Guest blogger Davis D. “3D” Danizier began life as a political and religious conservative, even entering into formal Seminary studies. Gradually, he became troubled by inconsistencies in factual assertions and values in both political and religious conservatism and, after deeply traumatic soul searching, reversed course in both areas. After retiring from a career in commercial property and casualty insurance, Dave has had the free time and flexibility to share with others some of the thoughts that led to his life-altering epiphanies. His book “Betrayal of Jesus” presents unorthodox (believers might say heretical) perspectives on the Christian mythology. Dave currently resides in Oceanside, California. Welcome "3-D" for our all new "Shabbat Saturday's."
Editor's note, Dakinetalk guest bloggers do not necessarily represent the opinions of dakinetalk. Guest bloggers are given space to express their beliefs and or opinions. We feel there are many roads and like to give people space to express their thoughts,after-all that's what dakine is...Aloha, James "Kimo" Rosen, Publisher.
The historical reality of Jesus — if such a person actually existed — is lost to history. There is no definite evidence that any real person such as Jesus of Nazareth ever actually existed. Jesus is reported to have taught much, yet wrote nothing. All we have of his words are the writings of those who put stylus to tablet long after his death, in an age when memories were rarely supported by written documentation, and not aided at all by photographs or videos. The earliest records of Jesus’ teachings were written decades after his death and, except for Matthew, by those who had no personal acquaintance with him, and all originals of such writings are long gone.
For all the mystery, the three great world religions that trace their origins to the invisible Middle-eastern sky god of Abraham — the Jews, the Christians and the Muslims — all have special ties to this figure. The Jews can claim him as their own: Jesus ben Joseph was a nomadic, wandering Jewish rabbi who insisted on absolute fidelity to the Law of Moses (Matt 5:17-19) notwithstanding that his lip service followers today dismiss the Hebraic Law, and Jesus is never reported to have claimed to be anything else. The Christians, of course, claim him as their Founder, though he never claimed to teach anything other than Judaism and, no matter how much the teachings of modern “Christianity” completely oppose Jesus’ actual message, they do give lip service to worshipping him as the son of god. The Muslims ridicule the Christians for having killed their “messiah,” accept Jesus as a “messiah” even though they define the term quite differently, and hold Jesus up, along with Abraham, Ishmael, Moses and Muhammad, as the greatest of the divine messengers, claiming that they reflect Jesus’ message more accurately, though they really do no better than the Christians.
Still, it remains that there is no direct evidence, no original teaching from Jesus himself, nothing to prove definitively the existence of this elusive figure. Yet someone taught something remarkable and, whoever it was, we can call that “Jesus.” And there was a betrayal. But the real betrayal is not by Judas in exchange for 30 pieces of silver. The real betrayal was perpetrated by those who came long after Jesus and, in his name, transformed his simple, loving, joyful message into one of violence, greed, domination and conquest — a caricature of all he stood for that contradicts his message and which he would have found unrecognizable. And the betrayers have taken as their profits far more in wealth, land, kingdoms and power than a mere 30 pieces of silver.
The story of who Jesus was, what he taught and why it is so completely unrecognizable in the teachings of the churches that call themselves “Christian” is the real betrayal of Jesus. I have addressed it in my web page at:
http://danizier.wordpress.com/2011/04/22/betrayal-of-jesus/
But beyond the mystery as to whether or not Jesus could have actually been a real person, and even beyond the doctrines and dogmas of the Abrahamic sky-god religions that have reasons to claim him, the question is not only as to whether this figure was the SON of god, but...
Go to 3-D's last dakinetalk blog to learn more at; http://dakinetalk.blogspot.com/2011/07/is-there-g-d-or-santa-claus-davis.html
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