What is the Christ of Faith?
The Christ of Faith is the image of Jesus developed after his death, the one placing upon him the qualities of a deity, the son of God. This image came about due to three main factors according to Smith. These factors are his actions, his words, and the way he was received by his followers. The way the bible describes his actions is as "good". He did good (a quality instantly attributed to God in Genesis). His actions were so good that it shocked a lot of people that there was actually a person on earth capable of such benevolence. His words were another key part of his Godly image. The things he said coincided completely with his actions. He loved everyone wholly and equally, always reflected upon himself before commenting on others and pushed people to experience the love of God. He personalized the religion as well, telling people that God was within their own hearts. This helped to simply gain followers and attribute the discovery of God's love to Jesus (someone who obviously felt it to its full extent). Lastly, he was received as something otherworldly. This type of action and speech had never before been seen and was truly astonishing to the people of the time. It is not a far stretch to see how Jesus' followers concluded that he was a direct descendant of God, for if something this good existed, it must have been a manifestation of God.
What is the Good News?
The Good News (Gospel) means the words of love spread by Jesus and his followers and its subsequent joy. The Christians of the era were condemned to secrecy, for they were a persecuted people, and even in the face of adverse treachery, they sang songs and expressed profuse love for all, even those from whom the persecution came. This good news was the news of God's love. Pure as all else, this love was freeing. It absolved the early Christians of three of the largest human ailments: fear, guilt, and self. This love was consoling, eliminating fears of death, for if you are loved for eternity, on earth or in the spirit realm, death no longer becomes an object to fear. It also eliminated guilt. Not only did this extreme and intense love cause the disciples to behave better towards all (therefore creating less to feel guilty about in reference to the treatment of others), it also created the feeling of a life fulfilled, leaving nothing to be sorry about, for one had reached his ultimate goal. Lastly, it eliminated ego. This love was non-discriminatory, therefore believers and feelers of the love felt themselves level with all around them, equals in the eyes of God. Eliminating these main human afflictions opened up the doorway for an elation so strong, most are incapable of imagining it. This was the good news. God was love, he was within all, Jesus was the example of love, and if you could find this love in yourself, then you will be truly happy and joyous.
Monday, January 25, 2010
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Themed Paragraphs: Christianity
Concept of God:
Words: Trinity, Incarnation, Redemption, Salvation, Grace, Logos, Christ, Miracle, Cosmogony.
The simple definition of the concept of God in Christianity is that God is a single entity, all powerful, all loving, most just, and most right. The idea of Cosomogony illustrates God's greatness and power. This theory is based on the fact that God created the heavens and the earth and everything within the universe, making him Lord of all things. However, there are many more layers to this God, much more than just the Ruler of All. God has a personality as defined by his grace and logos. This concept is similar to that of the Jewish concept of God, for God is loving and graceful, providing his subjects with undeserved divine favor allowing for the justification and sanctification of sinners. He is also the God of ultimate justice, possessing the powers of logos, ultimate reason. God manifests himself in a trinity (Father, Son, and the Holy Ghost) in Christianity, solidifying his position in every aspect of human life. He is the Father, stern and loving, he is the Son (represented through Christ, the incarnation of God, who, after death, became the savior of all human kind, offering up himself for the redemption of man), and he is the Holy Spirit, something Jesus preached was within all humans. Unlike the God in the Old Testament, the christian God is not so involved physically in history, however, he intervenes via miracles in the lives of everyone (the grandeur of miracles vary). Miracles are certain happenings that are inexplicable within the human reason, thus they are acts of God, divine intervention in the everyday lives of man.
The Human Condition:
Words: Sin, Atonement, Repentance, Redemption.
Humans are born with "original sin" or a tendency to sin, to commit acts not in accordance with the divine entity (collective moral rule). Sin is resolvable, though through a process of atonement, repentance, and redemption. Humans, to be redeemed, must first atone for their sins. In other words, they must make a concerted effort to right their wrongs. This promotes good behavior within the religion, forcing those to recognize when they are wrong and then take the necessary measures to correct it. Repentance is another part of seeking redemption. One must feel remorse for their wrongdoings, and express their remorse to God, in order to repent their sins. After repenting and atoning for ones sins, redemption may be granted. Their is a clause though, christian redemption can be given only by God and one must accept God and Jesus as lord and savior (some sects have done away with this and think that simply being a good person is enough to redeem yourself).
