Theology works of art and articles by artist and architectural illustrator, Stephen F. Condren, BFA-SAIC, of Condren Galleries, a Fine Arts Gallery, with JPEG & PDF scans and prints of Theology #054Q.
Pen & ink drawing of Theologian and Philosopher Paul Tillich by artist Stephen F. Condren.
Jesus Christ and the Atonement #430Z, as proved to be bogus, with pen & ink drawing, and pencil portrait, by artist Stephen F. Condren, SAIC, BFA, of Condren Galleries.
The teachings by the Church that Jesus died on the cross as an atonement for our sins, because He shed His blood, is wrong. This is the exact opposite of the teachings of the early Church, because it is bloody. Faith in Jesus alone was the teaching of the early Church, because that was the message of Jesus, not atonement. The early Church associated itself with the fish and the Fisherman, because that was the ministry of Jesus. The incorporation of the Atonement into the storyline was a later addition, because it will make sense of the crucifixion.
Crucifixtion And The Romans
The early Church wanted nothing to do with Rome, and hid the fact that Jesus was crucified. This is because it was heinous, shameful, and bad press. Later, as the Church grew, it came under the control of Hellenistic Jews, because they were educated, and had a new agenda. Since it was impossible to “Rub-out” the very real crucifixion of Jesus, they used their learning to make it work. So, as the old saying goes “People run with winners”, the Hellenistic Jews ran with Rome, and the crucifixion. Since Rome, and the crucifixion “Won”, they brilliantly wove it into the fabric of the drama.
Enter The Paschal Lamb
The solution to the problem was to join forces with the Romans, and the Crucifixtion, because it was a real event in history. Drop the fish, and Fisherman, and replace it with an atonement, because this could be made sense of, and you cannot argue with it. Now the Church could celebrate the Crucifixion rather than hide from it, because the crucifixion happened.
Paschal Lamb Fails
The Paschal Lamb solution is a failure, because it carnal.
No Altar
Golgotha is no alter, because there is no clean platform to offer a sacrifice.
No sacrifice
An atonement requires a priest to conduct the sacrificial offering, however there is no one available, or fit, to do so.
Murder
The taking of a human life as a sacrifice is out of the questions, and totally unfit, because it is murder.
Shedding Of Blood
The shedding of blood is all about death, not life, as proved by the crucifixion of Jesus on the cross, and who died there. The killing of the Paschal Lamb would have to be followed-up with it’s ressurection after it’s slaughter to follow the Theology, and logic of the Ressurection of Jesus. However, this never happened, because there is no such thing as the ressurection of the dead. If this were true, I am confident that the Jews would have recorded it.
Worthless Sacrifice
The sacrifice of Jesus on the cross is bogus, filthy, and worthless, because it is not sacred, not kosher, and not true. No Jew would ever sacrifice the Paschal Lamb on Roman soil, because it pure filth. No Jew would ever sacrifice the Paschal Lamb at Golgotha because it in not blessed. Finally, no Jew would ever sacrifice a human being, cause that would be murder. Jesus died on the cross because He was a filthy traitor, and that is the truth. Jesus did not rise from the dead, because He was a mortal human being.
Eternal Life
There is nothing about an atonement that offers eternal life, because it is not correct ritual practice. Rather, an atonement is meant for the forgiveness of sins, and nothing more. There is no Jewish Theology, or records stating that if your sins are atoned for, that you will receive the gift of eternal life. Rather, eternal life is based on faith, not works, because it is ethereal, which is Hellenistic Judaism made manifest in Christianity.
Faith
The very earliest records of the Church stipulate that “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you shall be saved, you and your household”, Act 16: 31. NASV. No mention of any baptism, atonement, blood, crucifixtion, pedigree, and so on. This Theology is pure Hellenism, because it omits all earthly reference to Jesus, and is ethereal in every way. Cutting the umbilical cord from the Judaizers.
Zombie Of Easter Sunday
The weakness in the new Christian message from the Judaizers to the Hellenistic Jews, or Christians, is the corporal body of Jesus, because that is not ethereal. With the advent of St. Stephen we now have the ethereal Christ, because this is Hellenism. Jesus, the Zombie of Easter Sunday is now dead, because He gained eternal life with the ethereal Christ.
Proof
There is nothing absolutely more concrete, that proves without doubt, that Jesus was a zombie, than the public display of His wounds from the crucifixion to His disciples. The “new body” for your after-life will have the scares, wounds, and banged-up face going through the windshield from the car accident that you died in. If St. Thomas putting his fingers into the wounds of Jesus’s fleshy body is not creepy, what is? Where are Frankenstein, Dracula, and the Night of the Living Dead? Jesus was the Zombie of Easter Sunday.
The Blood Of Jesus Is Filthy
Above is my pen & ink drawing of the Crucifixion of Jesus, and the Paschal Lamb, because the symbolize Blood of Jesus, and the Atonement. The Blood of Jesus is worthless, because it does not offer salvation, and is filthy. The Last Supper, and all reenactments of it are sheer cannibalisms, and a total abomination to Judaism, the cornerstone of this new religion.
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Jesus Christ and the bogus Atonement #430Z pen & ink drawing by artist Stephen F. Condren.
Dr. Albert Schweitzer was most famous as a medical missionary to Africa, however, his greatest achievements lie in his achievements as a Theologian, because he was a New Testament Scholar. He wrote the Quest of the Historical Jesus, because he wanted to explain Jesus in His historical context. Albert Schweitzer clearly proved that Jesus was a man, and not God, because he used the Historical Critical Method.
Pen & Ink Drawing Of Name #427Z
Above is my pen & ink drawing of Dr. Schweitzer, taken from an Internet search. He is often shown wearing a smile, because he loved his work. This line drawing nicely captures his expression, because I did not cross-hatch the details. The delineation of his face is clear, because I have used a thin pen line. The drawing shows only his face, because I wanted to focus on his facial expressions.
Music
Albert Schweitzer was famous as a music, and especially an interpreter of Johann Sebastian Bach.
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Albert Schweitzer #427Z pen & ink drawing by artist Stephen F. Condren.
This article is about a pen & ink, and pencil portrait of Norman Perrin #412Z, by artist Stephen F. Condren. United States Navy Veteran, SAIC, BFA, of Condren Galleries, a Fine Arts Gallery.
Professor Norman Perrin was a New Testament Theologian at the University of Chicago Divinity School, at Swift Hall. Dr. Perrin is a most eminent scholar on the New Testament. I have read a lot of his work, including his “Rediscovering the Teaching of Jesus”, which is a masterpiece and I always refer to it. He is was one of the best Theologians at the university, because his books were good. His research on Jesus is good, because he looks at the facts.
In this great work Dr. Perrin has shown that with proper understanding of the Synoptic Gospels, we are to realize that all of the material that are shown as the words of Jesus, are really later Church additions. All of what Jesus really said could be fit on an index card.
The thing that I so appreciate about Norman Perrin is his scholarly and clear approach to the New Testament. He does not come to it wish a lot of “baggage” that is so apparent in other Theologians. Norman Perrin is very down to earth and goes right to the issues at hand, and solves them.
Pen & Ink Drawing of Norman Perrin
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Norman Perrin #412Z pen & ink drawing by artist Stephen F. Condren.
David Tracy #411Z, Theologian, with pen & ink drawing by artist Stephen F. Condren. United States Navy Veteran, SAIC, BFA, of Condren Galleries, a Fine Arts Gallery. Prints & Scans Of This Drawing #411Z ~ Order Here.
Father David Tracy is a Roman Catholic priest and retired professor of the University of Chicago. Dr. Tracy is the author of many excellent books, because he researches Theology. I have read three of his books:
1.The Blessed Rage for Order.
2. The Analogical Imagination.
3. Plurality and Ambiguity.
All of these books are excellent, and difficult to read, because he makes many statements are ambiguous or hard to question. I like clarity in all things, like my architectural renderings. I find his books very probing, and introspective, which is why I like his books. David Tracy is good at getting to the point, because he understands grammar, and Theology. Most importantly, he is kind, and understanding of people from all walks of life. He is a Catholic Priest so the he can serve God, and the Church.
