" Jesus never died on the cross. It takes at least forty-eight hours for a person to die on the Jewish cross; and there have been known cases where people have existed almost six days on the cross without dying. Because Jesus was taken down from the cross after only six hours, there is no possibility of his dying on the cross. Itt was a conspiracy between a rich sympathizer of Jesus and Pontius Pilate to crucify Jesus as late as possible on Friday -- because on Saturday, Jews stop everything; their Sabbath does not allow any act. By the evening of Friday everything stops. The arrangement was that Jesus would be crucified late in the afternoon, so before sunset he would be brought down. He might have been unconscious because so much blood had flowed out of the body, but he was not dead. Then he would be kept in a cave, and before the Sabbath ended and the Jews hung him again, his body would be stolen by his followers. The tomb was found empty, and Jesus was removed from Judea as quickly as possible. As he again became healthy and healed, he moved to India and he lived a long life -- one hundred and twelve years -- in Kashmir.It is a coincidence, but a beautiful coincidence, that Moses died in Kashmir and Jesus also died in Kashmir I have been to the graves of both. The graves are ample proof, because those are the only two graves that are not pointing towards Mecca. Mohammedans make their graves with the head pointing towards Mecca, so in the whole world all the graves of Mohammedans point towards Mecca, and Kashmir is Mohammedan.These two graves don't point towards Mecca, and the writing on the graves is in Hebrew, which is impossible on a Mohammedan grave -- Hebrew is not their language. The name of Jesus is written exactly as it was pronounced by the Jews, "Joshua." "Jesus" is a Christian conversion of the Jewish name. The grave is certainly of Jesus. A family has been taking care of both the graves -- they are very close together in one place, Pahalgam -- and only one family has been taking care of them down the centuries. They are Jews -- they are still Jews -- and I had to take their help to read to me what is written on the graves.Moses had come to Kashmir to find a tribe of Jews who were lost on the way from Egypt to Jerusalem. When he reached Jerusalem his deep concern was the whole tribe that had got lost somewhere in the desert. When his people were established in Jerusalem, he went in search of the lost tribe, and he found the lost tribe established in Kashmir. Kashmiris are basically Jewish -- later on Mohammedans forcibly converted them -- and Moses lived with them and died there. Jesus also went to Kashmir, because then it was known that Moses had found the lost tribe there. The doors of Judea were closed -- he would be hanged again -- and the only place where he would find the people who speak the same language, the people who have a same kind of mind, where he would not be a foreigner, was Kashmir. So it was natural for him to go to Kashmir.But he had learned his lesson. He had dropped the idea of being the only begotten son of God; otherwise these Jews would crucify him too. He dropped the idea of being a messiah. He lived with his few intimate friends and followers in Pahalgam. Pahalgam is named after Jesus, because he used to call himself "the shepherd" -- Pahalgam means "the town of the shepherd." So it was a small colony of Jesus and his friends, surrounding the grave of their forefather and the founder of Judaic tradition. Jesus remained a Jew to the very end; he never heard about Christianity. But the followers who were left in Judea managed to create the story of resurrection. And there was no way to prove it this way or that. Neither could they produce Jesus -- if he was resurrected then where was he? Nor could the other party prove what had happened. They had put such a big rock on the mouth of the cave that it was impossible for Jesus to have removed it, and there was a Roman soldier on duty twenty-four hours, so there was no possibility of anybody else removing the rock and taking the body.But because Pontius Pilate was from the very beginning against crucifying Jesus.... He could see the man was absolutely innocent. He has some crazy ideas, but they are not criminal. And what harm does it do to somebody? If someone thinks he is the only begotten son of God, let him enjoy it. Why disturb him, and why get disturbed? If somebody thinks he is the messiah and he has brought the message of God... if you want to listen, listen; if you don't want to listen, don't listen. But there is no need to crucify the man. But Jesus learned his lesson -- learned the hard way. In Kashmir he lived very silently with his group, praying, living peacefully, no longer trying to change the world. And Kashmir was so far away from Judea that in Judea the story of resurrection, amongst the followers of Jesus, became significant. So I say a kind of resurrection certainly happened -- it was a conspiracy more than a resurrection. But certainly Jesus did not die on the cross, he did not die in the cave where he was put; he lived long enough".

I had the same questions as a kid in Catholic Sunday school and got more or less the same response from the nuns who taught the class.

