What do you think about jesus
- Thread starter Divine Wannabee
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Jesus is a concept, representing specific human character, which has existed for as long as there's been Homo sapiens. You can find it in arts and religions from prehistoric times to the present day.
One of the mistakes of the Christian canons is to expect Jesus to return at the end of time for the judgment day of love. What actually happens is that he (this human character) returns in all generations and societies repeatedly, and with many faces, and the judgment day of love happens for real in every generation, under many smaller or bigger forms.
You can even find such Jesus in many INFJ members of this forum, regardless of their beliefs / atheism, because "by their deeds you shall know them", and they live the closest to how Jesus would have lived as a human in today's world.
One of the mistakes of the Christian canons is to expect Jesus to return at the end of time for the judgment day of love. What actually happens is that he (this human character) returns in all generations and societies repeatedly, and with many faces, and the judgment day of love happens for real in every generation, under many smaller or bigger forms.
You can even find such Jesus in many INFJ members of this forum, regardless of their beliefs / atheism, because "by their deeds you shall know them", and they live the closest to how Jesus would have lived as a human in today's world.
Jesus is like King Arthur or Robin Hood: a legend we have received, often in third hand translations (unless we are really dedicated to learn ancient languages - and even then, how can we be sure of the precise contextual meaning?). Yet like all legends, he endures, because the story is one of human greatness, and we don't even have to believe he is God in the literal sense to see that. He is rather a personification of the godliness to which we are capable, idealised to a level to which we are not.
At best, a false hope. An idea that should have been disposed of a hundred years ago but still continues to linger. Perhaps, an elaborate hoax. A person whose existence is inconsequential to the effect he bears on the imaginations of people. At worst, a scapegoat for the Church for the purpose of growing and collecting manpower and financial assistance, continuing to exist solely by feeding on the human tendency to be afraid of the consequences of death.
I find it interesting how many people are hostile toward the idea of Jesus, even though he was one of the nicest people in history who taught a wonderful message that anyone could benefit from, even if you ignore the parts about God. Be kind. Love one another. Forgive. Be a good person. Help others.
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I think people are hostile to the idea of worshiping a figure without good reason to (in their opinion anyway). As a legend I'd say he sounds like a pretty decent guy all in all, though I don't believe in the legend. As a man though none of us can say, we never knew him and anyone who did has been dead for 2000 years.
Though I do have Heaven is a Halfpipe running through my head now and that pleases me.
Jesus is the archetype that exists within all of us. It's the goodness you find in your actions, unconsciously, when feeling empathy, or feeling accountable for the happiness of others. Jesus is the inherent morality we have evolved as humans. I don't really see the need to project that outward towards another personality and worship Him for whatever number of reasons.
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That's an interesting way of looking at things. I can't say I agree, but interesting nonetheless.
Then they don't have to worship him. Simple.
It doesn't explain the hostility.
Most people accept that Buddha had great ideas which are very similar to those of Jesus, without getting hostile at the idea of Budda, even though he's also a figure that may or may not have existed and is reported to have performed miracles. People don't have a problem with other people worshipping Buddha, or those people thinking that Buddha was a divine incarnation.
While I can fully understand why people might be hostile with Christians, I don't get the hostility with Jesus, other than validation for the scriptures that say things like "the world will not accept me", because there are other figures that represent the same concepts that people have no problem with.
Just... interesting to me. Seems to prove the spiritual power of the man if he's still having this effect on people.
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It's just easy to scapecoat your hate of a religion onto the figure that embodies it. If you don't believe that Jesus even existed then this must be pretty easy.
Also very few western people (like the majority of these boards) have had enough experience with Budhism to create a strong opinion of it or those involved in it.
I was once hostile to the concept of Jesus, but I think was mostly my intense dislike of organized religious institutions, or more specifically the single minded people they seem to create or at least foster. My thoughts have changed substantially as of late towards Jesus.
I've gained a spiritual awakening, or at least something akin to one. I admit it may very well just be a sense of peace artificially induced by the anti-depressant I started taking, but it has been wonderful none the less. I've been following through on this new found spirituality and done much reading on religion and philosophy. I've found one document in particular to be fascinating: the Gospel of Thomas. It is (supposedly) a collection of sayings of the resurrected Christ, written down by Thomas during the 40 days before the ascension. It does not follow the normal Gospel format of documenting the life of Jesus that you find in the canonical bible. These sayings speak to me and are insightful, and are much more in line with inner discovery than a teaching devoted to worship of a supreme God. Many of the words of Jesus in this Gospel have more practical and common sense life applications and less emphasis on right and wrong. There are also some sayings that can be found in other Gospels but with more down to earth verbiage.
I haven't quite reached the point where I would fully acknowledge that Christ is a divine being, and my God, but I will say that the more I explore the Gospel of Thomas and decipher the meanings of the sayings (or what I believe to the meanings), the more at peace I am with myself and the rest of the world. Whomever the author was, or words the sayings belong to, I can only say that I have been inspired by them. I would like to believe that at least Jesus the man did in fact make the statements written in Thomas's account, but as always I leave room for doubt.
Jesus is OK in my book, be he God, son of God, or Philosopher, I find little about his message to be displeased with.
I've gained a spiritual awakening, or at least something akin to one. I admit it may very well just be a sense of peace artificially induced by the anti-depressant I started taking, but it has been wonderful none the less. I've been following through on this new found spirituality and done much reading on religion and philosophy. I've found one document in particular to be fascinating: the Gospel of Thomas. It is (supposedly) a collection of sayings of the resurrected Christ, written down by Thomas during the 40 days before the ascension. It does not follow the normal Gospel format of documenting the life of Jesus that you find in the canonical bible. These sayings speak to me and are insightful, and are much more in line with inner discovery than a teaching devoted to worship of a supreme God. Many of the words of Jesus in this Gospel have more practical and common sense life applications and less emphasis on right and wrong. There are also some sayings that can be found in other Gospels but with more down to earth verbiage.
I haven't quite reached the point where I would fully acknowledge that Christ is a divine being, and my God, but I will say that the more I explore the Gospel of Thomas and decipher the meanings of the sayings (or what I believe to the meanings), the more at peace I am with myself and the rest of the world. Whomever the author was, or words the sayings belong to, I can only say that I have been inspired by them. I would like to believe that at least Jesus the man did in fact make the statements written in Thomas's account, but as always I leave room for doubt.
Jesus is OK in my book, be he God, son of God, or Philosopher, I find little about his message to be displeased with.
Morality (of which "Jesus" is the prime archetype) exists independent of religion, that's what I believe at least. I have nothing against Jesus, but the institute that claims Him and claims to speak for His will.
Your basing this out of what book and chapter of the Bible?
Jesus exist on whole different level compared to either Robin or King Arthur. The existence and message of Jesus stands out because of its effect on man and history. Legends don't have that kind of impact on the world, the only things to have this kind of effect were living, breathing people.
More so if you understand Jesus' Message, He came because of the godliness we were incapable of, he came not to show us how to be better but how to be safe.
But as history Shows Jesus bears effect not only on peoples imaginations but on their hearts, hands and feet. Moving them in ways impossible without him.
Indeed, there is no denying it. He is a focal point of human empathy and morality. Much like how Muhammad is the focal point of all good, moral behavior in the Middle-East, or how Gautam Budh is for many East Asian cultures.
It's the archetype of good moral behavior that exists in every culture.
He doesn't fit as an Archetype for good behavior though.... not unless you subscribe to all of his teachings which Include the belief in God and Jesus' divinity. Without those he quickly becomes a lunatic or fanatic.