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how bin ladin died

2011-05-06T13:55:00.000-07:00

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A crowd of perhaps 1,000 has gathered in lower Manhattan at the site of the 2001 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center.

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Special Report: Death of Osama Bin Laden

With chants of "USA, USA," revelers celebrating the death of Osama Bin Laden, the man behind the attacks, have spilled into the street, bringing traffic to a standstill.

"It's like the World Series down here," CBS News chief national correspondent Byron Pitts reported from the celebration.

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Osama Bin Laden is dead

Osama Bin Laden Dead Picture

For Ashley Smith, the news of Bin Laden's death brings a bit of closure. She worked two blocks from Ground Zero on the day of the attacks and was forced to run from her office for safety when the buildings collapsed. She joined the impromptu rally in lower Manhattan.

Key dates in the hunt for Osama bin Laden

She was skeptical of the U.S.'s response initially but now says it was all worth it. "I felt like we had all of our money fighting this endless war over there, now it totally validates it," said Smith.

Diane Massaroli lost her husband, Michael, nearly 10 years ago on 9/11. She only comes to Ground Zero once a year on the anniversary of the attacks but felt compelled to come tonight.

"We can never celebrate ever since this happened. [Tonight] is sad also but it's a celebration," Massaroli said.

President Barack Obama said in an address from the White House late Sunday night that a small team of Americans carried out the operation to kill bin Laden in Pakistan, and that cooperation from Pakistani authorities was crucial.

"Shortly after taking office, I directed Leon Panetta, the director of the CIA, to make the killing or capture of bin Laden the top priority of our war against al Qaeda," Mr. Obama said. "Tonight, we can say to those who have lost loved ones to al Qaeda's terror, justice has been done."

Bin Laden killed

Al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden has been killed by US forces in Pakistan, President Barack Obama has said.

Bin Laden was shot dead at a compound near Islamabad, in a ground operation based on US intelligence, the first lead for which emerged last August.
Mr Obama said US forces took possession of the body after "a firefight".
Bin Laden is believed to have ordered the attacks on New York and Washington on 11 September 2001 and a number of others.
He was top of the US' "most wanted" list.
DNA tests later confirmed that Bin Laden was dead, US officials said.
Bin Laden was buried at sea after a Muslim funeral on board an aircraft carrier, Pentagon officials said.
Announcing the success of the operation, Mr Obama said it was "the most significant achievement to date in our nation's effort to defeat al-Qaeda".
The US has put its embassies around the world on alert, warning Americans of the possibility of al-Qaeda reprisal attacks for Bin Laden's killing.
CIA director Leon Panetta said al-Qaeda would "almost certainly" try to avenge the death of Bin Laden.

At the scene

Aleem Maqbool BBC News, Abbottabad

So the trail led here, to the lush green hills of Abbottabad, a beautiful tranquil location. But footage from inside the large modern compound tells of the bloody fire fight that left the al- Qaeda leader dead.
A large area around the site has now been cordoned off but there's no concealing the fact it lies so close to the main gate of the Pakistan military academy. While residents of the area say they are stunned Osama Bin Laden was living in their midst and that there had been no rumours that he was, it will surprise many that he had been in a large building with high walls so close to an army base without the knowledge of the Pakistani security forces.
The authorities here in a statement have been hailing this as a moment of huge victory. But the amount of time it took for them to react indicates the news had surprised them as much as it had everyone else.

Crowds gathered outside the White House in Washington DC, chanting "USA, USA" after the news broke.

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said the operation sent a signal to the Taliban in both Afghanistan and Pakistan.
"You cannot wait us out, you cannot defeat us, but you can make the choice to abandon al-Qaeda and participate in a peaceful political process," she said.
And she said there was "no better rebuke to al-Qaeda and its heinous ideology" than the peaceful uprisings across the Arab world against authoritarian governments.
Compound raided Bin Laden, 54, approved the 9/11 attacks in which nearly 3,000 people died.
He evaded the forces of the US and its allies for almost a decade, despite a $25m (£15m) bounty on his head.
Mr Obama said he had been briefed last August on a possible lead to Bin Laden's whereabouts. He authorised the operation last week once he determined there was enough intelligence to take action.
"It was far from certain, and it took many months to run this thread to ground," Mr Obama said.

Bin Laden was top of the US "most wanted" list

On Sunday, US forces said to be from the elite Navy Seal Team Six undertook the operation in Abbottabad, 100km (62 miles) north-east of Islamabad.
US officials said Bin Laden was shot in the head after resisting.
Mr Obama said "no Americans were harmed".
US media reports said that the body was buried at sea to conform with Islamic practice of a burial within 24 hours and to prevent any grave becoming a shrine.

“Start Quote

America has sent an unmistakable message: no matter how long it takes, justice will be done”

George W Bush Former US president

Giving more details of the raid, one senior US official said a small US team conducted the attack in about 40 minutes.

Three other men - one of Bin Laden's sons and two couriers - were killed in the raid, the official said, adding that one woman was also killed when she was used as "a shield" and two other women were injured.
One helicopter was lost due to "technical failure". The team destroyed it and left in its other aircraft.
One resident, Nasir Khan, told Reuters the helicopters had come under "intense firing" from the ground.
The size and complexity of the structure in Abbottabad "shocked" US officials.
It was surrounded by 4m-6m (12ft-18ft) walls, was eight times larger than other homes in the area and was valued at "a million dollars", though it had no telephone or internet connection.
The US official said that intelligence had been tracking a "trusted courier" of Bin Laden for many years. The courier's identity was discovered four years ago, his area of operation two years ago and then, last August, his residence in Abbottabad was found, triggering the start of the mission.