At least you didn't insinuate that since Jesus is God, he could have turned on his pain inhibitors and acted out his suffering. Hoo boy the words that came out of some people's mouths when I said that.

It is a lot simpler than most would think. The wages of sin is death, God is justice for justice to be fulfilled sins must be accounted for. Jesus being fuly God and fuly man is in a unique position were he can choose to take the punishment due to others on himself. Justice can either be met by the criminal paying for his offenses, or the person that was offended can have mercy and take the punishment on themselves.

You might look at my post above. You were right to smell a rat. This doctrine is corrupt, barbaric and bears no relationship to reality. They made it up because they couldn't figure out why he died this way and they were not theologically adept enough to see the big picture. The teachings OF Jesus are different than the teachings ABOUT Jesus.. Many many people (millions) throughout history have suffered worse than he did. Your daughter most likely will not miss Catholicism or Christianity as it is practiced, unless you find a very progressive church. The religion contradicts itself and is irrational all over the place. Mathew 25:31-46 (Last Judgment-goats and sheep) claims works and deeds will get you into heaven which is blatantly opposite the primal claim that only Jesus' death redeemed sin. I also do not think Jesus said it but it was inserted BEFORE the atonement theology got codified so they left it in. The Catholic church only absolved the Jews of killing him in 2010. Traditionalist Christians are not the brightest bulbs in the Universe. What Christianity did to Jesus is criminal. it's strange in that it brings out either the best or worst in humanity.

I hope she doesn't feel pressured or obligated by us to do so, but that she does so only for her own enjoyment and gratification.

I'm convinced she has wonderful vision care and coverage... Here in Canada, we get a discount once every two years.

@@majafleur9646 Does she live in Canada? In the U.S. "performers" can take a tax deduction for costumes that cannot reasonably be worn in regular life. Maybe her glasses qualify?

Someone should finally clue in Bart that the Maz Kanata look is from a long long time ago and a galaxy far far away! haha

I may be the only one here, but I find the glasses and hair a bit distracting.

Megan's questions guiding the discussion are routinely brilliant (in every sense). The combo of these peerless popular scholars (I have never used that term before!) is a source of great pleasure and many smiles for me! Thank you so much

@@nolongerthere _"The combo of these peerless popular scholars"_ One of the two is a flunky/dropout, who has been included on this podcast as _"representation."_

_"Thanks for being Just who you are academically."_ Thank you, for the laugh-out-loud funny joke.

The Creator does, and there is nothing in the scriptures that say a blood sacrifice is required for the forgiveness of sin, except by the false apostle Paul.

​@@onejohn2.26.That right, the Hebrew scriptures show God forgives freely. Christianity teaches otherwise, the jews know better.

My exact question as a young boy. If God is so good and so merciful, why is there a he'll? I think I asked that as a 9 year old.

@@dominicdmello7531 Why is there a hell? Because you have a choice to follow God or not. And if you do not, he cannot have you in his presence as he is perfect and no sin can be with him or by him.

@@dirtypickle77 God only forgives if you repent and then turn and obey his commandments. Otherwise, those that don't will be destroyed because God is perfect and he cannot have sin with him.

Yeah! He could've just cut the middle man and not give us life! 🤣🤣🤣 atheists will never understand with their material idealism.

The truth is most beleivers dont really think this deeply into it. Its a blind faith thing where they essentially use weak or fake arguments to pretend they have a logical basis for their beleif to explain away the problems. I know; i was one of them.

Oh for goodness' sake it's only a *story*

@@vhawk1951kl ... No sh*t, Sherlock.

The Terran System is the rage of the quadrant.

He knew people would get angry about their suffering and confusion here on earth so he needed to be the example of how to go through that. He did that in the hardest way possible- he gave his ONLY son to die for ZERO reason- so that we could understand that he loves us and understands what we're going through.

