Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 exptools 1/6/84; site ihuxi.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxj!ihnp4!ihuxi!russ From: russ@ihuxi.UUCP (Russell Spence) Newsgroups: net.religion Subject: Jesus vs. the big D Message-ID: <1107@ihuxi.UUCP> Date: Mon, 24-Sep-84 11:50:17 EDT Article-I.D.: ihuxi.1107 Posted: Mon Sep 24 11:50:17 1984 Date-Received: Wed, 26-Sep-84 08:29:00 EDT Organization: AT&T Bell Labs, Naperville, IL Lines: 33 > -- Jeff Sargent > {decvax|harpo|ihnp4|inuxc|seismo|ucbvax}!pur-ee!pucc-h:aeq > "Jesus looked Death in the eye, and Death blinked first." I've seen this on Jeff's sign-off line a couple of times now, and every time I saw it, it bothered me. To me, Jesus and Death do not belong in the same universe. To use both of them in one sentence is simply farcical. (Jeff, if it was meant to be humorous then I have no problem with it, and I would hate to alienate another netter over something as silly as a sign-off line). Death (with a capital D. you know the scythe wielding, black robed skeleton) is something of a mythical or symbolic symbol. When your time comes up he shows up at your door and with one stroke of his scythe, he sends you off into oblivion. I am not sure of the origins of this image, but I am pretty sure it is not Christian. I always thought that according to the Christian tradition, that God was the arbiter of your death, and that when you died you were judged by God. With Death thrown in like that it brings up all kinds of other questions. Is Death just one of God's angels? If so, why isn't he mentioned in the Bible? (or am I just making myself look stupid because I haven't seen it?). Is he in league with Satan? If so, then does that mean that God doesn't have control over the time of your death? The passage seems to imply that Jesus is fighting Death. Not just our physical or spiritual death but an entity named Death that seeks to steal our souls. There seems to be confusion of symbols here (possibly on my part). Christians should be careful of this kind of confusion (at least one person, me, was confused) because it may alienate some people and it causes a misunderstanding of Christ's true message. -- Russell Spence ihnp4!ihuxi!russ AT&T Technologies Naperville, IL