"If Christ was in fact God, he knew all the future. Before him like a panorama moved the history yet to be. He knew how his words would be interpreted. He knew what crimes, what horrors, what infamies, would be committed in his name. He knew that the hungry flames of persecution would climb around the limbs of countless martyrs. He knew that thousands and thousands of brave men and women. would languish in dungeons in darkness, filled with pain. He knew that the church would invent and use instruments of torture; that his followers would appeal to whip and *****, to chain and rack. He saw what creeds would spring like poisonous fungi from every text. He saw the ignorant sects waging war against each other. He saw thousands of men, under the orders of priests, building prisons for their fellow-men. He saw thousands of scaffolds dripping with the best and bravest blood. He saw his followers using the instruments of pain. He heard the groans -- saw the faces white with agony. He heard the shrieks and sobs and cries of all the moaning, martyred multitudes. He knew that commentaries would be written on his words with swords, to be read by the light of ******. He knew that the Inquisition would be born of the teachings attributed to him."
"He saw the interpolations and falsehoods that hypocrisy would write and tell. He saw all wars that would be waged, and knew that above these fields of death, these dungeons, these rackings, these burnings, these executions, for a thousand years would float the dripping banner of the cross."
"He knew that hypocrisy would be robed and crowned -- that cruelty and credulity would rule the world; knew that liberty would perish from the earth; knew that popes and kings in his name would enslave the souls and bodies of men; knew that they would persecute and destroy the discoverers, thinkers and inventors; knew that his church would extinguish reason's holy light and leave the world without a star."
"He saw his disciples extinguishing the eyes of men, flaying them alive, cutting out their tongues, searching for all the nerves of pain."
"He knew that in his name his followers would trade in human flesh; that cradles would be robbed and women's breasts unbabed for gold."
"And yet he died with voiceless lips."
"Why did he fail to speak? Why did he not. tell his disciples, and through them the world: 'You shall not burn, imprison and torture in my name. You shall not persecute your fellowmen.'"
"Why did he not plainly say: I am the Son of God,' or, 'I am God?' Why did he not explain the Trinity? Why did he not tell the mode of baptism that was pleasing to him? Why did he not write a creed? Why did he not break the chains of slaves? Why did he not say that the Old Testament was or was not the inspired word of God? Why did he not write the New Testament himself? Why did he leave his words to ignorance, hypocrisy and chance? Why did he not say something positive, definite and satisfactory about another world? Why did he not, turn the tear-stained hope of heaven into the glad knowledge of another life? Why did he not tell us something of the rights of man, of the liberty of hand and brain?"
"Why did he go dumbly to his death, leaving the world to misery and to doubt?"
"I" will tell you why. He was a man, and did not know."
Robert Green Ingersol.
2007-03-02 13:46:50 · 20 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Robert Green Ingersoll Rocks. He was so ahead of his time. He refused to denounce his atheism thus he couldn't run for office.
2007-03-02 13:51:16 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 1⤋
Your question is rather elaborate for a Friday night. Why did Jesus not save Himself? Well He was asked the same by a roman soldier who was there when He hung on the cross. It is because only by dying for you and me could the world be saved. Has He seen all the bad things that happened to His followers? Yes, He has. He was there with them, He has endured the same tortures. He's been where any of us might be one day. And He is waiting for us. YOu see, for a christian to endure torture is not the worst. God has said it would happen. It is that we will fall into the FAthers loving arms one day. That is what a christian sees. Death is not the end but the beginning. Then there is free will. Was the early church corrupt, speaking of the catholic church. Sure they were. The pope during Luther's time sold indulgences which promised to forgive any future sins in return for money. This money he used for himself. Is that what a christian should be? No. That's why the bible tells us not to look to men but to God. All men are fallible and will have to answer for whatever they do in judgement day. It is even worse if they are teachers of the word. God will see that.
2007-03-02 21:57:03 · answer #2 · answered by VW 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋
God will not grab you by the ear and lead you around.The people who did haneous things things in the name of Christ will be held accountable,you may be sure. I beg you ,don't let hypocrites keep you from Christ.As it has been said, 'If you reject Jesus because of hypocrites, you will spend eternity with every hypocrite there ever was.
2007-03-02 22:01:41 · answer #3 · answered by W J 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Why did he die with "voiceless lips?" Because he came to die. He said so...it was his most important job here on Earth. He was to be a sacrificial lamb in our place.
As far as speaking about other future events, ever watch Butterfly Effect?
2007-03-03 00:56:59 · answer #4 · answered by Seth 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Christ was God? Christ was never God and will never be.
God and Christ are different.
You believe that God raised Jesus Christ from the dead and you will have eternal life.
2007-03-02 22:14:38 · answer #5 · answered by thunderbomb90 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's called Free Will. He loved us enough to allow us to do what we wanted with the world and He doesn't interfere without us asking for His help.
2007-03-02 21:56:47 · answer #6 · answered by Jan P 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Beautiful.
.
2007-03-02 21:51:36 · answer #7 · answered by Chickyn in a Handbasket 6 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Way too much to read. But why are are you so upset about it...chill out......so many questions...we just don't have the answers
2007-03-02 22:21:41 · answer #8 · answered by music man 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Maybe he didn't have enough time to tell us everything.
Or he wasn't supposed to.
Or we wouldn't listen.
Your avatar guinea pig is cute.
2007-03-02 21:54:08 · answer #9 · answered by C 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Aren't you expecting a lot from an uneducated rabbi who was executed in his early thirties ?
2007-03-02 21:52:58 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