According to words on paper, Jesus was executed by the Roman State by crucifixion.\n\nHad the events happened in the last century, the State would have electicuted Jesus instead of crucifying him.\n\nAs a symbol of Christianity, the electric chair would be appropriate.\n\nCan you see yourself wearing a gold electric chair with Jesus strapped into it around your neck?
215250
Oh, Dude! I thought I was the only one who saw the irony in the cross as a symbol of faith! I'd rather focus on Jesus with the lambs and children than a reminder of when Jesus was cruelly maimed. For an example, I like Stevie Ray, but I would never wear a mangled-up helicopter charm to honor his memory.....
227083
Why is there a cross? Well, it is a visual reminder each time I see it that Jesus carried my sins on the cross. (1 Peter 2:24) We know what love is because Jesus gave up His life for us on the cross. (1 John 3:16) His death on the cross was part of God's plan for our redemption. ( 1 Peter 1:20) Jesus was willing to die for OUR SIN. (Matt 26:53-54) He is perfect. ( Heb 7:25-26, 1 Peter 2:22) He died on the cross so I could be free. (Rom 6:6, Rom 6:18)When He died on the cross, Jesus said " It is finished" ( john 19:30) the actual word He used means "It is paid for." Our sins were paid for. When Christ rose from the dead, our sin remained buried. Since Jesus is risen, we can share in His glory! (Coll 1:22, Rom 3:22) The cross, once a symbol of torture and shame, is now a symbol of the victory of Christ! ( Heb 12:2) If you place your trust in Jesus, He will be your salvation. (John 14:1,23) Nothing can separate us from God's love. (Rom 8:39) He is with us always, even unto the end of time. (Rom 8:38, Matt 28:20)\n\nI wear a cross to remind me of what my Lord and Savior did for me. I recall His sacrifice and thank Him for loving me. I wear my cross as I follow Him.
141354
Your description of Communism shows a lack of understanding of what Communism is and how it works. I suggest that before you start painting Jesus as a communist you first gain an accurate understanding of what Communism is.
111506
The previous poster is incorrect.  Christ was and is perfect.  If He weren't then He couldn't have died for anyone's sins, thus negating Christianity altogether.\n\nTo answer your question, let's get a few things straight.  Inciting a riot means that you're trying to get others to engage in violence along with you.  There's no evidence of that in this story.\n\nAlso, you imply that the Romans had set up shops in the Temple.  There's no reason to believe that.  It's much more likely that these were Jewish merchants selling to Jews.  Therefore there would be no central authority to negotiate with.\n\nThere is such a thing as righteous anger.  Christ entered the temple and saw how it had been so cheapened that commerce was going on within its walls, dishonoring God.  He became appropriately angry and wouldn't tolerate it for a moment longer.  The Temple was a place to worship God, not profit on His name.\n\nI don't think it's at all comparable to the suicide bombers and such you see in the Middle East.  Jesus didn't harm anybody physically.  His anger was directly aimed at those who were dishonoring God.  He wasn't trying to create terror, He was forcefully demonstrating how objectionable this practice was to God.\n\nPeace doesn't mean passively accepting an unacceptable situation.
299098
It amuses me at how many people will justify celebrating a pagan holiday and still claim to be christian.\n\nThe Easter egg has nothing to do with the death of Jesus but was a fertility symbol.\n\nJesus was not born in December but end of September start of October.\n\nEven the stories that the churches teach regarding the birth of Jesus are not accurate. The wise man did not turn up on the night Jesus was born but some time after.\n\nA true christian would not celebrate anything to do with false religion.
154298
Your argument doesn't hold water. For it to be a good argument all the facts need to be true and provable. Jesus wasn't even killed on a cross he was hung.And almost nothing else you said is provable.
506488
Highly doubtful, West Virginia abolished capital punishment in 1959, I believe, so I'm pretty sure that the electric chair was decomissioned shortly after. There is the possibility however that all of the components which would be the head and leg electrodes are still functional as well as the power box but I'm sure the prison authorities have removed connections between the two so if someone was to throw the switch nothing would happen, besides there are alot of ghost tours that happen inside the prison so my own logic says that there is absolutely no chance it would be servicable due to insurance purposes.
