Yahoo Posts

Yahoo Post 1
1. Contrary to most belief, religion does not necessarily mean tohave a relationship with God. Some religions are atheistic andbelieve in only a higher state of conciousness for example. The rootof religion means to bind, but bind to what? The best way tounderstand it would be to bind with the sense of the sacred. ForChristians, the sacred is God. Paul Tillich defined religion asone's ultimate concern. Not to be misinterpreted as concern withhobbies or special interests, but as a sense of ultimate meaning orpersonal transformation.One of the most popular definitions of religion comes from NinianSmart who said that religion is an "organism with seven dimensions."These seven characteristics are what make up a religion: Myth,Rituals, Experiences, Doctrine, Ethics, Social Aspect, and MaterialForms.
2. The study of religions includes the following: Theology,religious studies, phenomenology, sociology of religion, psychologyof religion, history of religion, and anthropology of religion.Smart's 3 approaches to study religion: Antipathy(negative view ofreligion), Sympathy(positive yet biased view of religion, Empathy(neutral view of religion).Berger's 3 approaches to study religion: Reduction(reduce religionto its social origins), Deduction(similar to Smart's sympathyapproach), Induction(takes the religious experience of the believerseriously).
3. Studying religion can create more tolerant individuals andsocieties. It can also tear down social barriers. Understanding thereason why someone performs his/her religious ritual can help to bemore accepting and tolerant or the religion and the culture. Ithelps to know the customs of different religions in order not tooffend. By studying religion, one can become more informed about thedifferences that we have with each other.
4. There are several explanations as to why religion exists:Biological(religion is a survival mechanism), Theological(religioncomes from God), Anthropological(comes from thought process ofprimal humans), Psychological(comes from unconcious mind),Sociological(social origins), Egotistical(concious formation togarner praise or income for creator). Some conclude that religionis a way to achieve fame and fortune.
5. Nietzsche said "God is dead" in the 19th century. He believedthat without a god, humans would stare reality in the face and haveto accept that there is no ultimate meaning to human existence. Butthe idea of God has proved its resilience over time. The idea ofGod seems to be eternal embedded into mankind. The idea of God seemsto evolve over time, so as people become aware of more religiousideas, their idea of God eventually conforms to their new beliefs.With this, there is a constant change in the idea of God, butnevertheless God is still in the picture.
6. Memes play a significant role in the survival of religions.If a religious idea, a meme, is simple and easy to comprehend, it ismost likely going to be adopted by people. The more complicated thememes of a particular religion, the less the population of thatreligion is and the more likelihood that it will eventually dieout.
7. I believe it is true that when a mystic reveals that he hasdiscovered the truth, there is no way to really know that what theyare claiming is ultimately true. We are only getting a second-handaccount of what someone else experienced. How can we dedicate awhole religion on the account of one person who is merely describingan experience that he personally had? Socrates probably did it bestin claiming that ignorance is the only truth.