You guess and dream to much, but have no experience to back it, the drama of jesus is that at least notionally what he did was intentional, while your guessed imaginary millions were in and of themselves unremarkable and heir dreamed/guessed/imagined /supposed suffering was or perhaps was accidental and incidental not related to any aim but so much guess work and that form of dreaming that is belief surrounds events that took place long ago(if at all) that it is difficult -if not impossible to filter anything out of the dreaming that is believing which tends to stupefy the reason, but the jesussey(tale of jesus ) is so cunningly contrived that it seems designed so that you will take it as other than a work of art-a species of drama none of which can be verified as if were anything *other_ than* a work of art, but the trick of good art is that is seems as if it were what-is-called real, but it is tale that speaks to different types and levels, just as Hamlet does; you too will suffer and die -there is no avoiding it , but you can dismiss the resurrection nonsense s the impossible nonsense it is; it is not remotely relevant to the drama of christ, the message or thrust if which is, don't ask me chum, I don't have a clue, but it is gripping stuff possibly objective art of some sort. the loons distract themselves from the essence of it by supposing that is anything other that an extremely gripping work of art-but they don't tie themselves in knots over whether not Hamlet existed the themes of Hamlet and the jesussy being effectively identical; no more do you get videos from lunatic literalist hillbilly bigots about " new evidence that Hamlet's father was poisoned through his ear" on fooltube. Either the jesussey speaks directly to some part or level of whatever you are or it does not. it speaks and spoke to a lot of beings whether they understood anything of it or not but the loons got the wrong end the stick and suppose it has something to do with the stupefying weakness and form of dreaming that is belief, which has *fcuk_nothing* to do with belief- faith being subtle psychological skill that has *absolutely_ nothing* to do with belief(but you see any fool can believe) water runs downhill and electricity to earth, or as it says in smother other work of art( Aeniad )puts it: "Aeneas was praying and holding on the altar when the prophetess started to speak: “Blood relation of Gods,noble Trojan, son of Anchis, the way down to Avernus is easy. Day and night black Pluto’s door stands open. But to retrace your steps and get back to upper air, this is the real task and the real undertaking.”

​@JA-ru3il you clearly have suspended all of your God given intelligence and common sense just to BELIEVE. But more power to you.

@@Phill_TheDeal So don't use your brain - just believe what the priest tells you to believe.

@@saltydog584 What? you may be confused sir. I'm not on the side of some fictional man-god-father complex and the suffering of us supposed only son for the sins of a bunch of A-hole humans who would not appreciate it anyways.

Great take! If Jesus knew about his imminent death and resurrection, he would've rejoiced. This however isn't at all how it plays out in our oldest Gospel Mark. The man if anything seems to be very very shocked!

If you think "My god my god why have u forsaken me" as legit, He was quoting Psalms 22. Which again highlights Messianic verses, making him prophetic.

@@nob1130 This doesn't sound Messianic to me at all. If anything these verses by David are exactly what depression and despair looks like.

I do wonder how he reacted to his arrest and if he tried to reverse the sentence.

@@nob1130 Ehrman talks about this specific verse in this video. He points out that there is nothing in Psalms to indicate that the person who suffered is the messiah. That was another post hoc rationalization by Christians. It is hardly surprising (much less an example of fulfilling prophecy) that a teacher raised in and preaching his version of the old testament (the historical Jesus) would quote a poem about suffering and feeling forsaken by God from the old testament as he was dying and suffering on the cross.

God is Nature. Your understanding, judging by the opinions that you express every week, seem to be quite limited to your supposed disbelief in God. It is a tiny little bubble.

So, if god is everything (nature), how’s that remotely helpful for a discussion? If god is everything, then isn’t god nothing? Doesn’t that make me god? I’m certain you’d reject that last notion. And good job not engaging with the man’s argument. If you’ve read Plato, it might’ve stood out to you as a fair point.

@@sirrevzalot The op stated that the God he continually professes not believe in is supposed to be able to _do whatever he likes with no restrictions._ The argument against his own assertion is that the God he does not believe in chose to do something contrary to what he thinks would be necessary. Someone's personal incredulity cannot be argued against because there is literally nothing to it.

It's not generally believed that God can do whatever he wants: God can't lie, cheat, be unjust, and so on. Ironically, this makes man capable of many things impossible for God.

What yardstick are you using to arrive at your conclusions?

Probably meth for you lmfao

Best solution is to avoid the "entrance."

If you are interested in the 'exit' you may want to read up on the the gnostics!

This adoration of death, torture and martyrdom must be a psychiatric pathology. I believe Jesus would be horrified to see that people are worshipping his tortured corpse instead of his message. Entering Carholic churches should be R Rated! But they prefer to shame women's bodies - their mother's bodies.

Hence the pleasure in this podcast - as a human endeavor of incredible reach and influence, religion requires understanding if we are to understand humans. I have learned so much from Dr. Ehrman's writings and this great podcast that goes beyond early Christian scholarship!

Not imminent. But future. Actually 2,000 years into the future. The Revelation is about happenings in the last century up to now. And a bit more in the days ahead.