Another senior US official said that no intelligence had been shared with any country, including Pakistan, ahead of the raid.
"Only a very small group of people inside our own government knew of this operation in advance," the official said.
The Abbottabad residence is about a kilometre from the Pakistan Military Academy - the country's equivalent of West Point or Sandhurst.
The BBC's Aleem Maqbool in Abbottabad says it will undoubtedly be a huge embarrassment to Pakistan that Bin Laden was found not only in the country, but also on the doorstep of the military academy.
He says residents in the town were stunned the al-Qaeda leader had been living in their midst.
The senior US official said the "the loss of Bin Laden puts the group on a path of decline that will be difficult to reverse".
Bin Laden's probable successor, Ayman al-Zawahiri, was "far less charismatic and not as well respected within the organisation", according to reports from captured al-Qaeda operatives, the official said.
However, the root causes of radical Islam - the range of issues that enabled al-Qaeda to recruit disaffected young Muslims to its cause - remain, for the most part, unaddressed, Islamic affairs analyst Roger Hardy told the BBC.
"The death of Bin Laden will strike at the morale of the global jihad, but is unlikely to end it," he warned.
'Momentous achievement' World leaders welcomed the news of Bin Laden's death.

Click to play

Barack Obama gives a statement confirming the death of Osama Bin Laden

Afghan President Hamid Karzai said Bin Laden had "paid for his actions".
Pakistani Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani said the killing was a "great victory" but added that he "didn't know the details" of the US operation.
Former US President George W Bush described the news as a "momentous achievement".
"The fight against terror goes on, but tonight America has sent an unmistakable message: No matter how long it takes, justice will be done," Mr Bush said in a statement.
But a spokesman for the Pakistani Taliban threatened revenge attacks against the "American and Pakistani governments and their security forces".
In Gaza, which is governed by militant group Hamas, Prime Minister Ismail Haniya condemned the killing of "a Muslim and Arabic warrior".
BBC security correspondent Frank Gardner says that, to many in the West, Bin Laden became the embodiment of global terrorism, but to others he was a hero, a devout Muslim who fought two world superpowers in the name of jihad.
The son of a wealthy Saudi construction family, Bin Laden grew up in a privileged world. But soon after the Soviets invaded Afghanistan he joined the mujahideen there and fought alongside them with his Arab followers, a group that later formed the nucleus for al-Qaeda.
After declaring war on America in 1998, Bin Laden is widely believed to have been behind the bombings of US embassies in East Africa, the attack on the USS Cole in Yemen in 2000 and the attacks on New York and Washington.

Bin Laden Dead: How They Got Him -- And What Happens to al ...

Bin laden killed: Dramatic reconstruction of how hit squad ...

Insider tip leads US to Osama Bin

Did Jesus rise from the dead?

2011-04-28T03:52:00.000-07:00

BODY COUNT:

Did Jesus rise from the dead?

We all wonder what will happen to us after we die. When a loved one dies, we long to see him or her again after our turn comes. Will we have a glorious reunion with those we love or is death the end of all consciousness?
Jesus taught that life does not end after our bodies die. He made this startling claim: “I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die like everyone else, will live again.” According to the eyewitnesses closest to him, Jesus then demonstrated his power over death by rising from the dead after being crucified and buried for three days. It is this belief that has given hope to Christians for nearly 2000 years.
But some people have no hope of life after death. The atheistic philosopher Bertrand Russell wrote, “I believe that when I die I shall rot, and nothing of my own ego will survive.”¹ Russell obviously didn’t believe Jesus’ words.
Jesus’ followers wrote that he appeared alive to them after his crucifixion and burial. They claim not only to have seen him but also to have eaten with him, touched him, and spent 40 days with him.
So could this have been simply a story that grew over time, or is it based upon solid evidence? The answer to this question is foundational to Christianity. For if Jesus did rise from the dead, it would validate everything he said about himself, about the meaning of life, and about our destiny after death.
If Jesus did rise from the dead then he alone would have the answers to what life is about and what is facing us after we die. On the other hand, if the resurrection account of Jesus is not true, then Christianity would be founded upon a lie. Theologian R. C. Sproul puts it this way:

“The claim of resurrection is vital to Christianity. If Christ has been raised from the dead by God, then He has the credentials and certification that no other religious leader possesses. Buddha is dead. Mohammad is dead. Moses is dead. Confucius is dead. But, according to…Christianity, Christ is alive.”²

Many skeptics have attempted to disprove the resurrection. Josh McDowell was one such skeptic who spent more than seven hundred hours researching the evidence for the resurrection. McDowell stated this regarding the importance of the resurrection:

“I have come to the conclusion that the resurrection of Jesus Christ is one of the most wicked, vicious, heartless hoaxes ever foisted upon the minds of men, OR it is the most fantastic fact of history.”³

So, is Jesus' resurrection a fantastic fact or a vicious myth? To find out, we need to look at the evidence of history and draw our own conclusions. Let’s see what skeptics who investigated the resurrection discovered for themselves.

Cynics and Skeptics

But not everyone is willing to fairly examine the evidence. Bertrand Russell admits his take on Jesus was “not concerned” with historical facts.⁴ Historian Joseph Campbell, without citing evidence, calmly told his PBS television audience that the resurrection of Jesus is not a factual event.⁵ Other scholars, such as John Dominic Crossan of the Jesus Seminar, agree with him.⁶ None of these skeptics present any evidence for their views.
True skeptics, as opposed to cynics, are interested in evidence. In a Skeptic magazine editorial entitled “What Is a Skeptic?” the following definition is given: “Skepticism is … the application of reason to any and all ideas—no sacred cows allowed. In other words … skeptics do not go into an investigation closed to the possibility that a phenomenon might be real or that a claim might be true. When we say we are “skeptical,” we mean that we must see compelling evidence before we believe.”⁷
Unlike Russell and Crossan, many true skeptics have investigated the evidence for Jesus’ resurrection. In this article we will hear from some of them and see how they analyzed the evidence for what is perhaps the most important question in the history of the human race: Did Jesus really rise from the dead?

Self-Prophecy

In advance of his death, Jesus told his disciples that he would be betrayed, arrested, and crucified and that he would come back to life three days later. That’s a strange plan! What was behind it? Jesus was no entertainer willing to perform for others on demand; instead, he promised that his death and resurrection would prove to people (if their minds and hearts were open) that he was indeed the Messiah.
Bible scholar Wilbur Smith remarked about Jesus:

“When he said that He himself would rise again from the dead, the third day after He was crucified, He said something that only a fool would dare say, if He expected longer the devotion of any disciples—unless He was sure He was going to rise. No founder of any world religion known to men ever dared say a thing like that.⁸

In other words, since Jesus had clearly told his disciples that he would rise again after his death, failure to keep that promise would expose him as a fraud. But we’re getting ahead of ourselves. How did Jesus die before he (if he did) rose again?

