Very funny, bunny

Where'd he go?

Regarding our habit

Of venerating a rabbit

That brings us all eggs:

Is someone pulling our legs?

It’s the day after Easter, when Jesus arose from the dead, so it’s said, and disappeared into thin air--taking Christianity with him. 

Before the flowers on the bouquets had even begun to wilt, everybody—even his closest followers--began to tinker with his teachings, and then along came Paul, fresh from being blinded on the road to Damascus, who turned them into something grotesque.

Jesus detested ritual and formality; Paul organized a church and took up the banner for baptism again. Jesus consorted with sinners and did not judge them, but told them simply to go and sin no more; Paul revived the old superstition that sins could only be remitted through repentance, and he invented the idea of original sin. Jesus, despite a few minutes of wavering in the garden, went to his death bravely; Paul established a religion based on the fear of death.

I’ve searched in vain through the Gospels for the part where Jesus says, “Just put it all on me.” 

It was Paul who postulated the sacrifice of the cross, and the doctrine that one had to believe in it to escape damnation. Jesus preached right conduct, not obedience to an ism; in that sense He was anti-religious.

Paul was the first evangelist, whipping up audiences with stories of his pre-conversion days, and cajoling them to come to Jesus, as he had. But Jesus had nothing to do with such theatrics. His injunctions were simple: Love one another. Don’t hide your light. Live life more abundantly. He showed us a new way, but as soon as he was gone we went back to the old. He offered us the kingdom of God, but we preferred the same old tyranny of man.

Better, then, maybe, that “Jesus died for our sins” than “Jesus died for nothing.” Happy Belated Easter.