About: Jesus Christ

(Published in TownHall.com on Dec 5, 2007)

My next statement is one-hundred percent correct. Not one person who saw my headline thought to himself or herself, "Jesus Christ… who is that?" Perhaps some of you thought I was swearing. Others, no doubt, are offended that I should use the name of Jesus in such a manner. In any case, the name rings a bell for everyone.

The name Jesus is familiar in nearly every corner of the globe. For the Jews, Jesus was a Rabbi who stirred things up at a particular time in history. The Muslim's Quran speaks of Jesus as one of the great Prophets, created miraculously. Muslims believe that Jesus did not die on the cross, but ascended to Heaven while still alive.

Christians believe Jesus was crucified, died, and was buried. Then he arose from the dead and ascended to heaven. This is central to the Christian faith, because the entire reason for Jesus' coming was to defeat the consequences of sin, and eternal death. Christians believe that Jesus took the death penalty of sin upon Himself, and paid the price on our behalf.

Of course, there are people who declare themselves to be Christians, but for no significant reason other than an adherence to a social philosophy. Sort of like wearing a tee shirt, that declares an allegiance to the writings of Voltaire or Rousseau.

Other religions (including Islam) have arisen since the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. All of them are forced to deal with the name and person of Jesus Christ, in order to make room for their own existence. Jehovah Witnesses declare that Jesus Christ was really Michael the Archangel prior to his birth. Upon his death, they believe that He did not return to Heaven as God the Son, but once again as Michael the Angel.

Mormons believe that Jesus was a created being: the elder brother of Lucifer (otherwise known as Satan, or the Devil). They believe that Jesus was "a god", rather than an inseparable member of the one Godhead, otherwise known as the Trinity (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit). They also believe Jesus was not conceived by the Holy Spirit, but that "God" had sex with Mary as a man, and conceived Jesus just as any other man would have been conceived.

Our secular or atheist brethren deal with Jesus on a sliding scale, from recognizing Him as a historical but insignificant figure, all the way to an absolute denial that there ever was such a person. I presume that agnostics could not care less, one way or the other.

Such is the name of Jesus Christ, known to billions of people throughout history. Yet once again, we see a battle raging in America, simply for the acknowledgment of the reason for the season. The same process is at work as occurs in the peripheral religions, which is to marginalize the importance of Jesus, and to dethrone Him from his identity as God the Son.

This is why I continue to speak of the religion of secular purity. There exists a burning need to cleanse the "public square" of Christ's name, even while accommodating the special needs of other beliefs, such as those held by Muslims. It is the same dynamic at work. Do you hear the howls of protest, coming from those who wail at the wall of separation between church and state?

The commemoration of the birth of Jesus Christ has been observed for centuries as Christmas. There is no scriptural commandment to celebrate Christmas, but the significance of Christmas should be obvious to anyone. It roughly marks the day to remember, when God gave to us the greatest gift ever given in the history of mankind. He gave Himself as God the Son, Jesus, who would choose to die in our place. His unique blood was destined to wash our sins away then, now, and forever.

Faith is believing without the benefit of seeing. Jesus suffered and died horribly on the cross for our benefit. Believing, without seeing, should not be much of a burden to bear. The name of Jesus does not demand death for those who use it inappropriately, but offers life for those who write it upon their hearts.

As we move through the Holidays, let us love one another and share what we have with those who have less. There truly is a wonderful spirit of peace and joy in this season for the whole world, as was so beautifully set to music in George Frederic Handel's Messiah… "And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people."

Copyright ©2007 by Phil Harris

Comments

[shaun]

Mormons do NOT believe Jesus is a created being. Fact check with a Mormon before making statements about Mormon doctrine

[Bret Ludwig]

Editor:

After reviewing posts from this comment author found elsewhere on the Internet, I have decided not to provide him with a forum for his views.

Censorship?

Hey... it's a free world, but I pay for this website.

.

