Don't you wish everyone in the world was like Jesus ?

[glasshouses]

This discussion thread was locked as off-topic by In_The_Wind (a host of the General Discussion forum).

What a wonderful world it would be

[clydefrand]

1. That would be one

horrible world. No room for me, I guess.

[Ms. Toad]

2. Why?

I understand why you have challenges with many of his followers. But I am curious why you find Jesus, himself, challenging.

[Fumesucker]

17. So much for the continuation of the human race

Unless we were to go with parthenogenesis like Jesus was conceived.

[Ms. Toad]

20. I don't know that the wish for everyone to be like Jesus

went so far as wanting everyone to be conceived that way.

[Fumesucker]

24. It could be read that way but that's not quite what I meant

After having "Jesus is Watching" all my childhood it's kind of difficult to think of Jesus getting horny and doing the horizontal bop.

[Ms. Toad]

68. Ok. I get that -

I've always been more into the human side of Jesus - the "Jesus Christ Superstar" version, rather than the "Godspell" version. I think he got the full range of human emotions and temptations - but was just better ignoring the destructive ones (not talking about sex here) than most of us are.

[bhikkhu]

3. Never met the guy, but I've heard stories

...some of them are wonderful and inspiring, others make the hair on the back of your neck stand up and you just want to lock the doors and keep the lights on.

One of the bad things about not being able to read or write is that people can make up whatever they want about you after you're dead, and your words are only as good as people's shaky memories and questionable intentions.

[pnwmom]

77. I'm curious about which of the words Jesus is quoted as saying that make the hair on the back

of your neck stand up.

Some people confuse Jesus's words with words that were really said by other people, for example, Paul.

[bhikkhu]

78. Matthew 24:15-51 is one example

Revelations is one long nightmare, the rapture as described in Thessalonians is another. 2 John 1: 7 isn't exactly soothing.

Also from Thessalonians: "the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus."

...echoing Jesus' words in Matthew 11:20-24. And so forth.

The old-style hellfire and damnation preacher had plenty to work with right out of the bible, and Jesus set a pretty strong example. According to the bible and the accounts of him, so we are told.

(on edit) Eight years of catholic school gave me an excellent education, but studying the bible definitely helped me along toward a good science-based atheism. There's some psychological comfort to be found in devotion to faith, and worship of the long dead, but, at bottom, its pretty silly. There's more and better comfort to be found among the living, if that's what you need.

[randome]

4. The Jesus Clones. It's already been done.

[hr][font color="blue"][center]Treat your body like a machine. Your mind like a castle.[/center][/font][hr]

[OriginalGeek]

5. No thank you.

Even if the only thing he ever did was be a happy, hippie peace-and-love guy it would get dull pretty quickly. I love Simon and Garfunkle but I need Napalm Death too.

[aikoaiko]

6. People who raise the dead kind of weird me out.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

48. What is were someone you really liked?/NT

[Brother Buzz]

7. Buddha gets Jesus' vote

[hifiguy]

67. Enlightenment is useful in life.

Which makes Buddha my choice too. You don't have to wait for (nonexistent) pie in the sky when you die.

[Brother Buzz]

69. Sometimes enlightenment is overrated

The read game is simply the journey on the search for enlightenment.

[Marrah_G]

8. not really

[MattBaggins]

9. If everyone in the world were imaginary?

[Nevernose]

10. Only if it's Punk Rock Jesus

Cloned from a drop of dried blood from a surviving piece of the true cross, the 21st Century Savior returns to deliver us from corporate servitude and the meaningless lives of drones.

[edhopper]

70. That was a great

book.

[G_j]

11. if everyone in the world tried to love their neighbor,

cared for the poor and sick, and remembered the least among us. sure

[glasshouses]

42. If we are to believe he was a real man that was the man he was.

[Romeo.lima333]

12. it could be if everyone followed these 2 simple rules

1. love your neighbors esp. your enemies
2. do to others that which you would have others do to you

[SidDithers]

13. Not really...

Jesus and the early Christians were kind of assholes when it came to slavery.

Sid

[msongs]

14. and he advocated all the nasty things in the old testament. and could have healed ALL the sick but

chose not to

[Drahthaardogs]

15. Where did you come up with that one?

He most certainly did NOT advocate all of the things in the Old Testament which is kind of why the Pharisees crucified him. He did EXACTLY the opposite of what you purport that he did Including NOT stoning and adulteress woman AND healing on the Sabbath.

