Easter Sunday: What Do You Think Happened?

<edit> I don’t hold these views any more</edit>

<edit> I don’t hold these views any more</edit>

Happy Easter! I said I’d be back and I am. (A bit of meta-humour for you all there).

My question to you all today is, what did happen on that first Easter Sunday? If you’ve read what I wrote on Good Friday, you’ll hopefully acknowledge that Jesus of Nazareth really did die on a cross. And if you disagree… on what grounds? Hopefully you’ve seen several mainstream articles (including from that well known Religious Right magazine “The Guardian”) saying roughly the same as I did.

So, what did happen on Easter Sunday? I lay down the gauntlet to you, to explain what happened, most importantly, to explain the main details:

1) The spread of Christianity. What galvanised a politically powerless cult to become the most worshipped religion in the world? What caused it to dream up its pitiful savior, so alien to the Jewish culture which preceded it?

2) What happened to the body of Jesus? Why weren’t the authorities able to present it when it suited them?

3) What made the disciples willing to die for their faith, as almost all of them did.. a faith, which if untrue (as they would have known it to be) would have gotten them nothing but suffering for the rest of their lives.

These are genuine questions. Sure I’m being peppy, but if I don’t get to be do that on Easter Sunday, when do I? I’m interested in discussing, challenging, hearing dissenting views, etc. Sometimes I enjoy being wrong, because it allows you to be right. And what is important other than the truth? (Love, but that’s for another day).

If you can’t answer these questions, then maybe consider whether my explanation has merit. Thanks for reading.

Republished from an earlier blog.