Does Jesus have to be devine to inspire man?

Question

Some Christian groups really were threatened by the 'Divinci Code.' But in examining their fear (that it challenges the divinity of Christ) I felt that a man that lives a completely moral existance as an average man is more inspiring than a story of a divine one (for me personally). The divinity of Christ opens way for excuses by His followers to excuse their immoral behavior, due to the fact that they aren't divine. What do you think?

Answer 1

No...all humans inspire other humans...for better or worse.

An excuse is not the same thing as forgiveness.

You can't have "a completely moral existence" without having having a universal standard of that morality. That's what God is...the standard of perfect morality...something most humans never achieve. (e.g. Cannibalism is considered to be completely "moral" in some cultures!)

So, if Jesus isn't divine, He's not perfect...which leaves His teachings open to the question as to whether they're right or wrong.

The problem isn't that faithful Christians are threatened by the possibility that the Da Vinci Code is true. The real issue is that many non-Christians are afraid that Jesus' divinity is true.

Answer 2

First, I disagree that it opens the way for excuse for immoral behavior. A proper understanding of the divinity of Christ and his sinlessness actually leaves us with less excuse: Christ was also a sinless man, therefore we should all be (theoretically) capable of choosing that, but we don't.

The problem isn't just that the Davinci Code challenges Christ's divinity: lots of people, groups and books do that. It's that it claims its sources are just as valid as those in the Bible. They aren't. The books of the Bible were written before the close of the first century. There are books written at the beginning of the second century that allude to them. You can track when most of the gnostic writings that the Davinici Code is based on originate (usually late in the second century or early in the third) because the early Church writers will all of a sudden start saying something like, "And just recently we started hearing about the Gospel of Thomas, which was supposed to be written by... but we never heard of it before, and our teachers didn't talk about it, so we think it's suspicious."

But Dan Brown says it's all just as acurate as any history book, but leaves it in the fiction section so that we can't actually challenge it in the traditional way that one would challenge a bad history book. If he seriously thought it was as good as history, he should have published non-fiction.

Answer 3

I'll go along with that. The Sermon on the Mount is an inspiring work about the happiness that is achievable by those of goodwill -- and it can be had right here on earth, without waiting for an imaginary heaven. How great is that? Sadly, the Sermon on the Mount is too often neglected by the Christian churches.

And it's true that Christians are constantly falling back on "but of course we can't be like Jesus, we're only human."

Answer 4

I suspect that Davinci Code is never a threat to any Christian Group. Why should it be? Why should it be a threat to the Faith? If what they believe in is really true. What is there to fear of? For those who are strong in faith, there is absolutely nothing to worry about. It is those who are weak that some Christian Groups are concern for. Out of love for their brothers/sisters that they are concern for. Not that the movie destroys their faith whatsoever, it is the possibility of misleading others is the issue.

In my opinon, yes. Jesus has to be divine in order to inspire mankind.

Firstly the fact that normal human lived a completely moral lives is very Inspirational. But an Almighty God who stoop down to be one of us and die on the cross for our sake is out of proportion. The intensity of how that inspires is unimaginable. It is beyond anything else.

The Son of God. . . worked with human hands; he thought with a human mind. He acted with a human will, and with a human heart he loved. Born of the Virgin Mary, he has truly been made one of us, like to us in all things except sin.

Answer 5

Well first off, it was the catholics, not the christians that got most uptight about The Da Vinci Code.

secondly jesus was more or less a man. Whether or not you belive he was the son of God, many ppl did, and he could have used that to his advantage, instead he lived a pretty simple life. For me personally that is most inspiring. He could have used his status to basically and realistically take over the world.

Answer 6

That is exactly why it threatens them.

They rely on not being held accountable for their "sins." And if Jesus was just an inspirational leader, like Gandhi, they are going to have to change their wicked ways.

And, that is unacceptable.


Christians have not "always believed Jesus was God." That idea was invented in 325 CE (ad) by a pagan Roman Emperor and the Nicene Council.

Answer 7

Christians have always believed that Jesus was God. And that he was fully God and completely human. The ultimate source for this teaching is God. We believe that God is self revealing.
You think you have a better way then go ahead start your own religion!

Answer 8

Real Christians are not threatend by "davinci code" Jesus is man and Jesus is also GOD. He was God who came down to earth became a man to die and save us from our sins, that story is the most hated story by satan.

Answer 9

I agree with you. As an individual, Jesus was a man worth admiring (if he existed). As a god, he's insufficient.

Answer 10

inspiration is devine - no matter what the source.
the source is OF God because He created everything (for a reason)