New series in John

John 7 1 After this, Jesus went around in Galilee. He did not want to go about in Judea because the Jewish leaders there were looking for a way to kill him.

Luke With one voice they cried out, "Away with this man! Release Barabbas to us!" 19 (Barabbas had been thrown into prison for an insurrection in the city, and for murder.) 20 Wanting to release Jesus, Pilate appealed to them again. 21 But they kept shouting, "Crucify him! Crucify him!" 22 For the third time he spoke to them: "Why? What crime has this man committed? I have found in him no grounds for the death penalty. Therefore I will have him punished and then release him." 23 But with loud shouts they insistently demanded that he be crucified, and their shouts prevailed.

Mark Again and again they struck him on the head with a staff and spat on him. Falling on their knees, they paid homage to him. 20 And when they had mocked him, they took off the purple robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him out to crucify him.

Matthew Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads 40 and saying, "You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself! Come down from the cross, if you are the Son of God!" 41 In the same way the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders mocked him. 42 "He saved others," they said, "but he can't save himself! He's the King of Israel! Let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. 43 He trusts in God. Let God rescue him now if he wants him, for he said, `I am the Son of God.'"

I say quite deliberately that the Christian religion, as organized in its churches, has been and still is the principal enemy of moral progress in the world. Bertrand Russell I say quite deliberately that the Christian religion, as organized in its churches, has been and still is the principal enemy of moral progress in the world. Bertrand Russell

I regard monotheism as the greatest disaster ever to befall the human race. I see no good in Judaism, Christianity, or Islam -- good people, yes, but any religion based on a single, frenzied and virulent god, is not useful. Gore Vidal I regard monotheism as the greatest disaster ever to befall the human race. I see no good in Judaism, Christianity, or Islam -- good people, yes, but any religion based on a single, frenzied and virulent god, is not useful. Gore Vidal

"When one person suffers from a delusion, it is called insanity. When many people suffer from a delusion it is called Religion." — Richard Dawkins (The God Delusion) "When one person suffers from a delusion, it is called insanity. When many people suffer from a delusion it is called Religion." — Richard Dawkins (The God Delusion)

Are the reasons for the anger the same? Can we learn anything for our living?

Put compassion before rules John 7 1 After this, Jesus went around in Galilee. He did not want to go about in Judea because the Jewish leaders there were looking for a way to kill him. John 5 18 For this reason they tried all the more to kill him; not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God. Healing on Sabbath Woman at the well Woman caught in adultery Zacchaeus Good Samaritan Prodigal son Turning the other cheek Healing Lepers Cleansing the temple Centurions servant

Put compassion before rules Implied he was divine John 7 1 After this, Jesus went around in Galilee. He did not want to go about in Judea because the Jewish leaders there were looking for a way to kill him. John 5 18 For this reason they tried all the more to kill him; not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God. Forgiving Declaring oneness with the Father Commanding the waves Giving commandments Tearing down and rebuilding temple Accepting worship

Perceptions that We cause war and terrorism "Many of us saw religion as harmless nonsense. Beliefs might lack all supporting evidence but, we thought, if people needed a crutch for consolation, where's the harm? September 11th changed all that." — Richard Dawkins "Many of us saw religion as harmless nonsense. Beliefs might lack all supporting evidence but, we thought, if people needed a crutch for consolation, where's the harm? September 11th changed all that." — Richard Dawkins

Perceptions that We cause war and terrorism My last vestige of "hands off religion" respect disappeared in the smoke and choking dust of September 11th 2001, followed by the "National Day of Prayer," when prelates and pastors did their tremulous Martin Luther King impersonations and urged people of mutually incompatible faiths to hold hands, united in homage to the very force that caused the problem in the first place. -- Richard Dawkins, The Devil's Chaplain (2004) My last vestige of "hands off religion" respect disappeared in the smoke and choking dust of September 11th 2001, followed by the "National Day of Prayer," when prelates and pastors did their tremulous Martin Luther King impersonations and urged people of mutually incompatible faiths to hold hands, united in homage to the very force that caused the problem in the first place. -- Richard Dawkins, The Devil's Chaplain (2004)

Perceptions that We cause war and terrorism Intolerance Bigotry Judgementalism My point is not that religion itself is the motivation for wars, murders and terrorist attacks, but that religion is the principal label, and the most dangerous one, by which a "they" as opposed to a "we" can be identified at all. -- Richard Dawkins, The Devil's Chaplain (2004) My point is not that religion itself is the motivation for wars, murders and terrorist attacks, but that religion is the principal label, and the most dangerous one, by which a "they" as opposed to a "we" can be identified at all. -- Richard Dawkins, The Devil's Chaplain (2004)

