A Heaven full of Poor People?

"It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God." (Matthew 19:24)


This is such an interesting expression. I thought that Matthew literally meant that a camel can go through the eye of a sewing needle, not a small door. In my mind, it does make sense, for it would be extremely difficult (um, pretty much impossible) for a man to go through a sewing needle. So what makes the camel capable? In the parable, it is inferred that a rich man must get rid of his baggage until he can enter the door to the Kingdom of God. By baggage, it is meant that a rich man must get rid of his wealth to truly be with God. But why is that so? Is it because wealthy people are stereotyped to have a knack for greed? I don't think all wealthy people are greedy; I think some work very hard for their money and deserve it.  So why does Jesus say that a person must be poor in order to live in heaven?



 Post to check out:
http://www.bibletopics.com/biblestudy/43.htm

Revitalizing Christianity- My Purple Cross

I have a "Jesus necklace." My necklace consists of a cross encrusted with purple gemstones. The necklace was given to me when I made my First Communion, and I have had it ever since. I always feel that my purple cross is appropriate to wear to church because it symbolizes my faith. I have noticed a lot of people wearing a cross necklace around campus too. However, I've been wondering if the ornament is seen as more of a decorative purpose or a symbol of faith. In regards to this topic, Professor Silliman brought up the question, "Has it lost its power to shock?"

I think so. Even for myself, the image of the cross has lost its shock value. When I wear my necklace, I don't think of it as the cross Jesus died on; I just think of it as the necklace associated with my religion. I think that people choose to wear it because it looks "cool." Wearing a cross has become more of a fashion statement than a religious statement. Is this a good thing? Is this revitalizing Christianity or counteracting Christianity?

Why do we say "The Church?"

Have you ever noticed during our blog posts, in response to Catholicism, we regard the religion by saying  "The Church?" The Church has become the subject: "The Church has done this, the Church has done that." However, it is not the Church that has done these specific things; it is the people (the pope, priests, bishops, deacons, etc.) that make it up. The rules of the Church (oops, I mean Catholicism) set the foundation for the doings and the image of the religion. Next time you mention Catholicism, see how often you quote it by saying "The Church." You'll probably be surprised.

Something to Share

In my creative writing class, a North Adams guest poet recited an original piece about religion. The following line struck a chord with me:

"I believe Jesus fell in love- then became a God. We deny this fact for lack of evidence."

After posting an entry about Mary Magdalene and her possible relationship with Jesus a couple of weeks ago, I thought this verse was interesting and true. Since there is such a lack of evidence about whether Mary did have a relationship with Jesus or not, people have to rely on their beliefs to determine the truth. Instead of the power of belief, I  think that many people rely solely on facts and evidence to prove that statements are correct. However, I think that in certain situations, a person's "gut feeling," or beliefs, should override the truth. Why does evidence have to play such an integral and pivotal part in the society's thought process?

A Jesus Discovery

The other day, I came across an online article about a "Jesus Discovery." I thought this article came at a perfect time, for it provides an opportunity for our class to ponder more about the historical Jesus and his existence. 


According to the article, "Jesus was born, lived, and died in the land of Israel. Most scholars agree he was born around
 5 BCE and died around 30 CE."


Authors and archaeologists James D. Tabor and Simcha Jacobovici wrote The Jesus Discovery: The New Archaeological Find That Reveals the Birth of Christianity. 

The archaeologists believed certain tombs they have been investigating in Jerusalem are the tombs of Jesus' family: " We believe a compelling argument can be made that the Garden tomb is that of Jesus of Nazareth and his family. We argue in this book that both tombs are most likely located on the rural estate of Joseph of Arimathea, the wealthy member of the Sanhedrin who according to all four New Testament gospels took official charge of Jesus' burial."


The Garden tomb is supposedly the "Jesus son of Joseph's tomb," which was first discovered in 1980. It's namesake is due to its placement beneath a garden in a condominium complex. 

Another tomb is the Patio tomb, which is located beneath an apartment in the Jerusalem suburb East Talpiot. The tomb was first discovered by construction workers in 1981. 

Some archaeologists are unsure about the tomb's credibility, for they are certain that "nothing of this sort has survived, not a single site, inscription, artifact, drawing, or text mentioning Jesus or his followers, or witnessing to the beliefs of the earliest Jewish Christians either in Jerusalem or in Galilee."

Do you believe these tombs are the tombs of Jesus' family? I was confused about the Garden tomb, for what does the author mean by "Jesus son of Joseph's tomb?" Did he have a son named Joseph?

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/28/jesus-discovery-jerusalem_n_1305355.html#s732486&title=The_Resurrection_Tomb

The book might be worth checking out!
http://www.amazon.com/Jesus-Discovery-Archaeological-Reveals-Christianity/dp/145165040X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1330385122&sr=8-1

A Great Help! Passive Voice, Anyone?

Hello!

To those of you who are still confused with the passive voice (like me), I found a great web page regarding the passive voice from The Writing Center at UNC Chapel Hill's website. The page has helped me a great deal with my Gita paper! Hope it helps you too!

http://writingcenter.unc.edu/resources/handouts-demos/citation/passive-voice

Mary Magdalene-Wife and Lover?

The life of Mary Magdalene is a mystery to me. Even though I've attended CCD my entire childhood, I've never learned who she was. I've heard her name before, but it never stood of any interest to me. After Professor Matt's musical performance last class (Wohoo! Encore?) about Magdalene, I was intrigued to learn more about her. The lyrics and notes of Richard Shindell's "The Ballad of Mary Magdalene" were so beautiful, and I decided that it was time to do my research.


My research left me with mixed emotions, for I never believed that Jesus might have had a love.


According to the website, The Nazarene Way of Essenic Studies, Mary Magdalene was one of Jesus' devoted women followers:

"She attended him to Calvary, stood weeping at the foot of the cross, and was the first to see the Christ risen [Jesus' Resurrection]. Extra-biblical and Gnostic traditions about Mary Magdalene holds that she was the wife of Jesus and pregnant with his child at the time of his death, a fact which was omitted by later revisionist editors of the Gospels. Interpreted allegorically, Luke-Acts reveals their marriage, a daughter, and two sons." 

Could this be true? 

Richard Shindell believes so:

"A love like this will come but once 

This I do believe 
And I’ll not see his like again 
As I live and breathe 
And I’m sorry if I might offend 
But I will never see 
How the tenderness I shared with him 
Became a heresy"

To add to this, Mary's sorrow that she expressed as Jesus lay dead on the cross could be the response of a "grieving wife and widow." Also, Jesus might have appeared to Mary first after his Resurrection because Mary "was his beloved and in most need of consolation."

I think that it would actually make sense for Jesus to have a relationship with Mary; after all, he was human! On the other hand, I am unsure because I never viewed Jesus as the type of man who would have a lover. Also, if it is true that Jesus and Mary were married, why are their children not mentioned in the Bible? Or are they? I feel that I am discovering more secrets than answers in regard to the Bible. 

http://www.womeninthebible.net/images/MM_14_Cosimo.jpg

http://www.thenazareneway.com/index.htm