Jesus in Court
So now there's a court case in which an Italian priest has to convince the court that Jesus existed (see the story in the Times). Presumably the court will be taken up with evidence. Interestingly the evidence of the Gospel accounts is already being discounted. One wonders whether Julius Caesar was a figment of someones imagination? But of course the issue has never been the evidence. After all we live in a culture which accepts the usefulness of detox diets and believes that Elvis is living in a WW2 bomber on the moon. Many believe things in the teeth of the evidence. Most decisions, even important ones, are taken on the basis of trust without any evidence ever being tested. Christian faith, saving faith, is never blind. But it is faith, it is trust. Exercised in response to something that really is there. Yes it is a step further than the evidence goes. If it wasn't it wouldn't be faith. Will it persuade the Italian magistrate? I'm not convinced. I am convinced that Jesus lived a life I could not live, died a death I could not die, and now lives a life that I share. What did it for me? Not just the evidence, but the evidence plus experience.
So now there's a court case in which an Italian priest has to convince the court that Jesus existed (see the story in the Times). Presumably the court will be taken up with evidence. Interestingly the evidence of the Gospel accounts is already being discounted. One wonders whether Julius Caesar was a figment of someones imagination? But of course the issue has never been the evidence. After all we live in a culture which accepts the usefulness of detox diets and believes that Elvis is living in a WW2 bomber on the moon. Many believe things in the teeth of the evidence. Most decisions, even important ones, are taken on the basis of trust without any evidence ever being tested. Christian faith, saving faith, is never blind. But it is faith, it is trust. Exercised in response to something that really is there. Yes it is a step further than the evidence goes. If it wasn't it wouldn't be faith. Will it persuade the Italian magistrate? I'm not convinced. I am convinced that Jesus lived a life I could not live, died a death I could not die, and now lives a life that I share. What did it for me? Not just the evidence, but the evidence plus experience.
posted by Paul at 1:42 AM
1 Comments:
Reading this after seeing your comment on blethers makes things clearer! I'd go along with the evidence + experience - when I was teaching my pupils sometimes asked me about grounds for faith and I made the analogy with falling in love. Just as total, not capable of proof, and seen in its effects on the lover's life.
Gerald Priestland once likened religious belief to riding a two wheeler. It looks impossible and takes a certain amount of trust in the early stages - but it works. And if you worry about why it's working you wobble and may fall off!
Now you'll see why I didn't ask this question instead fo the one I did .....
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