<p>“I think that the more religion gets into mysteries, secret knowledge,and “salvation”, the less it has anything to do with Jesus’ radical call to act–the rest seems like navel-gazing to me.”</p>
<p>Hey, my biases are clear: I’m a Quaker. Jesus’ life provides A (some say “the”) paradigm for living, and you can gain by studying his life and teachings. We are big on the Sermon on the Mount. The rest is speculative. He said he was the son of God, and explained exactly what he meant by it: “Blessed are the Peacemakers - For they are the Sons of God.”</p>
<p>The folks in Marieh made no money off their little grave site; the folks in Srinagar guarding the tomb make no money off it; the Thomasine Catholics have lived peacefully with their neighbors for 2,000 years. Thomasines aren’t gnostics, and they have no knowledge of the Gospel of Thomas whatsoever (except what they read in National Geographic.)</p>