David Tracy is a very advanced and highly trained Theologian and thinker, because he studies scholars. Because I have read his books, and greatly admire and respect them, I understand them, for they fall short of really answering questions. I was particularly disappointed in his book Plurality and Ambiguity, for in the book he talks about hope but never address the issue. The first part of his book he made an excellent critique of the French Revolution, but it let me down. I was very engaged in he book, but he never finished his point. Most importantly, he just left the topic unanswered, like an Alfred Hitchcock suspense film. Most importantly at the end of the book he touches on hope, but offers no solutions.
Pen & Ink Drawing Of David Tracy
Artist
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David Tracy #411Z, Theologian, pen & ink drawing by artist Stephen F. Condren, of Condren Galleries.
This article is about a portrait of Jordan Peterson #410Z, by artist Stephen F. Condren. United States Navy Veteran, SAIC, BFA, of Condren Galleries, a Fine Arts Gallery.
In the last few years Dr. Peterson has become an international sensation on a number of topics involving religion and politics. Dr. Peterson says that he is a Christian but has not articulated in detail what that means for him, and how it affects his world view. He is a very good listener, because he is a Psychologist. Dr. Peterson has written books in many areas, but is most interested in Theology. He says that he is a Christian, because he believes in Jesus. He has made many videos, so he can share his views about God with others.
In the last two years Dr. Peterson has gone from being a quiet University professor in Canada, to an international superstar, attraction attention to his writes from all over the world. Dr. Peterson speaks with authority and understanding of people with serious Psychological and emotion disorders. Above all Jordan Peterson is a very kind and sensitive human being, feeling the pain of those that suffer from depression, and anxiety.
Recently Dr. Peterson had check himself into medical rehab due to an addiction to an anti-anxiety drug. His wife, Tammy Roberts, has been diagnosed with terminal cancer. Many people are worried about him, because he is addicted to drugs.
Artist
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Jordan Peterson #410Z pen & ink drawing by artist Stephen F. Condren.
This article is about a portrait of Richard Dawkins #409Z, by artist and United States Navy Veteran, Stephen F. Condren, BFA-SAIC, of Condren Galleries, a Fine Arts Gallery ~ the portrait is done first as a pencil drawing and then a pen & ink stylus sketch, which comes with JPEG & PDF scans for making prints, note cards, and stationery.
Dr. Richard Dawkins is an author, and an outstanding speaker on the subject of Science, Biology, Religion, and Atheism. Richard Dawkins has made it his practice to defend Atheism world wide, because he does not believe in God.
I have personally attended one of Dr. Dawkin’s lectures at Northwestern University, in Evanston, Illinois. The auditorium was back and as always, Richard Dawkins gave to us more than we could have asked for. He is truly a generous and kind person. It was an honor to be in his presence.
As a Scientist, and Humanist, Richard Dawkins ardently defended people that have been victims of religious groups, and church’s. This is very good and wise because we cannot as a people let the Church take control of our government and ethics. At best religion is a person, not a public place.
Pen & Ink Drawing Of Richard Dawkins
Above is a pen & ink drawing that I have done of Richard Dawkins, taken from the Internet. I line the simple lines that delineate his face, because it brings clarity to his image.
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Richard Dawkins #409Z pen & ink drawing by artist Stephen F. Condren.
Jesus Christ depicted as the Zombie Of Easter Sunday #408Z, by artist Stephen F. Condren, United States Navy Veteran, BFA-SAIC, of Condren Galleries, a Fine Arts Gallery. Included is the mythical Resurrection, and incarnation of Jesus. The Bible used is the NASV. This article is dedicated to Richard Dawkins. Prints & Scans Of This Drawing #408Z ~ Order Here.
It is with difficulty to address the body of Jesus as a zombie, for there is no attempt of disrespect. Nor is it some kind of Halloween ploy that is making foolishness, and mockery of the Ressurection. Further, a zombie does not mean an evil and sinister figure out of the grave. The term is applied to bodies of those that have died and now have the appearances of life. Gross and vile depictions out of horror films is not my intention.
Ressurection
Rather, my goal is to give clarity to a very complicated and difficult topic, which is the Ressurection of Jesus from the grave on Easter Sunday. Further, I would like to make it very clear that I am not here to destroy Jesus, tear down the Church. Rather, I am here to demonstrate that all notions of the Ressurection of Jesus are not viable. Jesus as the zombie of Easter Sunday is a myth. My intentions are honest, and sound, and I am merely working with the only known documents on the topic, and these are in the Bible. Namely the four Gospels, and Acts of the Apostles. I will not include the Book of Revelation as it is all symbolic.
Pen & ink drawing of the empty tomb of Jesus on Easter Sunday.
Matthew
In chapter 28 of Matthew we have the appearance of Jesus in verses 9, 10, 17-20. In these passages there is no description of what Jesus looks like. However, He must look similar to what He did prior to His crucifixion because He is recognized by the women and His apostles. What I am observing here is an account of Jesus making an appearance to only His followers, and no one else. This is common to all of the passages that I have read in the Bible. Further, Jesus must be of the same age and physical condition as just prior to His death. This is a speculation on my part as there no description of him in the accounts. Most assuredly there are no drawings, and illustrations provided either.
Disciples
There are a number of things that I could say here, however, I would like to bring up what I think is the most important point, and that is a lack of fear on the part of the women, and His disciples. Now let me qualify the term fear. When the women leave the angel it is with both fear and great joy. To me this is not real fear, as for your life or even terror, but rather an unsuspecting state of mind, like walking through a dark basement. Remember that these women were not looking for a risen man, but rather a dead body, so as to clean it. If I were to arrive and find an angel in radiant clothing attending the tomb, that would be quite enough to strike terror into me. Then to hear his voice and listen to his words would be more than I could handle.
The lack of appropriate fear, the lack of cries, and no kind of shock upon the site of the angel strike me as wrong. I find it very difficult to put myself in this setting, responding in the same manner. Also, I find it peculiar that upon meeting Jesus they take hold of His feet and worship. I cannot see why? Again, I would be so overly apprehensive at this point. I would probably not have gone, but rather, like the birds upon hear the shot of gun, I would leave.
This same holds true starting at verse 17, where they just go right up and worship, as though it was a pattern to see some one rise from the dead and carry on with worship. The lack a amazement has me in doubt to the integrity of the narrative. Also, what about those that were in doubt? That is even more peculiar since you are beholding the very man you saw dead on the cross! All in all this account is too mythological for me to be convincing at any level.
Mark
In verses 9, 12, 14-18, again, you have the women approaching the tomb and encounter the young man. However, this time they are scared, trembling, grasping each other. This makes much more sense to me. The appearance in verse 12 is very odd in the Jesus appears in “in a different form” to the disciples. What does that mean? How old what Jesus? What physical condition was Jesus in? Then there is the scene at the table on verse 14, that again, makes not sense for Jesus is scolding them for their unbelief! Jesus needs to show a little slack, please. Then He follows with the commission to share the Gospel. This is all fine and good but I just do not buy it. There is nothing convincing in this account.
Luke
Luke is more replete so I just want to focus on my point, and that is the physical appearance of Jesus. In verses 15 & 16 Jesus appears to the two men on the road to Emmaus and they do not recognize Jesus. Why? What was the physical appearance of Jesus at this time? What is this about “their eyes being prevented from recognizing Him”? This puts more doubts in my mind. It is not until verse 31 that they recognize Jesus, at which point He vanishes! Then again, in the verse, while they are talking Jesus appears out of context right before them, and they were startled and thought that Jesus was a spirit!
Image Of The Spirit
However, Jesus must be of a form that they can recognize him. What about this image of a spirit? That implies an ethereal being, yet in verse 39 this “spirit” has flesh as Jesus has them touch his wounds! Some how the word spirit must have come from the disciples, because Jesus refers to the word and then asks them to touch His wounds. “See My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself; touch Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.”
After this Jesus talks with them and they are happy. He blesses them after which He leaves them. Jesus must be in a form that they can recognize. Jesus did sit and eat, and talk with them, so He was not from “outer space” or other place. He communicated to them as a man. However, we do not know what He looked like. Also, the reference to His wounds mirrors the doubting Thomas theme of the Gospel of John, which clearly comes for the pool of oral stories, aligned in the wrong place.