[merrily]

31. True on the second part, but, fwiw, I disagree as to the first.

Jesus said all the law and all the prophets (i.e., all of the OT) boiled down to two things:

1. Love your God

2. Love your neighbor as yourself.

Now, I could say Jesus's did a lousy job of summarizing the OT accurately, but that is what he said it all boiled down to.

And the religious hierarchy was always criticizing him for not obeying the OT, such as when his disciples picked corn on the sabbath and ate it, when absolute rest was deemed to be required.

[bedazzled]

80. i think jesus was sent to prove that we all could heal ourselves

if we believed and accessed the power of God.

that requires a lot of concentration, and most aren't able to do it...but he did!

[merrily]

29. What did Jesus say about slavery?

[SidDithers]

38. Nothing. That's the point...

You'd think that Jesus would maybe have a word or two of criticism for the idea of humans owning other humans.

But Jesus never condemns slavery. The closes he comes is in Luke, when he exhorts masters to not beat their slaves as harshly, if they screwed up because they didn't know they were doing wrong.

Wouldn't it have been nice, and appropriate, for the all-loving King of Men to maybe say "Hey, slavery is wrong. People shouldn't own other people."



Sid

[merrily]

40. Good point.

[Jamastiene]

57. It is very rare that I agree with you.

This time, you have an excellent point and I do agree.

[orleans]

16. i always heard he was a really nice, kind, and thoughtful guy

and probably gay
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/belief/2012/apr/20/was-jesus-gay-probably

though he was a bit too limited in his religious beliefs for me (ie son of god, heaven. i'm more into afterlife, spirits, children of the universe, soul groups)

[merrily]

43. I only read a couple of paragraphs of that article before I started laughing.

I never rejected the idea that Jesus might have have been gay. I also never rejected the idea that he could have been a playa, or married, or celibate. Or fictional.

But the stuff this article cites as clues make me LOL.

[orleans]

49. well, i'm here to amuse. n/t

[merrily]

50. I'm sorry if I can't take the article seriously. I am not imputing its contents to you, though.

[orleans]

51. that's okay. really. i just put it up there --no big deal. n/t

[merrily]

53. I ran out of hearts, but I am going to buy a few more right now so I can heart you in apology.

I've been meaning to buy more anyway. Giving them out is fun--and addictive.

[orleans]

74. no apology is necessary. and if my most recent heart is from you--i thank you

very much...with love

[Behind the Aegis]

18. I prefer...

[merrily]

32. aw, or innocent babies (though, in both cases, I could do with less drool and more toilet training).

j/k babies and puppies are great as they are

[sibelian]

41. Arf!

Popular opinion has it that my spirit animal is a labrador...

[smirkymonkey]

66. What a beautiful, happy looking dog!

Is it yours? I love all dogs, but I have a soft spot for Goldens.

[glasshouses]

44. or that

[hfojvt]

46. see, I have three dogs

and I find them to be selfish.

Plus, I have a family, and there's my daddy dog out in the yard, having sex with his daughter.

They always seem to want all the food for themself and could care less if any of their family - even their family, gets fed.

Daughter sort of whales on mom too. I have to hold her back when letting them outside, otherwise she attacks mom when they go out together, and mom is kinda scared of her, even though she is bigger.

Mom seems to have taught the other two to bark - at everything and everybody.

Then there was the time my Mitzi found a baby rabbit on a walk. Tail was just a-wagging. I am pretty sure she'd have killed it, had I not prevented it. They are more carniverous than humans.

I like dogs - but they are NOT all that.

[Iggo]

19. Fictional?

That would be weird.

[Ilsa]

21. Maybe just the diety thing is fictional.

The message, overall, was pretty awesome. Behavior worth emulating when possible. You know, the nonjudgmental, forgiving, charitable behaviors.

[hfojvt]

47. my sister told this "joke"

Santa Claus, a smart man and a stupid man are walking down the street and see a ten dollar bill. Who picks it up?

A: the stupid man, the other two are fictional.

[winter is coming]

22. Dead? Mythical? On a trailer hitch? n/t

[moondust]

23. WWJD to billionaires?

Those who made themselves obscenely wealthy by pushing vast numbers of others down the ladder into poverty and holding them there with low wages?

Christian nation my ass.

[seveneyes]

25. Evergreen heroes whose stories were told

Oh I'd rather have a ham in my sandwich than cheese
But complaining wouldn't do any good

[deaniac21]

26. There wouldn't be any women.

[merrily]

33. Are you sure?

[RedstDem]

27. wouldn't it be like a slow episode of the walking dead?

