"Did Jesus' Resurrection really Happen?"

If the tomb wasn't empty, why didn't Jesus' enemies simply produce the dead body?


"[A] myth takes generations to develop and take hold within a culture..."


Adapted from:

Sister Nora & her St. M.M.'s Charismatic Group's The New Catholic Answer Bible. Insert Q - 4 .


What a contrast between Roman Catholic & American Catholic replies to this all - important question!

First, we're going to digress a bit from the Roman Catholic answer given us by Insert Q - 4, and see a truly American Catholic response o.k.?

Because the response favored by such American Catholic Church luminaries as Dr. John Pilch, PhD, is indeed radically different from Insert Q - 4, as we'll see in a moment.

Moreover, Pilch's reply is okayed by at least one Anglo bishop, Bishop John F. Kinney of St. Cloud, Minnesota.

Now, here's the view of Dr. Pilch, that Bishop Kinney okays with his very own Imprimatur.

Dr. John J. Pilch assures us that For his followers, all experiences of the Risen Jesus are instances of religious trance (see pages 39 - 40 of his masterpiece, Cultural Tools for Interpreting the Good News)"

Moreover, on page 71 of this same book we're told regarding Jesus, The nature of this sighting of the risen Christ is an altered state of consciousness experience. Ninety percent of the people on the face of this planet have such experiences routinely, since all human beings experience a variety of states of consciousness throughout the day and even during sleep.

Unless, of course!

Dr. Pilch is suddenly out of date, because, let us imagine!

That:

His fellow flakes now say he is all wrong, and the whole Resurrection myth (so - called!) can be blamed on Dr. McAll's disturbed souls from previous generations shineola.

Wow!

You want to know something?

I personally have never thought of that possibility.

Until today! :)

Meanwhile, here's what the Roman Catholic Church's Undisputed Truth reveals to us in the one truly rational answer to this vital question. One further right out of Sacred Scripture:

"Did Jesus' Resurrection Really Happen?"


"The claim that Jesus Christ truly died and truly rose bodily from the dead is not optional for Christian faith.

"It is central to gospels and the witness of the apostles( see Mt 28:1 - 10; Mk 16:1 - 14; Lk 24:1 - 49; Jn 20: 1 - 29; Acts 2:22 - 36), the guarantee of our own resurrection (see 1 Cor 15:20 - 22).

"As St. Paul insists, if Christ has not been raised from the dead, our faith is in vain (see I Cor 15:17; see also Hasn't Science Disproved Miracles? L - 3).

"Skeptics have dismissed Jesus' resurrection as a hoax or hallucination, a superstition or myth.

"But all of the evidence points the other way.

"First, if it was a hoax perpetrated by his followers (see Mt 28:11 - 15), would they have have devoted the rest of their lives, and willingly suffered prison, torture, and death, for what they knew to be a lie (see Acts 12: 1 - 55 )?

"If the tomb wasn't empty, why didn't Jesus' enemies simply produce the dead body?

"Second, if it was a hallucination, how could so many otherwise sane men and women be convinced they had encountered Jesus alive -- more than five hundred witnesses on separate occasions an din various locations (see I Cor 15:3 - 8)?

"If the resurrected Jesus was only a hallucination, how could people touch his body and watch him consume the food they gave him (see Lk 24: 9 - 11; Jn 20: 24 - 25; Acts 17 : 32)?

"Third, as the scriptural account shows, first - century people were no more likely than we are to be superstitious or gullible about claims of returning from the grave.

"Even the apostles reacted with skepticism, not to mention others (see Lk 24:9 - 11; Jn 20:24 - 25; Acts 17: 32).

"Finally, a myth takes generations to develop and take hold within a culture.

"But Jesus' followers were testifying to his resurrection within a few days after his death.

"Even the biblical accounts of the Resurrection were written within the lifetime of those who knew what had really happened and could decisively challenge their claims if they had evidence to the contrary.

"For all these reasons, the Christian testimony that Jesus was indeed raised from the dead must be taken seriously by non - Christians."

The Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) references cited here are:

CCC 627

CCC 638 - 658

CCC 992 - 1004


"So you say you don't have one? Here locally at least, just ask any Charismatic. If I recall correctly they're available for around $8.00 or $9.00 dollars in either English or Spanish."