The crucifixion, naturally, is totally believable. We know it could be done and was done frequently in those days. I never said it wasn't believable, I just said that I think it was a far less significant matter, spiritually speaking, than the resurrection in terms of the symbolic messages involved, and that its meaning has possibly been misconstrued by the Christian churches. (this is all assuming the resurrection did in fact occur, and we have no way to know if it did or not at this point)

The resurrection remains in the area of speculation. If it did occur, it was a much bigger deal than the crucifixion, in my opinion. He could have just as well died in any variety of ways...but to rise again...THAT gets a disciple's attention! If you can do that, they know you're for real and it wasn't all just a bunch of wonderful talk and some impressive hands-on healings that could have just been...uh... "the power of suggestion?" ..."spontaneous remission?" ...whatever... ;-)

I think he may have arranged it partly because it was the ONLY way to get some of those apostles to really believe what he was telling them, and so they could break through to a higher level of awareness. It would be shocking. If you saw it, you would simply never see life and death the same way again afterward.

I've known people who've been clinically dead on the operating table or elsewhere, and then revived...and some of them had spiritual experiences that left them changed for the rest of their lives...much for the better, I might add. Typical effects: they lose their fear of dying, they no longer think of death as "the end", they become more loving, more accepting, happier, and less judgemental. Those sound like Christ-like qualities, don't they?