For some reason I am thinking of the concept of the whipping boy. Allegedly, the growing prince could not be struck with a rod or whip. So when he gave an incorrect answer or misbehaved in class another designated schoolboy would be beaten in his place. If the prince got to feel badly about the suffering the whipping boy endured for him, that was a good sign. If the prince was unmoved it was a bad sign for his kingdom, because they would be next.

@@ninatrabona4629 Atonement theory postulates a God whose love is highly conditional. "Because you were sinful (or WORSE, a long ago *ancestor* was sinful, (they actually came up with that) there must be a price exacted to set thing right. Moreover I will incarnate myself as my own son to receive this punishment but the religion will claim this barbarity came from me and worse, if peope don't straighten up and/or don't accept that this incarnation is the savior, then i will send them to everlasting torment? ???????? In what Universe does this even begin to make sense? I can't get into it now but conventional (not mystical) Christianity has no, zero, zip idea of what God is and who Jesus was. One clue. God is not a person or entity in an anthropomorphic way with human emotions or desires. What God is, is way beyond that and this theology bears no relationship to God.

Correct!

Although His followers needed to explain His death, it did not need to be that particular explanation.

@@brothermine2292 Agree., They had to come up with some narrative to fit the dogma. Now they can just use ChatGPT to do it. Easy peasy.

Sacrifices are not made for God. They are a fine on men for doing sinful things. That is why you had to give up the best of your flock, etc. So that sin costs you something.

What's easy to see is this is what Christianity is, while it is not what Judaism is.

@@onejohn2.26. A fine paid to whom, though? To God.

@@howardvenze9956 AFAIK, YWH isn't a tri-omni god, so Judaism doesn't have this contradiction.

@@BrianHartman God did not reap anything from the fine. The point was to cost you something for committing sin so that hopefully you would sin no longer.

Because the repentant are forgiven, His atoning sacrifice could serve only the unrepentant.

God created a perfct "good" world and gave his creation FREE WILL. God foresaw where THAT would go and it went the way of the world we see today: FALLEN. So He provided a solution before the *foundation of the world* was laid. 1 Peter 1:19-20, Revelation 13:8. Jesus had to experience such suffering to KNOW the full of spectrum of EVIL. He endured the agonies of the flesh and a slow death to be Resurrected into ETERNAL Life in JOY... Being in Essence GOD He could do that: as our (((Glorious God))) in ACTION He's the Incredible *Love of God* displayed and Fulfilled.

He didn't create this situation for us, we did. Our mother and father Adam and Eve were tricked into biting into the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil and they were kicked out of the Garden of Eden because of their iniquity. Think of Adam and Eve like being born into wealthy and powerful families in a gated neighborhood with all they could ever want or need- one day Adam and Eve decide to start doing drugs and this cannot be allowed in the gated community so they are kicked out into the slums where the coup starters were banished to. God, like a loving father wants us back but we have to prove we are done with drugs and ready to come back to him to live a sober life with him again.

Did Mark’s Gethsemane scene really happen? James Boswell Recently I sent a question to eminent New Testament scholar Bart Ehrman [see link below]. My question: “After stating that Jesus several times predicted for himself a God-willed death, how could the author of Mark have written a Gethsemane scene in which Jesus expressed strong qualms about fulfilling God’s will unless the scene reflects an event that actually happened?” Ehrman responded by stating his firmly held conviction that Jesus never predicted or expected his death, and for that reason Mark’s Gethsemane scene must be a creation of the gospel’s author that cannot be historical, even though it portrays a Jesus who, Ehrman says, “was in deep despair, did not want to die, and could not understand why” he had to die. “I don’t think that indicates that it really happened,” Ehrman insists. “I mean the prayer of Jesus in Gethsemane. We are told explicitly that Jesus took Peter, James, and John and left the other disciples behind, and then he left Peter, James, and John and went off by himself and prayed privately. And right after that, he was arrested, they fled, and he was crucified. So where would Mark get the information about what Jesus prayed? There was nobody there! And so I don’t think that’s an indication of historicity.” In response, I must wonder why Ehrman insists that Jesus prayed privately. Mark 14:35-42 clearly states that Jesus asked Peter, James, and John to sit nearby, and then repeatedly urged them to keep watch with him while he prayed. And where does Ehrman find support for his claim that Jesus “could not understand why he must die”? Jesus’ repeated words indicate only that he did not want to die and was asking whether his heavenly “Abba” could possibly find a way to fulfill his will without requiring Jesus’ death (14:36). In that difficult hour, Jesus’ anguished admission that his and his Father’s will were not in complete accord is itself a convincing indication that Mark’s Gethsemane scene really did take place, for it proved troubling to later Christian thinking. And instead of “not understanding” the reason for his death, in Mark 10:45 and 14:24 Jesus foresaw the “many” for whose sake he ultimately yielded to his Abba’s self-denying love. (Note too the “many” in Isaiah 53:11-12.) Startling as it is, Mark’s Gethsemane scene likely rests on historical bedrock. It happened. Link: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/eKx-iJh_yr3XfZ8.html. The question appears at minute 46:14. See also Dale C. Allison: “The standard argument … that the disciples could not have heard or observed anything because they were asleep has always struck me as indecisive, even lame… If Jesus and a few disciples really went to Gethsemane, did all but Jesus irresistibly fall into slumber the second they entered the place?” …[Moreover] “the ancients typically prayed not silently but rather out loud.” (Constructing Jesus, 2010, p. 427). Boswell is a retired Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) pastor living in Normal, IL.

