One should differentiate Parables from Facts.
True, there might have been Jesus.(even the name means ‘son of God, not Jesus’s original name).
One has to understand the social and political conditions at the time of Jesus.
People were revolting against Roman Empire and the society had become corrupt and was oppressive.
There was a crisis of values.
Jesus was a social thinker .
He was also a rebel against the Romans.
He preached human values.
Constantine, to buttress his hold on the Empire, embraced Christianity , called for a meeting of people to organize the information on Jesus( nearly three hundred years after Jesus’s death),had an Anthology compiled and called it The Bible; laid down Rules for the election of Popes through a Conclave of Cardinals.
He wanted to ensure his hold on the population.
Hence he organized the Office of the Pope for he knew that people can be controlled under faith and made the Papacy to do his bidding.
However, The Bible, whatever be the intentions, is one of the greatest pieces on Ethics .
It is not important who said, but what is said.
To research into Christianity is welcome and at the same time it should be ensured that the moral values of The Bible(excepting Religious Conversion) are not demeaned.
Please read my blogs filed under Christianity.
Crossan says Jesus was an exploited “peasant with an attitude” who didn’t perform many miracles, physically rise from the dead or die as punishment for humanity’s sins.
Jesus was extraordinary because of how he lived, not died, says Crossan, one of the world’s top scholars on the “historical Jesus,” a field in which academics use historical evidence to reconstruct Jesus in his first-century setting.
“I cannot imagine a more miraculous life than nonviolent resistance to violence,” Crossan says. “I cannot imagine a bigger miracle than a man standing in front of a tank in Tiananmen Square.”
…..Crossan believes the public should be exposed to even the most divisive debates that scholars have had about Jesus and the Bible. He co-founded the Jesus Seminar, a controversial group of scholars who hold public forums that cast doubt on the authenticity of many sayings and deeds attributed to Jesus.
…The 77-year-old Crossan has built on the seminar’s mission by writing a series of best-selling books on Jesus and the Apostle Paul. With his silver Prince Valiant haircut and his pronounced Irish accent, he’s also appeared on documentaries such as PBS’s “From Jesus to Christ: The First Christians” and A&E’s “Mysteries of the Bible.”
…
Crucifixion meant that imperial power had won,” Crossan says. “Resurrection meant that divine justice had won. God is on the side of the crucified one. Rome‘s’ values are a dead issue to me.”
How about the stories of Jesus’ miracles, like raising the dead or stilling the storm?
Most were parables, too, Crossan says. But there were some exceptions.
“I’m completely convinced that Jesus was a major healer,” he says. “I don’t think anybody would talk about Jesus if all he did was talk.”
People like to talk about Scripture, but Christians should also know history to understand Jesus, Crossan says.
In Jesus’ time, Rome was forcing many Jewish families into destitution, with high taxes and land seizures. Some Jews advocated violent rebellion, but others opted for non-violent resistance.
Jesus called for nonviolent resistance to Rome and just distribution of land and food. He was crucified because he threatened Roman stability — not as a sacrifice to God for humanity’s sins, Crossan says.
If you believe in a God that uses violence to “save” humanity, you’ll start believing that violence is permissible in certain circumstances, such as suicide bombing or invading other countries to spread democracy, Crossan says.
http://edition.cnn.com/2011/LIVING/02/27/Jesus.scholar/index.html
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