A Horrific Death and Then. . . ?

You know what Jesus' last hours of earthly life were like if you watched the movie by road warrior/brave heart Mel Gibson. If you missed parts of The Passion of the Christ because you were shielding your eyes (it would have been easier to simply shoot the movie with a red filter on the camera), just flip to the back pages of any Gospel in your New Testament to find out what you missed.
As Jesus predicted, he was betrayed by one of his own disciples, Judas Iscariot, and was arrested. In a mock trial under the Roman Governor, Pontius Pilate, he was convicted of treason and condemned to die on a wooden cross. Prior to being nailed to the cross, Jesus was brutally beaten with a Roman cat-o’-nine-tails, a whip with bits of bone and metal that would rip flesh. He was punched repeatedly, kicked, and spit upon.
Then, using mallets, the Roman executioners pounded the heavy wrought-iron nails into Jesus' wrists and feet. Finally they dropped the cross in a hole in the ground between two other crosses bearing convicted thieves.
Jesus hung there for approximately six hours. Then, at 3:00 in the afternoon—that is, at exactly the same time the Passover lamb was being sacrificed as a sin offering (a little symbolism there, you think?)—Jesus cried out, “It is finished” (in Aramaic), and died. Suddenly the sky went dark and an earthquake shook the land.⁹
Pilate wanted verification that Jesus was dead before allowing his crucified body to be buried. So a Roman guard thrust a spear into Jesus' side. The mixture of blood and water that flowed out was a clear indication that Jesus was dead. Jesus' body was then taken down from the cross and buried in Joseph of Arimathea's tomb. Roman guards next sealed the tomb, and secured it with a 24-hour watch.
Meanwhile, Jesus' disciples were in shock. Dr. J. P. Moreland explains how devastated and confused they were after Jesus’ death on the cross. “They no longer had confidence that Jesus had been sent by God. They also had been taught that God would not let his Messiah suffer death. So they dispersed. The Jesus movement was all but stopped in its tracks.”¹⁰
All hope was vanquished. Rome and the Jewish leaders had prevailed—or so it seemed.

Something Happened

But it wasn't the end. The Jesus movement did not disappear (obviously), and in fact Christianity exists today as the world's largest religion. Therefore, we’ve got to know what happened after Jesus’ body was taken down from the cross and laid in the tomb.
In a New York Times article, Peter Steinfels cites the startling events that occurred three days after Jesus' death: “Shortly after Jesus was executed, his followers were suddenly galvanized from a baffled and cowering group into people whose message about a living Jesus and a coming kingdom, preached at the risk of their lives, eventually changed an empire. Something happened. … But exactly what?”¹¹ That's the question we have to answer with an investigation into the facts.
There are only five plausible explanations for Jesus' alleged resurrection, as portrayed in the New Testament:

Jesus didn't really die on the cross.
The “resurrection” was a conspiracy.
The disciples were hallucinating.
The account is legendary.
It really happened.

Let's work our way through these options and see which one best fits the facts.

Was Jesus Dead?

“Marley was deader than a doornail, of that there was no doubt.” So begins Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol, the author not wanting anyone to be mistaken as to the supernatural character of what is soon to take place. In the same way, before we take on the role of CSI and piece together evidence for a resurrection, we must first establish that there was, in fact, a corpse. After all, occasionally the newspapers will report on some “corpse” in a morgue who was found stirring and recovered. Could something like that have happened with Jesus?
Some have proposed that Jesus lived through the crucifixion and was revived by the cool, damp air in the tomb–“Whoa, how long was I out for?” But that theory doesn’t seem to square with the medical evidence. An article in the Journal of the American Medical Association explains why this so-called “swoon theory” is untenable: “Clearly, the weight of historical and medical evidence indicated that Jesus was dead. … The spear, thrust between His right ribs, probably perforated not only the right lung, but also the pericardium and heart and thereby ensured His death.”¹² But skepticism of this verdict may be in order, as this case has been cold for 2,000 years. At the very least, we need a second opinion.
One place to find that is in the reports of non-Christian historians from around the time when Jesus lived. Three of these historians mentioned the death of Jesus.

Lucian (c.120–after 180 A.D. referred to Jesus as a crucified sophist (philosopher).¹³
Josephus (c.37–c.100 A.D.) wrote, “At this time there appeared Jesus, a wise man, for he was a doer of amazing deeds. When Pilate condemned him to the cross, the leading men among us, having accused him, those who loved him did not cease to do so.”¹⁴
Tacitus (c. 56–c.120 A.D.) wrote, “Christus, from whom the name had its origin, suffered the extreme penalty … at the hands of our procurator, Pontius Pilate.”¹⁵

This is a bit like going into the archives and finding that on one spring day in the first century, The Jerusalem Post ran a front-page story saying that Jesus was crucified and dead. Not bad detective work, and fairly conclusive.
In fact, there is no historical account from Christians, Romans, or Jews that disputes either Jesus’ death or his burial. Even Crossan, a skeptic of the resurrection, agrees that Jesus really lived and died. “That he was crucified is as sure as anything historical can ever be.”¹⁶ In light of such evidence, we seem to be on good grounds for dismissing the first of our five options. Jesus was clearly dead, “of that there was no doubt.”