Goal for Humans:
Words:Kingdom of God, Heresy, Agape, Sacrement
The goal for humans in Christianity can be divided into two (and a half) sections, Earthly Goals and the Afterlife/Apocalypse (the former helps to achieve the latter). The earthly goals consist of following the example of Jesus and being as christ-like as possible (What would Jesus do?) as well as pleasing God and forming a close fellowship with Him. To do this, one avoids heresy, the actions or teachings not in correspondence with the true doctrines of the religion. Other actions to obtain a Christ-like persona would be adhering to the tenets of Agape. Agape is the idea of an all encompassing love. Love for all religions, and all of humanity, something Christ embodied all the way throughout his crucifixion. These moral codes help one to emulate Christ to the best of their ability, which is good in God's eyes however there is also a ritualistic manner in which one may profess their love for Lord and savior. These rituals are called sacraments (i.e. Baptism, communion, etc.). These sacraments are not only physical manifestations of love for God and Jesus, but also experiences designed to bring one closer to God, to strengthen one's fellowship with Him.
The afterlife/apocalypse part of the goals are the more long-term sections. What happens when we die? For a christian, hopefully the ascension of your soul to heaven to dwell in the Heavenly Kingdom of God (different from the Kingdom of God for the term Kingdom of God has evolved over time). Once dead, one is Judged by God and admittance into heaven is either granted or denied. The apocalyptic goal is to bring about the Kingdom of God. This term used to refer to the concept of heaven, however now, it refers to a time when God's rule will become apparent, and a Kingdom of God will descend upon earth bringing with it the ultimate Peace and Justice. The beginning of this period will be marked with the second coming of Jesus Christ.
Eschatology/Cosmogony/Cosmology:
Words: Cosmogony, Cosmololgy, Eschatology, Ecumenism, Church.
Genesis focuses on the creation of the universe and the nature of God's creations, or christian Cosmogony and Cosmology.Christian Cosmogony refers to the fact that God created the universe less than 10,000 years ago, and, along with it, Humans. Cosmology has to do with the nature of the universe. The universe is good, for God created, all except for humans. Humans are the only of God's creation that do not follow the cosmological rule and stray from the path of goodness. These two concepts, in a way, birth another two concepts in Christianity. This straying from the path brings up the study of Eschatology (doctrines dealing with the end of things. Afterlife, Apocalypse, Judgment, etc...), for when one is not good, it leaves their eternal fate up in the air, to be decided by God. The idea of Cosmogony brings up Ecumenism. Everything was created at the same time under the same God, lending itself to a kind of Unity under God. Ecumenism is the idea of religious unity of all of God's subjects, however today is used in a more narrow sense pertaining to a unity under specific sects of the faith. This unity is represented through the Church which can mean anything to the collective group of believers, all the way down to a specific building for followers of a certain location to congregate. Nevertheless, the idea of church is to portray a sense of community amongst believers and perpetuate the ecumenical ideals of the faith.
Words: Trinity, Incarnation, Redemption, Salvation, Grace, Logos, Christ, Miracle, Cosmogony.
The simple definition of the concept of God in Christianity is that God is a single entity, all powerful, all loving, most just, and most right. The idea of Cosomogony illustrates God's greatness and power. This theory is based on the fact that God created the heavens and the earth and everything within the universe, making him Lord of all things. However, there are many more layers to this God, much more than just the Ruler of All. God has a personality as defined by his grace and logos. This concept is similar to that of the Jewish concept of God, for God is loving and graceful, providing his subjects with undeserved divine favor allowing for the justification and sanctification of sinners. He is also the God of ultimate justice, possessing the powers of logos, ultimate reason. God manifests himself in a trinity (Father, Son, and the Holy Ghost) in Christianity, solidifying his position in every aspect of human life. He is the Father, stern and loving, he is the Son (represented through Christ, the incarnation of God, who, after death, became the savior of all human kind, offering up himself for the redemption of man), and he is the Holy Spirit, something Jesus preached was within all humans. Unlike the God in the Old Testament, the christian God is not so involved physically in history, however, he intervenes via miracles in the lives of everyone (the grandeur of miracles vary). Miracles are certain happenings that are inexplicable within the human reason, thus they are acts of God, divine intervention in the everyday lives of man.
The Human Condition:
Words: Sin, Atonement, Repentance, Redemption.
Humans are born with "original sin" or a tendency to sin, to commit acts not in accordance with the divine entity (collective moral rule). Sin is resolvable, though through a process of atonement, repentance, and redemption. Humans, to be redeemed, must first atone for their sins. In other words, they must make a concerted effort to right their wrongs. This promotes good behavior within the religion, forcing those to recognize when they are wrong and then take the necessary measures to correct it. Repentance is another part of seeking redemption. One must feel remorse for their wrongdoings, and express their remorse to God, in order to repent their sins. After repenting and atoning for ones sins, redemption may be granted. Their is a clause though, christian redemption can be given only by God and one must accept God and Jesus as lord and savior (some sects have done away with this and think that simply being a good person is enough to redeem yourself).
