For millions of Christians across the world, Easter is the culmination of the mystery of their faith: the triumph of life over death, of goodness over evil, of redemption over sin.
Thank you David. It is indeed amazing how impactful Jesus’ life and death was. I had not really considered before how different his message was in respect to the existing Judaism that he was born into in respect to the life after death.
Sad post, especially at Easter, clearly we don't share the same faith; but I can tell you that from a Catholic and anecdotal perspective - the death of Christ and His Resurrection provide hope and resilience to one's life, however dire or distressing the circumstances. It allows people at the end of life to let go when the priest comes to read the last rights. It lets the lonely know they are never quite alone. It gives people purpose. I could write more, but I don't really feel like explaining it to you. Perhaps you could have timed it a little better, considering that the desecration of Christianity spans the Olympics to Netflix to burning churches.
I think you got the wrong end of the stick. My point is, there is a "folly" to the cross, as St. Paul says, that does not quite square with merely human logic. I point out in the piece that the joy Christians find in spite of suffering is something that can be hard to understand without the light of faith. There is a leap of faith, that brings joy. Christianity is not just another cheap "feel good" thing. It requires a leap of faith, and requires renouncing a lot of popular ideas. I think that is a message of hope. I think you've completely misunderstood what I wrote. But I'm sorry if anything I wrote could make you think I am not hopeful about the Christian faith, which I share as a Catholic.
See this comment in particular which makes it very clear that I am saying the Christian faith defies a merely human logic, calls us to something greater and higher: "I am not suggesting that Christians cannot be happy in this life, or that the rewards of their fidelity are confined to the next life. But the type of joy that Christians profess to seek - a joy amidst even the most gruelling forms of suffering - is beyond the grasp of the human mind, unassisted by faith. It is literally a “sign of contradiction” that a pagan mind, or a mind unenlightened by faith, cannot make sense of." I am saying exactly what you are saying in your comment.
Thank you David. It is indeed amazing how impactful Jesus’ life and death was. I had not really considered before how different his message was in respect to the existing Judaism that he was born into in respect to the life after death.
Sad post, especially at Easter, clearly we don't share the same faith; but I can tell you that from a Catholic and anecdotal perspective - the death of Christ and His Resurrection provide hope and resilience to one's life, however dire or distressing the circumstances. It allows people at the end of life to let go when the priest comes to read the last rights. It lets the lonely know they are never quite alone. It gives people purpose. I could write more, but I don't really feel like explaining it to you. Perhaps you could have timed it a little better, considering that the desecration of Christianity spans the Olympics to Netflix to burning churches.
I think you got the wrong end of the stick. My point is, there is a "folly" to the cross, as St. Paul says, that does not quite square with merely human logic. I point out in the piece that the joy Christians find in spite of suffering is something that can be hard to understand without the light of faith. There is a leap of faith, that brings joy. Christianity is not just another cheap "feel good" thing. It requires a leap of faith, and requires renouncing a lot of popular ideas. I think that is a message of hope. I think you've completely misunderstood what I wrote. But I'm sorry if anything I wrote could make you think I am not hopeful about the Christian faith, which I share as a Catholic.
See this comment in particular which makes it very clear that I am saying the Christian faith defies a merely human logic, calls us to something greater and higher: "I am not suggesting that Christians cannot be happy in this life, or that the rewards of their fidelity are confined to the next life. But the type of joy that Christians profess to seek - a joy amidst even the most gruelling forms of suffering - is beyond the grasp of the human mind, unassisted by faith. It is literally a “sign of contradiction” that a pagan mind, or a mind unenlightened by faith, cannot make sense of." I am saying exactly what you are saying in your comment.