it is probable that
but since he's loving and merciful,
Hope that doesn't offend anyone ;-).
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| China-Japan-Koreas |
| Japan is proud home of Christ's tomb |
| 2006-05-31 |
| IN A paddy-lined valley in the far north of Japan is a municipal signpost inscribed: “Tomb of Christ: next left.” Follow the winding path up into the forest and there, sure enough, is a simple mound with a large wooden cross labelled as the grave of Jesus. Nearby is a tomb commemorating Isukiri, Christ’s brother, adorned with a plastic poinsettia Christmas wreath. For two millennia the farming village of Shingo claims to have protected a tradition that Jesus spent most of his life in Japan. The village is the home of Sajiro Sawaguchi, a man in his eighties who claims to be a direct descendant of Jesus and whose family has always owned the land in which it is said that Christ is buried. Mr Sawaguchi emerged as Jesus’s heir only in 1935, when a priest in Ibaraki discovered a document in ancient Japanese purporting to be Christ’s will. This document supposedly identifies Shingo as the location of the tombs of Jesus and Isukiri. The claim is widely believed. About 40,000 Japanese visit the site every year. Two years ago it was presented with a plaque by Jerusalem, and next Sunday it will host the annual Christ festival of traditional Japanese dance. According to the account in the Christ Museum next to the tombs, Christ arrived in Japan at the age of 21 and learnt Japanese before returning to Judaea 12 years later to engage in his mission and preach about the “holy land of Japan”. The official Shingo history is that Jesus’s place on the Cross was “casually” taken by his brother, leaving Christ free to return to Japan. On his return he fell in love with Miyuko, a local girl, and lived happily with his family among the rice fields until dying aged 106. Norihide Nagano, the straight-faced curator of the tombs, says that the theory that the grave does contain the remains of Jesus is supported by several pieces of evidence. There is the local tradition, dating back hundreds of years, of drawing a charcoal cross on babies’ heads; and ancient kimonos made in the area incorporated a Star of David. The upkeep of the site is paid for out of the profits of a local yoghurt factory, and Mr Nagano agrees that The Da Vinci Code will probably boost Shingo’s coffers. The village shop is already doing a roaring trade in Christ-branded saké. “Did you enjoy the museum?” asks Mr Nagano. “If you did, I recommend you go to Ishikawa district. They have the tomb of Moses there.” |
| Posted by:anonymous5089 |
| #14 Anon. Nothing better than "The Buddy Christ". I actually bought a couple of the figurines or whatever you call them. |
| Posted by: Mike N. 2006-05-31 16:03 |
| #13 #10: "Hope that doesn't offend anyone ;-)." Bullshit, anon - you hope that offends everyone. :-D |
| Posted by: Barbara Skolaut 2006-05-31 13:57 |
| #12 ROFL, a5089! |
| Posted by: Chang Ominesing2659 2006-05-31 13:06 |
| #11 phil just go the website and read excerpts. One man's humor is anothers blasphemy, so ... I can't tell if you would laugh or rage. I do know if any muzzies read his last book one of the hellhounds has a name they won't like. Of course the book covered that result. |
| Posted by: 3dc 2006-05-31 10:41 |
| #10 To Kimmy and his henchmen (cf. this) : it is probable that but since he's loving and merciful, Hope that doesn't offend anyone ;-). |
| Posted by: anonymous5089 2006-05-31 10:35 |
| #9 Last I heard, Jesus just left Chicago and he's bound for New Orleans. |
| Posted by: ed 2006-05-31 09:49 |
| #8 How did it compare to "Mort," "Soul Music," "Hogfather," or "Dead Like Me"? Damn. Good choices there. Not a one that isn't enjoyable. I'm very, very confused... I thought Jesus migrated to Kashmir... Was I misled? Yes. He came to the Americas. |
| Posted by: Rob Crawford 2006-05-31 09:43 |
| #7 I'm very, very confused... I thought Jesus migrated to Kashmir... Was I misled? |
| Posted by: anonymous5089 2006-05-31 09:41 |
| #6 Man, that makes me wish that Nagano gets the winter Olympics again. Maybe I can find Socrates or big Mo's tombs around there, too. And, phil b, I thought exactly the same thing...wonder when Dan Brown will write a book on Christ's galivanting in Japan with that young girl? |
| Posted by: BA 2006-05-31 09:27 |
| #5 Is Elvis the groundskeeper? |
| Posted by: DarthVader 2006-05-31 09:27 |
| #4 ...this article reminds me of something P.T. Barnum used ta say....either way, brought a smile to my face. If people think they're visiting JC's final resting place and they walk away w/a positive vibe and maybe do something good for their fellow man because of it, I'm cool w/that - there are certainly worse things in life. |
| Posted by: Broadhead6 2006-05-31 09:14 |
| #3 How did it compare to "Mort," "Soul Music," "Hogfather," or "Dead Like Me"? |
| Posted by: Phil 2006-05-31 09:13 |
| #2 phil_b go to "http://www.chrismoore.com/" and check out "Lamb"... then when you are done laughing... his latest book "Its a dirty job" is his second best and worth enjoying.. (about a man who becomes a "grim reaper".) |
| Posted by: 3dc 2006-05-31 09:07 |
| #1 OK, the Da Vinci Code is a crock, but I knew that already. Disclaimer: I'm a hard line athiest. And any Leftist trolls (equating the Right with Christianity) can just F?ck Off. I thought I was channeling .com, but some days I think I'm channeling Joe M. |
| Posted by: phil_b 2006-05-31 06:57 |