John
In verse 14, Jesus appears to Mary, and she did know that it was Jesus. So again, I beg the question: What did Jesus look like right after His appearance? In verse 16, Jesus then changes language and speaks to her in Hebrew, Why? Further, she thought that Jesus was the gardener, Why? Jesus just died a few days ago. Then Jesus asks not to cling to Him because He has to go to the Father, etc. It makes no sense to talk like this to a woman that was there looking to clean the body of a now missing person.
In verse 19, Jesus appears and offers peace to His disciples in the middle of a closed room. They seem to recognize Jesus and are rejoicing when He shows them His wound. Now in verse 24, we have the appearance of Thomas, who was not at the seen just above, and makes his famous case on seeing the wounds. If Jesus is raised from the dead what are the wounds all about. This is truly a zombie like element in the story, for it is creepy. It makes no sense whatsoever to have wounds.
Healed Zombie Of Easter Sunday
Then in verse 26, Jesus appears to the disciples again, and show Thomas his wounds. At verse 29, Thomas makes he cry of belief. This goes on through verse 31, at the end of the chapter. My point here is that Jesus seem to be recognized when He bears the wound, and not recognized with He is “healed”. Why?
In the last chapter Jesus again appears to the disciples on the shore and they do not recognize Him. In this scene there is an extensive conversation, especially between Peter and Jesus. However, my point is that the disciples do not recognize Jesus again, except at a point when John does. When Jesus is revealed, they engage in normal conversation, and no one is perplexed.
Acts Of The Apostles
In the first chapter of Acts, after the introduction to Theophilus, Jesus appears to many as we are told. But more to the point He is talking with the group in Jerusalem, giving them instructions. There is no physical description of Jesus give to us here, and we have to believe that Jesus look the same as He did just before He was crucified. There is no one demanding to feel His wounds, or seeing a spirit. All seems to be in good order, we just do not know what Jesus looked like.
Jesus walking in the cemetery on Easter Sunday.
Assessment
From the reading that I have just covered my assessment of the texts are that Jesus did not rise from the dead, and He did not make any of the claimed appearances. I say this not because it is easy to dismiss any kind of resurrection story, I say this because of the lack of credibility given in the documents.
Everything about the scenes strikes me as being conjured up and manipulated. The language is awkward and the situation warrants more credible responses that those that are offered. Let alone the fact that the event, and texts are almost 2,000 years old. Any document, sacred or non-sacred has to be taken with great reservation. It would be foolish on all counts to just take the text and read it literally.
Image Of Jesus
All that I can see here is what I have stated before, and that this image of Jesus is the Judaizer’s attempt to create for the early church, and posterity, an image of a human corpse that will pass for the living body after it has died. All of the images revealed to us in these document speak of a flesh, and blood person that even sit and, eats with them. This would have to mean that Jesus’s body after death is corporal like ours is now, which is the message that the Judaizers wanted to convey. Further, the appearance of Jesus and this physical body is only made manifest to His disciples, and not to gentiles. A gross error on the part of the editors of the Bible, because the appearance of Jesus after death should have been universal and not Jewish. This reveals the core of the plot which stems for the grass-roots movement. This only builds my case for Jesus working to establish an earthly kingdom so as to get the Romans out of Israel, and not to found or establish any kind of new religion offering eternal life.
Flesh And Blood
A flesh and blood resurrection is bogus and just does not work on many levels, not even venturing into the Scientific elements involved. What you have here is truly a zombie. This living, walking corps that the texts call Jesus is a fabrication of the mind. This image of Jesus is not ethereal, and not palpable at any level.
Poorly Written Script
It is very clear to me in reading the accounts that the appearance of Jesus to His disciples are a very naïve attempt on the part of the editors to sell a poorly written script. The fact that Jesus would appear in two scenes with His wounds ready to show is bogus. If anyone is to rise from the dead, especially a deity, I would expect their wounds to be healed. The question of the age of the risen Jesus is never resolved either, for when anyone dies and returns to life, who is to say that they come back at the age that they died at. If that is true, what happens to people that die in the seventies and eighties, expecting to be raised from the dead? If you are going to be 80 when you rise from the grave what is the point? I surely want a young, and better looking body! The whole set of scenes just do not work, and make the attempt to vindicate the supernatural Ressurrection of Jesus all the more unlikely. It would be better to say nothing than do a poor job of trying to pull off the supernatural.
Richard Dawkins
Like a breath of fresh air we have a person that is willing to look at life and religion from a solid, and honest Scientific perspective. Know world wide as a leading spokesman for Atheism, Dr. Richard Dawkins is an authority on the subject of Science and Theology. Though not a clergyman by profession, his knowledge and in-depth study of all religions gives him an expertise that needs to be heard by all people.
I have always stated that if Jesus Christ is in charge of the world, and of course the Church, then there is nothing to worry about. However, this is not the case today with churches throughout the world. If educated people like Dr. Hawkins are agents of terror in the eyes of the Church, then it should be ashamed. For Dr. Hawkins is a friend, and agent of enlightenment, and the Church has always boasted that it is a beacon of educational light, even before the founding of the Society of Jesus.
One of the most crucial, and overlooked elements with regard to the risen Jesus that needs to be addressed are His physical, corporal, appearances. As an artist that majored in figure drawing, and painting, at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, this is important, and has great meaning for me.
You will note in the readings that Jesus always makes sudden, and unknown appearances, and departures. This is a ploy to hold His followers in check, and more importantly, a method in which you He spread the story of appearing here and there, like putting salt on your dinner plate. You cannot ever know when the Lord is coming or going, and that is to His advantage.
Length Of Appearances
If Jesus did truly rise from the dead, why did He not continue with His ministry, or at least give some substantive instructions? On the contrary you have the opposite. The reason for his is that if you were to hold Jesus down and keep Him in one setting for a length of time (more than a few minutes), local people, and more importantly, authorities would be on to Him. After all, Jesus is still wanted by the police, dead or alive! If Jesus is truly the miraculous Son of God, then He would have nothing to worry about at all, for with the snap of His finger He could make disappear anyone that would do Him harm. The zombie of Easter Sunday only makes short appearance.
Kingdom Of David
However, on the contrary, since Jesus is a swindler, He has to sneak in, and out unannounced so that He does not get caught. This is how He has sustained the life of the grass-roots movement, and how the Judaizers have been able to transform the “New Kingdom of David”, (or whatever slogans were being used at the time), to the Kingdom of God. For in the minds of those in antiquity, any mention of a kingdom is strictly military, and political, on this earth, nothing ethereal or heavenly.
Lastly, why does not the zombie Jesus make any appearances to us today, here and now? As a Divine, He has no time constraints. If Jesus went to the lengths of making an appearance to St. Thomas, why does He not follow through with the larger masses of people, whose souls are all at stake?
Federal Government
A most major element in the story that is completely over looked by Theologians, and Historians alike is the Federal Government. As is similar today in the United States, and as it was back then you had a bread down of Federal, Regional, and Local Governments.
Pilate & Herod
Creators Of The Zombie Of Easter Sunday Or Ghoul
There would have been no reason whatsoever for both Herod, and Pilate to be together in the scene of the story of the crucifixion of Jesus. Just like crimes in the United States, they are disciplined by their category, and location. The murder of Bobby Franks, in Kenwood/Hyde Park, of Chicago in 1924, committed by Leopold & Loeb, as vile as it was, was not handled by the Federal Government, but rather by the State of Illinois, thus putting them in the local jail of Statesville, in Joliet, Illinois. This is because the crime was committed in Illinois, and it was civil. In the case of Al Capone, even though his crimes (tax evasion) were committed in Chicago, they were not civil but Federal, and thus handled by the Federal Government, thus putting him in Alcatraz, in San Francisco, California.