He is a zombie after all.

Lol

[One_Life_To_Give]

28. Not if it means living under occupation.

Not if it means living under a Roman occupation. Which in part shapes his views and attitudes.

[Warpy]

30. You mean where divorced women could never remarry

and divorced men could flit from wife to wife in serial polygamy?

Nah, I'll pass on that one.

[merrily]

34. Jesus said that?

[Glassunion]

54. Let alone did he do that?

[Warpy]

63. Uh-huh, and more than one gospel contains it.

Here's Matthew 5:32, KJV: "5:32 But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery."

[merrily]

65. Sounds like only the men get blamed.

I'm not seeing the serial polygamy part, though.

[REP]

35. Jewish?

[glasshouses]

45. Am I jewish? no

[REP]

71. you asked if I wished everyone were like Jesus. Jesus was a Jew.

If he even existed.

[COLGATE4]

36. Dead?

[orleans]

52. lol n/t

[Iggo]

58. Twice!

[cheapdate]

37. No. Variety is good. Jesus was compasssionate and thoughtful.

He was also preachy and moody.

[randome]

62. Bipolar Jesus?

Calling Dr. Freud!
[hr][font color="blue"][center]A ton of bricks, a ton of feathers, it's still gonna hurt.[/center][/font][hr]

[sibelian]

39. Hm. We'd all be constantly getting ourselves nailed to things.

Might get a bit soggy and emotional.

[RKP5637]

55. I would rather be myself! n/t

[guillaumeb]

56. yes

I have the long hair, and the beard. Not so good on the forgiveness and "doing to others" things but I am working on them. That is the struggle, to live a good life. Our Muslim brothers and sisters call the struggle "jihad". I will never win that struggle but I will try.

As to the post:

Jesus said that he came to replace the old law with the new.

He also said that the whole of the law was to love your neighbor as yourself.

Hard to improve on that philosophy.

[misternormal]

61. Yet it seems:

That those that profess a Christian Ideology tend, when they come across something
that they do not agree with, to recite from the "Old Law" as in homosexuality. They
always use Leviticus for that one. I say if the Bible IS what it is professed to be, "The
Word Of God," and God's laws are to be followed, why is it necessary to "Cherry Pick"
the laws, and only obey the ones that they feel necessary to obey?

No wonder they are confused.

Just Sayin'

[guillaumeb]

72. when a believer talks to me about Leviticus

I ask if he/she is a Christian or a Jew. When they (generally) reply Christian I respond that Jesus came to replace the old law with the new. If that is not enough, I ask if they wear mixed fiber garments. (That also is occasion for stoning according to Leviticus) That is usually enough to end the conversation.

I agree that people cherry pick what suits them whether we are talking the Constitution, the Bible, or any other source of contention.
Makes life interesting.

[Jamastiene]

59. No, I don't.

I would rather everyone was more like Satan, my daddy.

[Agnosticsherbet]

60. It would be like "Jesus freaks out in the street

Selling tickets to get to God."

No, I prefer everyone being different.

[uppityperson]

64. What? Dead 2000 years? The world would certainly be different without humans.

[Warren DeMontague]

73. You mean either long-dead or completely fictitious, never actually having existed at all?

No, that seems a bit extreme, even for the people who irritate me in traffic.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

75. We should combine this thread with this thread

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=forum&id=1002

because both great men countenanced slavery.


I do this not to denigrate Jesus or George but to suggest it's unwise to rip a person out of his or milieu and place him or her in another.


Jesus had enough problems with the Romans and George had enough problems building a nation.

[HERVEPA]

76. Hell no! Here's why!

[cemaphonic]

79. He had his good points

but there's also the "abandon your family and join my religious cult" talk, which is pretty much a huge red flag to me. Oh, and the necromancy. That would be a problem if everyone could raise the dead.

OTOH:

[LWolf]

81. No, but

I wish all those who group themselves together under his name would act like their published version of him.

[SidDithers]

82. Praise be to Jesus...

Sid

[tenderfoot]

83. But if everyone was like Jesus - what would become of all the conservative assholes?

You wouldn't be able to write stupid OPs like this one.

[99Forever]

84. Ya mean...

.. be the product of someone's imagination?

No thanks, I prefer actual people.

[In_The_Wind]

85. Locking

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