The Matter of An Empty Tomb

No serious historian really doubts Jesus was dead when he was taken down from the cross. However, many have questioned how Jesus’ body disappeared from the tomb. English journalist, Dr. Frank Morison. initially thought the resurrection was either a myth or a hoax, and he began research to write a book refuting it.¹⁷ The book became famous but for reasons other than its original intent, as we’ll see.
Morison began by attempting to solve the case of the empty tomb. The tomb belonged to a member of the Sanhedrin Council, Joseph of Arimathea. In Israel at that time, to be on the council was to be a rock star. Everyone knew who was on the council. Joseph must have been a real person. Otherwise, the Jewish leaders would have exposed the story as a fraud in their attempt to disprove the resurrection. Also, Joseph’s tomb would have been at a well-known location and easily identifiable, so any thoughts of Jesus being “lost in the graveyard” would need to be dismissed.
Morison wondered why Jesus’ enemies would have allowed the “empty tomb myth” to persist if it wasn’t true. The discovery of Jesus’ body would have instantly killed the entire plot.
And what is known historically of Jesus’ enemies is that they accused Jesus’ disciples of stealing the body, an accusation clearly predicated on a shared belief that the tomb was empty.
Dr. Paul L. Maier, professor of ancient history at Western Michigan University, similarly stated, “If all the evidence is weighed carefully and fairly, it is indeed justifiable … to conclude that the tomb in which Jesus was buried was actually empty on the morning of the first Easter. And no shred of evidence has yet been discovered … that would disprove this statement.”¹⁸
The Jewish leaders were stunned, and accused the disciples of stealing Jesus’ body. But the Romans had assigned a 24-hour watch at the tomb with a trained guard unit (from 4 to 12 soldiers). Morison asked, “How could these professionals have let Jesus’ body be vandalized?” It would have been impossible for anyone to have slipped by the Roman guards and to have moved a two-ton stone. Yet the stone was moved away and the body of Jesus was missing.
If Jesus’ body was anywhere to be found, his enemies would have quickly exposed the resurrection as a fraud. Tom Anderson, former president of the California Trial Lawyers Association, summarizes the strength of this argument:

"With an event so well publicized, don’t you think that it’s reasonable that one historian, one eye witness, one antagonist would record for all time that he had seen Christ’s body? … The silence of history is deafening when it comes to the testimony against the resurrection."¹⁹

So, with no body of evidence, and with a known tomb clearly empty, Morison accepted the evidence as solid that Jesus’ body had somehow disappeared from the tomb.

Grave Robbing?

As Morison continued his investigation, he began to examine the motives of Jesus’ followers. Maybe the supposed resurrection was actually a stolen body. But if so, how does one account for all the reported appearances of a resurrected Jesus? Historian Paul Johnson, in History of the Jews, wrote, “What mattered was not the circumstances of his death but the fact that he was widely and obstinately believed, by an expanding circle of people, to have risen again.”²⁰
The tomb was indeed empty. But it wasn’t the mere absence of a body that could have galvanized Jesus’ followers (especially if they had been the ones who had stolen it). Something extraordinary must have happened, for the followers of Jesus ceased mourning, ceased hiding, and began fearlessly proclaiming that they had seen Jesus alive.
Each eyewitness account reports that Jesus suddenly appeared bodily to his followers, the women first. Morison wondered why conspirators would make women central to its plot. In the first century, women had virtually no rights, personhood, or status. If the plot was to succeed, Morison reasoned, the conspirators would have portrayed men, not women, as the first to see Jesus alive. And yet we hear that women touched him, spoke with him, and were the first to find the empty tomb.
Later, according to the eyewitness accounts, all the disciples saw Jesus on more than ten separate occasions. They wrote that he showed them his hands and feet and told them to touch him. And he reportedly ate with them and later appeared alive to more than 500 followers on one occasion.
Legal scholar John Warwick Montgomery stated, “In 56 A.D. [the Apostle Paul wrote that over 500 people had seen the risen Jesus and that most of them were still alive (1 Corinthians 15:6ff.). It passes the bounds of credibility that the early Christians could have manufactured such a tale and then preached it among those who might easily have refuted it simply by producing the body of Jesus.”²¹
Bible scholars Geisler and Turek agree. “If the Resurrection had not occurred, why would the Apostle Paul give such a list of supposed eyewitnesses? He would immediately lose all credibility with his Corinthian readers by lying so blatantly.”²²
Peter told a crowd in Caesarea why he and the other disciples were so convinced Jesus was alive.
We apostles are witnesses of all he did throughout Israel and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by crucifying him, but God raised him to life three days later….We were those who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead.
(Acts 10:39-41)
British Bible scholar Michael Green remarked, “The appearances of Jesus are as well authenticated as anything in antiquity. … There can be no rational doubt that they occurred.”²³
Consistent to the End
As if the eyewitness reports were not enough to challenge Morison’s skepticism, he was also baffled by the disciples’ behavior. A fact of history that has stumped historians, psychologists, and skeptics alike is that these 11 former cowards were suddenly willing to suffer humiliation, torture, and death. All but one of Jesus’ disciples were slain as martyrs. Would they have done so much for a lie, knowing they had taken the body?
The Islamic martyrs on September 11 proved that some will die for a false cause they believe in. Yet to be a willing martyr for a known lie is insanity. As Paul Little wrote, “Men will die for what they believe to be true, though it may actually be false. They do not, however, die for what they know is a lie.”²⁴ Jesus’ disciples behaved in a manner consistent with a genuine belief that their leader was alive.
No one has adequately explained why the disciples would have been willing to die for a known lie. But even if they all conspired to lie about Jesus’ resurrection, how could they have kept the conspiracy going for decades without at least one of them selling out for money or position? Moreland wrote, “Those who lie for personal gain do not stick together very long, especially when hardship decreases the benefits.”²⁵
Former “hatchet man” of the Nixon administration, Chuck Colson, implicated in the Watergate scandal, pointed out the difficulty of several people maintaining a lie for an extended period of time.

"I know the resurrection is a fact, and Watergate proved it to me. How? Because 12 men testified they had seen Jesus raised from the dead, and then they proclaimed that truth for 40 years, never once denying it. Every one was beaten, tortured, stoned and put in prison. They would not have endured that if it weren’t true. Watergate embroiled 12 of the most powerful men in the world—and they couldn’t keep a lie for three weeks. You’re telling me 12 apostles could keep a lie for 40 years? Absolutely impossible.^"26

Something happened that changed everything for these men and women. Morison acknowledged, “Whoever comes to this problem has sooner or later to confront a fact that cannot be explained away. … This fact is that … a profound conviction came to the little group of people—a change that attests to the fact that Jesus had risen from the grave.”²⁷

Were the Disciples Hallucinating?