Pontius Pilate & Herod
Thus the story that we are given about Herod, and Pilate working together (and even becoming the best of friends, Luke: 23,12, a totally unrealistic element for a Roman oppressor, and an infidel, with a captive Jew), was all a fabrication. Further, the reference to Barabbas sheds real light on the true story, for the Jews (Judaizers) wanted to keep the fundamentals, and core of the storyline all Jewish, and keeping the stench of the filthy Roman pigs at bay as much as they could, and most importantly, to keep the trial local, they did not want the Romans (Federal Government) involved.
Cat Out Of The Bag
It is the mere mentioning of Barabbas that the editors of the Gospels let the cat out of the bag, and did know it. In other words, the Judaizers, in trying to protect Jesus, and the grass-roots movement were doing all that they could to calm things down. In an earlier, undocumented, phase of the story, it was all at the local level, similar to that of John the Baptist.
Barabbas
Barabbas had to be linked to an older Jewish custom that stemmed from a crude sort of barter of criminals, but all in Jewish terms. For there is no record outside of the Gospels in any ancient Jewish, or non-Jewish, literature that makes reference to any “Feast of the Governor”, Matt: 27,15, an annual barter of a criminal with the authorities, especially with a Roman Governor. There is nothing in Jewish literature or History to support this, thus making the character of Barabbas fictional like the zombie of Jesus. Barabbas stems from an earlier, oral tradition of a trial or civil dispute, all prior to the events with Pilate.
Roman Involement
Thus, locally they wanted to offer Barabbas in exchange for Jesus or some element to that effect, to fix the problem, and let Jesus go, so that He could continue His ministry. There was no Roman involvement. However, Barabbas did not work out, so now you have two losers, Jesus, and the rejected token Barabbas. So now we are in big trouble because the “answer to the problem” the exchange of Barabbas for Jesus was rejected, and now we were going to the Feds.
Barabbas The Vicar
However, something went wrong, and things spun out of control and ended up in Roman hands. Somehow the Jews were trying to explain away the problem as an exchange, and wanted to be done with it. But they did not grasp the magnitude of their error, for this was Treason. Now by introducing this Barabbas element into the Roman Governor (Praefectus) was an error, for it exposes the germ of the story. The Judaizers failed again, to keep the problem in the classroom, and now the principal was involved, taking things completely out of their hands, thus requiring more fabrication or “fixing” of the texts on the part of the editors of the Gospels to make the storyline work.
Judaizers
The Judaizers were not well educated, and were groping for a solution to the problem, and they did not know or understand Government Affairs, and Roman Law. These were poorly educated country people taking on something that they could not handle. Thus, Barabbas, who did not work earlier as the Jews had hoped so that everything would go back to normal, has became “Holy Water” to cleans the now too late to be saved Jesus, who had no guile, and was the final seal of benediction to the drama. Barabbas made the unclean Jesus clean, because without Barabbas, (a proven criminal, thus thoroughly tarnished), Jesus would be held accountable for his crimes, and that would tarnish the ever pristine image of Jesus. Now they could kill and “innocent” man.
Treason
This was Treason, and out of local Jewish hands. Thus in a Federal court, not County, therefore, Herod would not have been involved at all, for he would have been bypassed from the beginning, thus exposing the fiction of the Gospel narratives. Contrary to Moody Bible Institute, and Wheaton College, the Bible did not fall out of the clouds into the lap of Moody Press, inerrant, and flawless. The editors of the Gospels were human beings, with an agenda to fill, and we only know the tip of the iceberg.
What really happened was the capturing of the traitor Jesus, where upon He was then sent to a local, Federal Court, (like one in the Everette Dirksen Building, in Chicago), tried, with none of the fanfare that you see in Hollywood, and quickly dismissed, and executed. Rome, like the Federal Government of today, was a clean machine, and did not fool around, and did not get involved in Hollywood productions.
Crucifixion
The one item in the New Testament that stands out more than anything is the crucifixion of Jesus. All other details in the New Testament pale beside it, including the Ressurrection. This is because crucifixtion was a government regulated action that transcends any personal points of view. Further, the penalty of crucifixion was very much alive, and in place during the entire First Century, when the New Testament was written, and the Gospel editors knew it, and could not hide from it.
Federal Government
There is nothing more final, more observed, and more reliable than public execution by the Federal Government, for without doubt, everyone knows. Now, to even try and put on the same plane the ressurrection of a man from a tomb not known by anyone, and at a time not known by anyone, is sheer folly. The man Jesus died on the cross, and that was the end of Him.
Greatest Mistake In History
The greatest mistake ever made in the History of Christianity is the material reincarnation of Jesus on Easter Sunday. The Judaizers, did not have the knowledge, wisdom, and understanding of the Hellenistic Jews. Had they, things would be all different. However, to offer the bogus zombie that they had concocted for Easter Sunday fails in every way. This image of Jesus is hollow, shallow, artificial, and utterly undesirable.
Terror
I have much more comfort with the concept of being with my mother when I pass, than to be cursed to have to come back here in some abstract, ageless form of a body that I have right now, and to go on, and on, and on, with it, is terror. The mere thought of it frightens me, and offers no comfort. When I am gone I do not want to come back. I will not buy the bogus message of meeting the Lord in the clouds, which is a transitional development on the part of the Hellenistic Jews to give life, and meaning to being a zombie, and it reeks.
Judgement
It is utter foolishness to ask of anyone to put what they believe, which is their very life, on the line to accept that which offers in return nothing of substance or singularly appropriate compensation. When I deposit my money in the bank I am provided a receipt for the compensation of my action, for at any time I can redeem it. However, when I yield my faith, which affects all that I live by, I am offered no receipt for the compensation of my action, for there is no redemption in it, thus is worthless.
Swindle
Therefore, I cannot, and will not accept the statements, and creeds of men that I do not know, of a dead Jesus coming back from the grave. Even if this Jesus rose from the dead, it is no guarantee that I will. Belief that the dead man Jesus rose from the dead, and further did it to give us eternal life is bogus, a swindle, and acceptance of it is mental suicide. Please hand me the receipt of guarantee that I will rise from the dead, and live eternally in Heaven, and I will hand you my faith, until then, I will hold my faith in that which I choose to believe. Further, I will not be harassed by any group, or organization with the label, and judgement of “Ye man of little faith”. The zombie of Easter Sunday is pure swindle.
Historical Critical Method
The editors of the Gospels, and the rest of the New Testament were not prepared to taken and stand up against the Historical Critical Method, which exposed their agenda, and ambiguous writings. Their documents, now in the hands of men like Albert Schweitzer, Rudolph Bultmann, and Norman Perrin, forever put an end to their reign of tyranny.
Pen & ink drawing of Dr. Albert Schweitzer.
Deception
In Art
Do not be fooled, and never judge a book by it’s cover, for if you do not look beneath the surface you will be swindled. Take for example the painting “Cupid Chastised” by the openly gay artist, Bartolomeo Manfredi, at the Art Institute of Chicago. To the casual observer this is an allegorical painting of the Roman god Mars, punishing Cupid for causing an affair between himself, and Venus. This is even the storyline given to the public by the Art Institute. However, the truth is that this is a Homoerotic, and Sadomasochistic painting. This was revealed to us while I was a Student at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, by the legendary Professor of Art History, Sir Robert Loescher, Senior Editor of the Encyclopedia Britannica.
Homo-erotic & Sadomasochistic
Notice that Cupid’s ass is the focal point of the painting, and that he is fully mature, not a baby-like nymph, but fully pubescent, and the whip in Mars’s rugged hand is ever so ready. Note Cupid’s limp hand, and open mouth, for when you are engaged in battle you clench your fists. You close your lips, and fight to win the struggle. You do not passively lay back, spread your legs, open your hands and mouth, ready and waiting with anticipation for the aggressor to take you captive, like Cupid clearly is doing here. The central axis of the painting is right down the middle of the scene. Cupid’s open lips are all ecstasy, and all about receiving it.
No Struggle
There is no struggle at all in the posture of Cupid, for he is just loving it. More than likely he was posing on a couch or bed in Manfredi’s studio, which is more fitting for Cupid’s “Chaise lounge” repose shown here. Everything about Cupid is passive, and calls out “take me” in capitulation. Mars, who dominates the scene, is virile, handsome, fit, and rugged, while Venus is a “Red Herring” depicted as a frumpy “Plain Jane”, with some “tit action” for the straight boys, and kept to the side, out of the action of the painting. The truth of the painting is about the sexual bond forged between these two beautiful, and young, gay men (probably Manfredi’s lover). Trust me, there is no struggle here!