Perceptions that We cause war and terrorism 2. We follow an unloving God The total amount of suffering per year in the natural world is beyond all decent contemplation... some people are going to get hurt, other people are going to get lucky, and you won't find any rhyme or reason in it, nor any justice. The universe that we observe has precisely the properties we should expect if there is, at bottom, no design, no purpose, no evil, no good, nothing but pitiless indifference. -- Richard Dawkins, "God's Utility Function," published in Scientific American (November, 1995), p. 85 The total amount of suffering per year in the natural world is beyond all decent contemplation... some people are going to get hurt, other people are going to get lucky, and you won't find any rhyme or reason in it, nor any justice. The universe that we observe has precisely the properties we should expect if there is, at bottom, no design, no purpose, no evil, no good, nothing but pitiless indifference. -- Richard Dawkins, "God's Utility Function," published in Scientific American (November, 1995), p. 85

Perceptions that We cause war and terrorism 2. We follow an unloving God "The God of the Old Testament is arguably the most unpleasant character in all fiction: jealous and proud of it; a petty, unjust, unforgiving control-freak; a vindictive, bloodthirsty ethnic cleanser; a misogynistic, homophobic, racist, infanticidal, genocidal, filicidal, pestilential, megalomaniacal, sadomasochistic, capriciously malevolent bully." — Richard Dawkins (The God Delusion)

Perceptions that We cause war and terrorism 2. We follow an unloving God 3. We oppose science and reason I am against religion because it teaches us to be satisfied with not understanding the world. -- Richard Dawkins I am against religion because it teaches us to be satisfied with not understanding the world. -- Richard Dawkins

Perceptions that We cause war and terrorism 2. We follow an unloving God 3. We oppose science and reason Faith is the great cop-out, the great excuse to evade the need to think and evaluate evidence. Faith is belief in spite of, even perhaps because of, the lack of evidence. -- Richard Dawkins, Untitled Lecture, Edinburgh Science Festival (1992) Faith is the great cop-out, the great excuse to evade the need to think and evaluate evidence. Faith is belief in spite of, even perhaps because of, the lack of evidence. -- Richard Dawkins, Untitled Lecture, Edinburgh Science Festival (1992)

Perceptions that We cause war and terrorism 2. We follow an unloving God 3. We oppose science and reason Put compassion before rules Implied he the loving compassionate God made man Jesus...

Counter perceptions that We cause war and terrorism 2. We follow an unloving God 3. We oppose science and reason By demonstrating the pre-eminence of compassion, mercy and forgiveness not rules, ritual and traditions By proclaiming the character of Jesus as the divine nature of God

Counter perceptions that We cause war and terrorism 2. We follow an unloving God 3. We oppose science and reason Religion is fundamentally opposed to everything I hold in veneration--courage, clear thinking, honesty, fairness, and, above all, love of the truth. H.L. Mencken Religion is fundamentally opposed to everything I hold in veneration--courage, clear thinking, honesty, fairness, and, above all, love of the truth. H.L. Mencken

Counter perceptions that We cause war and terrorism 2. We follow an unloving God 3. We oppose science and reason Not confusing and devaluing the importance of understanding who made the world, by debating how or when

So if the anger is our fault and can be rectified then why don’t more believe?

1 Corinthians 1 18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

1 Corinthians 1: 18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. Humans need forgiveness The cross: Sin needs punishing Behaviour that hurts is sin To hurt self has no consequence because self has no value Our value is so great that God is angry when we hurt ourselves World’s wisdom: God’s wisdom

1 Corinthians 1: 18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. Humans need forgiveness The cross: Sin needs punishing Behaviour that hurts needs forgiveness from God Sin needs no other forgiver because no one else is involved Our value is so great that God is hurt when his creation is damaged World’s wisdom: God’s wisdom

1 Corinthians 1: 18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. Humans need forgiveness The cross: Sin needs punishing Man’s problem is low self esteem, this is made worse by talk of needing forgiveness - we should stop talking of wrongdoing and we will feel better Our value is great World’s wisdom: God’s wisdom

1 Corinthians 1: 18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. Humans need forgiveness The cross: Sin needs punishing Our value is great World’s wisdom: God’s wisdom Guilt is not relieved by ignoring but by facing and confessing

1 Corinthians 1: 18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. Humans need forgiveness The cross: That death is not the end Religion teaches the dangerous nonsense that death is not the end. -- Richard Dawkins, "Religion's Misguided Missiles" Religion teaches the dangerous nonsense that death is not the end. -- Richard Dawkins, "Religion's Misguided Missiles" Our value is great; confession brings peace World’s wisdom: God’s wisdom Eternal life: the joy before us

1 Corinthians 1: 18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. Humans need forgiveness The cross: God takes our sin on himself God became human Jesus a prophet World’s wisdom: Our value is great; confession brings peace God’s wisdom Emmanuel - God with us

1 Corinthians 1 18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.” 20 Where are the wise? Where is the teacher of the law? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21 For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe.

1 Corinthians 1 22 Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, 24 but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.

1 Corinthians 1 26 Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 28 God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not— to nullify the things that are, 29 so that no one may boast before him. 30 It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. 31 Therefore, as it is written: “Let those who boast boast in the Lord.”

Questions for reflection: Are people more likely to be angry with me because I am judgemental or merciful? Is the cross foolishness or wisdom to me? Am I aware of... my value to God, the cost to him of my sin and desire he has to redeem me?