People still think they see a fat, gray-haired Elvis darting into Dunkin Donuts. And then there are those who believe they spent last night with aliens in the mother ship being subjected to unspeakable testing. Sometimes certain people can “see” things they want to, things that aren’t really there. And that’s why some have claimed that the disciples were so distraught over the crucifixion that their desire to see Jesus alive caused mass hallucination. Plausible?
Psychologist Gary Collins, former president of the American Association of Christian Counselors, was asked about the possibility that hallucinations were behind the disciples’ radically changed behavior. Collins remarked, “Hallucinations are individual occurrences. By their very nature, only one person can see a given hallucination at a time. They certainly aren’t something which can be seen by a group of people.”²⁸
Hallucination is not even a remote possibility, according to psychologist Thomas J. Thorburn. “It is absolutely inconceivable that … five hundred persons, of average soundness of mind … should experience all kinds of sensuous impressions—visual, auditory, tactual—and that all these … experiences should rest entirely upon … hallucination.”²⁹
Furthermore, in the psychology of hallucinations, the person would need to be in a frame of mind where they so wished to see that person that their mind contrives it. Two major leaders of the early church, James and Paul, both encountered a resurrected Jesus, neither expecting, or hoping for the pleasure. The Apostle Paul, in fact led the earliest persecutions of Christians, and his conversion remains inexplicable except for his own testimony that Jesus appeared to him, resurrected.

From Lie to Legend

Some unconvinced skeptics attribute the resurrection story to a legend that began with one or more persons lying or thinking they saw the resurrected Jesus. Over time, the legend would have grown and been embellished as it was passed around. In this theory, Jesus’ resurrection is on a par with King Arthur’s round table, little Georgie Washington’s inability to tell a lie, and the promise that Social Security will be solvent when we need it.
But there are three major problems with that theory.

Legends rarely develop while multiple eyewitnesses are alive to refute them. One historian of ancient Rome and Greece, A. N. Sherwin-White, argued that the resurrection news spread too soon and too quickly for it to have been a legend. ³⁰
Legends develop by oral tradition and don’t come with contemporary historical documents that can be verified. Yet the Gospels were written within three decades of the resurrection.³¹
The legend theory doesn’t adequately explain either the fact of the empty tomb or the historically verified conviction of the apostles that Jesus was alive.³²
Why Did Christianity Win?
Morison was bewildered by the fact that “a tiny insignificant movement was able to prevail over the cunning grip of the Jewish establishment, as well as the might of Rome.” Why did it win, in the face of all those odds against it?
He wrote, “Within twenty years, the claim of these Galilean peasants had disrupted the Jewish church. … In less than fifty years it had begun to threaten the peace of the Roman Empire. When we have said everything that can be said … we stand confronted with the greatest mystery of all. Why did it win?”³³
By all rights, Christianity should have died out at the cross when the disciples fled for their lives. But the apostles went on to establish a growing Christian movement.
J. N. D. Anderson wrote, “Think of the psychological absurdity of picturing a little band of defeated cowards cowering in an upper room one day and a few days later transformed into a company that no persecution could silence—and then attempting to attribute this dramatic change to nothing more convincing than a miserable fabrication. … That simply wouldn’t make sense.”³⁴
Many scholars believe (in the words of an ancient commentator) that “the blood of the martyrs was the seed of the church.” Historian Will Durant observed, “Caesar and Christ had met in the arena and Christ had won.”³⁵

A Surprise Conclusion
With myth, hallucination, and a flawed autopsy ruled out, with incontrovertible evidence for an empty tomb, with a substantial body of eyewitnesses to his reappearance, and with the inexplicable transformation and impact upon the world of those who claimed to have seen him, Morison became convinced that his preconceived bias against Jesus Christ’s resurrection had been wrong. He began writing a different book—entitled Who Moved the Stone?—to detail his new conclusions. Morison simply followed the trail of evidence, clue by clue, until the truth of the case seemed clear to him. His surprise was that the evidence led to a belief in the resurrection.
In his first chapter, “The Book That Refused to Be Written,” this former skeptic explained how the evidence convinced him that Jesus’ resurrection was an actual historical event. “It was as though a man set out to cross a forest by a familiar and well-beaten track and came out suddenly where he did not expect to come out.”³⁶
Morison is not alone. Countless other skeptics have examined the evidence for Jesus’ resurrection, and accepted it as the most astounding fact in all of human history. But the resurrection of Jesus Christ raises the question: What does the fact that Jesus defeated death have to do with my life? The answer to that question is what New Testament Christianity is all about.

Did Jesus Say What Happens After we Die?
If Jesus really did rise from the dead, then he alone must know what is on the other side. What did Jesus say about the meaning of life and our future? Are there many ways to God or did Jesus claim to be the only way? Read the startling answers in “Why Jesus.”

trouble in arab countries

2011-04-24T16:59:00.000-07:00

Yemen's tribes 'put differences aside' to protest for change

cnn cnn

Protesters in Yemen's Ibb province calling for President Saleh to step down, on April 15, 2011.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

Tribal leaders very influential in Yemen, especially in the north
Prominent tribes have joined anti-government protests
Tribal infighting has been put aside for common cause, says journalist

(CNN) -- While Afrah Nasser, a 25-year-old Yemeni journalist, has been reporting on the protests sweeping her country over the past two months, one thing has surprised her more than anything else: the lack of tribal infighting.
She has been amazed to see people from different tribes protesting side by side with a common purpose of forcing the resignation of President Ali Abdullah Saleh, who has been in power since 1978.
Nasser, the only female journalist on the Yemen Observer, said: "Tribes who have long-term revenge issues are coming to the protests peacefully and united.
"They are living in harmony with one voice and in agreement that they want Saleh out."
More than 100 people have been killed in violent clashes between pro- and anti-government demonstrators and security forces in recent weeks, according to estimates by Amnesty International.
The six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council is trying to find a way to resolve the crisis, and the United Nations Security Council was unable to agree a joint statement when it met on Tuesday.
Yemen is the poorest country in the Middle East and tribal loyalties often trump national identity.
In February, leaders of two prominent tribal groups, the Hashid-dominated National Solidarity Council and the Baqil tribe, said they would send members to join the protests calling for Saleh's resignation. Saleh is himself a member of the Hashid tribe.

