Forgiveness.

When I was quite young I wondered how there could be judgement and hell when Jesus was the epitome of forgiveness. 

Later I was heard to say that the first person forgiven after the Resurrection as Judas.

I assumed that somehow the Church had developed a different theology than the one suggested by the stories about Jesus.

Jesus even consorted with prostitutes and forgave the woman caught in adultery!

So where did the Churches' teachings come from?

In my experience the carrot and stick approach is enlisted by ruling elites in order to keep the masses under control.

And the Church was part of the Conservative Establishment.

   

So it would seem that instead of changing that State in line with Jesus' religion they had changed his religion to suit the State.

And they based their teachings upon such things as tradition which Jesus criticized in the Pharisees.

But it should be no surprise that Jesus' Church resembles the Pharisees. 

Both form part of the ruling establishment and therefore attract people who want power over others.

Hence the whited sepulchers.

It may come as a surprise to some, however, that this does not reflect the nature of God.

How could God's representatives not reflect the nature of God?

  

Precisely for the reasons stated above.

Jesus said that the world did not know God.

It still does not.

 

Photo Credit: Ole Brother Ben Flickr via Compfight cc