[Larry Houle]

A GOD OF PERFECTION

GOD VERSUS ALLAH (THE ANTI – GOD)

By
Larry Houle
www.godofreson.com
intermedusa@yahoo.com

There are many people who claim that any belief in the existence of God is irrational. They believe that the entire universe was once a pulsating dot no bigger then the point at the end of a pencil. That 14 billion years ago this dot exploded in a Big Bang and expanded through the Theory of Inflation into the present universe. These people believe that the purpose of the universe – is that it has absolutely no purpose. It exists because it exists.

But it is not irrational for the species – Homo Sapiens - to believe in a God - the Omniscient, Omnipotent, and Glorious Exalted Creator of the Universe and all living things - a God of all Peace and Love, Goodness and Mercy, an All Wise, All Loving God for all mankind. That all human beings are created in the image of God. That all mankind is created equal and their lives are precious and sacred to God.

What is totally and completely IRRATIONAL is to believe in a vengeful, spiteful, hateful, murderous God – a God who murders human beings and destroys entire cities - A CRIMINAL GOD.
.
For God to be truly God – HE MUST BE PERFECT – HE MUST BE THE EMBODIMENT OF PERFECTION.

GOD IS NOT AN IRRATIONAL, IMMORAL, EVIL BEING. IF GOD IS IRRATIONAL, IMMORAL, EVIL THEN GOD IS NOT PERFECT AND THEREFORE SINCE GOD CANNOT BE IMPERFECT AN IRRATIONAL, IMMORAL, EVIL GOD IS NOT GOD.

Around this time of the year – 2000 years ago the greatest revolutionary of human history was born – Jesus. He brought a timeless message not of murder, death and destruction, killing and slaughter of humans in the name of and to the greater glory of God - not of terror and the power of a bloody sword but the power of simple words.

The Sermon on the Mount is the greatest teaching of human history. Jesus message for the species – Homo Sapiens was very simple – follow the teachings of the Sermon on the Mount and survive as a species – otherwise you will go to extinction.

700 years after this revolutionary concept of turning the other cheek, and the meek shall inherit the earth etc – we have an evil criminal Muhammad who bursts onto the pages of history with a concept of God as a barbarian – Allah - the ANTI - GOD worshiped by 1.2 billion Muslims. Allah is the ANTI – GOD of war, murder, killing, death and destruction, violence, rape, slavery, torture, hate, terror, brutality, savagery, maiming, stoning, cutting off limbs, mutilations, looting and pillaging, extortion, sexual depravity, child molestation, intolerance, bigotry, sharia law, oppression and subjugation of women, inferiority of woman, women as instruments of sexual pleasure in paradise, wife beating, honor killings, inequality of infidels, inequality of any human being, that infidels can be murdered and their property stolen as a holy duty, that Muslims who renounce Islam can be killed, that Muslims (or anyone) who challenge the teachings of Islam can be murdered, that believers who slay and are slain in the service of God will ascend to a sexual Paradise of big eyed, big breasted virgins who they can sexually molest for all eternity.

Today mankind is faced with the struggle between good and evil – the teachings of Christ of mercy, kindness, goodness and the survival of mankind and Islam with it’s evil incarnate conception of God as a barbarous, murderous criminal who preaches death and destruction of infidels, rape, slavery, mass murder etc – the creation of an evil man (the Anti Christ) – Muhammad – teachings of all evil that will lead to the extinction of Homo Sapiens.

Mankind faces the following choices:

Good Versus Evil (Islam)
God versus Allah (the Anti – God)
Christ versus Muhammad (the Anti Christ)
Light versus Darkness
New Age (freedom, democracy) versus Dark Age (barbarism, totalitarianism)
Life versus Death(extinction)

[John Lofton, Recovering Republican]

Excellent column, Phil, and so true re: the Name of our Lord. Hope all of you will visit our site, please, TheAmericanView.com and listen to some of our radio shows. God bless you all -- and He does when we obey Him.
JLof@aol.com. Might want to look at this particular material.

http://www.theamericanview.com/index.php?id=966

http://www.theamericanview.com/index.php?id=963&PHPSESSID=52b1b4d2b6e554e2cba75339e64de028