioned here I figure this would be a good spot to find out what Rabbi Tovia Singer has to say about Easter: Seems there is some conflict between the three synoptic gospels versus the Gospel of John exactly what day was Jesus crucified. Was it the 14th day of Nissan (John), or was it the 15th day of Nissan (synoptics)? Also, for a while, Christians used to rely on the Jews to know exactly what day to celebrate this holiday because the Jews apparently had a superior calculation method for the length of a month. At some point Christians no longer wanted to depend on Jews for anything so they came up with their own method of calculation . That's why it no longer corresponds with the Jewish holiday of Pasach (Passover). See image above. According to Catholic Answers, the holiday has nothing to do with Ishtar, the Babylonian goddess of sex and fertility . Maybe it's because the timing was on the same day as the old Ishtar day? Not sure. What is more sure is this was a huge dispute, what day to celebrate on and was supposedly settled at council of Nicea in July 325. But still there is a different date for Byzantine Eastern Orthodox versus Roman Catholic in the West perhaps due to the use of different calendar calculations (Gregorian versus Julian). Whatever, it appears @aquarian1 uses the Roman Catholic calculations since this year, 2024, Eastern Orthodox Easter lands on May 5th. Anyway, Singer points out that Hebrew scriptures do not say the Messiah is supposed to die and then rise again three days later. Nevertheless many Christians believe this is what the Old Testament says for some reason. Singer believes the writer of John was more interested in framing Jesus as the neo Passover lamb.
Alexandra who is Jesus to you? Jesus is everything to me. He is my hope my friend he is my redeemer and deliverer. He has never left my side he has never failed me. He constantly shows me over and over again that I never need to fear that I can always trust him. That he will always make a way for me. He is a promise keeper. https://www.elitetrader.com/et/threads/testimonies-jesus.374608/page-8#post-5948561
Crime & New Age ruined my life, but Jesus rescued me | Rick's Testimony This was very interesting. I enjoyed his honesty and humbleness. He didn't shy away from things. He came from a very rough background and tells his testimony very plainly without a lot of "churchy" lingo.
I have good reason to believe that Christian deconstruction stories are powerful testimonies on the work of Jesus. Typically a Christian will walk away from Christianity as an agnostic, like i did, and occasionally as an atheist. I think it's better to trod the path of agnosticism, for a while, until gnosticism, the priority of knowledge over faith, has a chance to dawn upon one's mind, as it once dawned on mine. In a deconstruction story/testimony, Jesus doesn't get the glory, so-to-speak. But who says Jesus is interested in earthly glory? Agnosticism is actually an honest posture to hold, and probably even an essential posture to hold, if you interpret correctly the saying, "Judge not". After all, agnosticism is all about withholding one's "judgement" until absolutely sure about something. In this world, the only way to be really sure about anything is to receive a seed of knowledge directly from Christ. Given the corrupted nature of mankind, with it's tendency to assume it knows things, tendency to jump to conclusions, and to throw faith at problems that only knowledge can solve...it's predictable that the first religion/relationship people jump into, even after they receive a seed of knowledge, isn't going to be the path that takes them home, to Christ. It's predictable that everyone will pass through a sort of Judas state, where they betray what little knowledge they have been given to carefully curate. Therefore, i believe going astray, off the narrow path, onto the broad path is priced in to the salvation of Christ. I believe that Christ plays the long game, spreading repentance over many multiple incarnations and re-incarnations until a mind is ready to accept Christ as Christ is, not as we would like to believe Christ to be. Therefore, i believe these deconstruction testimonies deserve a place here, as equally, if not more important than the testimonies where people end up trapped in what may be called 'relationship religions', which are religions where people convince themselves they have a special relationship with Jesus. Think about it for just one minute. Christ is about the truth. These deconstruction testimonies are all about people facing up to the truth, no matter where it leads, even if it leads them out of the relationship religion traps. It takes great courage for people to allow themselves to be led by the truth. Shouldn't Jesus get credit for this? After all, where does this courage come from? Where does the strength of mind come from? Arguably, it requires a miracle for some people to find their way out of the relationship religion traps. I believe Jesus should get credit for those miracles, even if he doesn't require credit anytime soon. If Jesus didn't give seeds of knowledge unless people could guarantee they would never be led astray, then Christ would never be saved, because i estimate everyone is tempted to be led astray, for years, decades, and even multiple incarnational "life" experiences. The salvation of Christ is a long game, much longer than the average time a fragmented mind spends trapped in a relationship religion. 12,514 views • Nov 21, 2020 Today I spoke with Hannah Timson, the former President at Humanist Students UK. Hannah joined me previously for a discussion with Mike Lawrence regarding the subject of the abusiveness of childhood indoctrination, but today we talked through Hannah's deconversion story. We focused on the early cracks in the foundation of her Christian beliefs, the issues and crucial questions that came to the forefront as she worked through whether or not the Bible stories were real or mythological, and the implications. We discussed her final steps toward deconversion, her exit from Christianity, and what it looks like to live a life free from a pretend deity and worldview, and from the horrific and bizarre teachings of the Bible and Christianity. Many thanks to Hannah for her openness and vulnerability, her bravery to tackle the hard questions, and her willingness to be a strong voice for the atheist and humanist communities.
Please start your own thread for your attacks on Jesus. You keep attacking me, Jesus and the thread. If you feel YOUR view is interesting and I am sure it will be to others - in your own "deconstruction thread" to support your anti-Jesus message. I am sure you have the confidence in your views to start a thread for your NON JESUS argumentative posts. This thread is glorifying what Jesus has done for people, it is Jesus Testimonies.
It looks like you didn't read. Finding ones way out of relationship religion traps is not anti Jesus. It's pro Jesus because it represents a miracle of honesty and a willingness to follow the truth no matter where it may lead. It's you, not Jesus, who says that harboring within a relationship religion trap is his work, his will, or his way. I'm saying that his way is the way of "Judge not" which means don't conflate faith with knowledge. That means it's better to approach Christ through agnosticism than faith...until Christ gives you knowledge. Those who are on the path of agnosticism do not make judgements about who is responsible for their honesty and courage. They don't run around giving Jesus credit for their escape from mental prisons. Nor does Jesus require any credit, being powerful enough to do miracles without the candy of quick credit. But I do offer credit to Jesus, being, myself, one step beyond agnosticism into the land of knowledge. On your path out of relationship religions there is only one set of footprints. But whose set of footprints are they? I'm saying that is the time when you need Jesus the most, but give him the least credit. That was the time Jesus was carrying you, so to speak: