"From Jesus to Christ": Newsweek is at it again.

The latest Newsweek cover story From Jesus to Christ turns on the premise that Jesus was neither the Christ nor divine and that these were just constructions that were added by the followers of a failed Jewish prophet. Nevermind "in the beginning was the Word", for these mainstream media types the Christ was just something he became, primarily in the mind of his followers. The cover story is complete with poll results showing that the overwhelming number of Americans believe Christ rose from the dead, a fact which surely bolsters the attitude of superiority and contempt held by the denizens of quarters like Manhattan and Berkeley.

The author and Newsweek editor, Jon Meacham, claims to be a practicing Christian (no doubt a "Christian" who has serious reservations about the divinity of Christ). He ends the story with a paean to modernity, "So many theological questions linger..." and, being a pious scoffer, a redacted quote from scripture, albeit one exhorting ethical behavior rather than belief in "the Way, the Truth and the Life":

'Be at peace among yourselves ... encourage the faint-hearted, help the weak, be
patient with them all. See that none of you repays evil for evil, but always
seek to do good to one another and to all. Rejoice always, pray constantly, give
thanks ... hold fast what is good, abstain from every form of evil' - wise words
for all of us, whatever our doubts, whatever our faith.

And what is the redacted portion which would otherwise be found at the first ellipsis, words which Mr. Meacham obviously does not consider wise words suitable for doubters? They are "admonish the idlers". Mr. Meacham and Newsweek, consider my admonishment done for today.