Sir Brian Mawhinney MP states that 69% of the world's population lead hopeless lives.
According to the recently published second edition of the "World Christian Encyclopaedia" (Oxford University Press) a minority 31% of the world's population practice amongst themselves 33,820 variations of the Christian religion. Approximately 1.9 billion people world-wide claim to be followers of the Biblical character Jesus Christ, which encompasses every level of Christian belief from the literalist/fundamentalist Southern Baptists in the US, to the mostly unconcerned, Church of England 'hatch, match and despatch' variant in th UK.
Recently, the British Member of Parliament, Sir Brian Mawhinney, published his comments on the Christian variation of the ancient Easter story, which can be found here:
http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/CCFHUB/BMEASTER.htm
In the article Mawhinney incorrectly states that Mary Magdalene was a close disciple of Jesus of Nazareth - but there is almost no biblical evidence of this assertion. Mary Magdalene is only mentioned twelve times by name in the twenty-seven books of New Testament, and then only in the four gospels. She is mentioned once (in Luke) before the resurrection story - and at all other times in the four gospels is mentioned only at the time of the supposed crucifixion/resurrection. Hardly a close disciple when considering that the character of Jesus as portrayed in the Bible was approximately thirty-three years old when the last few episodes of his story were meant to have taken place. (In fact, Mary Magdalene is mentioned exactly the same amount of times in the book of Luke as the word 'fryingpan' is mentioned in the Old Testament book of Leviticus - twice.) He also forgets to mention that Mary Magdalene was cured, by Jesus, of incubating "seven devils". (Mark 16:09) One wonders if Sir Brian still ascribes to the theory that devils and demons exist on the planet earth and inhabit humans in all the various forms of disease and illness - as was wrongly believed by the early Christian scribes. (Incidentally, according to recent Franciscan archaeological research, there is no evidence whatsoever of a settlement at Nazareth prior to the second century AD.)
He also forgets to mention that the gospel accounts of Jesus' resurrection are four irreconcilable accounts. It is a fact that no one on the planet, not even the greatest theological scholars who ever lived have yet been able to cobble together the resurrection story into one coherent, uncontradictory version.
He forgot to mention that one account of the Jesus resurrection story contains a logical impossibility. (Mark 16:08)
Unfortunately for Mawhinney, the Easter story/festival is predated by several religions world-wide, including Mithraism, Hinduism, and Egyptian sun worship, and was always celebrated at the vernal equinox. The word 'Easter' was culled by the early followers of Christianity from (amongst others) the 'pagan' deities Ishtar, Astarte and Astoreth (or Isis). Mawhinney states that Jesus' resurrection "separates Christianity from the other great world religions" - here he forgets that Hinduism is a great world religion followed by almost a billion people. Consequently he has obviously forgotten the Hindu story of Krishna - which predates Christianity by at least 1000 years. There is no need to wonder where the anonymous writers of the four gospels borrowed their resurrection story from when considering the following * :
Krishna was born of the Virgin Devaki ("Divine One")
His father was a carpenter
His birth was attended by angels, wise men and shepherds, and he was presented with gold, frankincense and myrrh.
He was persecuted by a tyrant who ordered the slaughter of thousands of infants.
He was of royal descent.
He was baptised in the River Ganges.
He worked miracles and wonders.
He raised the dead and healed lepers, the deaf and the blind.
Krishna used parables to teach the people about charity and love.
"He lived poor and he loved the poor."
He was transfigured in front of his disciples.
In some traditions he died on a tree or was crucified between two thieves.
He rose from the dead and ascended to heaven.
Krishna is called the "Shepherd God" and "Lord of lords," and was considered "the Redeemer, Firstborn, Sin Bearer, Liberator, Universal Word."
He is the second person of the Trinity, and proclaimed himself the "Resurrection" and the "way to the Father."
He was considered the "Beginning, the Middle and the End," ("Alpha and Omega"), as well as being omniscient, omnipresent and omnipotent.
His disciples bestowed upon him the title "Jezeus," meaning "pure essence."
Krishna is to return to do battle with the "Prince of Evil," who will desolate the earth.
In the article Mawhinney does mention Paul's first epistle to the Corinthians:
"And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain. Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not." (I Corinthians 15:14-15)
His parting statement in the article is: "Unless we believe in the resurrection life remains, literally, hope-less."
Does this British MP really have the right to accuse 69% of the world's population of leading hopeless lives? One would contend that it does not matter if he means hopelessness in their real or spiritual lives. Maybe he should adopt a more Christian attitude in what he writes for public consumption? Perhaps he should stick to what the British public currently pay him for - representation of his constituency, and representation of the general public and nation in the capacity of political opposition. I for one do not want him representing scientifically ignorant, religiously/politically motivated, bronze-age middle eastern Judeo-Christian scribes, here in England, here in the twenty-first century.
Sir Brian Mawhinney MP
"If you believe in the existence of fairies at the bottom of the garden you are deemed fit for the bin. If you believe in parthenogenesis, ascension, transubstantiation and all the rest of it you are deemed fit to govern the country." - Jonathan Meades
* From http://www.truthbeknown.com/origins.htm by Acharya S.