374509
Here is exactly what Jesus went through for us, because He loves us that much. It is a decriptive narrative by a physicion of Jesus crucifixion. After you read it, You have to clearly realize that what Jesus did for us was out of total and complete endless love for each and everone of us....\n\nA medical doctor provides a description of the crucifixion of Jesus. \n\nAfter Jesus was brutally beaten and scorged with the cat of nine tails beyone human recognition, the cross is placed on the ground, and the exhausted Jesus is quickly thrown backwards, with His shoulders against the wood. The soldier feels for the depression at the front of the wrists, not the palm of the hand. He drives a heavy, square wrought-iron naiil through the wrist deep into the wood. Quickly he moves to the other side and repeats the action, being careful not to pull the arms too tightly, but to allow some flex and movement. The cross is then lifted into place. The left foot is pressed backward against the right foot, and with both feet extended, toes down, a nail is driven through the arch of each, leaving the knees flexed. the victim is now crucified. \n\nAs He slowly sags down with more weight on the nails in the wrists, and not on the hands as believed and depected in pictures and on crosses, excruciating fiery pain shoots along the fingers and up the arms to explode in the brain--the nails in the wrist are putting pressure on the median nerves. As He pushes Himself upward to avoid this stretching torment, He places the full weight on the nail through His feet. Again He feels the searing agony of the nail tearing through the nerves between the bones of His feet. \n\nAs the arms fatigue, cramps sweep through His muscles, knotting them with deep relentless, and throbbing pain. With these cramps comes the inability to push Himself upward to breathe. Finally, carbon dioxide builds up in the lungs and in the blood stream, and the cramps partially subsided. Spasmodically, He is able to push Himself upward to exhale and bring in life-giving oxygen. Hours of limitless pain, cycles of twisting, joint-renting cramps, intermittent partial asphyxiation, searing pain as tissue is torn from His lacerated back as He moves up and down against rough timber. Then another agony begins: a deep, crushing pain begins deep in the chest as the pericardius slowly fills with serum and begins to compress the heart. \n\nIt is now almost over. The loss of tissue fluids has reached a critical level. The compressed heart is struggling to pump heavey, thick sluggish blood into the tissues. The tortured lungs are making frantic effort to gasp in small gulps of air. He can feel the chill of death creeping through His tissues. Finally, He allows His body to die. \n\nAll this the Bible records with the simple words, "And they crucified Him" Mark 15:24 \n\nFor those of you who can read this graphic indepth description, of how Jesus willingly gave up His life, so you can have eternal life, but still reject His free gift of salvation by refusing to accept Him for this sacrifice. You will not only have to live with that choice, but will surely die by it as well. \n\nIf you wish to accept Jesus as your savior today, take one minute of your time and say this prayer... \n\nHere is your way to obtain salvation. \nIf you want to accept Christ, you can ask Him to be your Savior and Lord by praying a prayer like this: \n\n"Lord Jesus, I believe you are the Son of God. Thank you for dying on the cross for my sins. Please forgive my sins and give me the gift of eternal life. I ask you in to my life and heart to be my Lord and Savior. I want to serve you always." In the precious name of Jesus, amen
195578
I haven't heard of anything like this. There seems to have been little contemporary references to Jesus in Roman sources so such a letter would be priceless. \n\nHowever, Dennis Lemon of Gay News was convicted of blasphemy in 1978 in Britain for printing a letter from a Roman centurion claiming that he loved Jesus. There is no basis for thinking that such a document existed. For a start, many centurions were illiterate.
86500
I think it doesn't really matter if the cross was in fact a cross, or if it was an execution stake. We know that both His hands and feet were nailed to it. In regard to this it would make sense that the actual execution stake had the shape of a cross.\nChristians have made the cross into something it was never meant to be. They have also abused it for centuries. It's not the cross as such, but rather what happened there that was meant to become symbolic.\nI do not believe that the cross is the sign of the antichrist even though, to many Jews it would certainly seem like it!
391980
The Book of Acts wrote that Jesus was killed by hanging him on a tree. By Jewish tradition,  a man being hang on a tree is cursed. So, there could be something there why Christians are hiding why he was hung on the cross. However, your question could be true because it is not  just the cross that was made holy. The shroud that was used to cover his body is one, the blood that oozed out when he was pierced, his wounds are called sacred, the Grail which up to now is not really clear which one, In fact, had they found the spear, maybe it will also be holy, It is not impossible to have the nooze be called holy if that will be the case and so was the tree. I am still waiting for the whip that was used to flogg him and that could be a holy whip. I wanted to say to you to let them be however my heart tells me to tell the Christians let it be known that those kind of adorations are simply idolatrous however you look at it. Of course, whatever they do they will always have a good reason.