How are those irrational/illogical?

@@tookie36 1. Original sin - look at any infant. 2. Trinity - Join kindergarten. 3. Redemption and atonement - Go to any Judicial Court.

@@HHasan-of2vi original sin doesn’t say we are “bad” but instead says we are born in a fallen state. All of creation needed salvation. Not just babies but the trees, the planets, etc. creation itself Trinity. In order to be love there is a lover, a loved, and a love that is shared. Triune god. Redemption/atonement goes back to original sin. Creation is in a fallen state and needs to be redeemed. Plenty of other reasons not to be a Christian but these aren’t great examples

@@tookie36 Explanation of those term is more illogical.

And for those of us watching, the video jumping is annoying and distracting. This started a couple episodes ago, apparently deliberately for some reason.

Reverse engineering from the Christian view, this shouldn’t surprise Christians - the whole point was that the Jews weren’t expecting this kind of ‘messiah’ - so as to reject him and put him to death, thus being the atonement as per Isaiah 53…God has blinded the Jews…As it is written: *Isaiah 6:8-10* Also I (Isaiah) heard the voice of the LORD, saying: “Whom shall I send,
And who will go for Us?” Then I said, “Here am I! Send me.” And He said, “Go, and *tell this people* : *‘Keep on hearing, but do not understand;
Keep on seeing, but do not perceive.’* *“Make the heart of this people dull,
And their ears heavy,
And shut their eyes;
Lest they see with their eyes,
And hear with their ears,
And understand with their heart,
And return and be healed.”* Do you see? it was in God’s plan that the messiah be put to death, as it is written: *Zechariah 13:7* “Awake, O sword, against My Shepherd, Against the Man who is My Companion,” Says the Lord of hosts. “Strike the Shepherd, And the sheep will be scattered” Written in the Jewish scriptures.. hundreds of years prior to Christ; it was foretold 🙏🏾

​@@ScottyyyB96 If you have free time watch Blogging theology chanel video section please,there you will find some very good academic discussions. Thanks

Yes Jesus did not fit the descriptioon so they did not accept him as such, which PO'd Christianity for thoudsands of years. (Still does.)

​@@ScottyyyB96I don't want to be that guy but.. have you actually read what Isiah says next after 7:14? You are a special one if you've done so. I would've liked to debate with you the "prophecy" regarding Jesus based on the verses you've provided but I'm not inclined to given that Isiah 7:14 is clearly mistranslated to fit the biblical narrative and doesn't even fight with its own narrative. TL:DR The prophecy in Isiah that started all of this wasn't even about Jesus.

Ehhhhh second temple Judaism was crazy diverse. Those Jews that considered Enoch , Ezra canon very much believed in a 2 power in heaven and the son of man being this second power. So it depends

Too much small talk , her kids , blah blah. Cut to the subject please .

Based on a talkin snake, a nude woman , a piece of fruit and a dumb man made of mud named Adam . Without this odd story , there was no need for a savor . No christianity.

I disagree. It’s not overwhelming, and it’s a healthy way to start

Normally I would agree and resent the "waste' of my time but with these two I make an exception.

Just skip this segment, it's not a live video. There are people who like this talk and there are people who don't, for those who don't, just skip a few minutes forward, problem solved.