Goal for Humans:
Words:Kingdom of God, Heresy, Agape, Sacrement
The goal for humans in Christianity can be divided into two (and a half) sections, Earthly Goals and the Afterlife/Apocalypse (the former helps to achieve the latter). The earthly goals consist of following the example of Jesus and being as christ-like as possible (What would Jesus do?) as well as pleasing God and forming a close fellowship with Him. To do this, one avoids heresy, the actions or teachings not in correspondence with the true doctrines of the religion. Other actions to obtain a Christ-like persona would be adhering to the tenets of Agape. Agape is the idea of an all encompassing love. Love for all religions, and all of humanity, something Christ embodied all the way throughout his crucifixion. These moral codes help one to emulate Christ to the best of their ability, which is good in God's eyes however there is also a ritualistic manner in which one may profess their love for Lord and savior. These rituals are called sacraments (i.e. Baptism, communion, etc.). These sacraments are not only physical manifestations of love for God and Jesus, but also experiences designed to bring one closer to God, to strengthen one's fellowship with Him.
The afterlife/apocalypse part of the goals are the more long-term sections. What happens when we die? For a christian, hopefully the ascension of your soul to heaven to dwell in the Heavenly Kingdom of God (different from the Kingdom of God for the term Kingdom of God has evolved over time). Once dead, one is Judged by God and admittance into heaven is either granted or denied. The apocalyptic goal is to bring about the Kingdom of God. This term used to refer to the concept of heaven, however now, it refers to a time when God's rule will become apparent, and a Kingdom of God will descend upon earth bringing with it the ultimate Peace and Justice. The beginning of this period will be marked with the second coming of Jesus Christ.
Eschatology/Cosmogony/Cosmology:
Words: Cosmogony, Cosmololgy, Eschatology, Ecumenism, Church.
Genesis focuses on the creation of the universe and the nature of God's creations, or christian Cosmogony and Cosmology.Christian Cosmogony refers to the fact that God created the universe less than 10,000 years ago, and, along with it, Humans. Cosmology has to do with the nature of the universe. The universe is good, for God created, all except for humans. Humans are the only of God's creation that do not follow the cosmological rule and stray from the path of goodness. These two concepts, in a way, birth another two concepts in Christianity. This straying from the path brings up the study of Eschatology (doctrines dealing with the end of things. Afterlife, Apocalypse, Judgment, etc...), for when one is not good, it leaves their eternal fate up in the air, to be decided by God. The idea of Cosmogony brings up Ecumenism. Everything was created at the same time under the same God, lending itself to a kind of Unity under God. Ecumenism is the idea of religious unity of all of God's subjects, however today is used in a more narrow sense pertaining to a unity under specific sects of the faith. This unity is represented through the Church which can mean anything to the collective group of believers, all the way down to a specific building for followers of a certain location to congregate. Nevertheless, the idea of church is to portray a sense of community amongst believers and perpetuate the ecumenical ideals of the faith.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Many Faces of Jesus: Arrest and Execution
I read several of the articles containing descriptions of Jesus' execution as well as some regarding his behavior before execution. Jesus had participated in a large Passover festival in Jerusalem shortly before his death. These events generally caused unrest within the Roman government because when a large population of like minded subjects got together, it was not a far stretch to assume some kind of rebellion was afoot. Later, Jesus began preaching his views and behaving outside the bounds of the social norm throughout the entire area of Judea. This upset a lot Jews and ultimately lead to Jesus being turned in to the Romans (It is not quite clear whether or not someone actually told the Romans that Jesus was "causing problems" or if the Romans just figured he could be a source of unrest within their empire, either way, the end result was the same). So Jesus ended up on the cross. Crucifixion was used, at the time, as a way to publicly humiliate the offenders and set an example for the rest of the population. To crucify someone was actually a carefully planned process which involved contorting a person's body in such a manner that they actually crushed their own lungs and slowly, over the course of a couple of days, asphyxiated whilst the officers whipped and tortured the offender. This is how Jesus was killed.
I think that this violently brutal execution helped to Idolize Jesus as a figure in the christian faith. It serves not as an example of what not to do in order to avoid punishment by the Romans rather serves to make the Jews and Romans look like the bad guys and prove Jesus' love. For if he went through all that suffering for us, he must be truly compassionate. (or so may be the thought process of a believer)
I think that this violently brutal execution helped to Idolize Jesus as a figure in the christian faith. It serves not as an example of what not to do in order to avoid punishment by the Romans rather serves to make the Jews and Romans look like the bad guys and prove Jesus' love. For if he went through all that suffering for us, he must be truly compassionate. (or so may be the thought process of a believer)
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