Yahoo Post 2
My three favorite gurus from The Enchanted Land would have to beRamana Maharshi, Sawan Singh, and Paramhansa Yogananda.
Ramana Maharshi speaks about there being only one conciousness and we perceive this world because we are aware of it. The materialworld is an aspect of conciousness. He also stated that the placewhere the world and the ego appear to be real is True Awareness, theTrue Self of Man. There is only one conciousness that we use to seethe world with, and because it is projected through a body, wemistakenly believe that we are separate from Conciousness. Myfavorite quote from him is "Sometimes your teeth sudddenly bite yourown tongue. Do you knock them out in consequence?" I like this quotebecause it shows how much understanding he had of the world. Even atthe time of his death he was telling people that he could not die,he would always be there. He was very genuine in his concern withpeople as well as animals.
Sawan Singh uses an insightful metaphor about conciousness and our place in it. We are the ripple in the infinite ocean ofconciousness that has become aware of itself. This ripple then feelsseparate, isolated, and set apart from infinity. To be a truemaster, according to Singh, one must identify with its prior onenessto the infinite ocean and manifests this realization in one'severyday life. Singh achieved Sach Khand by doing three things:coming into contact with an authentic master, following theteachings of the teacher, and realizing experientially that his realSelf is not body nor mind but a wave of conciousness. I believe thatthe metaphor with the ocean is a great way to visualize what I alsobelieve to be true about our world. We all seem to be littleconciousness machines that are aware of a world, but have some howforgotten that they are part of a bigger machine that operatesthroughout eternity.
Parasham Yogananda was "God-mad" in his teens. His spirtiual guru was Sri Yukteswar. With his new guru, Yogananda became a master ofKriya Yoga. In learning Kriya Yoga, Yogananda was able to master the breath and open the ajna chakra which is the "third eye". In his meeting with the ambiguous Avatar Babaji, who has supposedly retained his physical form for centuries, he was told to go to America. Hedid so and in 1920 began teaching Kriya Yoga in America. For 30years after Yogananda spread the teachings of Kriya Yoga inAmerica. I think that a man who is willing to drop everything and make a drastic move, such as a move across the world, because adivine messagae has revealed the need for it is a man who is very intune with his own beliefs. Some people who shun a divine message asa figment of their imagination don't know what is like to totallytrust their own instincts. Yogananda had much trust in his divine inspiration which is inspiring to people like me.When practicing surat shabd yoga, one must not let thoughts intrudeand disrupt concentration. Repeating some sort of mantra helps tokeep the mind focused. When one has to become unaware of theiroutside body in order to hear the Sound Current. First, one has to listen for only the sound of a church bell and fix one's attentionon the biggest star. As the journey continues, one encounters theForm of the Master. The Form helps guide one through higherstages. Finally, the highest point in the journey would bereuniting with The Supreme. A drop of water returning to the ocean.I believe that prolonged meditation will take you on a journey, butit may be different for different people. But I have no doubt insaying that I believe some people do experience meditation in thisway. It may simply be a different road to get to the same place.

Yahoo Post 3
According to Smith, Hindus say that people want four things out oflife: pleasure, worldly success, duty, to be free from everythingthat keeps us from being infinitely happy and aware.First, Hindus believe that pleasure helps us to function in theworld when paired with pain. It helps us to stay away from thingsthat are painful and cling to those things that bring pleasure.Hindus do not make pleasure a top priority, but they also do notlook down upon it. There is nothing wrong with it because it iswhat everyone wants. As long as one seeks pleasure in a morallyconscious way, it is completely acceptable. But as time goes on,one begins to realize that pleasure will never completely satisfyone's desires and that there must be something beyond pleasure thatis worth wanting.The second thing is worldly success. This becomes the new goalbecause it helps to build our social status in the world. Hindusbelieve that this is a legitimate goal because it does help tostrengthen self-respect and dignity, but in the end it does notcompletely satisfy us either for a few reasons. Wealth, fame, andpower in this world are what everyone wants, which means that therewill be endless competition to get to the top. Also, worldlysuccess can never be satisfied for the person who places it at theheight of his/her list. It may be what we want for a while, but itis not our ultimate goal. Therefore, you can never get enough itand it will be an endless cycle if one allows it.The third thing humans want is duty. This is the will to giveand to serve. Being a person of service to one's community bringsrespect and gratitude from others and self-respect for doing one'sshare. But like pleasure and success, it is also not a lastingreward.The final and most substantial want of humans is to be free fromeverything that keeps us from being infinitely happy and aware.Hindus believe that this crucial want of humans is already imbeddedwithin us. We are connected to this infinite source of bliss at alltimes but it is not apparent to us because we are drowned bydistractions from the world.There are many paths to God according to Hindus. Knowledge, notfactual information but intuitive knowledge, is one way to God.Another way is through love, which is the strongest emotion. Lovefor God means to love a separate entity rather than the God withinus. To love God is to love without a hope for a return of thislove. It is pure and authentic love. Work is another way to God.Performing service, not for oneself but for God, is a way to connectwith God. Psychophysical exercises, such as raja yoga, can help oneconnect with the divine. Raja yoga uses introversion to help onerealize one's true infinite self. Deep meditation is the path torealizing this.Hindus hold the belief that there are many paths to God and theyare not exclusive of other paths. One can reach God by puredevotion to the path they have chosen, as long as it is genuine.

Yahoo Post 5
Jainism seems to be quite a complex religion to follow. For one thing, Jains believe in a strict karma system. There are nine steps total that explain the process of karmas for any human being. Basically as one starts to commit evil deeds, one accumulates negative karma particles to one’s soul. These karmas can be eradicated in numerous ways but the ultimate goal is to be liberated from all karmatic particles and be an enlightened soul.

When one is reincarnated, there are four levels that one may come back to. The last being a suffering soul that has innumerable karma particles attached to his/her soul. As you go up from that you get to the animal level. Then you get to heavenly beings and finally human beings. Humans are the highest level before reaching enlightenment.

