[Richard Powers]

Richard Powers asked the Naked Scientists:
   
With Easter coming up I've got a question that tends to be only on the
outskirts of the subject of science (if at all).. but I have heard your shows drift off on the subject of ghost and ufos and the like... So maybe you'll touch this question...  

With easter coming up, I'm curious to know of any scientific speculation or theories concerning the resurrection of Jesus, whether it could have happened and, if not, what ever caused the belief to consistently go mainstream for thousands of years?

Anyway, I really like your programme; I've listened your mp3s rather
regularly recently, and I think you all do a wonderful job. Very entertaining..

Great subjects without boredom - never dry. Keep up the good work!

What do you think?

[Don_1]

The first point is to establish whether or not this took place. Was Jesus a real person, was he the Son of God? See this thread on that argument http://www.thenakedscientists.com/forum/index.php?topic=21666.0

If we accept that Jesus was indeed the Son of God and was crucified and did rise from the dead 3 days later, then the only explanation could be, that it was a miracle. It was God's will, he breathed new life into His dead Son.

If Jesus was a mere mortal (I'm not sure if he ever claimed that God was his biological father), who, like others, referred to God as his father in the biblical sense, then he could not have arisen from the dead after 3 days. The simple fact is that after such a period, so many internal organs would no longer function. His brain would have been long dead.

The only possibility is that he was removed from the cross too early and was not dead in the first place.

What of the nails through his hands and feet? The plain fact of the matter is that Roman crucifixion probably did not involve any such method. Crucifixion was intended as a long, slow and painful death over a number of days, which would serve not only to punish the guilty, but also as a deterrent. The victim would have their arms outstretched across the patibulum (the crossbeam) and tied to it with rope. The same applied to the feet, which would be tied to the stipes (vertical pole). The longer and slower the death, the better the crucifixion as a deterrent to other would-be law breakers. Death is said to have been caused by suffocation resulting from the pressure on the chest caused by the outstretched arms rendering the victim unable to draw in sufficient air.

The biblical story claims that a Roman soldier put his spear into Jesus side. Such an injury may not have done critical damage to the internal organs. If Jesus was removed from the cross at the end of the day for burial, there is a very good chance he would have survived.

[Titanscape]

The idea was that Jesus could raise the dead. He did not have to die. He raised Himself from the dead. This pushes at the idea of a powerful dualism. In which Jesus had hidden powers. Dame Piczek from Hungary, a particle physicist wrote a book about it called "The Fabric of Time".

Jesus was alike the Ark of the Covenant, a tremendous power and presence in a box. We Christians call him the god-man.

Basicly the soul would be drawn back and the body healed and given that vibrance again in resurrections. But Jesus death was more than that. For Jesus disciples taught that death was a spirit another soul, from another race. Death isn't nature for Christians.

When Jesus died, other people came back to life, and went home. The idea is, the focus was on keeping Jesus dead, for the ultimate cause of the death spirits. His resurrection expressed the defeat of their death power.

Also Jesus according to John 1 is the author of life.

You may note he was said to turn water into wine. When electricity was new science, alabaster as from the Gospel,was used as a power insulator, the idea coming from the Gospel. Checked by testing.

It would take knowledge and the same creative force as from which comes matter and life.

[Don_1]

When Jesus died, other people came back to life, and went home.

I bet that scared the funeral party to their own deaths!!!

[paul.fr]

In which Jesus had hidden powers.

Was he the original super hero?

[Don_1]

The idea was that Jesus could raise the dead. He did not have to die. He raised Himself from the dead.

Make up your mind, please.

Also Jesus according to John 1 is the author of life.

Again, make up your mind, I thought that was supposed to be God?

Death isn't nature for Christians.

I think you will find it is 'nature' for all living things. What's more, I thought Christians had to die in order to go to Heaven!

Hollywood would never stand for such a lapse of continuity.

You may note he was said to turn water into wine. When electricity was new science, alabaster as from the Gospel,was used as a power insulator, the idea coming from the Gospel. Checked by testing.

I just poured a litre of water into an alabaster jug. Guess what came out??? Water.

[Titanscape]

By nature I mean the normal state of the universe, death is a separate force, in the Christian view. Not the original universe nature.

Yes, of course, I believe Jesus is god.