[Acrylic-bob]

I’m sorry Gobsmacked, I don’t agree.

The adjective “omniscient” means, according to OED, “knowing everything”.
If you read what I wrote you will see that I attempted to posit the idea that the whole performance is pointless, from beginning to end. What is the point of setting humanity the challenge of learning anything if it is already known who will learn and who will not and also to whatever degree. A bit like setting children an exam, when you already have the results in your hand.
What is the point of saying to humanity “ you have the freedom to sin or not to sin” and sitting there smugly stroking your white beard because you know which ones are going to sin and which are not. And what is then the point of sending a Messiah who will suffer death to remit the sins of humanity and then insist that you should still atone for those sins, and, moreover, one who will save all those who came after him but not the ones that went before. Talk about Indian giving. I have the distinct feeling that we are being played with here, either that or the four evangelists were making it up as they went along.
(BTW a pikestaff is a wooden pole about 12 to 15 feet long often with a nasty, sharp, metal stabbing bit on the end, very much the WMD of the 15th to 17th centuries. Beefeaters carry shortened versions.)
The basic gospel is as plain as a pikestaff is it? Well, yes, I suppose it is.

Luke 22:36. “Then he said unto them, but now, he that hath a purse, let him take it and likewise his scrip: and he that hath no sword let him sell his garment to buy one”.


Matt 10:34-35. “Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace but a sword. For I am come to set a man at varience against his father, and the daughter against the mother, and the daughter in law against the mother in law”.

Luke 12:52 “For from henceforth there shall be five in one house divided, three against two, and two against three”.

Mark 4:9-12 “And he said unto them, he that hath ears to hear, let him hear. And when he was alone, they that were about him with the twelve asked him of the parable. And he said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, these things are done in parables: That seeing they may see and not perceive. And hearing they may hear and not understand; lest at any time they should be converted and their sins should be forgiven them”.

Luke 14:26 “If any man come to me and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and bretheren, and sisters, yea and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple”.

I could go on but I think that will do for now. “The basic truths of Christian Scripture are so plain and simple that people miss them.” Are they, are they indeed?