Yemen has no good institutions and no rule of law, so tribal leaders are the real government.
--Nasser Arrabyee, Yemeni journalist

Nasser Arrabyee, a Yemeni journalist for the Dubai-based Gulf Times and the Egypt-based Al Ahram, said: "The tribal leaders are the key players in society. Politicians in the ruling party are not as influential as the tribal leaders.
"A lot of the most influential tribal leaders have now declared their support for the opposition. However, Saleh still has the support of some people from all the tribes."
The tribal system is strongest in the north, where there are three main tribal groups -- Hashid, Baqil and Madhaj -- with many smaller tribes within them, Arrabyee said.
He added: "Over history, Hashid and Baqil are often described as the 'wings of the ruler.' Yemen has no good institutions and no rule of law, so tribal leaders are the real government."
Nasser added: "There are too many tribal leaders and each leader has their own supporters from the same village or area. These tribal leaders are usually older, wealthier people with influence over the younger members of their tribe."
Gabriele vom Bruck, a senior lecturer in Middle Eastern social anthropology at the University of London's School of Oriental and African Studies, said: "The tribal system, at least in the north, has remained very entrenched and some tribes are quite independent of the government, with their own legal systems.
"It's less so in the south, where the tribal system was partly dismantled by British colonial rule."
Against this background, the tribal unity observed by Nasser during the protests could represent a dramatic shift.
Nasser said: "One thing that makes me optimistic is people are showing a new civilization and acting peacefully in the face of violence by the security forces.
"In normal circumstances, if a guy is killed, members of his tribe or family will go after whoever killed him for revenge.

My worry is that the opposition's only common demand is that they want Saleh to go, but beyond that they have very little in common.
--Gabriele vom Bruck, SOAS, University of London

Yemeni women protest Saleh's remarks

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"But in these days, family members are not fighting back, they are remaining peaceful and taking it as a sacrifice. It's a new experience for Yemen and it's really remarkable."
Bruck was more cautious on whether the bridges formed between tribes would last beyond the protests.
She said: "My worry is that the opposition's only common demand is that they want Saleh to go, but beyond that they have very little in common. Once Saleh goes there could be a return to the infighting."
Another key issue for the future of Yemen will be whether al-Qaida can be kept at bay.
Arrabyee said: "Yemen will become a better place if we can establish a modern secular state that will respect freedoms and rights.
"We also need a government that will continue to fight terrorism. Al-Qaida is a real threat in Yemen, not only because of the terrorists hiding in the mountains, but because of the sympathizers who are hungry and see corruption, poverty and unemployment everywhere."
However, Nasser said: "I believe the issue of al-Qaida is propaganda. If there's a violent act it's because of frustration. If you take a teenager with no education or prospects, he will be prey to anybody to buy him and tell him to do violent acts.
"The only bad thing is bad government causing a bad situation that leads people to be frustrated.

"We need democracy and for everyone to have their rights and equal opportunities."

Can Libya's lethal stalemate be broken?

Explain it to me: CNN's Nic Robertson on Libya's revolution

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

There was an expectation the military campaign in Libya would be quick
But weeks into airstrikes, Moammar Gadhafi is holding strong
Some say the war could drag on for weeks, months, or maybe longer
Military advisers were seen by many as a sign of mission creep

(CNN) -- A desperate call for more help sounds from Libya almost every day. Libyans are disappointed, feeling let down by NATO, said one resident of Misrata, the western city under a vicious siege from Moammar Gadhafi's forces.
As blood flows on the battlefields that are Libya's towns and cities, the optimism that surfaced at the start of the conflict is but a memory. The military campaign in Libya was expected to be quick and precise, using sophisticated aerial military technology optimized to reduce casualties.
But it became apparent that Gadhafi was not going to fall quickly in the footsteps of his neighbors Zine El Abidine Ben Ali of Tunisia or Hosni Mubarak of Egypt. He was not going to be the third data point, as it were, in the trend line of the Arab Spring.
Now it seems the war could drag on for weeks, months or, by some troubling estimates, perhaps even years as NATO squabbles over strategy and Gadhafi camouflages his forces within civilian populations and, according to reports, is using banned weapons such as cluster bombs.

Will NATO jets sway fight for Misrata?

Zawiyah is a ghost town

Veteran photojournalist killed in Libya

Libya rebels react to Hetherington death

It can be perceived as a snub of Western military might. And the question now is whether any sort of political victory can be weaned from a seemingly struggling military campaign.
How long before calm comes to Libya? Will Gadhafi go? And how will Western powers, facing potential military embarrassment, respond?
"They are trying to avoid losing," said military strategy scholar Michael Keane, a fellow of National Security at the Pacific Council on International Policy. "But we're not trying to win because we're not sure what that means."
Not sure because from the very beginning, U.S. President Barack Obama and his European counterparts have made it expressly clear that the Libyan campaign is not about regime change.
The airstrikes began in mid-March under a United Nations mandate to protect civilians, and NATO has been cautious to operate under that threshold, even when three of its members -- Britain, France and Italy -- decided this week to send military advisers to Benghazi.
The choice to act in Libya came when it appeared the opposition effort -- previously implausible in a nation that has known only the iron grip of Gadhafi for more than 40 long years -- faced a series of setbacks that made massacre seem imminent in Benghazi.
Opinion: NATO's strategic incoherence is costing Libyan lives

Some now believe that had Western powers intervened earlier, when the rebels were high on momentum in their march westward, the situation might be different.
"Had they really kept the pressure on Gadhafi, I don't think we would be having this debate," said analyst Jawad al-Anani, a former deputy prime minister of Jordan. "Somehow there was a slack in the operation."
A "slack," perhaps due to Obama's reluctance to get U.S. troops -- already deployed to Afghanistan and Iraq -- involved in a third war. Even this week, the White House remained adamant there will be no U.S. ground forces in Libya, not even any advisers.
But al-Anani is sure no one in the Arab world believes that the West was not salivating at the idea of a Gadhafi-free Libya.
"It could have been done easily," he said. "This should have been Grenada, not Vietnam."
"Vietnam" was one of the words used this week as word of advisers came out. "Quagmire" and "mission creep" also surfaced in a flurry of opinion on Libya.
A slippery slope in Libya mission
There is little doubt that Gadhafi's forces have suffered damage from the airstrikes, but nagging questions remain about what NATO's air campaign can achieve.

