A true #Christian evangelist knows who was the first martyr of the faith, and also who killed him.
@paninid Able and Cain?
I’m pretty sure #Jesus was the first martyr of the #Christian faith.
Even #JohnTheBaptist never preached the crucifixion and resurrection in explicit terms, so he was not a Christian. #NiceneCreed
@jenny_wu @RenewedRebecca
If you classify Jesus of Nazareth as a “Christian” at the time of his crucifixion, sure.
I think he was, at the time, just another charismatic wandering rabbi.
No matter how we parse his beliefs, we are left with a pretty unmistakable picture that he believed something extraordinary about himself. That he was a literal offspring of David (David’s line had become historically irrelevant centuries before the rise and fall of the Hasmonean dynasty) and destined to be king, but not a literal conqueror. “My kingdom is not of this world” and all that
He was a Christian in his own sense, but maybe not in the modern sense
We know that notable historical figures are misquoted and credited with all sorts of aphorisms they never invented. When an author invents a pithy saying, it is more likely to be remembered when it is attributed to a historical notable.
We know that Albert #Einstein complained - often - about being misquoted on religion and politics and philosophy. And #ThomasJefferson complained likewise. 2/?
Einstein lived in the era of television and cassette tapes; Jefferson lived in the era of the printing press. So legitimate quotes could be preserved and false attributions discredited more easily; but it was still a problem.
The Buddha lived roughly 2500 years ago.
@paninid @RenewedRebecca
Regarding the Buddha; I had a bit of a Buddhist phase. I believed (and believe) that if he really said what the sutras taught, then his claim to have lived a previous life as a heavenly deva and to be totally enlightened was very credible.
Here’s the thing though: he probably did not say all the wise things attributed to him.
Why? 1/?