Why did Jesus have to die?

[Bork]

None of the things you mention address his question of why an all powerful and good god requires a painful death on the cross in order to get people into heaven.

Just saying symbolism, martyrdom, 'my blood is the seed of the church', is not a coherent or adequate explanation. Good all powerful beings dont require human sacrafice.

God would presumably have known he'd be back a couple of days later anyway - so does that really constitute death?

It's because "without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness". See, it takes blood to be forgiven, because... well... because God is a hemomaniac. He first created vampires in his image, because they like blood too. But they got out of control. And, well, that's why he created the sun to kill them. Catholics appease him by turning the wine into blood at every mass.

[hashi92]

This is exactly why there is so much violence in the world people shedding blood for their religon. I wonder if the world would be a more peaceful place if there were no religon.

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This is exactly why there is so much violence in the world people shedding blood for their religon. I wonder if the world would be a more peaceful place if there were no religon.

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I'm not so convinced that religion is the reason why there is "so much violence in the world". I think there are very clear aspects of human nature that lead to violence. Absent religion, do you honestly feel that there would be nothing to fuel these innate human(animal) drives, actions and reactions?

Nor do I see the direct correlation between religion and universal physical acts such as murder, rape, theft, assault, torture, etc.

[hashi92]

Good point. Its just that so many people have lost their lives due to holy wars. the catholic church has murdered tons of people in the name of god. i guess religon is a good excuse for other countries to invade and conquer.

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i guess religon is a good excuse for other countries to invade and conquer.


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What wars in the 20th century were initiated by religion?

Hmmm well, getting back to one of the earlier posts, blood is symbolic of life. I remember reading a story of a doctor who had to give his own blood to save a patient because the patients family members would not because it was his lifeblood.
I think there is a lot to be learned from the symbols used in religion, like blood. It's not about murder but about life and laws, like the law that God set in place...or was in place because of who God was... That, blood is neccessary for the forigivess of sins. And it is a widespread symbol of life across all cultures, maybe a useful symbol to use.

[hashi92]

why do u need to shed blood. why not do a good deed or shed some tears.

Try to answer this more secular question:

Why, upon initiation into the KGB during its prominence, did a man need first to be either stabbed brutally with a knife or have his arm broken by those auditing his worthiness of "membership"?