According to the tales, Jesus gave up a weekend.

[Zzyzx]

.
According to the tales, Jesus gave up a weekend. Whats the big deal?

What is the sacrifice in a supposedly eternal being giving up a weekend being dead?

An 'omnipotent god' (or part thereof, or whatever is claimed) would presumably know that the 'death' was extremely temporary -- just a few hours (less than 48 according to the tale).

[Zzyzx]

.

and when he became twelve years old, they having gone up to Jerusalem, according to the custom of the feast, and having finished the days, in their returning the child Jesus remained behind in Jerusalem, and Joseph and his mother did not know, and, having supposed him to be in the company, they went a day's journey, and were seeking him among the kindred and among the acquaintances, and not having found him, they turned back to Jerusalem seeking him. And it came to pass, after three days, they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, both hearing them and questioning them, and all those hearing him were astonished at his understanding and answers Luke 2:42-47.

Only 'Luke' (whoever that may have been) seems to have noticed or mentioned the remarkable (perhaps unprecedented) 'child teaching at the temple' issue. Is it mentioned in Jewish literature? By other Gospel writers?

Why only 'Luke' writing stories decades after the supposed event? Is it possible that he made up the tale?

[OnceConvinced]

. And there is NO criteria that He must suffer more than anyone else or for longer or for any other strawman criteria made up to denigrate His work.

In my experience its the Christians making this claim. They like to exagerate just how much suffering Jesus went through for us. To tug at our heartstrings. To make us feel guilty. Just look at Mel Gibson's movie for instance.

I can remember as a Christian listening to a cassette by Mike Warnke (Christian comedian) lamenting about how much suffering Jesus went through when he was crucified. He went into lots of gory details. It was very graphic and very disturbing... and I'm sure exagerated beyond belief.

But yeah, it's the Christians erecting this strawman, not sceptics.

This is not atheists trying to denigrate Jesus's work. This is atheists rejecting Christian claims that Jesus suffered so much more than anyone else ever has.

[JehovahsWitness]

.. there's nothing in the Bible that has ever suggested that death would be temporary.

IS THERE A HOPE FOR THE DEAD?

• The bible has many passages that indicate clearly that death can be temporary, ie that people that have died can return to life. Indeed Jesus on one occasion equated death with sleep. Just as sleep is normally a temporary condition of being unconscious and at rest, death biblically can be defined as the condition of being unconscious and totally inactive from which one can be raised. We call this return to life a resurrection.

RESSURECTION: A FIRM BIBLE HOPE

• Very early in bible history it is evident that men and women of faith believe that death could be temporary and that dead people could Indeed return to life. Abraham is said to have reasoned that if his son Isaac died God was {quote} "able to bring him back to life again" (Hebrews 11:19). And note the patriarch Jobs words when praying to God...
  

  JOB 14:14
  
  If a man dies, can he live again? I will wait all the days of my compulsory service until my relief comes. You will call, and I will answer you. You will long for the work of your hands.
  

  
  And the disciple Martha's expression of faith regarding her recently deceased brother Lazarus..
  

  JOHN 11:24
  
  I know he will rise in the resurrection on the last day."

  and the Apostle Paul
  

  ACTS 24: 15
  
  And I have hope toward God, which hope these men also look forward to, that there is going to be a resurrection of both the righteous and the unrighteous.

  
  
  [youtube][/youtube]

That death is in fact only temporary is the bedrock of the Christian hope, expressed repeatedly in scripture and actually demonstrated to be true on nine occasions when people were miraculously witnesses to have been resurrected. The resurrection hope is God's message to mankind that yes, while losing a loved one is one of the most painful things anyone can experience, not to despair, that death can and will be conquered!

CONCLUSION It is absolutely false that "nothing in the Bible that has ever suggested that death would be temporary". Quite to the contrary the bible presents death as being a temporary condition from which the faithful will emerge. Either to enjoy everlasting life either in heaven with God as spirit creatures or to be welcomed back to enjoy healthy happy lives as humans with friends and family right here on this our planet earth.