The Truth
We have to hide the truth about the real meaning of the painting because people do not like it. So too, with the mythical Resurrection of Jesus. It is because people cannot bear to hear it for they do not like it, and yet like the painting, no matter how much you do not like it, it stands before you showing you the truth.
The task of this article has been to explicate exactly in a Scientific, physical, and artistic terms the corporal body of Jesus on Easter Sunday. My final assessment is that there is no substantive evidence provided by the New Testament accounts that support a valid physical appearance of Jesus of Nazareth. The accounts do not provide any kind of physical description of Jesus, other than the display of His wounds. There are no details drafted up for us to know the state of His health, and well being after the ressurrection. Just because Jesus may have risen from the grave, does not offer to us a clean bill of health. The zombie of Easter Sunday is no proof of life after death, because it offers no life.
Myths Of The Ghoul
Jesus could have easily gone back into severe paralysis and even coma due to the whippings, beatings, and stretching of limbs and body parts from hanging on the cross. For if Jesus still had the wounds on his body that He showed to Thomas and others, that is a clear sign of ill health. Open wounds even on a zombie are of a body not healed. If I were ressurrected from the grave I would at least want to be in good health. These accounts of Jesus exposing His wounds to His disciples are simply literary devices. The are like the fables of Adam & Eve, and Noah, to explain mysteries. However, they are in the end, more mysterious than the original questions. Please tell me, would you take comfort in the figure of Jesus coming at you from His tomb in my drawing at the top of this article?
Zombie Of Easter
It is my thinking that the creation of the zombie of Easter Sunday is strictly a vehicle for the body of Jesus to live after His death on the cross. This is the scheme employed by the Judaizers to give life to a dead body, which is not real, and just does not work. These men of antiquity had no grasp of modern medical Science, and went right ahead and made a sham of something sacred. Any modern medical examiner would laugh at the feeble attempts on the part of the Gospel editors to pull off such a feeble deployment of the corps of the human body.
These people were primitive, and had only candle lit “labs”, and the crudest medical equipment to work with. How they think that they can pull off a vastly sophisticated, and biologically complex task of giving life to a dead human body is absurd. Then to have the temerity to parade His body around a, wounds and all, as a showcase as the zombie of Easter Sunday is appalling. It brings to mind Mary Shelly, and Frankenstein’s monster. Further, to put Jesus in the position to have to display His wounds so as to prove the point of His Ressurrection to St. Thomas, and other doubters is shameful.
Gospel Editors Of A Ghoul
Creators Of The Zombie Of Easter Sunday
The Gospel editors were not intelligent enough to grasp the concepts of risen bodies, and life after death. Since at that time they thought that the world was flat, and Adam & Eve were real, so it would be no trouble to pull off the “life after death gig” without any harm. Little did they know that down the road modern Science would call their bluff. To think that Jesus lives up in the clouds with His new body fresh from the tomb is down right crude. The average person continually blurs the notion of the risen Lord, and life after death. When you die, you are taught that you are now with the Lord in Heaven (at least if you have been a good boy).
Ethereal Body Not The Zombie Of Easter Sunday
There is no telling you that you will have the same body in Heaven as you have here and now. There is no telling you what age you will be when you are in Heaven, for that is all ethereal. Nothing about a physical body of Jesus is ethereal. There is nothing ethereal about a body in a tomb rising from the dead, and resuming the daily tasks of talking, and sitting and eating at a table with your disciples. That is corporal not ethereal, and the great problem with the Church, both now, and in ages past, is to reconcile or even grasp the differences between the two. You cannot have your cake and eat it. Either your body is corporal after death, or it is ethereal. There is no zombie of Easter Sunday.
Well the editors of the Gospels dropped the ball because you with life after death you cannot be both corporal, and ethereal. When the Hellenistic Jews came to the scene they knew right away that the Judaizer’s concept of the after life being linked to a corporal body was folly. They did away with it immediately with the solid introduction of St. Stephen, and shortly after St. Paul.
Hellenistic Jews
The Hellenistic Jews were smarter, and far more educated than the Essene Judaizers, and they knew it. They quickly trashed the old corporal body of Jesus, and raised up the ever living, and ethereal Christ. This is very Platonic and it works, even now, with modern Science, no one can argue with it. However, the bogus zombie corps of Jesus had to go, for the body is static, whereas the Spirit is dynamic.
Fix The Story
The Hellenistic Jews retooled all the old gospels, and fashioned them anew. However, they could not fix the story line of the tomb, because that was attached to the crucifixtion, which could not be rubbed out. They were stuck with a problem, and had to live with it. The Romans, and the crucifixion, are the Achilles heal for the Gospel editors and they knew it, and had to live with it. For to take out the risen zombie would expose the very real death of Jesus, so it all had to be left alone. But they did their best to get around it by never using the zombie body of Jesus outside of the Gospels. Jesus’s ascension into the clouds in Acts, chapter one, is transitional.
The Judaizers have now laid the foundation for St. Stephen, and the Hellenistic Jews to take this Jesus, the zombie of Easter Sunday, and out of it fashion, like the Tarnhelm, the living, and ethereal Christ for the Christian Church.
Newer Higher Religion #407Z, or Christianity, covering Jesus Christ, Judaism, Christianity, Philosophy and the History of the Church and God in Western Civilization by artist Stephen F. Condren. United States Navy Veteran, BFA-SAIC, of Condren Galleries, a Fine Arts Gallery. This article is dedicated to Gerd Ludemann.
It is my task here to write a short Theology on Christian Theology. I do not mean for this to be a vast and comprehensive Systematic Theology, rather it is my task to look at a few of the key traditions of the Church and also the Bible to make sense of it for people of today.
God is ethereal. I do not hold to any tenet that Deifies an entity of material substance.
In in topic you have to take into account your approach to it. My approach to the topic of God and religion is that of a Humanist and Artist. Further, I adhere as much as can be to a rationalist approach to the subject. I know that it is not humanly possible to be objective and rational, but it is best to try as much as possible because it will keep your paths straight. The moment that you wonder off into the realm of the mystical you are headed for trouble. The mere fact that I am using words here to discuss the subject is a rational approach, for all forms of communications are attempts at the rational.
Dualism
Christianity is a religion with a deep rooted dualism imbedded into it, due to it’s association with:
Jesus
Christ
The man Jesus further adds complication to the religion because he is Jewish, almost making it a triplette, but His Judaism, though profound, does work in the context of the man Jesus. Jesus was a Jew and an ardent one, that along with John the Baptist and a host of other unknowns formed a marginal sect in league with the Essenes. I am quite sure that there are sundry small groups and parties that were all clamoring for attention to rally for the cause against the great oppressor Rome. Masada, of course comes to mind, however, there are no documents available at this time for me or anyone to support this.
It is my perspective to read the texts that are handed down to us as rational tools, and thus have to be approached in a rational manner. That means we have to employ what we have learned of History and Science from then to the present to get a clear a proper perspective of the subject. For example, since the advent of modern Science, we now know that Adam & Eve were an impossibility, and when we encounter them and topics related to them we have to take into account what modern Science has taught us on this subject.
Baptism
Stemming from the Jewish ritual of Tevilah, this early grass-roots community cashed in on a stable rite that everyone knew and trusted, much like the average citizen today bringing their family to a stable and trusted Church where their children are “brought up right”, and not subjected to an “off beat”, “strange”, and “foreign” religion.
However, the cleansing of baptism was about washing the yoke of filthy, vile, Rome from the pure and pristine bodies of Jews. Thus, the heralding in of the masses to the river to rid yourself of the stench of the Roman pigs, and return to the House of David, and free ourselves once and for all from these infidels. Baptism has nothing to do with repentance, it is all about cleansing. Repentance is atoned for at the temple on the altar with the paschal lamb, do not be confused. See my article on Paul Tillich and his Systematic Theology. The editorial committees of the Gospels and other early Church editors “fixed” the originals to read “Repent and be baptized for the Kingdom of God is at hand”, or words to that effect.
