I just stumbled on your blog but find this piece interesting. There is a lot here that I can agree with and disagree with. I do have to say that our current situation has led me to rethink my whole relationship to Christianity and religion over and over again the last dozen years. Assuming that the statements in the Gospels and Acts attributed to Jesus were really said by him, in something like the contexts reported, he seems at once to be trying to break down tribes and create a new one. He may be inviting people from all tribes to follow him, but he also sets a price that many find unacceptable.
Thanks for your essay. I generally don't read online essays but your first paragraph hooked me even though I have no idea who Cave or Hirsi are. You are not alone; I am at least the second person who feels quite similarly to you. When people ask why I am a Christian after the last 2000 years of un-Jesus-like Christianity, I usually say, "because I really like Jesus." I don't need an explanation about what happened spiritually when Jesus died or proof he rose from the dead. The whole story in the Four Gospels about him is just too good not to be true [and by "true" I mean "having depth, integrity, reliability" rather than "being factual."] The story of Jesus is about divinity becoming humanity to demonstrate what divinity is like and what humanity can be like. It inspires me to be attempt to be better human being. I like how Jesus summarized that: "Love God and love your neighbour as your self."
I just stumbled on your blog but find this piece interesting. There is a lot here that I can agree with and disagree with. I do have to say that our current situation has led me to rethink my whole relationship to Christianity and religion over and over again the last dozen years. Assuming that the statements in the Gospels and Acts attributed to Jesus were really said by him, in something like the contexts reported, he seems at once to be trying to break down tribes and create a new one. He may be inviting people from all tribes to follow him, but he also sets a price that many find unacceptable.
Thanks for your essay. I generally don't read online essays but your first paragraph hooked me even though I have no idea who Cave or Hirsi are. You are not alone; I am at least the second person who feels quite similarly to you. When people ask why I am a Christian after the last 2000 years of un-Jesus-like Christianity, I usually say, "because I really like Jesus." I don't need an explanation about what happened spiritually when Jesus died or proof he rose from the dead. The whole story in the Four Gospels about him is just too good not to be true [and by "true" I mean "having depth, integrity, reliability" rather than "being factual."] The story of Jesus is about divinity becoming humanity to demonstrate what divinity is like and what humanity can be like. It inspires me to be attempt to be better human being. I like how Jesus summarized that: "Love God and love your neighbour as your self."