Originally Posted By Mr X The conversation got better too... Me - "no, it's a Christian celebration of Jesus coming back to life" Him - "you mean commemorating his death?" Me - "no, he died on the Friday. came back to life three days later on Easter Sunday" Him - "you mean like a zombie or something?"
Originally Posted By SuperDry You can say that again! <<< Me - "no, he died on the Friday. came back to life three days later on Easter Sunday" >>> That's how I've always understood it. What I never did understand is where the extra day between Friday and Sunday came from.
Originally Posted By Mr X Well, I think God was counting parts of Friday and Sunday as "travel days".
Originally Posted By SuperDry Speaking of Japanese misconceptions of Christianity, last year I was in a restaurant in Tokyo, sitting at the counter. Next to me were two locals. The waiter offered both of them a drink, and one proudly proclaimed that he didn't consume alcohol, because he was a Christian. He even pulled out a cross on a necklace from underneath his shirt to prove it! I didn't have the heart to tell him that most Christians aren't against alcohol. But it did make me wonder - exactly what denomination was he? Obviously not Catholic, and not Mormon either (unless only Japanese Mormons honor crosses). So, he must have been a very tiny minority among a tiny minority of Japanese (which are less than 2% Christian).
Originally Posted By Mr X ***which are less than 2% Christian*** And even among that 2%, many are "also Christians", along with keeping their Buddhist and/or Shinto faiths as well. Boy did that steam my fundie Uncles' ears when he heard it from Mrs X...a very nice, calm guy and I think that was the ONLY time I saw him get truly outraged over anything.
Originally Posted By RoadTrip I guess I didn't understand "blood sacrifice required to enter Heaven". I always thought that the sacrifice of Jesus meant that the rest of us rubes could get to heaven even if we didn't really deserve it. I believe in God. I believe in the "Big Bang". But SOMETHING had to put that concentrated mass of matter out there for the Big Bang to happen. Until someone comes up with a better explanation, for me that something is God. I believe in some form of afterlife, but I think it is beyond human understanding and unlike anything that the various religions predict. As far as the Muslim religion and its 72 virgins in heaven goes, thanks but no thanks. In my experience sex with virgins isn't a helluva lot of fun. I’ll take someone with experience any day! ;-)
Originally Posted By mrkthompsn Easter is not a commemoration of Jesus coming back to life. It's a celebration that living eternally with a Holy God is possible... where otherwise, it is not possible. God requires full, sinless blood sacrifice to have mercy against those who sin (unholy). Christ provided the sinless blood sacrifice that you or I are not able to provide. "my religion is right and if yours is different, it's wrong." I don't have a "my religion". It's not religion. It's truth. All human history looked up to the cross. All history since looks back to the cross. It's the central focal point of all world events.
Originally Posted By fkurucz >>The conversation got better too... Me - "no, it's a Christian celebration of Jesus coming back to life" Him - "you mean commemorating his death?" Me - "no, he died on the Friday. came back to life three days later on Easter Sunday" Him - "you mean like a zombie or something?"<< It's interestig how Christianity never caught on in Japan, while it has been much more successful in neighboring Korea (and to a lesser degree, China)
Originally Posted By Labuda "Me - "no, it's a Christian celebration of Jesus coming back to life" Him - "you mean commemorating his death?" Me - "no, he died on the Friday. came back to life three days later on Easter Sunday" Him - "you mean like a zombie or something?"" Yep, yep... Jesus: the Original Zombie!
Originally Posted By fkurucz "So, he must have been a very tiny minority among a tiny minority of Japanese (which are less than 2% Christian)." Teetotaling is quite common amongst Protestant Fundamentalists. Some even insist that Jesus drank grape juice during the last supper, and turned water into grape juice during the wedding in Cana.
Originally Posted By fkurucz "Him - "you mean like a zombie or something?" I had to explain to a fundie acquaintance that to a Buddhist there is no appeal in the promise of the ressurection. It blew his mind.
Originally Posted By Mr X ***God requires full, sinless blood sacrifice to have mercy against those who sin (unholy)*** No offense or anything, but that sounds like a pretty pathetic, bloodthirsty and needy sort of God if you ask me. Wouldn't it have been more divine to require everyone to live well and harm none? And skip all that barbaric "blood sacrifice" crap? Just sayin.
Originally Posted By RoadTrip <<No offense or anything, but that sounds like a pretty pathetic, bloodthirsty and needy sort of God if you ask me.>> I have to admit it did remind me of Winky's "Blood Libel" comment...
Originally Posted By RoadTrip <<Just don't eat the jelly beans...>> Hey... if Mr Bunny poops either cherry or licorice flavors, I'm good to go...
Originally Posted By ecdc >>It's not religion. It's truth.<< Oh! Glad we cleared that up! That changes everything. >>All human history looked up to the cross. All history since looks back to the cross. It's the central focal point of all world events.<< You really need to get out more. Perhaps most "western human history" did this, but not all human history. It's not the central focal point for many Easterners, who for centuries went without even hearing the name "Jesus." And what of those Native Americans for nearly 1500 years who heard nary a thing (Mormon myths about Jesus appearing to the Nephites notwithstanding)? Did they look back too? I get that there's plenty of thoughtful religious believers here, but it's this kind of myopic, arrogant silliness that generates flippant retorts. If you want non-believers to take your religion seriously, then present it seriously. This has as much thought behind it as if I said "The giant green unicorn rules the universe. It's not my religion. It's just truth. Got a plan for that?"
Originally Posted By mele I caught my daughter smirking at my husband during my mom's Easter dinner prayer. (I always host our holiday meals and let my mom do the prayer, even though we don't believe. Never hurts to be thankful for the meal.) I wasn't so happy with that, however, my mom has crossed the line a few times, imo, in talking to her about God. It's a tricky situation.
Originally Posted By Kar2oonMan >>I get that there's plenty of thoughtful religious believers here, but it's this kind of myopic, arrogant silliness that generates flippant retorts. If you want non-believers to take your religion seriously, then present it seriously.<< Well said.