Christian Apologetics
Tragically, I can only quote Paul Tillich to address those that take the Bible literally as the inerrant word of God.
“Apologetic theology is “answering theology.” It answers the questions implied in the “situation” in the power of the eternal message and with the means provided by the situation whose questions it answers.
The term “apologetic,” which had such a high standing in the early church, has fallen into disrepute because of the methods employed in the abortive attempts to defend Christianity against attacks from modern humanism, naturalism, and historism. An especially weak and disgusting form of apologetics used the argumentum ex ignorantia; that is, it tried to discover gaps in our scientific and historical knowledge in order to find a place for God and his actions within an otherwise completely calculable and “immanent” world. Whenever our knowledge advanced, another defense position had to be given up; but eager apologetes were not dissuaded by this continuous retreat from finding in the most recent developments of physics and historiography new occasions to establish God’s activity in new gaps of scientific knowledge. This undignified procedure has discredited everything which is called “apologetics.”
Paul Tillich, Systematic Theology, University of Chicago Press, page 6.
Pen & ink drawing of Theologian and Philosopher Paul Tillich by artist Stephen F. Condren.
Inspiration
I hold completely to what Dr. Tillich has to say to the above, and I cannot add anything further to it. First and foremost it must be understood that inspired does not mean that a beam of light shined down from Heaven upon an early follower of Jesus and dictated to him in a majestic voice the events of the day, verbatim, from the very mouth of God. That notion or idea is just a theory on the part of people that do not have a firm understanding of Historical Science and the History of the development of the Bible. Further, people that hold to this theory have no facts whatsoever to support their claim, so until further notice their speculations are void.
Evangelical Theologians
I will never forget as long as I live, in my class at Trinity Seminary, Deerfield, Illinois. The class was called “New Testament Criticism and Theology” taught by Scott McKnight. He read out loud to the class, with enthusiasm, the passage of Jesus being crushed by the “Wheel of History” from the text of Albert Schweitzer’s famous book “Quest of the Historical Jesus”, pages 370 & 37, Collier Books (which he is all about and loves). He then went on about Demythologization, Form Criticism, Redaction Criticism, and Rudolph Bultmann, and those wonderful German Theologians, boasting to us that he read them in the original German, after which he told us not to share with members of your church, because they do not want to hear this kind of thing, it will upset them, and it won’t go over well” or words to that effect. I should have stood up and left the classroom, for I was there to learn, and to learn the truth, and now I should hide it, and pull the wool over the eyes of others? If I cannot share what I am learning in Seminary then what good is it? Further, should the seminary be in a position to teach things that “Won’t go over well”? That means I am to go up to the sweet old ladies at church and just pacify them, and let them go on believing what they are being told, because I do not want to rock their boat? Rubbish, the truth is the truth, I would never teach anything that I could post all over the Internet, and I am a Certified Public School Teacher, and Administrator, Type #75. This article is posted on the Internet for all to read, if someone does not like what I say then please let me know. But I am not going to hide it. If this is not the definition of a swindler what is?
Pen & ink drawing of Professor Scott McKnight.
This is the same kind of thing that you have in Evangelical groups lead by Hal Lindsey, Tim LaHaye, and Josh McDowell. Books like the “Lake Great Planet Earth”, and “Evidence That Demands A Verdict” are received like Divine writings and even have films made from them!
Worse yet, you actually have educated “intelligent” Evangelical Theologians cementing this gibber together with Epistemology, and Ontology, and sugar coating it with totally insane Logic, like William Lane Craig. It is so easy to swindle the uneducated masses, and that is what John the Baptist, and Jesus did. The real tragedy here is that these people are cheating themselves, and are living in denial all the while, because they will not risk putting their “clear”, “orderly”, and “completely logical” world up for grabs, to be shattered by earnest people that are asking honest questions, and seeking the truth. Rather, to satisfy their pompous egos, they are eager, and ready, like Pit bulls, to tear up, and shatter your world with their trickery, deceptive talk, Philosophical jargon, and smoke & mirrors, offering nothing of substance. That is a swindler!
Let me tell you, as I attended seminary, and I know for a fact that none of what any of the most learned Theologians or Academicians says about Jesus Christ or the Bible is iron clad. All of their work is based on speculations, and distant documents far from the source. There are no original manuscripts, letters, Gospels, or writings extant. All that we have are copies of copies based on word of mouth and oral traditions. It is like writing about the Civil War starting now!
“There is no scholarly consensus on the date of composition of the latest New Testament texts. Conservative scholars John A. T. Robinson, Dan Wallace, and William F. Albright dated all the books of the New Testament before 70 AD.[3] But most scholars date some New Testament texts much later than this. For example, Richard Pervo dates Luke-Acts to c. AD 115,[4] and David Trobisch places Acts in the mid- to late second century, contemporaneous with the publication of the first New Testament canon.[5][note 1]“. Wikipedia, New Testament.
Even when you have the original documents firmly in your hand, they are subject to interpretation, and juxtaposition to events, and places. Now compare that to copies of old documents over a century after the event? Further, back in antiquity they did not have the Internet, scans, FedEx, and photocopiers! Their cell phones were running on fossil fuel. Bottom line, this is all very speculative, and it should be explicated as such.
Bible Canon
Another very big can of worms that can now be opened is the canon of the Bible. That is, what books are included in the New Testament and what are left out. There are many books that at one time where part of the Bible but then later removed at various Church Councils and finally codified in around 325 AD, by St. Athanasius, who was just a man, a bishop, and not appointed by God to do the listing. There are volumes of books that have been the source of the New Testament. Please see the Wikipedia link below.
If I want to read the Gospel of Nicodemus who is to stop me? If I want to make reference to the Gospel of Thomas who will say no? The more your start to research the more you realize how very uncertain all of it is. I compare it to learning the galaxy, for the more that you learn, the more that you realize how little you know.
The Gospels
Ironically most of Bible Scholarship hovers around the Gospels, and specifically, the words of Jesus. However, this is all a waste of time, for the words, and deeds of Jesus are worthless, and offer nothing. For the task of Jesus was to get Rome out of Israel, a topic of no concern to people outside of Israel, and certainly of no interest to people of today. Any serious study of the words, and deeds of Jesus is foolhardy. The only thing that you need to know about Him is that He was Jewish, that is the only thing that matters, and makes the storyline work. If Jesus were not Jewish there would be no Christianity.
Zombie Of Easter
The Gospels are of course, totally doctored up documents that are tooled, and designed as the foundation for the edifice of the Church. Centuries of “back writing”, and editing have made these documents what they are today. They are nothing whatsoever like the original documents, and even more removed from the oral stories, and traditions that the documents come from. It is paramount that you completely remove the man Jesus from the image of Jesus in the Gospels. These are two different people. When the traitor Jesus died on the cross that was it. There was no resurrection. The only thing that was alive was the memory of Jesus in the minds of His followers. It was His followers that conjured up the Zombie of Easter Sunday to keep the grass-roots cause alive and thriving, and nothing more. There was never any attempt to start any kind of religion, save souls, or offer eternal life. It was the Judaizers that later incorporated the Zombie of Easter, and formulate a new religion, but the core of all is secular. It took the Hellenistic Jews to put life into the Zombie of Easter, and this is the progression to the creation of Jesus Christ, and Christianity. See my article “Zombie Of Easter Sunday”.
I have no doubts that Jesus was real, and lived, and was a man. I have all doubts that He was honest, caring, and concerned about the poor, and the outcast, while preaching the Sermon on the Mount. This is all fiction, and needs to be put in proper light. That is: The Jesus of History was a radical, power hungry rebel wanting to take control, and get the Romans out at all cost, even up to his life. All of the gatherings were rallies to gather support for His cause.
Major Division
Essentially there are three major divisions in the Synoptic Gospels. The Gospel of John is a worthless Gnostic publication out of Alexandria, not suitable for research.
Genealogy of Jesus.
Teachings of Jesus.