People making Maha Vrat vows have very strict conduct rules. Non-violence, non-stealing, celibacy, and non-possessiveness are observed. Those who wish to commit to these vows usually become monks or nuns. But there are also less strict vows that may be taken for people who are considered house-holders.

Jains renounce that there was a God who created the entire universe. But they do believe in a God. To be more specific, Jains believe in multiple Gods who are the people who have liberated themselves from all karma. Thus, the number of Jain Gods will continue to grow until all have reached the enlightened state.
The article on vegetarianism may very well coincide with the teachings of Jainism. The article seemed somewhat radical in its delivery. It may be the fact that is was an emotional essay, but it did seem a little more strict than usual. Jainism seems to be the right fit with this point of view in the sense that there are very deep beliefs in the topic as to create a complex path to acting on that belief.

Yahoo Post 7
Buddhism began with one man named Siddhartha. He was born into the Gautama family and enjoyed a luxurious life for almost thirty years. His father ruled a kingdom in India at the time. Siddhartha was married at sixteen and had a child with his wife, Yasohara. But one day, Siddhartha witnessed for the first time in his life four things: an old man, a diseased man, a corpse, and a monk. Siddhartha learned from the monk the path that renounces the world. With this new discovery he left his wife and child, gave up his royalty, shaved his head, and went on a search for enlightenment.

Siddhartha, while on his path to enlightenment, discovered the Middle Way between indulgence and simplicity. In the final stage before his enlightenment, he devoted his time to thoughtful concentration and finally chose to sit under a tree until he had reached enlightenment. Mara, the Evil One, tried incessantly to tempt Siddhartha and lead him astray. But Siddhartha persevered and reached enlightenment. Mara tried one last time to tempt Buddha (who was Siddhartha but now enlightened) into staying in nirvana. But Buddha chose to show the people that there is more beyond the world they lived in.

Buddha revealed the Four Truths: Life normally lived is not the ultimate goal, desire for self pursuits is what causes suffering, that suffering can be overcome if desire is restrained, and the way to achieve this is through the Eightfold Path. The Eightfold Path is Buddha’s prescription for self healing. It includes the following: Right knowledge, right aspiration, right speech, right behavior, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right absorption. Following this path will lead to enlightenment.

Nirvana is said to be life’s goal by Buddha. When we break the boundaries of our material selves, we have reached Nirvana. Nirvana is a blissful state of being and is not to be mistaken for God. Buddha believed that reincarnation was real but that our spirit is more like a wave than a spiritual ball. Like the very religion that Buddha rebelled against, Hinduism also believes in reincarnation. They only had differing views on the process of reincarnation.

Hinduism did not necessarily defeat Buddhism so much as it just merged with it. Hinduism came to a point where it agreed with many of the Buddhist teachings and even changed their views on certain things because of it. In the end, the two became so similar that it was unnecessary to distinguish them as separate.

Yahoo Post 8
Confucius pondered on what could bring peace to the people of his day and then became obsessed with tradition. He believed that tradition’s power to civilize people was the key to take people back to their previous happier state when the Chou Dynasty began. What he found was that tradition at that earlier time was handed down to each new generation through family. But it was very natural to do this and most people were unaware that they did it. So his cure for the social disharmony of his time was conscious tradition. He believed that this would give his fellow people a chance to determine the morals that constitute their tradition. By religiously memorizing moral values on a day-to-day basis, there could be a tremendous social shift towards virtuosity.

The word Jen is the word for the ideal relationship between people. The ideal relationship would be one in which both can understand that all people are like family. The next ideal is the chun tzu which is the what is needed in a relationship. This can be referred to as a mature person. This person has already reached an eased perspective on things and is now ready to help other people with their own issues. Such a caring person is what is needed to create a strong foundation for a civilization. The third ideal is li, which means two things: the way things should be done and respect for age. In this he stressed the importance of social relationships and family. Respect for elders gives elders the sense to duty to share wisdom they have obtained. The next ideal is te which is the power by which people are controlled. It also stated the importance of moral example. The final ideal is wen is the art of peace.

The Confucian Project took place in the social world. He stated that the self is a center surrounded by vast connection of relationships. He felt that peace in solitude would not suffice to social peace. People are in a constant flow of social relationships. A good relationship is one where both parties create the perfect complement to create harmony. As one succeeds in creating positive relationships, the person becomes less selfish and is more concerned with all of humanity.

