re: #13 freetoken

my view is this

in 1st century palestine, everybody had their own theory of how to deal with the hated romans

the priests - the sadducees - cooperated with them to keep what authority they had left

the pharisees tried to up the level of ritual observance and purity so that god would see how they were worthy of help

the zealots refused to pay taxes and plotted violent revolution

the sicarii knifed roman oppressors and jewish collaborators in marketplace crowds

the essenes withdrew into their little communities - josephus says they were found in every town and village - and lived a radically simple and virtuous life and waited for the imminent return of the meshiach

jesus had a different idea: he preached not ritual purity but radical goodness - “it is not what you put in your mouth but what comes out of it that will make you clean or unclean” “if a man ask you for your shirt, give him your coat as well”. when asked about taxes, he disavowed the external, worldly radicalism of the zealots: “give unto caesar what is caesar’s”

he told his followers that salvation from oppression would come from themselves, or, as we say now, to be the change they want - “the kingdom of god, it’s within you”

to put his teaching to any other use but the reform of your individual soul is to my mind blasphemy