[thechat] RE: Christian Mythology

[deke]

On 24 May 2001, at 18:31, Norman Bunn posted a message which said:

> Ah!  Right, the Jews were quite upset with Paul's teaching especially as
> regards to the Gentiles (non-Jews).  However, the Jerusalem church was
> supportive of Paul's efforts once he explained and to my knowledge there is
> no reference to him receiving any punishment from them.  In fact, Peter was
> quite supportive of his work (Acts 15).

"No reference"? Paul's own words, saying he had received the 
punishment for heresy five times, doesn't count? 

Paul was an exceedingly wealthy man. The temple at Jerusalem was
the largest slaughterhouse in the world at that time, and Paul turned
all those hides into tents, which he sold to the Roman army.

In AD 43, a year after Saul became Paul, he spent 15 days with Peter 
and James. It was at this time that Peter was supportive of Paul. They
needed his wealth in order to fund the community at Qumran, where
they had a forge and where they were organizing foment against the
Roman oppressors. 

It was 2 years later that Paul set out on his missionary trips. These
were pretty questionable in the first place.  "These twelve Jesus sent 
forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the 
Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not:But go 
rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." - Matthew 10:5-6 

But Paul didn't just go among the gentiles, but he told them that
they should not become Jews in the first place, something quite
contrary to the teachings of Jesus.  (WWJD? Keep kosher!) And
each of his five trips ended by returning to Jerusalem where he
was beaten within one stroke of death, for spreading this heresy.

Paul wasn't very popular with the christian community of 
Jerusalem in the first place. Even if you ignore his persecution of 
the jewish rebel movement (Hosannah translates as "Oh free us"), 
Paul was *not* exactly a very good jew. It is extremely difficult for 
a tanner, even with today's cleaners, to get the smell of death off 
him. Dealing with the hides made Paul ritually unclean and good 
jews wanted nothing to do with that. Despite his extreme wealth,
he was unable to make a marriage contract with the love of his
life (Revelations 2:5) because he valued the wealth derived from
tanning over compliance with the same laws Jesus followed
religiously (pun intentional).

deke






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 "The church is near but the road is icy; 
  the bar is far away but I will walk carefully." 
                            -- Russian Proverb