The word Tao has three meanings: way of ultimate reality, way of the universe, and way of human life. Philosophical Taoism is one school of Tao out of three. It focuses on conserving their te and to find the knowledge that will give them strength. Vitalizing Taoists try to harness this vital energy through matter, movement, and their minds. Religious Taoism became a church in the second century A.D. They incorporated teachings Lao Tzu and other healers and psychics.

In Philosophical Taoism, there is the idea of creative quietude. It combines extreme states of relaxation and work. Work is the skill of one’s trade to be performed with ease and relaxed efficiency. Water was very impressive to Taoists and it became a metaphor for the Taoist way of life. As water is strong enough to shape the earth, yet calm enough to lay without a ripple, so is the way of life for the Taoist.

Taoists rejected self-assertiveness and competition. They felt that people who seek to be self-boasting are not of the Taoist Way. Only people with large egos become hurt by petty occurrences. Taoism is also naturalistic. With its deep-seated views on the preservation of the land, its infatuation with nature is somewhat romantic. Much art was to come from the influence of Taoism because of this naturalistic perspective. Taoists are also aware of the identity of opposites. For example there are bad/good, large/minute, loud/quiet. Although they are opposite, they each contain a little bit of their opposite deep within both of them.

The first thing that comes to mind when I contrast these two Chinese religions is the Taoist perspective of opposites. Confucius teaches the importance of social responsibility and Taoism teaches the importance of humility and a rejection of self-assertiveness. One could argue that ultimately, both religions will remain intact because they both complement each other. In Confucianism, relationships are stressed as very important and rightly so. We do live a social world. We are replete with relationships and should strive to strengthen them as much as possible. It could be our only hope for world peace. But there is also the internal world that we live in as well. If one wins the internal battle, one is ready to accommodate oneself to the social melting pot that we are all a part of. These two ways of living are a great guideline if used jointly.

Yahoo post 9
We are so inclined to thinking that Western religions are the complete opposite of Eastern religions. In many ways, they are different and do seem like the ying and yang of Taoism. But there are also many aspects of both sides that seem to flow parallel with each other. For one thing, both strive to achieve a heightened state of awareness that sheds the any idea of a self. The self, in Buddhism and Gnosticism, is the barrier that keeps us from realizing our true connection to the highest realm of consciousness. By transcending the ego, one attains the awareness that we are not separate from the all encompassing infinite God or life force. Also, as in Hinduism, Gnosticism contends that attraction to worldly pleasures only hinders our awareness of this true reality. These worldly pleasures are like magnets that attract one to the physical world and are ultimately not the reality of the way things truly are. In order to keep one from indulging in the pleasures of the material world, stringent morals are practiced. This is true of Gnosticism and Hinduism as well as many others. There are different guidelines for each but the use of morals is evident in both.

Gnosticism is probably most like Hinduism in their description of the journey of the human soul. Both posit a journey where one must transcend the entrapment that is the material world so that one may realize the true relationship between the human soul and the Divine. The human soul is something of a creature in comparison to the Divine that is exact in every way to the Divine except in its infinite size. The goal is to realize that we are indistinguishable from the Divine and connect ourselves back with it. There is also the idea of the saint and the Sant. Both mean the same thing but one is from Western religion and the other from Eastern religion, respectively. Both are the ones who come into the world to purify humans and deliver them once again to the path that leads to the Divine. They are known for their relinquishment of selfish desires and their devotion to helping others attain their own enlightenment. In Gnosticism and Hinduism, these enlightened souls reincarnate time and time again to help guide humans down the Divine path. It is a continuous process towards ultimate salvation for all. Devotion is also a parallel between these two religions. Devotion to the Divine is important not just for the high castes but also for all who choose to devote themselves entirely to the pursuit of God-realization. Every devotee must follow moral guidelines, not just the high castes. This includes living a non-violent, non-indulgent, and meat-free life. Again, there are some differences in the exact process by which the morals are practiced, but these guidelines are still evident. Reincarnation is also evident in both Gnosticism and Hinduism. Both believe that one will be reborn into this world until one has cleansed oneself of sin or karma and has become an enlightened soul.

