Reply #26: according to them [View All]

[hfojvt]

it is his death and resurrection which are the key, not his teaching, although I do not find that message in his teaching. If you take away the resurrection, Jesus is lowered to the level of Socrates or Bertrand Russell, or maybe to Moses and Elijah. The Passion is supposed to show two things - the love of God (in taking the beating and death) and the depravity of people (in delivering the beating and death). So they end up with a tough outlook, determined to toe the line and shake a finger at those who don't.