'Slippery slope' in Libya mission

Paris promises made to aid Libya rebels

UK military in Libya

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The alliance's secretary general has asked for more precision fighter jets so as to avoid civilian casualties as the bombardment continues. France and Britain last week aired a desire to get more aggressive.
The allure of precision bombing from the air is that it can reduce troop losses.
It is "an unusually seductive form of military strength, in part because, like modern courtship, it appears to offer gratification without commitment," former State Department adviser Eliot Cohen famously wrote after directing a U.S. Air Force Persian Gulf War air power survey.
Its limitations were learned in other conflicts.
"The examples of Mogadishu in Somalia, Rwanda, Bosnia and Kosovo will have played quite heavily in the minds of European policymakers," said Alexis Crow of the London-based think tank Chatham House.
"In trying to stop a humanitarian disaster, one thing that has been learned from these experiences is that you have got to have a 'hammer and anvil strategy,' which is airpower combined with a complement of ground troops in order to stop things like ethnic cleansing happening," Crow said.
If the goal, however, is to establish a Libya without Gadhafi, then it seems likely that a greater military effort will be required, said Jon Alterman, director of the Middle East Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington.
"But it's hard to get international consensus that supports military force deposing a government," he said, citing the Iraq example. That was a $1 trillion effort that did not garner widespread international support, he said.
The Europeans, Alterman said, have relied on U.S. leadership in the past. But with the White House playing a secondary role in this effort, they are struggling to mount a sustained campaign.
It's too early to speak in terms of Vietnam, Alterman said. But certainly, a key expectation is that the impasse will be broken soon; that the rebels have to be a more effective fighting force.
There are, of course, a host of different scenarios for Libya, which have been debated to no end by observers of this war.
Three future scenarios for Libya
Gadhafi could fall soon, though it seems unlikely. He could hang on to power for weeks, months or maybe years, fueled by oil resources in southern Libya. Or the country could be split in two.
"Two weeks from now, Gadhafi will certainly be in power," said W. Andrew Terrill, a research professor at the Strategic Studies Institute of the U.S. Army War College. "I don't think major cities will exchange hands. It's not going to be any major offenses. Neither side has enough combat power."
Terrill said the threshold to trigger an invasion with troops on the ground has to be high and has not yet been reached in Libya. Gadhafi is killing his people but it's not a genocide when you consider the number of deaths, reported in the hundreds in Misrata, which has half a million people, he said.
"That's a tragedy, but we're still not talking genocide," Terrill said.
Political scientist Ali Ahmida said this week what he has said all along as he watches his homeland mired in conflict: "It is not going to be easy."
As much as he would like to see Libya prosper under freedom, Ahmida, a professor at the University of New England, said he cannot support a NATO invasion.
"I am against any military intervention in Libya," he said. "The people are wary of that. They had a horrible colonial experience and the generation of independence made a big mistake by aligning so closely with the United Kingdom and the United States."
But NATO has already upped the ante with military advisers on the ground, Keane said.
And history has proven, he said, that once you engage militarily, events take on a life of their own.
In Misrata, urban warfare rages on and the death toll mounts.

Acclaimed photojournalist and documentarian Tim Hetherington was among those killed this week. Before he died, he sent a message on Twitter that echoed the pleas of desperate residents: "In besieged Libyan city of Misrata. Indiscriminate shelling by Qaddafi forces. No sign of NATO."

killings in kaduna

2011-04-22T15:09:00.000-07:00

i would like to use this medium to affirm my absolute disgust on the killings in kaduna,this only goes further to prove the fact that the north is educationally backward!it hurts me to make this assertion but i think it is obvious that this assertion is true!.the 2011 election can be considered as the second best election this great country has ever conducted after the june twelve election, and yet some people in the north still found an excuse to perpetuate their hideous act against humanity.i read a particular write up by mr Olabode Ososami and i was moved to tears please read and tell me what you think :

A voice heard in Ramah. Dead Bodies litter Kaduna, Nigeria in post election crisishttp://blogs.christianpost.com/christianlife/2011/04/a-voice-heard-in-ramah-dead-bodies-litter-kaduna-nigeria-in-post-election-crisis-20/

