WTF

 

Who the fuck is Ammon Hillman?!

Two, three, many Christs

 

I´m beginning to suspect that there might be something to this...

Can the real Jesii please stand up?

Anniversary

 

According to some calculations, Jesus was crucified on Friday, April 3, 33 AD. This year, Good Friday fell on - you knew it already - Friday, April 3. If so, the resurrection would have been on Sunday, April 5. And 40 days after that, Christ ascended to Heaven. That would be Thursday, May 14.

Guess what day and date it is today? 

I find this almost mind-blowing. Can´t help thinking: did it actually happen? Did the disciples actually see a god-man ascend to heaven from the Mount of Olives outside Jerusalem? Is today the literal "anniversary" of that event? As they say on the interwebs: "Yuge if true". 

But then all the awkward skeptical questions return: if Christ was with his disciples for 40 days, why didn´t he tell them that he *wouldn´t* return soon, that all foods are clean, that Paul is right against James and Peter...you know the drift. 

As far as we know, the Jesus Movement was the only Messianic-apocalyptic sect in "Palestine" which developed the idea that their martyred leader had been resurrected, an idea that must have emerged very early on in the movement´s history. Which is compatible with the disciples experiencing a unique event. An actual resurrection, perhaps?

But apart from this, the Movement doesn´t seem to have been very different from any other religious group in history, with all the usual factional squabbles, theological conflicts, reinterpretations, and what have you. And of course the strange idea that a failed Messiah didn´t really fail at all, but came back after three days, is also compatible with everyone experiencing very strong delusions...

Or with the disciples not really listening to what the Master was trying to teach them in the first place. 

Pondering.    

Feast of the Ascension

 

The Jesus Way

 

So what is Aaron Abke doing these days? I remember when he promoted ACIM and Law of One. Today, he is more into "Essene Christianity", which seems to be a modernized version of ancient Jewish Christianity. In this long video, Abke and two associates discuss their main doctrines, which they half-jokingly dub "heresies". 

One central idea is that Jesus was an Essene, and that the Essenes were vegetarians. Jesus preached salvation through the Golden Rule (which included no killing or eating of animals) and didn´t see himself as ontologically "God". The Christology seems to be adoptionist. Jesus´ blood brother James was his true successor, not Peter and absolutely not Paul, whose message of atonement through the salvific death of Christ was a gross distortion of the original Jesus Way. Paul got his "gospel" from highly dubious visions and "revelations", not from Jesus or his true disciples. 

The true Christians were the Ebionites, the Nazarenes and other Jewish Christian sects, which were persecuted by the emergent Catholic Church. Abke and his friends reference the "Hebrew Gospel of Matthew" and the Pseudo-Clementines, while arguing that the Bible contains numerous errors. Interestingly, they also try to argue their case in a scholarly way by referencing James Tabor (who actually appeared on Abke´s pod cast). Here and there, some *truly* heretical ideas shine through, such as a belief in reincarnation, a strong skepticism towards the Old Testament, and Law of One terminology.

One thing that struck me when watching this video is that the "Jesus Way" - despite its seemingly "liberal" theology - is actually harder in some ways than mainstream Christianity (or Churchianity). For instance, the idea that salvation comes strictly through works, that the Ten Commandments must be followed rigorously, and that vegetarianism is an absolutely central rule. The fact that Jesus and the Christians were persecuted is strongly emphasized, the persecution being the work of both the Romans, the Jewish elite, and (later) the Catholic Church (which persecuted the Jewish Christians). In many ways, the Jesus Way comes across as a rigorist sect. Their alternative to "Pauline" Christianity seems...extreme. Not sure if I would like to join!

That being said, the video is nevertheless interesting in many ways. Perhaps recommended.    

Star soul man

 

Oh, just shut the *fuck* up. This guy claims to be Jesus (or something to that effect) but curses more than Martin Luther. OK, maybe not, but brother Martin aint The Christ, dude. "Star Soul Man" is more in Maya than the most die hard materialists, who are at least studying things which are objectively real. This man lives in a fantasy world of his own making. And he aint got no soul in his blood stream either.

My little ones

 

Why did Jesus refer to his disciples as "these my little ones"? Was it meant to be taken literally? 

Trump can´t meme

 

Claim: there are two versions of the infamous Trump meme showing the Don as Jesus (or is it Geezus a.k.a. Brian). The one to the left is the original one (original source unknown), the one to the right is the meme that was actually published on Truth Social. 

Before the meme was posted by the POTUS, somebody changed one of the soldiers in the sky to a winged creature with apparent horns. I´m not the only person who thinks it looks like a demon or the Devil himself. Did Trump change it? Did somebody else? If so, why? Is some of Trump´s advisors secretely undermining him? 

I suppose the most charitable interpretation is that the "soldiers" really are demons and that Trump opposes them by healing the sick man. But if so, it contradicts the "pro-military" atmosphere in the rest of the meme. Maybe it´s pointless to analyze memes (ironic or otherwise), but the picture was deleted from the Trump account after an unprecedented backlash from American Christians (many of whom presumably voted Republican).

On to the next scandal...   

Silicon blasphemy?

 

Breitbart News complains about "Silicon (Valley) blasphemy". OK, a couple of things. One: Your leader just compared himself to Jesus Christ. Two: How is an AI Jesus who charges by the minute any different from, you know, any other commercial jesusy product peddled by American Protestants for the past 50 years or so? Three: See one and two. 

Silicon blasphemy: Tech company introduces "AI Jesus" that charges by the minute

Yes, really

 

Trump actually posted this on Truth Social, but later deleted it. He´s apparently Jesus healing a sick man?! In other words, Trump is literally portraying himself as the Anti-Christ. If you believe the Bible, that is. 

It can´t be long now.  

144,000 Quartodecimanians

 

Credit: Qrdz

Good grief! Christians can´t even agree on when to commemorate / celebrate Easter. Here are links to two Wikipedia entries on the Memorial and Quatrodecimanism. 

Memorial (Jehovah´s Witnesses)

Quartodecimanism

Welcome back, I suppose

 

Credit: The Fourth Way

Overheard on the interwebs: "What you are is God´s gift to you, what you become is your gift to God". 

Easter Monday

 

Credit: Donald Judge

Resurrection Sunday

 

 

Holy Saturday

 

Credit: Mar Sharb 

Good Friday

 

Credit: Bene16

???!!!

 

From ChatGPT. Is this true? Today is Friday, April 3. Is the system kidding me?

>>>If Christ was crucified in 33 AD, the most likely date in our calendar is Friday, April 3, 33 AD, based on the alignment of Passover, lunar cycles, and Roman governance.

Yes, Gemini confirmed it. So today is the "anniversary" of the very first Good Friday?!

Maundy Thursday

 

Spy Wednesday

 

Fig Tuesday