JEHOVAH'S WITNESS






Further reading: The Resurrection of Jesus"Did It Really Happen?
https://www.jw.org/en/publications/maga ... -of-jesus/

RELATED POSTS
http://debatingchristianity.com/forum/v ... 745#978745


NOTE All posts I write represent my personal faith based beliefs as one of Jehovah's Witnesses

[JehovahsWitness]

Continued from post #53 by JehovahsWitness




RELATED POSTS

Is there a hope for the dead?
http://debatingchristianity.com/forum/v ... 744#978744

Why did Jesus liken death to sleep?
http://debatingchristianity.com/forum/v ... 329#846329

What is a resurrection?
http://debatingchristianity.com/forum/v ... 213#832213

Who does the bible say will be resurrected?
http://debatingchristianity.com/forum/v ... 451#851451

What was Lazarus' (four days dead) experience?
http://debatingchristianity.com/forum/v ... 712#918712

Go to other posts related to...

HEAVEN, HELL and ... THE CONDITION OF THE DEAD

[Divine Insight]

NOTE All posts I write represent my personal faith based beliefs as one of Jehovah's Witnesses

So is this an open public confession that you are just here to preach your faith then?

This is a debate forum. I'm not interested in what you have chosen to place your faith in. That's totally irrelevant to me. I couldn't care less what you have chosen to place your faith in.

[JehovahsWitness]

NOTE All posts I write represent my personal faith based beliefs as one of Jehovah's Witnesses

So is this an open public confession that you are just here to preach your faith then?

No, preaching is against forum rules. I'm happy to "debate", if anyone would like to challenge anything I have written, I will definitely consider responding.

I'm not interested in what you have chosen to place your faith in.

I don't recall asking you to be.

That's totally irrelevant to me. I couldn't care less what you have chosen to place your faith in.

If there is anything I post that you feel violates forum guidelines, feel free to use the report feature, otherwise I do believe if any post is of no interest one has the possibility of moving right along to read something else. There is also the "ignore" feature than enables all post from any given member to be blocked so one doesn't even have to see them.

Do have a most wonderful day,



JW

[Clownboat]

NOTE All posts I write represent my personal faith based beliefs as one of Jehovah's Witnesses

So is this an open public confession that you are just here to preach your faith then?

No, preaching is against forum rules. I'm happy to "debate", if anyone would like to challenge anything I have written, I will definitely consider responding.

I'm not interested in what you have chosen to place your faith in.

I don't recall asking you to be.

That's totally irrelevant to me. I couldn't care less what you have chosen to place your faith in.

If there is anything I post that you feel violates forum guidelines, feel free to use the report feature, otherwise I do believe if any post is of no interest one has the possibility of moving right along to read something else. There is also the "ignore" feature than enables all post from any given member to be blocked so one doesn't even have to see them.

Do have a most wonderful day,



JW

It seems you missed the point.

We have billions of people with billions of beliefs. Any one persons beliefs really are not interesting unless they are credible. If a person is on a debate site and not attempting to at least show that their claims are credible, they are being self serving.

Telling people to move on or ignore so a debater can contunie to be self serving caught me by suprise.

It would be best if we worked on showing our statements to be true or credible, not making them as personal belief statements that we just might be willing to address if someone chooses to.

Do have a most wonderful day.

[ttruscott]

Repentant sinner: dies, comes back to life. Jesus: dies, comes back to life. Why does the Repentant sinner need Jesus? He also died as Jesus did before standing in front of God? What extra thing did Jesus suffer/do that pays for anything?

Faith is a gift from GOD. Repentance is part of that gift. Those sinners who are under HIS promise of salvation, ie, under His promise to do everything necessary to alleviate the legal obligations for choosing evil get the gifts only BECAUSE their legal obligations are wiped away by His death.

Without His death no one, even those under His promise, can repent unto salvation. All the gifts from repentance to sanctification can happen only because HE chose to be the slain lamb and then fulfilled that promise.

It is not that He did anything extra when He died; the extra is found in who He was in His death, ie, GOD the Son, chosen to be the one to die for the sins of men to alleviate their guilt before GOD.

[ttruscott]

In my experience its the Christians making this claim.

Personal anecdotes carry no weight here...

[1213]

Why only 'Luke' writing stories decades after the supposed event? Is it possible that he made up the tale?

It is possible that others didnt think it is that important to tell. I dont think Luke made up the tale, because I think there is no good motive for that.