Why did Jesus DISappear when He did?

[Der_Trihs]

@ralph124c

As for the pagan world, Paul took charge of bringing the gospel to it. Hi work seems to have been effective.

Well, the Hindus, Buddhists, atheists and so on are still around; until they ( we ) are all converted or killed Paul’s work isn’t done. Some more supernatural help would have made Christianity more plausible to unbelievers, and helped along the extermination of those who won’t convert.

[Nic2004]

You can’t convince a believer of anything; for their belief is not based on evidence, it’s based on a deep-seated need to believe.

Carl Sagan

I usually don’t even bother with these discussions for this reason. I only hope that someone that is having doubts and problems with the logic of religion will be given courage to keep looking and keep thinking.

[Thudlow_Boink]

The OP seems to be working from the premise that if Jesus had stuck around longer and done more miracles, more people would have believed in him. I’m not so sure. They might have believed he some special powers, but that wouldn’t have made them any more convinced of his moral authority or his divine status.

[Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor]

Or, He just split for JAPAN, Dude.

[badchad]

@ralph124c

I too, find Christ’s departure a bit of a puzzle. but he did tell his followers that his work was finished-“I am with you all days, untill the end of the world”.

“I am with you all days…” means “his work was finished?” This reminds my of George Bernard Shaw’s statement: “No man ever believes that the Bible means what it says: He is always convinced that it says what he means.”

I subscribe to the idea that the Almighty wants us to find our own paths, and that having an all-powerful being around would be counterproductive.

You are correct. It would be extremely counterproductive, especially if your goal was to watch most of the world burn in hell for not believing in you.

[badchad]

@FriarTed

Jesus ascended, the Holy Spirit endowed the Apostolic Church, the Apostles went through the Roman Empire & beyond also doing miracles, healing, casting out demons/madness (whatever)…

Which begs the question, why did power of other believers to do miracles stop, coincidentally, prior to that advent of cameras, video recorders (whatever).

I am curious FriarTed, do you believe in the Greek miracles described in the Homer? If not, by what means do you accept the biblical miracles but not the Homeric ones?

If He’d has stuck around, His buddies would be hard-pressed to get off their duffs to go anywhere.

Right, the cost of getting your 12 buddies off their butts is cheap at any price, particularly if it’s only that of a few billion souls burning in hell.

[Contrapuntal]

@Mayo Speaks!

We must believe that Jesus is the Messiah simply because we feel in our hearts that it is true, not because we see an impressive magic trick. That is the nature of faith. Of course, this is the Gospel according to Mayo Speaks!, and I don’t claim to speak for other Christians.

Well, according to Mayo, why is he in your heart and not in mine? Why would he communicate with some humans and not others? Why is it not the case that every single human being, upon quickening or birth or conception, or whatever moment you choose, should receive a message from God? That’s all it would take. He created the universe and is everywhere in it, right? He needs only to show himself unequvocably and all this murder and mayhem would cease.