From Jonathan:
"My beliefs are irrelevant. Either you believe the bible, and thus understand why he was killed. Or you don't, and its a story of a man snubbing an all powerful being and being killed for it."
That 'either or' argument of yours is flawed; it supposes that the bible is a reliable source and that the '10 commandments' really were from God, were recorded correctly, handed down without error, that a man really did collect wood, was killed for it, that Jesus collected grain on the sabbath, and that the conversations took place just as you read them in your modern printing of an old, much edited book.
You are believing it is true, when none of it can be proven, not a single shred of it, including the existence of an all powerful being (who apparently is a real dick; he can conjure up fire out of thin air, but wants us to sit on our hands one day a week).
Welcome to the 21st century; you don't have to be bound by bronze age superstitions, unless they fit your world view.
No, what I said was either you believe it's true or it's just a story book. And I mesmt like, a fictional book. Those are the only two options, either you think it's fiction or nonfiction. I suppose I could have been clearer though.
also as to the previous comment you made, all the gospels are presented as eyewitness accounts. I'm aware of the theory that it was a ghost writer type situation, bit it's still being presented as an eyewitness account. Also this ghost writer idea has no way of being proven. But even assuming it's true, it won't change the presentation is meant as an eyewitness testimony.
also, this theory has some serious issues. Scholars now know that the gospels were written using a sayings material known as q which was a very early record of things Christ said written down by those who actually heard it - so in other words, the gospels are a handed down eye witness testimony no matter how you choose to look at it.