Yahoo post 10
Muhammad was born in a time of great turmoil. The political climate was harsh because the people of Mecca had such opposing beliefs as to lead to continuous arguments and feuds. The law enforcement had also lost its hold on the people and contributed to the deterioration of Mecca. It was time for someone to help lift the people from their destruction. Muhammad was born in the sixth century A.D. and was raised by his uncle for his parents had passed when he was young. As Muhammad grew, he became more and more distressed over the shadow that was casting itself over Mecca. So he began to look within himself for a solution.

He married an older widow named Khadija when reaching a mature age. She ultimately became his first convert. For the next fifteen years after, he sought solitude to reach for God. One night he became enlightened to the truth of Allah and chose to dedicate his life to proclaiming this message. Allah told Muhammad “there is no God but God.” This was responded to with violence in his community and was considered blasphemous. There were three many reasons why this occurred: it opposed their belief in polytheism, it was a financial detriment to Mecca, and it imposed strict morals that were not practiced by the people at the time. Meccan leaders first started its opposition by scoffing at it and lead to the eventual persecution of Muhammad. At the same time, the city of Yathrib had become well acquainted with Muhammad’s teachings. They asked him to exile himself from Mecca and continue his teachings in their city. For ten years while living in the city of Yathrib, Muhammad created a strong cohesion between the different tribes and attracted people from all over to witness this miracle. Mecca continued to attack Muhammad and his city until finally realizing their loss of control over Arabia.

As in Christianity, Islam also believes in God, creation, the human self, and the Day of Judgment. In Islam, there is only one God who is all-powerful and fear inspiring. The fear that is caused by Allah is more out of love for his people than anything else. This fear helps to keep people away from evil. As far as creation, Allah intently created the universe. There is a great respect for the material world since Allah created it. Humans are considered inherently good with the original sin being the forgetfulness of their divinity. As humans, we have the obligation to show gratitude for the life that has been given to us and surrender ourselves to Allah. If one does not do this, on the Day of Judgment, one will be begging for another chance to surrender oneself to Allah to no avail. Negative consequences come only to those who have done something to warrant them.

The Five Pillars of Islam can describe the personal life of a Muslim. The first is the creed, known as the shahadah. It is a single sentence: “There is no god but Allah, and Muhammad is his prophet.” This is a proclamation of the Muslim view of monotheism and the validity of Muhammad’s revelation. The second pillar is prayer. Muslims pray five times a day to keep themselves aware of the fact that they are only portions of the infinite Creator. The third pillar is charity. Two and a half percent of one’s earnings (if one is financially comfortable) should be given to people who are in need of money. The fourth pillar is the observance of Ramadan. Ramadan is a holy month for Islam that celebrates the revealing of the Koran and Muhammad’s migration from Mecca. The fifth pillar is pilgrimage. At least once in a Muslim’s life, one must travel to Mecca to show one’s commitment to God and to remind one of human equality.

I personally was not aware of the fact that the Koran follows the Bible up to a certain point. It was very interesting to learn about the life of a Muslim. They seem to be so devoted to their beliefs. Their trust in Muhammad’s revealing of the Koran is so strong and without doubt. It is the glue that holds everything together. Also, their use of traditional rituals and practices is very admirable because it shows how much trust they have in the rituals that have been passed down through the generations and their unwillingness to let those rituals fade from their lifestyle.

Yahoo post 11
The Jews were a very small group of people with a simple history. Yet they are now one of the greatest cultures on earth for delivering Judaism to the world. Smith claims that the reason for their achievement was their “passion for meaning.” The Jews felt that meaning could be found if they understood the Supreme Being. They felt that the Supreme Being could be depicted more as a human than some sort of thing. Instead of glorifying certain powers of nature, as some of the people at the time were doing, the Jews were claiming that an all-powerful God was the creator of those powers. They believed that they were only capable of devoting themselves to one Supreme God and were not able to divide their devotion among many gods. Other gods of the times were immoral and did not care about humans. But the Jews were the ones to reverse this and reveal a god with a deep concern about humans.

The Jews felt that the world was inherently good and that we humans were the ones who created evil. In this way, evil is not part of the world but a part of ourselves, which we are capable of reversing. The Jews also embraced the material world and felt that it was important, contrary to Indian philosophy. They also felt that there was great meaning in human existence and Yahweh was the caretaker of humans. The Jews felt that Yahweh was involved in everything that happened to them.