106093
When Jesus was crucified the Roman soldiers put up a sign with the initials which stood for "Jesus Christ King of the Jews."  The letters spelled fish.  \n\nWhen it was illegal to be a Christian in Rome, the Christians would use the fish rather than the obvious cross to let other Christians know that they were Christians to avoid persecution.
133775
Jesus died because he was murdered.. our "sins" had nothing to do with it, the christian faith has imposed that little sentiment.\n\nJesus was just a man with a strong conviction.
127522
I think that whoever is to be blamed, it makes no difference, because Jesus HAD to die somehow in order for everyone to be saved.  If Jesus didn't die, we would all be condemned to Hell.  It so happens that the Jews did it.  Perhaps they did not get the brunt of the blame.  But does it matter?\n\nTo some of the above posters, yes, there have been many injustices that have occurred at the hands of Christians as well as many other religious folks.  But that does not change the basic fact that Jesus died for our sins and that we are human.  We make mistakes.  But God does not make mistakes.  Everything happens for a reason.  And God knows infinitely more than you or I, whether you like it or not, whether you believe it or not.\n\nTo another poster--Heron By The Sea...your logic is good but some of your facts are wrong.  Yes, Rome did control the land where the Jews lived.  But they knew little about Jesus.  They were the most powerful civilization in the world...and do you really think they feared anyone?  Much less one man (Jesus) and his movement that polarized Jews of His day?  I don't think they really gave much of a d@mn about Jesus, OR the Jews, for that matter.  Pilate basically did not care anything about the trial until the Sanhedrin and the Pharisees said that Jesus claimed to be "King of the Jews."  Once he heard that, if Jesus was really a threat to Rome, do you think he would offer to release Jesus?  I don't think he would.  At that point, the Jews wanted Barabbas released.  So yes, it was the JEWS who wanted Jesus dead.\n\nSecondly, the Bible was NOT altered by Rome or Romans.  The Bible is a collection of books that were selected for the truth and sincerity and accuracy of the faith.  Yes through time there are many different translations today, but I would say the major translations have not been altered to the point where such central ideas have been warped and distorted beyond their original meaning and truth.  I see that you are a religious studies major, so I am not going to fully dismiss everything you say, but based on our Christian faith, God would not allow such things to be distorted (that's where the Holy Spirit comes in).
603991
Jesus came as God in flesh, sent to cleanse us of our sin.\n\nBefore the time of Jesus, it was tradition to offer a sacrificial animal for the sins of a person or nation. The animal was symbolically paying the debt for everything the person/nation did wrong. In other words, the payment/punishment ("wages" as it is put in the Bible) for anything we do wrong is death. By offering an animal, as specified by God, that would count as payment.\n\nThe sins of the world, however, are great and many. This is no secret, of course. So, instead of offering animals all the time, God sent His only Son, Jesus, to serve as the ultimate sacrifcial lamb. His death served to pay for our sins, and his resurrection showed us that He has overcome death and will keep us saved, or "paid up."\n\nThe only way to be completely paid up is to become "saved"; that is, to accept Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior (accept his gift of sacrifice) and believe that He died and rose. It is also customary and commanded that we verbally acknowledge this, and follow Christ's example by being baptised (this is symbolic of dying to our old self and rising, cleansed, to a new life in Christ). \n\nYes, people are called to follow Him, but not all will choose to. Jesus is very clear that those who reject him will spend eternity in Hell, and those that accept Him will be protected by His blood and spend eternity in Heaven.\n\nHope that helps.  :)
72878
Death was not as easily or accurately determined in those days.  A person might be cut down from the cross while still alive.  If Joseph knew that Jesus would come back from the dead because he had not altogether died, he kept his secret through the centuries.  His version of events might then have something of the nature of a cover-up.
356294
LOL..good question.. I'd bet you could crap on a sheet and spread it around to look like Jesus, you'd find a bunch of crazy people to believe it's a sign.