why do Christians celebrate Easter?

[Ramadhan]

Close. What Jesus did was to live the perfectly submitted human life that Adam (and the rest of us) were created for. Thus he serves as a new Adam. As sin entered the world through the first Adam, so righteousness does by the second Adam (i.e. Jesus). Thus by his life Jesus creates a bridge across the chasm that sin creates that separates us from God and provides means of reconciliation for all who will trust in that bridge which he provides. As to how this happens? There are a myriad speculations made by theologians. But ultimately the method is something that God knows best. I just know that he proclaims it to be so.

Did jesus (pbuh) say/explain this himself, or is that speculations from theologians?
Did jesus (pbuh) say he was the second adam?
I thought Christians believe jesus (pbuh) is God?
so which one is correct?

You find the details sketchy because they are. I've found you to have a low tolerance for things explained at length. If that has changed, I will be glad to recommend some books for you to read on the subject.

Why are the details sketchy?
I thought for christians redemption of sins is a very important issue, after all, it deals with our eternal fate.

As for those who existed before Jesus, this offering is once and for all (including for all time). We read in Hebrews of how the Old Testament saints lived looking forward to Jesus' day. They would not have known of Jesus by name, but they knew of God's promised of a Messiah to affect the gift of reconciliation between God and humankind and lived placing their faith in God who would one day redeem them.

in OT, all prophets taught pure monotheism, and that is the most important knowledge that humans should have and follow.
I haven't heard any prophets taught that they still had sins and hence cannot be reunited with God.
Is there not a problem here?

As for unbaptized babies, I don't see baptism being the key. Faith is. So, a better question would be what about those who either because of age, mental defect, or geographical isolation have not heard the message and been able to respond in faith? Faith itself is understood to be a gift from God. So, as I understand the scriptures those who respond in faith to the knowledge that they have, however limited that might be, are just as saved as the next person.

So babies don't need to be baptized?
You previously said we all inherited sins from Adam.
Doesn't this mean the babies are still sinful and that means they cannot be reunited with God?
Again, I found that your statements contradict each other.

You might find other Christians answering those questions different than I do.

That's understatement. LOL.
It seems each christian are free to interpret anything, including creed.

 

[Woodrow]

That's understatement. LOL.
It seems each christian are free to interpret anything, including creed.[/SIZE][/COLOR][/FONT]

There is very wide differences in the reasons why various Christian denominations differ so much over what we non-Christians think of as being basic holidays and practiced by all Christians. It does seem the Main Stream older denominations do follow the same basics, with only slight variations. However beginning about 200 years ago a new form of Christianity took shape in the USA. These are the "Bible only" denominations that have no church teaching, church history. liturgy or affiliation with other Christians.

It is also fed to at least a small degree by the tax exempt status given to churches in the USA. While many are sincerely trying to dedicate their lives to God(swt), there are those who have found it to be a lucrative income with tax free benefits. As a result there are now over 30,000 different denominations in the USA alone. but to be fair it should be known that almost all of them consist of only one church and very small membership, often just the immediate family and a few close friends. But each of these differ considerably and follow how their own church founder interprets the Bible. Each of those celebrate or not celebrate Easter and other holidays based upon what the church leader does or does not do.

 

[Grace Seeker]

Did jesus (pbuh) say/explain this himself, or is that speculations from theologians?
Did jesus (pbuh) say he was the second adam?
Scripture calls him this.I thought Christians believe jesus (pbuh) is God?
so which one is correct?
The statements are not mutually exclusive unless you don't understand Jesus' divine/human nature.




Why are the details sketchy?
I thought for christians redemption of sins is a very important issue, after all, it deals with our eternal fate.



in OT, all prophets taught pure monotheism, and that is the most important knowledge that humans should have and follow.
Islam might make the claim that the most important knowledge that humans should have is pure monotheism, the OT does NOT.
I haven't heard any prophets taught that they still had sins and hence cannot be reunited with God.
Is there not a problem here?
>Only with the assumptions you make that the prophets were sinless. Such a teaching is NOT found in the scriptures that I accept as authoritative. Indeed, they declare the opposite, that all (except Jesus) have sinned. The sins of some prophets are even lifted up as negative examples and used to teach others to do better in following God.




So babies don't need to be baptized?
You previously said we all inherited sins from Adam.
Doesn't this mean the babies are still sinful and that means they cannot be reunited with God?
Again, I found that your statements contradict each other.
>Already addressed in what I wrote above. If you see them as contradictory, then you don't yet understand them or how it is that God works.




That's understatement. LOL.
It seems each christian are free to interpret anything, including creed.

Most of these question take us farther and farther afield from the OP. It was bad enough that I introduce a discussion of Pentecost, many of these other ideas are major theological points in themselves that deserve their own thread, least their treatment also be seen as "sketchy". And why "sketchy"? Because you keep asking for only the simplest of answers. Look at Sol Invictus' response to the Trinity. That too is a very brief response to the question, yet I wouldn't be surprised if there are not more than a few who accuse him of long-winded arguments and flowery speech. The shorter, briefer answers you term sketchy; but anything else you complain about being too involved, and even these briefer remarks you seem unable to follow. Not because what I write is illogical or you lack intelligence, but most likely because we simply have enough difference in our backgrounds that our two ways of thinking are filled with aprioi assumptions and processes that make it hard to translate ideas. Even what you and I mean by the definition of a simple word like "sin" appears to be different. So, the communication of ideas requires more than the translation of words, but of a willingness to try to approach the matter from the other person's perspective. For that, one has to be seeking more than knowledge, but also understanding

 

[Ramadhan]

Scripture calls him this

I see you trusted the writing of unknown men more than the authentic saying of Jesus (pbuh) himself.
I thought christianity is about the life and the teachings of jesus (pbuh)?

The statements are not mutually exclusive unless you don't understand Jesus' divine/human nature.

Then tell me about this divine/human nature? So far, not even the pope is able to explain it.

Islam might make the claim that the most important knowledge that humans should have is pure monotheism, the OT does NOT.

Well, one thing we know for sure: the OT certainly did NOT teach God is one in three. All prophets in the OT consistently taught their people to worship the ONE true God, not The father-the son-holy spirit.
Heck, even Jesus (pbuh) himself rebuked the lost sheep of Israel and kept telling them to repent and to worship the ONE true God.

Only with the assumptions you make that the prophets were sinless. Such a teaching is NOT found in the scriptures that I accept as authoritative. Indeed, they declare the opposite, that all (except Jesus) have sinned. The sins of some prophets are even lifted up as negative examples and used to teach others to do better in following God.

The prophets in the OT did not say that they inherited sins from Adam, and that they were all waiting for God to come down to earth and to die for their sins.
In fact, they all taught their people to repent to God.
Come on, GS, you are pastor!
Surely you know your bible?