[AAAA]

Regarding the "resurrection" of Jesus, My own questions about the idea that Christ "died to save me from my sins" were answered as I was reading a "Course in Miracles," it hit me like a ton of bricks. Jesus was not attempting to save us, He was showing us that we were expected to save ourselves, or not, through the seemingly miraculous power to control our own situations, outside the traditional rules governing our physical lives. These abilities are given to any and all of us as sons and daughters of God or some Higher Power. We have the power to create the reality we believe we deserve.

There are several instances in the Bible where Jesus tells us that the use of miracles is not only for Him, but is given to us all to the extent we believe in our ability.

Getting back to the resurrection, Jesus volunteered to be put on the cross, to show one more time that others are not in control of us. He let the Romans do their damnedest to "kill" Him, then He showed up 3 days later alive and well.

The lesson to me is not that He died for our sins, but rather proof that no one could do anything to Him without His consent, and couldn't kill Him if He didn't permit them to try. Dis He suffer? I am not sure that He was even really "there." Seems more likely that the essence of Him was someplace much more comfortable.

Prisoners of war who survive terrible treatment talk of going inside themselves or finding another reality where they were in control of the situation, and not victim of what was being done around them. They mastered their own situation. It is akin to the idea that time passes quickly when you are having fun. Relativity isn't just for physicists.

After many years of wondering what was going on, and reading and asking questions, I have satisfied myself of the existence of multiple realities and choices. Too many things seem to have pointed to similar conclusions. Death is not so fearful a thought as it was 20 years ago. More and more I am excited about the opportunities that are yet to come than i am dreading physical mortality.

One final thought, about bad things happening to good people. If you allow that you are only in charge of your own perception of reality, and others are in charge of theirs, the so called atrocities or victories that seem to happen in this world are more a reflection on us, and what we believe can happen, than pain or ecstasy for someone else.