The Passion.
The genealogy of Jesus is the absolute core of everything, it is the sub-basement if you will. It puts King David firmly in place that will later sanctify Jesus. Without this you have nothing but prattle. King David is clout. This is where the dualism starts. For Jesus, John the Baptist, and the rest needed King David to garner support to their grass-roots movement. Then later after the crisis, the death of Jesus, the Judaizers cashed in on the King David clout, and worked it into the authentication of His mission. Then they espoused the oral genealogy, which then became codified.
The teachings, reported miracles, wonders, and good deeds, were added by the Church later down the road after the dust had settled. As the letters, theories, and confessions of the Church grew, the Church, in order to make sense of it, and to avoid chaos, and breakdown, established creeds to smooth things out. Further, all of the words of Jesus can be fit on a 3″ x 5″ index card, for the rest that is attributed to Him is all later Church addition. See Norman Perrin.
The crucifixion was too big and ugly to rub-out and had to be addressed. So the entire story surrounding it is a fabrication nicely summed up in the Stations of the Cross. The only truth in the Passion is the crucifixion. There is no Resurrection.
At the front rank of current Theologians that are to be respected, because they are honest in all their work are, Gerd Ludeman, Bishop Robert Barron, and David Tracy. You may not agree with them, you may be disappointed in them, but all of what they write is good, to the point, and above all honest. There is no guile, or swindle in them.
I hold that Jesus was a real flesh and blood human being like the rest of us. I do not hold to the tenets that Jesus is the savior of the world, or the Son of God, or the Son of Man, or to any other celestial designation. Jesus like John the Baptist and other persons of that time that are unknown to history were part of a grass-roots movement to band the people of Israel together under a new kind of “Kingdom of David” and rise up and expel the Romans from the area completely. Jesus is not God, was not God, and never will be God until proven so.
The grass-roots movement or more aptly the Judaizers movement was doomed to failure from the beginning, because nobody knew Jesus better than they did. The Judaizers lived, worked, and grew up with Jesus, and his family, so we are not dealing with strangers here. So they knew that Jesus died, and they saw him die on the cross. This was a very real and ugly event in there lives and the lives of the locals, for it was a rare thing for a Jew to ever be crucified, for by their code of ethic, they are a quiet and peaceful people. Jews, are not, and never have been known for being warriors, and a military minded people. The Jews are people that use their talent and their brains, and that is why they were so successful in Egypt, and in Germany. It was a combination of fear and jealousy that turned the Egyptians against the Jews. For the Jews had acquired great wealth and learning over time in Egypt, and the same holds true in Germany, and here in the United States.
However, they took on a seed of hope at the death of Jesus, that he would return and fulfill the dream that He offered to them. It is the seed of this hope that was the seed that gave the birth to Christianity.
Failed Mission
The mission was a dream of the peasants, and marginal groups that did not have a full grasp of politics, military tactics, and Roman Civil Law. Like the Evangelical Bible totters of today, they too had the same myopic and dim vision of an earthy rise of the house of King David with nothing substantive to support their views. It was all dreams, but like the televangelists of today, they went out and preached “the word” and swindled the blind, and the ignorant into following their fold.
John the Baptist was surely a key exponent of this movement, for to even have his name mentioned in the Gospels give high status to that. However, Herod would have none of it and had him done away with. The scene of the jail and beheading are completely fiction, whereas the strip-tease dance of Salome was added as quasi-erotic reading material to keep up interest in the story line, much like the Song of Songs.
At this point, Jesus, the second-in-command, stepped in to the keep the grass-roots movement going, and He did a good job of it. The mere mention of the feeding of the 5,000 bespeaks of the vast outreach he was ushering in, much like a Billy Graham Crusade. He was not going to have a repeat of what happened to John the Baptist, so Jesus pushed the pedal to the floor.
With the massive campaigns that Jesus had mustered together from his highly successful visits to the local synagogues, and rural people, offering them a better life for them when the yoke of the swine Romans are gone. So the movement grew rapidly, so much so, that it got out of the hands of Herod and onto the ear of Pontius Pilate. Now you have trouble, for just like our Federal Government of today, you are dealing with a titanic, organized, and powerful entity, and one that these rural people did not have a firm understanding of. To make a long story short, Rome put a quick and final end to the problem that finally ended with the destruction of the Temple, all due to the campaigns of John the Baptist, and Jesus. Most assuredly because of them this great Temple, this edifice, is gone forever, again the price that we must pay for the vainglory of others.
All the oral stories of Jesus being connected to the House of King David, to the baptism, and even the Passover Meal (there was no Last Supper, sorry Leonardo), were all designed to authenticate the truth of the grass-roots message. However, the party was over, and like John the Baptist, Jesus was executed, but by crucifixion. If there was ever a trial is a mute point, for justice has been done, and the traitors were purged, leaving the grass-roots community in a perilous void until the advent of St. Stephen.
St. Stephen
The answer to everything about Christianity lies with St. Stephen. It is all too obvious. After the crushing death of Jesus on the cross, and the solid vindication of His death seen by His followers, His family, and His very mother. All of these people knew that Jesus had died, as they were eye witnesses. However, the grass-roots movement was still alive and the pulse of the memory of Jesus was very strong. The local followers could not let it to die, because they had put their whole life into it. However, their backs were to the wall, and they had nowhere to go, and they were crying in the darkness. Because what most historians do not grasp is that not only was Jesus killed on the cross, but the grass-roots movement had now been exposed as a band of traitors that were a menace to Rome and the Sanhedrin. Thus, they had to walk carefully in dark streets having lost their freedom from both Rome, and the Jewish community. It was indeed a very dark, and gloomy time for the grass-roots community. What was to be done? Judaizing! Here enters the story of physical dead body of Jesus rising from the dead, a zombie if you will. It is this zombie that is the starting point, however it fails, and that is why the Judaizers eventually dissipated into oblivion. A corps just does not work, no matter how hard you try to work it. There is no life in a corps, even one with fresh wounds that you can put your finger in. The concept just does not work. But this is the answer that was given to meet the needs of the grass-roots movement, and they ran with it. However, with the advent of St. Stephen, and the Hellenistic Jews the concept of the corps will be transfigured to the more palpable, and ethereal Jesus Christ.
Remember, the first believers were all Jews, not Gentiles. Christianity is essentially a Jewish religion and product that is later formulated to a more ethereal realm that does away with sacrifices, laws, and suffering in place of honor, glory, and eternal life. All of the activity around the early Church was a Jewish phenomenon, a Jewish way of life, they were even called the Way. But suddenly this was all shattered and the world was turned around, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, a group of young Jews, that were most certainly an educated group of young men, were infused with a new hope, a new vision, and a new way of life. Among this group arose St. Stephen as the exponent of the team, for he was full of the Holy Spirit. It was St. Stephen who had the vision that changed the world. These young men were Hellenistic Jews, and they learned and absorbed Greek Philosophy, and language. It was this infusion of Hellenistic & Jewish thought that was the catalyst for the creation of St. Stephen. For in an act of pure genius, these Hellenistic Jews saw the vision of merging the Jewish people with their past and glorious history and infuse it to a new age, with a new vision, and a new hope for life eternal that was in Jesus Christ. The switch had been thrown, and the wheel was now turning, but instead of bearing the mangled body of Jesus, crushing Him as it turned, rather it carried aloft in triumph the Christ, wearing the crown of victory, honor, and glory.
Private Audience
Now it must be understood that St. Stephen, and only St. Stephen ever sees Jesus in Heaven, no one else in the New Testament ever sees Jesus in Heaven. And to further drive the point home, St. Stephen is the only person ever, to see Jesus sitting at the right hand of God! St. Paul never met or even saw Jesus! Whereas St. Stephen had a private audience with Jesus and God, while being full of the Holy Spirit! What greater clout can be had? Also, take note of the lack of angels, trumpets, and fanfare. This was a point of high focus, and it was to be made clear, that Jesus is ethereal. Take note that all of the corporal, or zombie like appearances of Jesus are to Jews, never to gentiles. This is because they were the ones that saw and knew the physical Jesus, so they needed physical proof. The Hellenistic Jews could care less, they knew that they held the trump card, and that Jesus Christ was in their body, which is now the temple of the Holy Spirit. It all fits like a glove.
