I have to accept whatever comes when I wander into a veritable hornet's nest!
A few observations if I may. Firstly, when different religions make mutually, logically contradictory claims, they can't all be right. If Jesus is the Son of God (Christianity), He can't also not be (Islam says that's impossible). If He was crucified (Bible), He can't also not have been (Qur'an says He categorically wasn't).
Secondly, one of the sins of our present age is relativism. "Everything is relative" we are told. Well, the person who said that by definition said something absolute since they said everything, EVERYTHING is relative. It's a fundamental and well-recognised contradiction within relativism. Most people swallow it though, and some apply secular values with a fundamentalist zeal that the most evangelical Christian fanatic would envy! Hence the banning of wearing a cross at work for instance in case if "offends people of other faiths" or the banning of any reference to religion that is somhow supposed to be compatible with the organisation's "equality and diversity policy". Jesus commanded His followers to go and make disciples of all nations; you cannot in one sentence tell me that I have the right to religious freedom and then forbid me from sharing my faith with others, since if you forbid me from sharing my faith, you are preventing me from practising something that my religious founder commanded me to do, and you are no longer respecting my freedom of religion. Indeed, you are imposing your beliefs about what I should believe, or what I should take out of my belief system.
I rather like the analogy of dfferent seekrs of religion being people searching on a mountain for the one true God who is actually at the top of the mountain looking down at them all. They can't see Him, but He can see them as they all struggle up the mountain side, oblivious to one another, in their search for universal truth. In fact I'm sure plenty of people people like that analogy and can identify with it. However, there is a sting in the tail. The only person who is actually at the top of the mountain looking down on everyone, is God, so if you like the metaphor you are unwittingly puttting yourself in the position of God, high above all the other seekers!
The Christian faith ultimately comes down to one thing: was it, or was it not, empty? Everything else stems from the historical question was the tomb empty on the first Easter Sunday. If it was, it forces us to ask searching questions about Jesus - if He has the authority to overcome even death, then who is He, if not who He says He is? And if we believe that He is risen from the dead, we have to deal with all the "baggage" surrounding his various claims - that He is the gate, the way and the truth and the life, the Messiah, the Son of Man, the Son of God.
As for the question, did Jesus actually ever claim to be God, well, yes, several times. Most notably John 8:58 "I tell you the truth," Jesus answered, "before Abraham was born, I am!" - the context being a reference to the divine name of God in Exodus, when God tells Moses His name is I am; Jesus takes that same divine name and applies it to Himself and almost gets stoned for blasphemy. And Matthew 26:63-64, The high priest said to him, "I charge you under oath by the living God: Tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God." "Yes, it is as you say," Jesus replied. "But I say to all of you: In the future you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven." In this case Jesus applies to Himself the two divine titles Son of God and Son of Man (from Daniel 7:13-14 - In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence.He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all peoples, nations and men of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.) It was that utterance that passed on him the death sentence from the High Priest.
Belief in a genteel big white-bearded grandfather in the sky, however much Richard Dawkins lampoons Christians, is precisely that: a straw man. Strictly optional in Christian belief! As for the original premise, I have no idea why organs in churchs whose vicars believe in the uniqueness of Christ should be any more at risk than organs in churches with dwindling congregations led by liberal clergy...In fact they quite possibly have a better chance in churches that believe in something!
A few observations if I may. Firstly, when different religions make mutually, logically contradictory claims, they can't all be right. If Jesus is the Son of God (Christianity), He can't also not be (Islam says that's impossible). If He was crucified (Bible), He can't also not have been (Qur'an says He categorically wasn't).
Secondly, one of the sins of our present age is relativism. "Everything is relative" we are told. Well, the person who said that by definition said something absolute since they said everything, EVERYTHING is relative. It's a fundamental and well-recognised contradiction within relativism. Most people swallow it though, and some apply secular values with a fundamentalist zeal that the most evangelical Christian fanatic would envy! Hence the banning of wearing a cross at work for instance in case if "offends people of other faiths" or the banning of any reference to religion that is somhow supposed to be compatible with the organisation's "equality and diversity policy". Jesus commanded His followers to go and make disciples of all nations; you cannot in one sentence tell me that I have the right to religious freedom and then forbid me from sharing my faith with others, since if you forbid me from sharing my faith, you are preventing me from practising something that my religious founder commanded me to do, and you are no longer respecting my freedom of religion. Indeed, you are imposing your beliefs about what I should believe, or what I should take out of my belief system.
I rather like the analogy of dfferent seekrs of religion being people searching on a mountain for the one true God who is actually at the top of the mountain looking down at them all. They can't see Him, but He can see them as they all struggle up the mountain side, oblivious to one another, in their search for universal truth. In fact I'm sure plenty of people people like that analogy and can identify with it. However, there is a sting in the tail. The only person who is actually at the top of the mountain looking down on everyone, is God, so if you like the metaphor you are unwittingly puttting yourself in the position of God, high above all the other seekers!
The Christian faith ultimately comes down to one thing: was it, or was it not, empty? Everything else stems from the historical question was the tomb empty on the first Easter Sunday. If it was, it forces us to ask searching questions about Jesus - if He has the authority to overcome even death, then who is He, if not who He says He is? And if we believe that He is risen from the dead, we have to deal with all the "baggage" surrounding his various claims - that He is the gate, the way and the truth and the life, the Messiah, the Son of Man, the Son of God.
As for the question, did Jesus actually ever claim to be God, well, yes, several times. Most notably John 8:58 "I tell you the truth," Jesus answered, "before Abraham was born, I am!" - the context being a reference to the divine name of God in Exodus, when God tells Moses His name is I am; Jesus takes that same divine name and applies it to Himself and almost gets stoned for blasphemy. And Matthew 26:63-64, The high priest said to him, "I charge you under oath by the living God: Tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God." "Yes, it is as you say," Jesus replied. "But I say to all of you: In the future you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven." In this case Jesus applies to Himself the two divine titles Son of God and Son of Man (from Daniel 7:13-14 - In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence.He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all peoples, nations and men of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.) It was that utterance that passed on him the death sentence from the High Priest.
Belief in a genteel big white-bearded grandfather in the sky, however much Richard Dawkins lampoons Christians, is precisely that: a straw man. Strictly optional in Christian belief! As for the original premise, I have no idea why organs in churchs whose vicars believe in the uniqueness of Christ should be any more at risk than organs in churches with dwindling congregations led by liberal clergy...In fact they quite possibly have a better chance in churches that believe in something!