Re: Deny The Curcifixion Of Christ -- The Blind Leading the Blind Discussion Board

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Date Posted: 18:20:50 04/14/01 Sat
Author: Mamusz
Subject:

Re: Deny The Curcifixion Of Christ
In reply to: Mamusz 's message, "Deny The Curcifixion Of Christ" on 20:17:01 04/13/01 Fri

>On the COC board, as well as the theology-l that I'm
>on, there are people that while believing that Jesus
>Christ WAS crucified on the cross, His death was no
>different than anybody else that was crucified. What
>they are saying is that Jesus DID NOT die for US.
>Many people in the COC believe that Jesus' death meant
>nothing. It's what He did, and taught while He was
>alive that counts.
>
>I'll rephrase this scripture, with your permission.
>
>[1 Cor 15:19] If in this life only we have hope in
>Christ, we are of all men most miserable.
>
>
>Since we fail to see the divinity of Christ, and since
>we say that His death on the cross was of no special
>significance, and since we teach that while He was on
>earth His teachings were the only important thing, we
>are therefore of men most miserable.
>
>Mamusz

RESURRECTION STILL SUBJECT OF DEBATE

GEORGE R, PLAGENZ
FOR THE SAGINAW NEWS

Choirs and congregations throughout the world will sing out on Easter with "Christ the Lord is risen today. Hallelujah!" The voice from the chancel, where the clergyman or woman sits, may not be quite so rousing. The reason is that many contemporary preachers do not believe in the physical resurrection of Jesus. One Catholic seminary instructor says he doesn't know of "any credible Bible scholar who believes that Jesus rose bodily from the grave."

Because most ministers learn their theology, in the seminaries in which, these scholars teach, it is easy to see why so few ministers, at least in the liberal denominations believe that Jesus rose from the dead physically.

Episcopal bishop John Shelby Spong, in his book "Resurrection: Myth or Reality?" (Harper, 1995), decides in favor of myth.

His scenario of the resurrection goes like this: Months after the crucifixion a revelation came to Peter that Jesus wasn't really dead, that "everything he stood for was very much alive."

Jesus' resurrection was thus a "spiritual resurrection" in which there was no body, just a "body of truth" in story form. In Spong's view, this spiritual resurrection took on form and shape in the legends that grew up later of the empty tomb and angels rolling away the stone, and in the post-resurrection appearances of Jesus.

While surveys show that the majority of modern Bible scholars do not believe in the physical resurrection. The devout in the pews appear to be ignoring the scholars. In increasing numbers, we are turning our backs on the wisdom of the world and the worldly wise. Despairing of the world, we tell our modern poets, "Speak to us of heaven and angels and miracles and the power of prayer." This has resulted in a proliferation of religious book titles and in high ratings for TV programs such as "Touched by an Angel."
At the same time, there are some modern clergy who don't cross their fingers behind backs when they tell the Easter story.

One is the Rev. Fleming Rutledge, an Episcopal rector in Port Clinton, N.Y. "It is hard," he observes, "to find a robust belief in the Resurrection nowadays in the mainline churches. We hear from the pulpit about 'a new season, new growth, new life.' We hear words like 'renewal, revival and rebirth' - but not Resurrection.

"Seriously now," he asks, "would today's Easter sermons inspire you to come back to church the next Sunday? Put yourself in the place of the women who went to the tomb on Easter morning. Maybe the flowers were blooming and the birds were singing as the women walked along. Do you think they took comfort from that?

"The women and the apostles did not start believing in the Resurrection because they saw green grass coming up. Something more than that had to have happened. What happened is that Jesus himself appeared, and he was alive."

If this is not the message people are hearing on Easter, that may be why the crowds in church on Easter dwindle to a precious few the following Sunday.

Easter, says Rutledge is not a day of innocuous sentiments about crocuses in bloom and springtime in the heart. It is a day of Resurrection - a true story punctuated by organ fanfare and loud trumpet blasts.

If this word ever gets out, we may no longer have empty seats in church the Sunday after Easter. We may have to put up extra chairs.

George R. Plagenz writes a religious column for the Newspaper Enterprise Association.

Now, I would like to contrast this with what Sydney Dawbarn preached in one of his sermons, entitled,

HAVING EYES, THEY SEE NOT

First, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of the Living God, the Savior of the world.

I believe that whilst on earth, He built His one and only church as the vehicle through which mankind could find salvation in God's Kingdom by obedience to gospel laws and ordinances.

I believe that the Church, His bride, through unfaithfulness went into apostasy.

I believe that because of God's love and compassion for His children after years of spiritual darkness, it was God not man who took the initiative in bringing about the Restoration of the church in these the latter days.

I believe that Joseph smith's account of his experience with Deity in Palmyra's grove is true and that he was indeed a prophet of the Most High God.

I believe the Book of Mormon is true.

I believe that the City of Zion wherein shall dwell righteousness, will eventually be built in a way and manner designed by God.

I believe our Lord shall return as He promised and that the faithful saints of all ages will be gathered together to dwell in peace on earth for a period of a thousand years after which time comes the judgment when all shall be rewarded or punished according to the deeds done in the flesh.

Paul said, "I count all things but loss but for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus, my Lord." And loss it would be for those who were once enlightened and then fell away for God hath made it impossible for them to be renewed again unto repentance seeing that they crucify unto themselves the Son of God afresh and put Him to an open shame.

I Corinthians says, "For God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to
confound the wise and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty." In the preface of the Doctrine and Covenants, the word of the Lord to His servant the Prophet Joseph Smith said, "The weak things of the earth shall come forth and break down the mighty and strong that the fullness of the gospel might be proclaimed by the weak and the simple unto the ends of the world and before kings and rulers."

And then Sydney Dawbarn ends his sermon in his classic way. He says:

AMEN AND AMEN

Sydney, God bless you! You are a true child of the King!

Mamusz

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