Thus, faith in the risen Jesus who was seated at the right hand of God was the hope, and the vision made clear by St. Stephen. The history that he told, was to vindicate the truth of what the earthly Jesus stood for, and now, it was the Jesus sitting at the right hand of God, which was not the history, for that was past, but the future, for that is what is to come in all those that follow Jesus Christ. Now, everything is going to be okay, just follow the lead of the Lord. This was Hellenism, and St. Stephen was the exponent of this movement, the beacon that showed the way.
It is important to understand the time and the speed of the movement. For the Judaizers were slow to move and could not understand what the Hellenistic Jews where saying. The Judaizers could only look back to the Jesus that they knew. Whereas Stephen and all the new converts that never met Jesus came with answers to a new life with Jesus. Further, and most importantly, the new Hellenistic Jews shed the laws of the Jews and took on the Philosophy and the ways of the Greeks which offered a myriad of hope, which was far greater than the tears and weeping over the corps of Jesus that was gone forever.
The event of St. Stephen from the speech to his vision then death were the mirror acts of Jesus preaching, Transfiguration, and death. Even the very words of forgiveness to his murderers on his lips bear the words of Jesus. Now it was complete and lay at the feet of Saul of Tarsus, preparing for what would change his life, and the life of the Church of Jesus Christ. For like the sudden change that took place with the vision of St. Stephen, so too with the sudden change hit Saul of Tarsus on the road to Damascus and change his course and his vision. All of this now is in the hands of Hellenism. The vision of Christ to St. Paul on the road to Damascus would have no meaning whatsoever without St. Stephen, because it would make no sense.
Acts Of The Apostles
The Acts of the Apostles is about three things:
The Holy Spirit.
St. Stephen.
St. Paul.
Pentecost was nothing more than a recording of chaos. The grass-roots community and been cut to the quick and was in disarray. This is all expressed with the story of the various tongues spoken at the event and during the gift of the Holy Spirit with tongues of fire. The Holy Spirit is eternal.
When the dust of Pentecost settled we have the arrival of St. Stephen. It is St. Stephen that makes sense of Pentecost by taking the dead Jesus and putting life into Him by displaying him as the Christ. It is St. Stephen that is “Full of the Holy Spirit, and for the fist time in history makes manifest the Christ event. See my article on St. Stephen. Like a chicken with it’s head cut off running around the yard, so too was the early grass-roots movement which I will now call the Church. For the Church of Christ begins with St. Stephen, and the grass-roots movement of John the Baptist, the Essenes, and Jesus is dead. The corpse of Jesus is now forever envisioned as the body of Christ. However, this Christ is not a Jew, and the early Church and the Judaizers do not grasp this. Things are different now, for the message of before, hailed aloft by Jesus, and John the Baptist is now crushed, and gone forever. We now have a totally new message, and that message is the salvation of souls from death for all peoples, of all nations with the hope, and glory of eternal life with Christ, and not the emancipation of Israel from Rome.
You will note that St. Stephen sees the ethereal body of Jesus in Heaven and not the anthropomorphic zombie that that the earlier editors and narrators of the Gospels foisted upon the apostles (and us). St. Stephen is not putting his finger into the wounds of Jesus, rather he is experiencing the vision of Christ. The zombie that the Gospel editors conjured up was the best that they could offer to a shaken up and enfeebled Church. They needed something substantive but the editorial committee went too far.
The death (by stoning) of St. Stephen was only to complete the parallel of him with Jesus to then convey the new image of Christ for all of us to glorify. His death had nothing to do with being the first martyr, that was circumstantial and a concept wrongly evolved out of a later tradition which got in the way of the real reason for the epiphany of St. Stephen, which of course was the crown of victory over death, hence stephanos. Please note, that Christ never rose from the dead, no one did. Christ is eternal and most probably the core source of process creation of the Universe explained by A. N. Whitehead, and articulated Christologically by Charles Hartshorne. There was never a Jesus that died on the cross and that rose from the dead in a new body. That is looking at the message of the Bible wrongly.
With the epiphany of Jesus made manifest by St. Stephen there is a need of a messenger, and the messenger is none other than St. Paul, a man that never met Jesus, free, if you will, from the taint, and association with the Judaizers. Thus we now have a newer higher religion, one that answers the needs for all people from all over the world.
Joy
People run with winners, and the Hellenistic New Testament Epistles are the winners. What made Christianity a success were the letters, and not the Gospels. For the letters are filled with joy, comfort, and eternal life. Whereas the Gospels are morbid, depressing, and filled with doom & gloom. There is no joy or delight in the “D Minor” teachings of Jesus. Everything about Jesus is dark, and dismal, for His vile, and treacherous end is known to all. Today Jesus would be rightly counted as a Felon, and a Traitor, which He was, and paid the price for. If you truly follow the teachings of Jesus you will end up like St. Maximilian Kolbe, a person that is funereal, depressed, and the epitome of “Say no to life”. For good reason people do not read the Gospels, rather they pass them over, and read the epistles, because they offer something positive, refreshing, are full of life & hope, and people just love them.
The New Testament epistles are like Felix Mendelssohn’s Italian Symphony, a work of genius, joyous, and a delight to be shared with everyone.
Pen & ink drawing of Jesus Christ crowned with stephanos.
Condren Galleries is pleased to have been to participate in the execution of Newer Higher Religion #407Z.
Artist
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Newer Higher Religion #407Z, or Christianity pen & ink drawing by artist Stephen F. Condren, of Condren Galleries.
This article is about portrait of Bishop Robert Barron #406Z, by artist and United States Navy Veteran, Stephen F. Condren, BFA-SAIC, of Condren Galleries, a Fine Arts Gallery ~ the portrait is done first as a pencil drawing and then a pen & ink stylus sketch, which comes with JPEG & PDF scans for making prints, note cards, and stationery. Congratulations Bishop Robert Barron!
Bishop Robert Barron is an author, and television personality, for he speaks for God and the Roman Catholic Church. He is a very earnest on solid man. I first saw his video with William Lane Craig, because I was interested in his work. Bishop Barron is the founder of Word On Fire, which is a Catholic media outreach program. I find that Bishop Barron is easy to listen to, because he is honest and to the point.
Mundelein
Bishop Barron was the rector at St. Mary of the Lake, in Mundelein, Illinois before he got involved in his television ministry, to help students spiritually. He was raised in the Chicagoland area, do he has a midwestern point of view. While he was at St. Mary of the Lakes, the seminary gained in stature. He made a point of getting the enrollment up, so as to provide priests for the Catholic Church. Bishop Barron is an inspiration for me, because of his honesty.
Richard Dawkins
He is concerned with the growth of popularity of figures like Richard Dawes, who are world famous Atheists.
William Lane Craig #405Z, Theologian, by artist and United States Navy Veteran, Stephen F. Condren, BFA-SAIC, of Condren Galleries, a Fine Arts Gallery ~ the portrait is done first as a pencil drawing and then a pen & ink. Prints & Scans Of This Drawing #405Z ~ Order Here.
Dear Craig is at the very cutting edge of Mental Suicide, and Theological Swindle. A man with two Doctorates, is living proof that stupidity as no Educational limits! An advocate of blindness, and darkness, Dr. Craig is now ushering a new Dark Ages for the 21st Century. Not since the advent of Alaric, and Attila the Hun has the West been so fortunate. A staunch advocate of the Bible, Dr. Craig is sure to gain favor with those that hold to the belief in Adam & Eve, and Noah.
Bishop Robert Barron
Pen & ink drawing of Bishop Robert Barron.
Recently, to my surprise, Dr. Craig has joined up with Bishop Robert Barron to combat famous Atheist authors like Richard Dawkins.
Pen & ink drawing of Richard Dawkins.
Condren Galleries is pleased to have been to participate in the execution of the pen & ink portrait of William Lane Craig #405Z.
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William Lane Craig #405Z, Theologian, pen & ink drawing by artist Stephen F. Condren, of Condren Galleries.