There are four precepts in the Ten Commandments that help to eliminate four dangerous aspects of a relationship: force, wealth, sex, and speech. In the Commandment Thou shalt not murder, it shows the importance of not killing within the in-group because it will tear a community apart. Also, adultery within a community threatens its cohesiveness. Taking something that doesn’t belong to you to better your own wealth is sinful and not fair. If you lie about what happened to a judge when you are under oath, there will be great consequence.

The Jews also find great meaning in justice. They came from a stage called the Prophetic Guilds where ethics were no concern and they would lose themselves in intoxication. The story of Naboth is a great example as to how important justice was to the Jews. Naboth was stoned by King Ahab because he did not want to give up his family vineyard to the King. Elijah heard from Yahweh that he must go to the king and tell him of his wrong doing. Elijah had no authority to deliver such a message to the king and he could easily be charged with blasphemy. But the king accepted Elijah’s message because he felt that it was obvious that the message was divinely delivered. It was the first time that somebody challenged the authority of the king based on divine grounds. The Writing Prophets emerge amidst a world filled with inequality and a moral deterioration. They formed a new way of thinking that included the fact that Yahweh would not put up with evil in the world forever. They discovered divine rules for society that even the kings had to follow.

The Jews found meaning in suffering. By having meaning in the suffering, that they endured daily, there would be reason to continue on to the next day. This ultimately led to the development of Messianism. Messianism created a sense of hope in a seemingly hopeless environment. Some people expected an actual Messiah whereas others saw it as a time where Yahweh intervenes and saves. The Jews felt that they were the “chosen people” and that Yahweh would ultimately deliver them to salvation.

Yahoo post 12
False Testament is an article about the apparent fabrication of one of the most believed stories in human history. Believers in Judaism, Islam, and Christianity have much in common because they all have a common starting point. As you progress to Christianity, Judaism and Islam begin to stay in certain time periods and not develop any new beliefs. But archeologists are finding evidence that leads one to believe that the very cores of these three religions are founded on fabrication. For example, the Bible claims the Jews were a small group of “invaders who fought their way into the Holy Land,” but archeologists have found more evidence that proves that they were just a small group of people who naturally lived on the west side of the Jordan River. Even the Davidic Empire is now only seen as a story created by priests in Jerusalem. Judaism seems to be a religion that came out of a time where every nation wanted to be as prestigious as Egypt or some other powerful nation. Judah’s priests felt that their chief God, Yahweh, would make them into a great power.

The problem is that some of the founding figures of Judaism seem to be mythical characters when explained through science. Abraham, a man who sought a life outside of the society, seems to have left no evidence of his existence. Neither has the great prophet, Moses. In fact, there are many other characters of the Old Testament that have been found to be fictional according to the Higher Criticism. Even Genesis is starting to look like fiction novel that links “together a series of unconnected folktales like pearls on a string.” Some of the first archeologists looked for answers but were really trying to find the means to fit their ends.

The book of Exodus has also become hard to prove. Egyptian records don’t mention an escape of some six hundred thousand Jews. One has to think that somewhere in their records, such a major event would have been recorded. There has been little evidence to prove their leave from Mesopotamia, their capture in Egypt, and their escape. Some scholars posit that the reason for this fabrication may have been to enrich their simple past. For reasons of keeping themselves protected from the big empires.

There is also the idea of monotheism. Monotheism may have been a way to separate the Jews from their surrounding cultures. But some believe that it was a concoction that priests, who were given the right to enforce a religious dictatorship, created to fool a naïve nation. In saying this, though, one has to assume that these priests understood the chronological order of events the way we do today. Since it is not possible that they could have, we are left in something of a historical cloud.

Yahoo post 13
There is actually little to be known about the full life of Jesus. There are facts that include a birth around 4 B.C. and that he grew up in Nazareth. He was baptized by the prophet John and lived in life amongst spiritually rich individuals. As the story goes, Jesus was taken by the Holy Spirit to the wilderness and endured forty nights of fasting and prayer. Jesus was also a healer and healed many sick and possessed individuals in his community. Jesus stressed one key characteristic about Yahweh that differed from many people in his time: his compassion. Jesus felt that there were social barriers that were creating a sense of inequality amongst the community. He openly stated his belief that a compassionate Divinity as Yahweh would not allow for people to be treated differently. He preached ideals that included the adherence of all people because they were Divine laws.

