Changing the Plan

"THE CRHRISTIAN RELIGION BEGAN as an abortive political uprising which turned moral". (Johann Wolfgang von Goethe). The Hebrew people, long subjugated by the Roman empire after having been simililarly subjugated by other empires well known to even the most nascent student of biblical history, seethed with discontent beneath the boots of their oppressors. They longed for a prophesized messiah, a military strongman messiah who would appear and lead them out of oppression and to freedom. By "messiah" they meant conquering hero and liberator, not prophet. None appeared. Then came the rabbi Joshua ben Joseph, who through translations into Greek and Latin became known as "Jesus". His message, of acquiesence to Roman power (render unto Caesar), emphasis on eternal afterlife rather than temporal earthly life, and pacifism, did not please them, although it attracted a fairly large band of followers, followers who understand the futlitly of resisting the Romans and found his promise of eternal life hereafter appealing. They knew they were destined to endure misery their entire lives, and were willing to so do in exchange for eventual unending bliss. The compromised, "aternative reality" as Trump followers might say, gained popularity, and spread rapidly by Saul of Tarsus turned saint Paul, among others. Obviously, its an appealing message for anyone, now or then, whose life is filled with suffering, as all lives are. Hence, the cult of the Hebrew prophet turned spiritual messsiah-savior spread throughout the Mediterrean basin and Romam Empire, using the well developed road system of the empire. For whom is the christian message not appealing, in its rudimentary form? With it, one can essentially escape death. "Pure was Jesus in his passion, in his heart but one God serving. Who of him a God would fashion, from his sacred will is swerving". (Goethe). The first followers simply called their message "the truth". The term "Christ", meaning savior, and "Christian" evolved later, cannonized, along with the Bible, at the Council of Nicea in 325 A.D..Jesus knew where his bread was buttered, and quickly recongized, as he became popular, that he would be perceived as a threat to the Hebrew power extablishment. Therefore he was quick to remind anyone within earshot that he came not to challenge existing Hebrew law, the "Old Testament", but merely to augment and amplify it. A good way to avoid trouble, and prosecution. Obviously, it didn't pan out. The notion that Christ knew from the outset that he was "God", knew that he would be tortured to death, and that his death would redeem the eternal souls of all who worshipped him, is highly questionable. A new religion thus emerged from within the old, and thus, today's Christian community has a "love-hate" relationship with Judaism. Actually, Jesus became a God, part God, part human, by being elected to the position at the council of Nicea, after a vigorous debate, whereat all the basic Christian dogma sprang into existence at the behest of the Roman Emporer Constantine, whose intent was to standardize the religion for his own political purpose, he having converted to it for the same reasons, pesonal, political. He too knew where his bread was buttered within the framework of the rapidly spreading faith, which by that time was clearly destined to conquer the Roman empire, despite its strenuous initial opposition from the Roman establishment. The Christian religion, a cult gone viral, has always been a work kn progress, and still is. There is a different version of Christianity every century, and although, like all religions, it seems destined to wither away in the future, we have yet to see its final version.