(May 21, 2013 at 2:32 pm)Tonus Wrote: The curious thing is... he sacrificed a human life. That was the sacrifice. He gave his (human) body and blood.
In the Christian view (at least mainstream Christians, Catholics), Christ was fully human and fully divine.
(May 21, 2013 at 2:32 pm)Tonus Wrote: And if that's all it was, then he could simply have been taken in his sleep. Or slipped on a wet stone and cracked his skull open. Or just suffered a god-inspired massive heart attack. The torture and suffering were just so that Mel Gibson could turn it into a gore-fest a couple of thousand years later.
With respect, you have no understanding of this: he didnt just 'die', he was put to death (executed).
That was the price which has to be paid for him imparting his message to us. Of course, God always knew this would happen. Human beings hate the truth. They prefer to make up truths to suit themselves.
It still happens now - the rejection of truth. The Church Christ founded makes pronouncements on (eg) homosexuality, because secular society says its harmless. Yet, 20% of USA gay men have HIV-AIDs (50% in Frisco).
Does society say "Hey, look at these figures, you might be right"? No, they put they fingers in their ears and scream "bigot".
If Christ died only in his sleep, that would just represent a normal lifetime. His death would simply represent his expiration, not his deliberate murder on account of who and what he is.
Imagine if you had a message which, if passed on, would result in the greater good for all humanity - but - if you passed it on, you would be murdered.
Would you pass the message on? I dont think you would.
(May 21, 2013 at 2:32 pm)Tonus Wrote: Meanwhile, the penalty for not accepting this minor interruption in an eternity of godhood is to spend the rest of FOREVER being tortured. Makes sense.
Mainstream Christians simply understand hell as "the absence of God", not as a pit of fire.
Your understanding here is tainted by bible believing protestants, who are not representative of global christianity in the slightest.
For a proper anaylsis of Christianity, you must confront mainstream Christianity = Catholic Christianity.
Anyone could rubbish it, based on what protestants say. Such a faulty analysis is really running away from the question, same as how protestants are really running away from it as well.
Cheers
GS
