Is the Easter story true? Think about it for a moment because it’s the basis of a religion that claims 1.8 billion adherents around the world. Of course all we have to base the claim upon are stories written by unknown authors, long after the supposed event occurred. Yet for two millennia, people have recited this story as fact. What should any of us take from this? Should it be that we accept the story as true simply because it has survived for so long or may we question it, because those that wrote about it were not actual witnesses?
A lot of what we read in the New Testament doesn’t quite add up when we view the events of Easter from a strictly historical perspective. the call for the execution itself doesn’t seem to add up since just a few days before (what we refer to as Palm Sunday), Jesus entered Jerusalem to a throng of supporters and admirers. A few days after, many of the same were calling for his death. The trial at night, strictly against Jewish law (the writers of the event were probably unaware of this fact), then the torture and finally crucifixion seemed to happen quickly for someone that was not a known criminal.
Everything though, comes down to the resurrection, doesn’t it? Somehow, a dead man, dead for two days by the way, magically rises and walks out of his tomb. In the original, or first, retelling, we actually don’t learn much other than two women, May Magdalene and Mary, mother of James and Salome, come to the crypt and find a man standing in white saying that Jesus isn’t there. The book of Mark originally ends with both of them running away, never telling anyone. So how do we know this then? They must have told someone and a much later interpolation adds verses beyond 16:8 to describe what actually occurred a little better for the believer.
The other accounts tell of Jesus meeting people on the road, meeting his disciples, and actually hanging out having a meal. Nice trick for a dead man but then we’re supposed to believe that God has made a miracle. Or was it Jesus, who is God, but then God’s son, but then…I give up.
The problem with the entire account is that it’s not recorded, by anyone at the time of the event, not even. from hearsay. It’s at least forty years after that we learn anything about it. The tele itself lends to mythology more than anything else. A great leader, condemned to death, rising from the grave, finally ascending to heaven. It solves a l of of problems for the adherents in that they don’t have to prove any of the message they are spreading. Doubters have nothing to argue because the entire story is just one giant miracle and no one is forced to provide any evidence that any of of it is real.
That’s how belief works though: no evidence of what occurred ever need be presented.
Conservative Skeptic 
Nobody knows what really happened. The Gospels themselves are not eyewitness accounts. The evangelists never made it to the crucifixion. Couldn’t get tickets I guess. Once they knew that Mel Gibson was coming, I’m sure everybody wanted to be there. And to be fair to him he has made what is now probably one of the most definitive movies on the Easter story. The Passion of the Christ. Which when first came out was subjected to quite a lot of criticism and abuse. Mainly because it’s a cynical piece of gratuitous trash aimed at simple-minded born-again Christians. And for this reason, even though it made a lot of money, now some Hollywood studios get a panel of Christians to vet their movies before release just to make sure that they won’t offend any ignorant born-again Christians who might happen to be watching. The future looks bright for American culture wouldn’t you say? I wonder if years from now we’ll look back and say poor America. It could have saved itself. But it chose not to. As for Jesus himself every day for the last 2,000 years he’s been on the verge of coming back to redeem us all. But he hasn’t actually shown up yet. And to be perfectly honest, I’m not a bit surprised. I mean put yourself in his position. Would you come back if you were him? I wouldn’t. But then I wouldn’t have come in the first place so I might be the wrong person to ask. The only thing that bothers me about all this is that when Jesus does arrive to dispense his particular brand of justice, he’s only going to save the people who believe in him and the rest of us the non-believers will be consigned to the eternal flames of hellfire. But where is the justice in that? Whatever happened to “do unto others as you would be done by”? Or is that all being quietly forgotten now? And how ironic to that I am now being victimized as a non-believer. I’m being persecuted for my beliefs by Jesus Christ. The one person who you really would expect to know better. He could save me but he’s choosing not to. What a Judas. Still, on the other hand, nobody’s perfect. Not even half man half god self-resurrecting messiahs. So I’ll forgive him. What the hell, I’m in
a good mood. Its Easter 😊
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“…just a few days before (what we refer to as Palm Sunday), Jesus entered Jerusalem to a throng of supporters and admirers. A few days after, many of the same were calling for his death.” One cannot help but wonder what Jesus did in those few days that caused such a reaction. How does one go from throngs of admirers to execution so quickly? I suspect manspreading. Perhaps Jesus was observed by a few admirers to be sitting comfortably with more than a few inches between his knees. If that wouldn’t warrant a swift execution, I’m not sure what would.
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I suspect you may be correct. Instead of entering Jerusalem on a donkey on Palm Sunday, Jesus probably rode a bus, where it was observed by a few that he was man spreading. Over the next few days, the word spread about the incident, which caused the Jewish people to turn against him, thus requiring his immediate execution.
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The compiled version(s) thst make up tradition sound good on the surface if you want to believe. I get it. People are comforted by the notion of jesus. That doesnt male it real.
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For a long time a lot of people believed in Mirthra, whose story is so very similar to that of Jesus. Let us check back on this blog in a thousand years and we shall see what a lot of people have believed for a long time by then.
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Okay, I don’t get this. Christians are always going on about the tremendous sacrifice that Jesus made for them, or for all of us depending upon interpretation, by presenting himself to be flogged and crucified.
This Demi-God knew he was going to come back to life and ascend to sit at his father’s (The God) right hand to rule in Paradise. Torture, yes, death, yes. It was not as if he was told by his father to undergo such treatment and then to take the place of all believers forever in hell being eaten by a worm or constantly tortured in hell fire for all eternity. That would have been some sacrifice! “Don’t lie to your mother! You know that Jesus is being eaten by a giant worm over and over again in burning hell to keep you a good little boy?” That is some scary shit, right there.
How is the crucifixion (a not uncommon execution to this day) so much greater a sacrifice than the young man who throws himself on a grenade to protect his comrades? How is this so much greater a sacrifice than a woman who dies under torture because she will not reveal the names and whereabouts of those her torturers seek? How is this any greater a sacrifice than the stranger who jumps into the raging sea to rescue one person after another, but cannot make it back himself and so drowns?
We have read of these heroes and so have Christians. How is it the they can even dare speak of Jesus’s great sacrifice in the face of all of those of mere, flawed human beings?
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