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Slartibartfast · 07-16-2004, 10:57 PM

The words in the Bible are a big question mark, your right. Did Jesus just keep rising forever, out of the atmosphere, out into space, into a wormhole? Was it some dimensional effect? Where is heaven? It seems to be 'up'. Those Christians that teach that Jesus really did rise into heaven (and I think almost all sects do), are asking you to swollow something scientifically impossible. If you don't buy into miracles you're just out of luck. But what more can be said about the description? Note the part in Mark where it says "and sat down at the right hand of God". If what you had at first was an eyewitness account of a man rising into the sky, is the part I quote also an eyewitness account of Jesus then sitting down next to God while up in Heaven? Does that hint at this writing having been a vision someone experienced rather than an eyewitness acount? It might, I don't know.

A big point of the ascension is that Jesus didn't die (again) and isn't buried anywhere, but that he actually went to heaven with his physical body. This (at least with Catholics) is also what happens with Mary (though I don't think that part is actually in the Bible). It is the belief that Jesus went to heaven physically and didn't die that is the core teaching of the Ascension. The actual description of the event in the Bible can be questioned and speculated on any number of ways. But I'm no theologan or expert, just someone with enough of an idea to write himself into a corner.

Putting Easter in April has to do with the last supper happening on Passover, so the events at the end of Jesus' life can be pinned to the Jewish calendar. IMHO trying to celebrate the exact date isn't the point, the calendar has changed so many ways in 2000 years, but Passover is about in the same part of the calendar year ever year. Christmas was arbitrarily (intentionally) placed near the winter solistice, noone knows what day Jesus was really born.

07-16-2004, 10:57 PM	#7
Slartibartfast \|-0-\| <-0-> \|-0-\| Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: New Jersey Posts: 516	The words in the Bible are a big question mark, your right. Did Jesus just keep rising forever, out of the atmosphere, out into space, into a wormhole? Was it some dimensional effect? Where is heaven? It seems to be 'up'. Those Christians that teach that Jesus really did rise into heaven (and I think almost all sects do), are asking you to swollow something scientifically impossible. If you don't buy into miracles you're just out of luck. But what more can be said about the description? Note the part in Mark where it says "and sat down at the right hand of God". If what you had at first was an eyewitness account of a man rising into the sky, is the part I quote also an eyewitness account of Jesus then sitting down next to God while up in Heaven? Does that hint at this writing having been a vision someone experienced rather than an eyewitness acount? It might, I don't know. A big point of the ascension is that Jesus didn't die (again) and isn't buried anywhere, but that he actually went to heaven with his physical body. This (at least with Catholics) is also what happens with Mary (though I don't think that part is actually in the Bible). It is the belief that Jesus went to heaven physically and didn't die that is the core teaching of the Ascension. The actual description of the event in the Bible can be questioned and speculated on any number of ways. But I'm no theologan or expert, just someone with enough of an idea to write himself into a corner. Putting Easter in April has to do with the last supper happening on Passover, so the events at the end of Jesus' life can be pinned to the Jewish calendar. IMHO trying to celebrate the exact date isn't the point, the calendar has changed so many ways in 2000 years, but Passover is about in the same part of the calendar year ever year. Christmas was arbitrarily (intentionally) placed near the winter solistice, noone knows what day Jesus was really born.