Well , well ,uhh but. he. . god😂😂

I think the first amendment needs to be amended. No one gets to say anymore- I speak FOR god and god wants you to know I am his mouthpiece. So many cult leaders would be stopped in their tracks.

@marymagnuson5191 Doesn’t it show how wicked humans are? That they cant follow simple instructions?

How do we deal with a "mistaken" Jesus? James Boswell Biblically, I am opposed neither to “liberal” nor to “conservative” scholarship. I am opposed only to Bible scholarship that is “shallow,” whether it be considered liberal or conservative. For that reason, I must regard as shallow any biblical scholarship which refuses to admit that Jesus, John the Baptist, the Apostle Paul, and all the authors of the New Testament were expecting the end of the world to arrive within the lifetime of their own generation. Although that did not happen, the scriptural evidence that they were expecting exactly that is overwhelmingly irrefutable, as follows: Evidence for John the Baptist believing that: Luke 3:7,9,16-17. For Jesus: Mark 1:19; 9:1; 13:18,24-27,30; 14:62; Luke 11:50-51. For Paul: 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17; 1 Corinthians 7:29-31; 15:51-52; Romans 13:11. For other New Testament authors: Hebrews 10:37; James 5:8; 1 Peter 4:7,17; Revelation 1:1-3. Recently, some former Bible literalists have begun publishing internet videos wherein they reveal how they came to lose their fundamentalist faith when they realized they could no longer honestly deny scriptural evidence as convincing as that cited above. Compelled to agree with most credible “historical Jesus” scholars that even Jesus had unfulfilled end-of-time expectations, they lost and renounced their faith in him. That is regrettable, for although Jesus himself acknowledged human limitations to his authority, his status, and his knowledge (Mark 10:40; 10:18: 13:32), he reluctantly but obediently came to believe that his Father’s all-encompassing kindness would be made possible only through Jesus’ God-willed death (Mark 14:36; 10:45 and 14:24; see Isaiah 53:11-12). So seen, the limitations in Jesus’ expectations are of negligible importance compared to his amazing inclusivity - for he went to his death believing that everyone on earth, including even those who were about to send him to a Roman cross, would soon be given abundant reasons for rejoicing when it was revealed to all the world that Jesus had become God’s redeeming gift of forgiving love intended for absolutely everyone. As Jesus himself assured the opposing Temple authorities, they - even they! - would see him “sitting at the right hand of Power and coming with the clouds of heaven” to bring God’s wonderful Kingdom to all the earth - thus fulfilling Daniel chapters 2 and 7 and Isaiah 53. That did not happen in their lifetimes, nor has it happened since. Even so, if honest scholarship can deepen our appreciation for this all-inclusive Jesus, any struggles enabling such appreciation should be more than welcome. Boswell is a retired pastor of The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) now living in Normal.

My opinion. Not everyone believes in one God. Different groups believe in other Gods, is there a problem with that I can't say, people believe in something when they don't know it. What ever works for them. 1 Corinthians 2 1-8 . They didn't know who Jesus was if they would have KNOWN we would have never Crucified him that's something to think about.😮

Well the thing is the Pharisees were not popular according to Josephus . The Roman’s were hated. We know Judaism at that time was diverse. We know Jesus entry was an event. We also know the Pharisees wanted him arrested but never could “for fear of the crowd.” If Jesus wasn’t popular I don’t think Pilote would have seen him. He most likely heard of this preacher who came in on a donkey with many calling him king. He also started a riot in the temple and the Pharisees had to arrest him at night. So Jesus was probably very popular. Reason (if we take the resurrection story out of it) his followers refused to let him die and why Christianity grew so fast. We know Josephus says Jesus, John the Baptist and James were good men . We also know after James was killed many of those in Jerusalem were angry. Meaning the Jerusalem church had grown to be maybe majority . So I think Jesus was far more popular than the Bible tries to say among the Jewish people. Sadly most perished in the Jewish Roman war.

Every story needs a Badguy, Star Wars and Christianity would have a meaningless boring story without one

That was certainly the view expressed in the Gospel of Judas. Of course, it is an intellectually lazy and ridiculously flawed interpretation.

@@John.Flower.Productions Maybe the Nature of Reality doesn't need an antagonist to operate, maybe Selective Pressures are good enough. Seems human centric/man made to need a cosmic antagonist

In our modern system of justice, intention matters too, not just the result.

Is there a useful purpose for that particular command?