Jesus and the money changers

[Purplundy]

Actually, unlike the Star Wars movies, the four Gospels have different authors.
The Gospels were also written to existing Christian communities.

[DeistPaladin]

Actually, unlike the Star Wars movies, the four Gospels have different authors.
The Gospels were also written to existing Christian communities.

The destruction of the Death Star is also mentioned in Star Wars fan fics, which have different authors and were written to existing fandom communities.

[The Grand Nudger]

Except the part where the authors actually claimed to be the Jewish characters in the Gospels in the titles.

As M. Crichton claims to be a 10th century arabian poet in 13th Warrior (eaters of the dead). Or as the author claims to be a mad monk "with dog face demons scratching at the door, as I write these very words" in a popular little paperback titled Necronomicon. It's fairly common.

You don't believe that M. Crichton is actually a 10th century arabic poet do you? Would you begin to believe that he was simply for having read his book? I doubt it.

[Purplundy]

The destruction of the Death Star is also mentioned in Star Wars fan fics, which have different authors and were written to existing fandom communities.

False.
At the inception of Star Wars, no one knew the plot line besides George Lucas. Not so with the Gospels.
Also, there is only one author or Star Wars.
Unless, of course, you're just trolling.

---

You don't believe that M. Crichton is actually a 10th century arabic poet do you? Would you begin to believe that he was simply for having read his book? I doubt it.

That wasn't even the argument.
Minamalist accused the Gospel writers of being antisemites.

[DeistPaladin]

Also, there is only one author or Star Wars.

Ah, so when there are multiple authors, as in Star Trek, then the story is true?

Unless, of course, you're just trolling.

Poking fun at the shoddy reasoning that consistency in a story book means the story is true.

Which is not to say the stories are consistent. John has it happening at the beginning of his ministry. Mark has it at the end.

[Minimalist]

Minamalist accused the Gospel writers of being antisemites.

I don't remember that but it is certainly true. As the stories progress from the primitive 'mark' to the absurd 'john' the character of the "jews" becomes progressively more despicable.

And why not? By the time this shit was written the jews had revolted against the Roman Empire 3 times and were distinctly persona non grata among the more civilized elements of the Empire.

[Drich]

Jesus seemed quite put out over the money changers at the temple, pretty much his only act of violence, curiously.

However, in Matthew 19, when asked about the 10 Commandments;




18 He saith unto him, Which? Jesus said, Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness,

19 Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.





In view of that, I am hard pressed to see where the money changers were screwing up. Am I missing something, or is Jesus, for lack of a better term, inconsistent ?

The money changers invented a way to extort money from people who came to worship God at the temple.

The long and short of it was their was a command that every Jew bring a sacrifice/tithe to the temple. This sacrifice had to be without spot or blemish, and must adhere to rules of ceremonial cleanliness. It was the money changers job to exchange the offerings brought to the temple for acceptable ones. This was never a fair trade. Often time larger gifts were exchanged for much smaller ones, because the larger gift was deemed unclean. So several larger gifts were demanded for what was considered a 'clean' gift/sacrifice. Or the person who made the offering was placed in the debt of the temple/money changers.

This is what Christ meant when he called them thieves. In light of this, the money changers where identified as men who stole, who boar false wittiness against men who came to make their offerings to God, and clearly did not love their neighbor as themselves. What's more the money changers were keeping people from their God, and lining the pockets of the temple and for themselves.

[Minimalist]

Hey, look! Drippy's back and still blathering bullshit.

The priests who ran the temple required that the Tyrian shekel - oddly, a coin with the pagan god Melqart on the reverse -

The shekel, with the laureate head of Melqarth-Herakles (a pagan deity) on the obverse and an eagle (a graven image) on the reverse, averaged 14.2 grams in weight and contained at least 94% silver.

http://www.biblediscovered.com/jerusalem...iscovered/

Anyway, as your bullshit story goes this practice was instituted by fucking moses himself so your silly attempt to blame the money changers for doing what the priests demanded falls flat.

Which is about par for the course with you.

[Wyrd of Gawd]

Minamalist accused the Gospel writers of being antisemites.

I don't remember that but it is certainly true. As the stories progress from the primitive 'mark' to the absurd 'john' the character of the "jews" becomes progressively more despicable.

And why not? By the time this shit was written the jews had revolted against the Roman Empire 3 times and were distinctly persona non grata among the more civilized elements of the Empire.

That's an interesting point I hadn't read before. Those English writers were devious.

[Drich]

Hey, look! Drippy's back and still blathering bullshit.

The priests who ran the temple required that the Tyrian shekel - oddly, a coin with the pagan god Melqart on the reverse -

The shekel, with the laureate head of Melqarth-Herakles (a pagan deity) on the obverse and an eagle (a graven image) on the reverse, averaged 14.2 grams in weight and contained at least 94% silver.

http://www.biblediscovered.com/jerusalem...iscovered/

Anyway, as your bullshit story goes this practice was instituted by fucking moses himself so your silly attempt to blame the money changers for doing what the priests demanded falls flat.

Which is about par for the course with you.

Sorry Minnie wrong again

http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsou...14119.html

While Moses did institute a 1/2 shekel tax, to the temple, then their would have been no need to exchange currency in his day.

It wasn't till much later that money needed to be exchanged.

According to the Jewish library link above, it was the exchangers job to convert whatever the Jews brought to them To acceptable forms of temple worthy gifts. What made these men thieves according to Christ was the fact that a fair exchange was not taking place.