The people that Jesus taught eventually came to see him as God in human form. They came to this conclusion because he lived the way he taught others to live. Peter described Jesus’ life by saying, “He went about doing good.” People felt that if he was in fact God in human form, that Jesus’ life was a perfect example of how God would behave on earth. They also credit him for saying things that were unprecedented in his time. He was teaching people to behave differently than they were naturally inclined to. They wanted to live gracefully, they way Jesus lived. He lived with perfection that seemed to be evident only in the Divine.

There is not much detail given about what happened after Jesus’ crucifixion. One thing that is inherent in the accounts that we have is that people were soon after experiencing him in a whole new way. Experiencing Divine love was what Jesus’ life brought to others. Following in the footsteps of Jesus was the road to salvation. There was also the introduction of the mystical Body of Christ. In a mass, the priest will bless wine and bread and proclaim that they have transformed in the body and blood of Christ. This helps to seal the religious experience of God into the individual. It is the infusion of Jesus’ Divinity in the physical body of the believer. More liberal believers don’t believe that this ritual is needed to reach salvation.

The people of Jesus’ time were startled to hear news of a man that was a sort of “God-man.” Jesus was not half man and half God; he was considered man and God at the same time. Many of the leaders of the day were already seen as Divinely delivered. The difference with Jesus was that it showed God’s willingness to endure the suffering of humankind. The Apostles developed a creed that established their belief in the life of Jesus as a human being and that he did suffer for all of us. Some felt that Jesus had saved us from eternal suffering because of the original sin. This suffering, some will say, is the love for ourselves that keeps us from loving others. Christians also believe that there is a third form of God that encapsulates the trinity. The disciples were with each other when a loud sound came into their house. They were suddenly being showered with tongues of fire and each person was endowed with one. The all began to experience the third form of God: the Holy Spirit.

The Church was recognized by Rome and was equal to other religions. After some time, Rome adopted Christianity as its official religion. After that, the Church had what is known as “Teaching Authority” over the people and was able to correctly interpret the bible’s accounts. It was such a strong power that the Pope was endowed with “papal infallibility.” This meant that the Pope was considered free from error because every decision that was made by him was Divinely guided. Sacraments helped Christians to practice their beliefs. The Sacraments were rituals that mark special times in a Christian’s life. There are seven Sacraments: Baptism, Confirmation, Holy Matrimony, Holy Orders, Sacrament of the Sick, Reconciliation, and Mass. Eastern Orthodoxy and Protestantism are two other branches that formed from the original Christianity. Eastern Orthodoxy doesn’t believe in having a pope. The head of Eastern Orthodoxy is considered a “first among equals.” Protestants give warnings to others about worshiping a worldly idol or false idol.

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Crossan looks at the similarities between the story of Octavius and Jesus. One was capable of having his life scribed while the other’s life is a collection of Gospels written some time after his death. Octavius was the heir to Caesar and was to become Augustus. Jesus was to be the Son of God. They are both attributed to unifying the people of their community. John and Jesus have also many similarities when closely compared with each other. There are times throughout the Gospel of Luke where themes can be extracted from the accounts of John and Jesus that are parallel. John’s birth was announced to his parents by an angel. So was Jesus’ birth. Both of their births were public. The people of the town came to witness God’s mercy in the birth of John and Mary conceived in a manger. Moses and Jesus also have much in common. They were both born into hostile environments where the King had ordered for them specifically to be killed. They also both had fathers who refused to divorce their wives and not conceive because of the conditions. But ultimately, Jesus is always seen as more Divine than the former.

Jesus was a carpenter, which was not unusual because most young men followed the profession of their fathers and Jesus’ father was a carpenter. Carpenters in Jesus’ day were considered low-class people and most likely illiterate. There were many people who disregarded the virgin birth of Jesus, one of which is the pagan philosopher Celsus. Celsus was in absolute disagreement with the virgin birth and believed that the myths of Greece were equally as mythological. There was also a touch of conceit in the way he spoke of the laypeople that were commonly illiterate.

In the story of the beheading of John, there is a notable similarity between this story and the crucifixion of Jesus. In both accounts, the Roman Empire seems to be shed in a rather blameless light. They seem to have sanctified the executions without really wanting to but due to certain inevitable conditions.

The Cynic’s main path to happiness was freedom. They freed themselves from worldly possessions and desires. The cynics were seen as a growing liberal culture emerging from a materialistic world. They wore ragged clothes and sandals and only carried with them a knapsack in which they carried all of their belongings. It symbolized their simple living and ability to take care of themselves with little possession. The cynics also believed that poverty leads to freedom that ultimately leads to royalty.