first of all i would say that thinking time is a line with a start and an end is wrong.

i have recently heared i nice theorem on timeline (i hope i can get the basic idea right):
get rid of the imagination that time is a constant value.
assume that any force needs a counterforce to keep in balance. so does time. whenever a second passes here somewhere the exact negative ammount has to pass too.
also there are areas where the speed of time is infinitive high and infinitive low.
an example would be a checker field where the white pattern marks the infinitive slow time and black the fast one (both with a gradient to their corners).
and whenever two of these fields touch each other the thin line between them is what we call existence.

maybe the question of the universe is wrong. maybe we shoulnt ask who created it but where.

this is just one of lots and lots of different theories.
all of them though have in common to be very intersting even though the most are way too complex to understand or are against our natural 4d view of the world.


about the qustions you raised:
first of all i want to admit that quite some years passed since i read the bible (must be almost 10) so i am sorry if i cant quote it

-->..Ok, but Jesus was nearly stoned Himself. Someone was almost stoned in front of Him. It was very common. Remember too, that the Jews lived among the Romans, but they weren't completely integrated into society. They were allowed their own establishments...

thats not the case. the typical jewish punishment was probably stoneing but political prisoners had to be handed over to the protector and as other political and religous prisoners only the roman administration was allowed to call the death penalty and the standard for religious motivated riots and actions was and continued to be the cross.
eversince the roman invasion (one or two days before jesus was executed) and with all political prisoners.


-->..Sources? Specifics? (for crusifixation of other religious leaders)

a torah verse:
When someone is convicted of a crime punishable by death and is executed, and you hang him on a tree, his corpse must not remain all night upon the tree; you shall bury him that same day, for anyone hung on a tree is under God's curse. You must not defile the land that the LORD your God is giving you for possession. Deut 21:22-23

dont you think that writing this passage in the most important scroll of the jews had some reason.
and dont you think that either the romans knew that, the jews and jesus who was raised "a little bit religious".


-->..Psalm 22 ..
i wont go into detail about the pierced hands and feet because the psalm contains way more then what should have happened. Most of the written is a combination of lyric and observation of common behaviour (death symptoms, fear and the pulic riot).
afaik jesus was not the first one executed and even our days we pretty much know how such a thing would be like.

the psalm also states things about swords and lions as well.
so either is all a metaphor or none of it.

-->..Jesus didn't have a religion. He didn't show up on the scene to overturn the Torah...

??? you think he knew that when he raised his voice againt the priests and held public hearings without the permission of the jewish leaders?!

-->..Someone who was ignored by the establishment, who lived with the dredges of society, and died like a common criminal would somehow be completely celebrated just because a few people claimed He rose from the dead...

exactly! because his whole religion was(is) based on this.
imagine some of those weirdo newwave religion leaders who take your money for a spaceship actually manages that some alien rocket would land on the earth and take you away.
man, i no time....hordes would follow like cattle.

-->..Well, I could remain skeptical about whether or not atoms really exist for the rest of my life, but eventually there's enough evidence to call it a day.

funny to see how you change your oppinion or the damand of evidence when you need it. i can remember sentences from you like "as long there is not 100% proof it cant be accepted as truth"

anyway, you are comparing two different things here. while the whole atom theory answers things the whole jesus "theory" just opens more questions.
While the atom theory allows me to build supernukes and ct scanners based on it i have to find workarrounds and accept the supernatural to make the jesus theory work.

-->..Again, they wanted someone who lived with the lowest of society? Who basically died as a nothing? Who questioned the religious establishement? He did anything except give the majority what they wanted....

you are not understanding how martyrism works. take for example someone like bin laden as an example how a way of live can bind and fascinate people to do whatever you say. right or wrong. (and now i dont wanna hear any "how can you compare jesus with bin laden" bullshit)

-->..You need to stop making historically false claims, especially when you absolutely refuse to back them up. (religion having impact on average life)

best would be an example. lets see.
roman religion: when your first born son reaches a certain age you have to give a big party. this required lots of money and lots of sacrifices to the gods and the priests.

the bottom line: while most religions where not a brand the only money they could make was from their believers.
as the example above some of these rituals could ruin a whole clan.

jesus on the other hand got rid of this with the simple slogan: "read my lips! no more taxes!"
pretty smart and you are right. absolutely nothing the average citizen liked and exactly what the religous crowed wanted to have


a personal note: i dont get the point why jesus has to be the son of god. I think he said a few pretty smart things and i dont see any reason why this should be less worth just because he is not vip.

nuff written