Can you explain the 70's? Jesus was a hippy, and was the leader of the hippy movement during his own era. I believe Jesus was real and I have taken to heart many of his ideas and teachings, therefore I guess I might be technically a christian, albeit one who doesn't care much for the Jewish bible or the Jewish take and authority on the Great Spirit. As far as the Jewish and Christian One God goes, yes he is indeed real and is the only true god in their realities, but not in mine. My reality is beginning to expand into infinity where all things are eventually, and where all things can be true in their own perspective dimension and plane of existance.

 

 

 

 

Red, the basic simple answer to your question, goes something like this. The old testament, is the origional bible, the rules and oral passed down history of the Jewish faith. Most of the stories are probably written to teach a particular view, rather than be 100% factual.

 

It's rather hardcore. Life was hard then.

 

As the cities grew and the Romans conquered, life changed. Young people weren't buying it. Jewish rule was very demanding. Pay alot, pray a lot, Think Amish and NYC, only a few miles from each other.

 

Pagan religions are everywhere now, (Jesus time period) There's Mithras, and Roman, a few Greek, Some Egyptian, it gets hard to keep a good Jewish boy down on the sheep farm.

 

Someone named Jesus, who is brought up Jewish and certainly knows of the stories of the coming king, John the Baptist, all the current prophecy stuff (which is all the rage then), who is evidently, fairly Charismatic, gets tired of carpendering around and comes up with a new plan. All we need is Love...ba ba ba ba ba ba ba. It's all good man, just be nice to everyone, follow me, we'll all be cool and go to heaven. This is a radical thing. A god that cares? Unfreakin heard of. Sells like wildfire. Also gets him killed. Can't stop it though, Novel idea, good promotion, a lot of people jump on this band wagon cause, hey, you don't have to be rich to be blessed, meek inherits the earth, blah blah, unlike the Jews, unlike the pagans. This sells, especially in Rome, and the bigger cities. So eventually, decades later, people write down these new stories based on Jesus's word, supposeably, cause you need a martyr to really spark a new religion. Jesus said this and Jesus meant that. Remember, this was written down long long long time after Jesus lived and died. Then around 200 ad, all the current mob bosses, eh, I mean bishops, decide they need to organize this in order to create order (profits). They decide which ones stay and which ones go. They use the old testament as the historical references leading up to Jesus, They take all the stories going round and they create a nice orderly flow. Anything that doesn't fit, is banned. The new bible is the new testament. From that point on it's under control, and with the help of a few converted kings, all ready to conquer with. The Jews don't recognize the new testament. The Christians only use it when they need to prove a point that isn't covered by the new testament. Thus, a book that covers every single possible direction that one king or ruler may want to take. Brilliant! Today we kill, tomorrow we forgive. Cause God and Jesus said it was OK.

 

There, now say 13 hail marys and be at peace child, thou shalt be forgiven...

In response to your other question. Hell Yes! Most people do not question, do not want to question, and do not want to think about it! Cause there's that chance if they do, they won't go to heaven (preacher told em so, yes he did). Most people want to do whatever they do and still go to heaven, if that means go to church on Sunday, throw 5, or 10 or whatever in the basket, then that's cool. Most people are sheep looking for a shepherd. It doesn't really matter much to the sheep who the shepherd is, as long as they get taken care of. And most sheep are taken care of....right up to the butchering.

 

 

 

The 'Old Testament' is the Torah of Judaism and the 'New Testament' is a patchwork piece of contrived mythology that contains quasi-historical accounts and outright thefts of pagan ideas in it. Really to try to package these two books together is a giant stretch lol. But with the fanatic hucksters of  Judeo-xianity there never has been any reason to present anything that makes logical sense.

 

                                                                         -L.B.