Sounds like welfare to me. . .

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"The legitimate powers of government extend to such acts only as are injurious to others. But it does me no injury for my neighbor to say there are twenty gods, or no God. It neither breaks my leg, nor picks my pocket."

Thomas Jefferson

Jesus is a rather poor god in the pantheon of popular deities. (Real gods are not supposed to die - even if they managed to be resurrected.) Somehow the man who preached the Sermon on the Mount seems more impressive than Christ the miracle worker. Still, anyone who could turn water into wine would have been worth inviting to a party.

At the trial of Jesus, Pontius Pilate asked: “What is truth?” Interestingly, Christ does not answer the question; and in his silence, there is perhaps more truth than written in all the gospels.

A scholar who spoke at our school earlier this semester (Elaine Pagels was her name, I think) suggests that the Gospels were written in such a way as to specifically lay the blame on the Jews in general. This was done so as to assure the Romans that the rising Christian religion was not in danger of acting against Roman power out of vengeance for the death of Christ.

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"Jesus said: I have cast fire upon the world, and behold I guard it until it is ablaze."
Gospel of Thomas

"'You are a king, then!' said Pilate.

Jesus answered, 'You are right in saying I am a king. In fact, for this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.'

'What is truth?' Pilate asked. With this he went out again to the Jews and said, "I find no basis for a charge against him." John 18:37-38

certainly John is a little hostile to Jews (it's the only book to use the phrase "the Jews...") but Matthew, Mark, and Luke really aren't and some of the really anti-semitic Gospels were thrown out (I'm thinking of the Gospel of Peter)

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"A dog barks when his master is attacked. I would be a coward if I saw that God's truth is attacked and yet would remain silent."
-John Calvin

“What is truth? said jesting Pilate; and would not stay for an answer.”
- Francis Bacon, Essays, “Of Truth” (1601)

The colloquy between Pilate and Jesus [ref. Matt 27:11; Mark 15:2; Luke 23:3, and John 18:33-38 (KJV)], where Christ’s answer to the accusations against him is either oblique or nonresponsive [ref. Matt 27:12-14; Mark 15:3-5 (KJV)], is an example of when silence (viz. failure to respond) may not be evidence of guilt. Pilate’s statement “What is truth?” [ref. John: 18:38 (KJV)] may be viewed in the context of the proceedings as a rhetorical question, but it is nevertheless a telling one. “Then said Pilate to the chief priests and [to] the people, I find no fault in this man.” [ref. Luke 23:4 (KJV)]. The truth, if any, that can be adduced from the accounts of the gospels is that Christ (if he existed) was not a god, the King of the Jews, or the prophesied Messiah, but only a man.

I'm not sure I quite see how you reached that conclusion.

Yeah I'm not sure how you're getting to this conclusion either considering in John Christ actually says he is the son of God.

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"A dog barks when his master is attacked. I would be a coward if I saw that God's truth is attacked and yet would remain silent."
-John Calvin

Hey Donkey, glad you got to hear Pagels. I enjoy her work; I think she's very even-handed in her research. I'd encourage everyone here to read her book The Gnostic Gospels. I have a friend who studied under her at Barnard back in the late 70s/early 80s (though she now teaches at Princeton), which is about the time this book was published.

One of her early books (which I've not read in probably 20 years now) is Adam, Eve, & the Serpent. I really like it in that it really takes apart the Genesis myths & also lays out how sex roles in the West were arrived at due to the story of Adam & Eve.

I've read one other book of hers called The Origin of Satan. Another fascinating read.

She's published a lot of other works & I've heard great things about them; I just haven't had time to read them. I'd really like to read her book which examines the Epistles of Paul in some detail. She's also written on the Gospels of Thomas & Judas, and I do own them; just haven't found the time to read them (yet). I'm knee-deep in about eight other books at the moment, and have just started writing another book myself (the first chapter flew out of me yesterday, and my wife spent last evening making edits & suggestions & helped me with an outline, so who knows when I'll get to them).

Anyway, Donkey, I'm glad you got to hear her speak. I'm sure it was very informative. . .

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"The legitimate powers of government extend to such acts only as are injurious to others. But it does me no injury for my neighbor to say there are twenty gods, or no God. It neither breaks my leg, nor picks my pocket."

Thomas Jefferson

i have a professor who suggested something similar. while it is logical, the early christians may not have needed an excuse to blame the Jews in general. after all, Jesus was the messiah prophesised in Jewish Scripture, and many Jews did mock him and reject him. they were expecting a powerful military leader to fullfill the prophecy, trying to understand things from a human perspective. given this, as well as active Jewish persecution against early Christians and believers in Christ, i do not think the situation with the Romans was the only factor

I've never heard a Christian say this. I have heard white supremists say this, though. Which is still silly. Because the Jews did not kill Jesus. The Italians did.

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Anyone ask Hillary what kind of underwear she wears, yet?

Lt. Gov Diane Denish on Bill Richardson "The governor, she said, "pinches my neck. He touches my hip, my thigh, sort of the side of my leg."

Give us Barabbas!

I'm not sure how "early" the "early Christians" we're talking about here were, but I'm fairly certain the vast majority of earliest Christians were Jews themselves. The Christian story started in Judea, and with very exceptions the earliests advocates of it were Jews.

You, sir, are very odd.