Brother Peter Abudu sits awaiting a friend’s assistance to enable him reach the outside world via cell phone credit as yesterday there was a 24hr curfew declared in Kaduna, Nigeria. Now movements are restricted from 12noon to 5.00pm ... his wife must soon rush out to obtain urgent supplies. The atmosphere is thick with fear as several text messages calling for Jihad to reclaim through any possible means, the northern and central zones of the nation are circulating. One does not know what to believe...is it true for example that a nearby village is being presently attacked by men with stolen security uniforms to defy the curfew and gain access into unguarded neighborhoods.
The media continue to report the crisis as primarily political, but no one explains why over 50 Churches have been burnt and the attackers chant muslim choruses.
Burned corpses with machete wounds lay in roads and smoke rose above this city where rioting broke out again Tuesday among Muslim opposition supporters who were angered by the announcement that the Christian incumbent president had won the election. On the outskirts of Kaduna, burned out minibuses and cars littered the highways, and at least six charred bodies could be seen. Skull caps and sandals were strewn nearby, left behind by those who frantically fled amid the chaos. Authorities and aid groups have hesitated to release tolls following the riots across northern Nigeria for fear of inciting reprisal attacks, but the National Emergency Management Agency confirmed there had been fatalities. The Nigerian Red Cross said Tuesday that nearly 400 people had been wounded. In a televised address to the nation late Monday, President Goodluck Jonathan said that "nobody's political ambition is worth the blood of any Nigerian." Hours later, the president suspended his interior minister, citing "a number of lapses in the political leadership of the ministry."
Brother Peter wonders if this is what Armageddon may one day look like, and meditates on the book of Revelation for comfort and light in a time of extreme darkness. He reflects - a bit puzzled at the courage of the Muslim attackers ready to die to prove the supremacy of their faith and yet brother Christians in wealthier southern neighbourhoods seem intent on maintaining the mirage that this is only yet another skirmish that will soon pass. Brother Peter feels like the abandoned John the Baptist - awaiting the consummation of Salome’s revenge.
The news has just been confirmed by a text on the phone...a nearby village has been attacked by jihadists disguised as security personnel...again the death toll will be kept a secret...and the story whitewashed as a land or local dispute. Everyone must be vigilant.
Brother Peter gathers his family for devotion...his son asks him “ is it not right to fight and defend life and stop further carnage... but why do the Christians in the South do nothing?” Peter hesitates before he must answer...as he must teach the loving Christ who went to the cross as a defenceless lamb who would not permit his disciples to protest His unjust arrest... for our salvation.
It is the Easter season and all over the world as the risen Christ is being celebrated -Peter feels defeated, isolated, abandoned and disconnected from other brethren. He encourages himself and resolves to teach his children soon about the crowns in Heaven.
A noise outside... there are people surrounding the compound...a scream is heard..."they are here”...”who” ...suddenly the door is forced open.
The devotion is brought to a sudden end as a dozen men with machetes seize first his son...his wife screams... minutes later they leave...there is silence. No more wailing...no more voices. The Bible study is truncated. Peter’s last thoughts ...crowns in heaven.
Jeremiah 31[15] Thus saith the LORD; A voice was heard in Ramah, lamentation, and bitter weeping; Rahel weeping for her children refused to be comforted for her children, because they were not. [16] Thus saith the LORD; Refrain thy voice from weeping, and thine eyes from tears: for thy work shall be rewarded, saith the LORD; and they shall come again from the land of the enemy. [17] And there is hope in thine end, saith the LORD, that thy children shall come again to their own border.
‎"The thing that makes us whimper is that we will look for justice. If you look for justice in your Christian work you will soon put yourself in a bandage and give way to self-pity and discouragement. Never look for justice, but never cease to give it." - Oswald Chambers
There is hope in Christ. Our God reigns. Pray for Nigeria.
(The names used are fictional but the narrative is representative of ongoing riots in Kaduna, Nigeria. This article is dedicated to the memory of thousands that have been killed in religious violence in Northern Nigeria )

goodluck ebele jonathan

2011-03-31T03:05:00.000-07:00

NIGERIA is a great country that needs a great leader,and his exellency GOODLUCK EBELE JONANTHAN,is that leader .i want to use this medium to appeal to all NIGERIANS the world over to rally round MR PRESIDENT.i feel it is time for us to stand up against evil leadership that has wrecked our belove country,i am of the opinion that it is high time WE wrench power from dose leaders that have disgraced NIGERIA and AFRICA our mother land.NIGERIA is too big a nation to be held ransom by some group of people that feel ruling the country is there birth right.the time for change has come,this is a new era and we need the right man for the job.president GOODLUCK EBELE JONATHAN gcfr is that man.consider;
Goodluck Jonathan, an Ijaw, was born on November 20, 1957 in Otueke in Ogbia Local Government Area, Bayelsa State to a family of canoe makers. He holds a Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) in Zoology, an M.Sc. in Hydrobiology/Fisheries biology and a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Zoology. He worked as an education inspector, lecturer, and environmental-protection officer, until he entered politics in 1998
He started his education at St Stephen�s Primary School, Otueke and completed his primary education at St Michael�s Primary School, Oloibiri in 1969. He then attended Mater Dei High School, Imiringi, finished in 1975 and worked as a Preventive Officer with the Department of Customs and Excise until 1977 when he started his undergraduate studies in the Department of Zoology at the University of Port Harcourt. He graduated in 1981 with a Bachelor of Science degree (Second Class Honours - Upper Division) in Zoology .
From 1981 to 1982 he served as a Youth Corper in the manadatory one-year National Youth Service Corp at Iresi, Osun State and after he passed out in 1982, he became a teacher in the Rivers State Civil Service Commission and then moved to the position of Science Inspector of Education in the Ministry of Education. In 1983, he became a lecturer in the Department of Biological Sciences at the Rivers State College of Education in Port Harcourt, Rivers State and in 1995 he obtained a Masters degree (M.Sc.) in Hydro-Biology and Fisheries Biology at the University of Port Harcourt.
In 1992, he was appointed the Assistant Director, Ecology in the Directorate of Environmental Protection and Pollution Control and while at the Directorate he obtained a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Zoology from the University of Port Harcourt in 1995. In 1998, he started his career as a politician and in 1999, as a member of the People's Democratic Party (PDP), he was elected as deputy governor to Governor Diepreye Alamieyeseigha in Bayelsa State. In 2005, Governor Diepreye Alamieyeseigha was impeached on corruption charges and Goodluck Jonathan became the governor of Bayelsa state. In 2006, he was selected to run as the vice-presidential candidate on the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential ticket in the 2007 presidential elections.should we not all rally round this great achiever,that has the capacity to take the country to another level.let us all stand up for the champion,DR GOODLUCK EBELE JONATHAN.LONG LIVE JONATHAN,LONG LIVE PDP,LONG LIVE THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA!!!

chinny'spot

how bin ladin died

osama bin laden dead body pictures

Bin Laden killed

At the scene

“Start Quote

Did Jesus rise from the dead?

BODY COUNT:

Did Jesus rise from the dead?

Cynics and Skeptics

Self-Prophecy

A Horrific Death and Then. . . ?

Something Happened

Was Jesus Dead?

The Matter of An Empty Tomb

Grave Robbing?

Were the Disciples Hallucinating?

From Lie to Legend

Why Did Christianity Win?

A Surprise Conclusion

Did Jesus Say What Happens After we Die?

trouble in arab countries

Yemen's tribes 'put differences aside' to protest for change

Can Libya's lethal stalemate be broken?

killings in kaduna

A voice heard in Ramah. Dead Bodies litter Kaduna, Nigeria in post election crisishttp://blogs.christianpost.com/christianlife/2011/04/a-voice-heard-in-ramah-dead-bodies-litter-kaduna-nigeria-in-post-election-crisis-20/

goodluck ebele jonathan