Saturday, June 23, 2012

Query I-A query no Christian has ever been able to provide a satisfactory answer for


This question was asked on one of those question and answer forums on the internet:
Here's a question I've been asking that no Christian has ever been able to provide a satisfactory answer for that does not clearly violate simple rules of logic, or trinitarian Christian theology. I truly believe it's the kernel of truth that has the power to crack apart trinitarian Christianity.
The question is:
"If Jesus is supposed to be fully man and fully God, and died on the cross... Then WHO resurrected him?" 
Answer A) is:
If you say "God the father resurrected him" then you prove that Jesus was NOT God in full because a separate God entity did the resurrecting. This violates the 'trinity.' 
Answer B) is:
If you say "The God nature left Jesus" then you are essentially saying that God did NOT die, and the death of Jesus was no important sacrifice at all. A human man was tortured for a weekend and died. How is this supposed to atone for all the sins of humanity?
Not to mention that human sacrifice is explicitly forbidden by Torah, and the manner of death runs afoul of at least a dozen laws regarding kosher sin sacrifice: The death wasn't by kosher shecht (slaughter), the offering was not made at the Temple, the offering wasn't made by Temple priests, the body wasn't without physical blemish, etc. This makes Christianity a religion based upon an unkosher, human sacrifice. 
Answer C) is:
If you say "It's a mystery" or "With God all things are possible" you are basically saying you have no answer and give up. You recognize the inherent contradiction but choose to pull the wool over your own eyes, and hope your brain never rejects the obvious, glaring logical incompatibility. 
All 3 choices - A, B and C - crack apart the foundation of Christianity.
Any Christian out there want to take a shot at it?
I break down his question and my response below:
Quote:Originally Posted by ZachZHere's a question I've been asking that no Christian has ever been able to provide a satisfactory answer for that does not clearly violate simple rules of logic, or trinitarian Christian theology. I truly believe it's the kernel of truth that has the power to crack apart trinitarian Christianity.
Any Christian out there want to take a shot at it?
Sure. But before we do so, lets talk logic. Do you know the definition of a "loaded question"?

In other words, the question you have asked is not designed to obtain a true answer but devised in such a fashion that every answer which you can possibly conceive will justify or confirm your presupposition.

A very clear cut example is the question, "have you stopped beating your wife?"

Obviously, if you answer, "yes". You are guilty of beating your wife in the past.
And if you answer "no", you are guilty of still beating your wife.

How does one get out of such a dilemma when a loaded question is directed to them?

The way I do it is by going back to the beginning and redefining the question. For instance, if asked, "Have you stopped beating your wife?" I will answer, "I've never beaten my wife."

Lets review your question:

Quote:The question is:
"If Jesus is supposed to be fully man and fully God, and died on the cross... Then WHO resurrected him?" 
Answer A) is:If you say "God the father resurrected him" then you prove that Jesus was NOT God in full because a separate God entity did the resurrecting. This violates the 'trinity.' 
Answer B) is:If you say "The God nature left Jesus" then you are essentially saying that God did NOT die, and the death of Jesus was no important sacrifice at all. A human man was tortured for a weekend and died. How is this supposed to atone for all the sins of humanity?
Not to mention that human sacrifice is explicitly forbidden by Torah, and the manner of death runs afoul of at least a dozen laws regarding kosher sin sacrifice: The death wasn't by kosher shecht (slaughter), the offering was not made at the Temple, the offering wasn't made by Temple priests, the body wasn't without physical blemish, etc. This makes Christianity a religion based upon an unkosher, human sacrifice. 
Answer C) is:If you say "It's a mystery" or "With God all things are possible" you are basically saying you have no answer and give up. You recognize the inherent contradiction but choose to pull the wool over your own eyes, and hope your brain never rejects the obvious, glaring logical incompatibility.
All 3 choices - A, B and C - crack apart the foundation of Christianity.
Now see, not only have you loaded the question but you've limited the possible number of responses you thought possible. However you are wrong because you know neither the power of God nor the Scriptures.

First of all, you have ignored the definition of death. What does it mean? If you die, what happens?

Well, your spirit separates from your body and you are dead because your body is no longer animated by your spirit.

But is your spirit dead? According to Catholic doctrine, your spirit continues to live in the after life. You are either:

1. In the presence of God in heaven. Heaven is known as the "abundant life".
2. In the presence of God in Purgatory. Purgatory is a postponement of the abundant life, while your soul is purified.
3. Or in the absence of God in hell. Hell is called death because of the absence of God in your afterlife.

But your spirit continues to live and perceive the condition in which it exists.

So, what happened to Jesus on the Cross?

Jesus died because His body was no longer animated by His Spirit. Yet His Spirit continued to live and preached to the disobedient souls in prison. Therefore, God the Son died and yet could sustain the Universe. Because the death of a man is only the death of his body, not of his spirit.

Then His Body was glorified, joined to His Spirit and Resurrected.

I hope that helps.

P.S.  He didn't like my rebuttal.  See his response here.

Sincerely,

De Maria

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