To the editors:
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Would Professor Sheehan have us believe that he is unfamiliar with the work of Ghulam Ahmad (Jesus in India, Tabshir Press, Qadian, 1889), whose work was the first to expose what is now becoming a growing belief–that Christ survived the crucifixion physically and did what he was supposed to do (something Professor Sheehan would agree to) since he was sent NOT to the Gentiles, but to his people–he travelled to Northern Hodu (India), where ten of the 12 tribes of Israel had been scattered, in order to complete his mission of telling the Children of Israel about the Kingdom of God? Could it really be possible that he is unfamiliar with that monumental work, Jesus In Heaven On Earth, by Nazir Ahmad? Is it possible that Professor Sheehan does not know of the current work of Professor Fida Hassnain (State Director of Archaeology in Kashmir, Northern India), who is studying the Roza Bal (Prophet’s tomb), in which Jesus Christ (Yus Asaph) is believed to be buried, and to which all of the above-mentioned works refer?
Professor Sheehan does not know, are we to believe, that there is someone (Basharat Saleem) who claims to be a living descendant of Jesus Christ and has genealogical charts and records to substantiate his claim; and who at least one scholar takes seriously?
The fact is, the whole “theory” of salvation (the very reason, we are told by Church Christianity, that Christ was crucified) crumbles to the dust if, in fact, it is shown that Jesus Christ was a mortal who did what every other mortal does. (How much more interesting would have been The Last Temptation of Christ had the author of that book and the producer of that film known that Christ possibly did enjoy sex, have children, etc.) The existence of the Tomb of Jesus Christ and the manuscripts which exist in the Lamaseries (Buddhistic monasteries) in that area, stand as growing threats to the very life of Church Christianity (as opposed to the true Christianity which Sheehan is so “boldly” advocating).
If it is shown that Christ married and had children, what of the Catholic priesthood? Rather than go any further, though (my time is limited), I ask you and the readers to think about the questions this raises. This has to be the single most important issue in Western (or Eastern) Christianity. Why is it that the world-wide Anglican church issued a statement in 1978 (as a response to a conference entitled, The First International Conference on the Deliverance of Jesus Christ From the Cross, which was held in London and attended by 1,500 people from around the world) that said that it realized that the “death” of Jesus Christ appears, on the surface, to be an “affront to divine justice.” That is because it is an affront to Divine justice.
Perhaps Christians will find an enhanced Christianity (as Sheehan suggests) if they can find and learn about Christ’s teachings in India after the cross. Incidentally, pilgrims from around the world travel to Kan Yar street to visit Christ’s tomb (but I suppose I should say “alleged” tomb).
