What Would Jesus Have Done?

[Atheist]

He recommended helping the weak, the meek, the ones who lay injured by the roadside. He commended a Samaritan who helped someone even though the Samaritan was of a tribe disliked by the Jews. He defended a man who collected wood on the sabbath. He said that rich people would find it hard to go to heaven. He said we should turn the other cheek when attacked.

He did not condemn refugees. He did not recommend that we should smite the enemies of the Lord. He did not despise the poor and dispossessed. He did not condemn prostitutes.

He did condemn those who would have stoned sinners.

If he was real, he sounds a rather decent chap, not much like many so-called christians.

[allenlondon]

I like your sentiments, drmorgan (“Many of the Christians I know are the kindest, most decent people you would want to meet.”)

Sadly, some of the nastiest b****ds in living memory have claimed to be Christians. Thatcher, Pinochet, in fact most of the world’s strutters and dictators probably called themselves Christians.

Not that they’re all in that league, but I’d bet most MPs go to church!

A

[Theland]

Northern Ireland was nominally Christian v Christian.

[rowanwitch]

As the only thing Jesus the Nazarene might have been if he existed was a local rebel leader I suspect he would have refused to wear a mask and been a Corbyn supporter

[Theland]

He was interested in the inner person not the outward appearance. Motivation was and is everything.

[Atheist]

Sorry, Nailit; I thought I remembered such a tale. Perhaps it wasn't Jesus? I really thought he didn't approve of sanctimonious enforcement of sabbath rules when applied to poor b****rs who were trying to warm and feed their families.

[THECORBYLOON]

ATHIEST, God ordered that he be stoned to death, which he was.

A wee bit over the top, in my opinion.

[fender62]

no one really knows what he was like, let alone really said
chinese whispers, blessed are the meek, could have been cheese makers? may have also been gay...hung out with lots of men.
basically all supposition, would not believe a book written by so many so long ago, lot's of nasty stuff in that book as well, obviously
written by zealots.

[Theland]

Picking out bits could make it appear that way.

[Atheist]

fendr, I was addressing christians, really, and I didn't want to be dismissive about the whole of christianity; obviously someone inspired the whole thing and the fact that it might have been 'altered' by later interpreters (e.g. S/Paul) doesn't mean that what is reported of JC is necessarily rubbish. BTW I think 'Zealots' were not friends of JC; they thought they should be sticking up for themselves with a bit of cold steel.

[Khandro]

//What Would Jesus Have Done?//

About what?

[gulliver1]

Don't think he would have died on the cross, for Brexit.

[douglas9401]

Would he be an advocate for Crossrail?

[naomi24]

Jesus wasn’t a bad bloke but his reputation as faultless is manufactured by religion - and he wasn’t faultless because he was human. He could become angry and vengeful, he wasn’t always accommodating to foreigners, he didn’t encourage family life, he wasn’t particularly caring towards his mother, he lived on charity, his family thought he was bonkers, and his wealthy friends, I believe, were instrumental in saving him from certain death on the cross. With the hocus pocus stripped from the story and potential clues followed, an intriguing possibility raises its head. Who was he? In my opinion he was exactly who the occupying Romans said he was - the King of the Jews - which was why they condemned him to death on a charge of insurrection. He was dangerous to them.

So what would Jesus have done? Probably not what you've been taught he might have done.

[Theland]

An interesting line of thought above.

[dannyk13]

God knows what Jesus would have done!

[naomi24]

ps, //I think 'Zealots' were not friends of JC; they thought they should be sticking up for themselves with a bit of cold steel. //

Jesus wasn't averse to a bit of cold steel. He told his disciples to sell their cloaks to buy swords. I think he was very much a friend of the Zealots for the reason suggested in my previous post.

[Theland]

A metaphorical phrase meaning men will live in perilous times, and maybe not feel safe without a sword by their side, but the true sword is the sword of the Spirit.

[naomi24]

Strange how the bits that don't suit you are metaphorical, Theland.

[Theland]

Not strange at all. Simply a process of learning how and when to separate hard facts from metaphor.

[naomi24]

Theland. There are no 'hard facts' - and you've no idea what is metaphorical and what is not. Stop pretending to have a hot line to God! You know no more than anyone else.