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Truth and Life

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I'm impressed by the similarities between how Socrates and Jesus lived and died:

Even after he has been convicted by the jury, Socrates declines to abandon his pursuit of the truth in all matters. Refusing to accept exile from Athens or a commitment to silence as his penalty, he maintains that public discussion of the great issues of life and virtue is a necessary part of any valuable human life. "The unexamined life is not worth living." (Apology 38a) Socrates would rather die than give up philosophy, and the jury seems happy to grant him that wish

Jesus lived and taught 'the kingdom of God'. Jesus' life and teachings show what life is like with God as ruler. Any other way of living is described as 'death'. His example, through teaching and life[style], were the reason the Pharisees wanted, and got Jesus' execution. Jesus may have been able to escape and continue teaching in another 'land', but he describes his 'mission' as that of a shepherd to 'the lost sheep of Israel'. He HAD to live that life, and share it with those he felt had 'wandered'.

Matthew

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