What if? (assume this is true for arguments sake please)?

Question

What if Jesus was proven to have existed, helped people his whole life, stood up to a corrupt church, and died a martyr, but was human.

Atheists and other non-Christians: would you consider him a hero? Someone to maybe look up to a little like Martin Luther King Jr, or Ghandi? Would it be easier to take what he said about love and pacifism seriously?

Christians- would you still base your faith on him? Or would him not being the son of God make him not so good a role model? What if he was not the son of God but you knew God thought he was the best human being that had ever lived? Would you still look up to him, and try to be like him to get closer to God?

Answer 1

Well, I'm an agnostic, but assuming jesus existed. I take what he said about love and pacifism very seriously ( from what I can tell far more seriously than most fundies do). And I try to live up to many of the ideals he espoused ( again unlike many fundies who twist the words to find out how to get continue to get away with hating their particular bug-bear).
However, it matters not a lick if he was human, god, or the son of god. A valid philsophy is valid no matter who first spoke it.

Answer 2

If Jesus was not the Son of God, then he was a liar. If Jesus was not the Son of God he had no authority to teach something that created discord amongst the Israelites, and was therefore not a good role model. If the resurrection of Christ did not happen, there is no reason to be a Christian. In fact, if you still believed in God, following the teachings of the New Testament would be an abomination to God if they are not true.

However, Jesus spoke with an authority greater than the profits because he WAS (and is) greater than the profits. He performed miracles to prove that His Word was Truth. He was killed on a cross, pierced to the heart to verify that he was dead, and burried in a tomb. He raised from the dead, and hundreds of people saw him after he arose. Men suffered and died in His name. Why? Certainly not because they knew what they said was a lie, but because they knew it was the truth. They witnessed Jesus' return to heaven, and no longer feared death.

Answer 3

As a "Christian", number one, I would not be a 'Christian" because "Jesus" would not be the Son of God and would not have done all that the Bible said that He did, because none of it would exist. God expects perfection, even this very good person that you describe for arguments' sake would not match the requirements of God. We would still be living under the law and would be under the bondage of it. The "church" per se' would not exist. Corruption surely would, but that is not the point. What you propose simply would not exist, because there would be no mediator between man and God. There are quite a number of men who have been very good men, whose lives were exemplary, and one could find sufficient merit in them to want to use their ideas on which to build your own values. Billy Sunday is a prime example of a preacher and evangelist that turned the area where he lived upside down. He was so much wanted to be heard that when he was in town, everyone came to hear him. The bars even closed down for lack of business. However, on Jesus is the best example of what it is to seek after for the best possible life.

Answer 4

Without Jesus being the Son of God and actually, God in the flesh, our faith would be in vain. Were it not for the resurrection, there would be no proof that HE is who He said He was and thus no hope for all of mankind.

The fact that Jesus spent three days and three nights in the belly of the earth before being resurrected is the only sign He offers to the world that His claim to be the only begotten Son of God is true. It is the sign of the prophet Jonah, and it evidences the single most important event in the history of the world, the resurrection of Jesus from the dead

You see, the Lord Jesus Christ really is the Son of God and two thousand years ago, He proved it beyond a shadow of a doubt. Some, however, do not know that He proved it. Today, many are asking the same basic question that the unbelieving Pharisees of Gospel times asked of Jesus, i.e., “What sign will you offer to back up your claim that you are who you say you are?”

Jesus' answer today is the same as it was 2,000 years ago, and the only sign He offers is this: As Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the whale, so Jesus was three days and three nights in the bowels of the earth. Then after three days, He was powerfully and gloriously resurrected from the dead. That’s the sign, the only sign.

In essence, this is what Jesus said to the world: Here is the only sign you are going to get. Kill me openly and publicly and three days later I will rise from the dead.

Then He did it. He accomplished the impossible. Jesus rode into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, four days before the Passover lamb was to be slain. For four days He was questioned and observed by the people of Jerusalem, their religious leaders, and even by Pontius Pilate, and found faultless. Then, four days after He entered the city, He was killed, as the Lamb of God, the Lamb who takes away the sins of the world. Then three days after that, He rose from the dead, proving that His claims were true.

Answer 5

I'm a Christian, so i'll answer your christian questions:

if jesus were totally human, i would not base my faith on him. the christian faith is based on things that are not perishable, not material, things that can't die - like our souls, our spirits, and God. if jesus were just a human like the rest of us, i still would think he was a good role model and would try to be like him so that i could be a better person. but that would be just like the characteristics we currently try to emulate from people like martin luther king jr. and rosa parks.

and as for god thinking human-jesus was the best human there ever lived-- god doesnt grade on a curve, so trying to be like this human jesus isn't what's going to get you into heaven. it's like...you believe in god and the fact that jesus was the son of god and therefore you go to heaven or you don't and go to hell. the way to get closer to god is by obeying his teachings and establishing a personal relationship directly with him, and not falling into this "good person syndrome" where you think that just being a good person will get you into heaven. trying to be like another human won't get me closer to god, but following the real jesus (the son of God), and talking with god, and following the teachings he laid down is what will get you closer to God.

the other thing is that yes, god has favorites, but his favorites are all the ones who believe in him. so god would never single someone out like that and say 'you are the best human being that ever lived', because god loves his children and is fair and just to everyone.

Answer 6

nicely #a million, you dont ought to desert common sense or reason in order to have self assurance creationism. there is no longer some thing illogical or unreasonable about the proposition of an all-powerful being turning out to be each thing all of us know. The intricacy and element of nature and the cosmos easily want the conception of creation particularly than what, random creation? No. The artwork of operating in the route of drugs wasnt all started by ability of atheists. You dont should be an atheist to practice or study drugs. No, yet we draw the line at human cloning and harvesting. What does farming ought to do with evolution? until eventually youre admitting that it takes inteligent layout and intervention to create new species???? So yoiu should be an atheist to have a computer technology degree? i have self assurance in the concept that we cant quit species from starting to be extinct. Nature does that. it truly is the middle of organic decision. Now you want to shrink nature out of the technique? those dont have any relating the debate in any respect. This sounds like a straw guy attack. the in undemanding words issue we'd like to regulate is the problem in our faculties the position the in undemanding words licensed faith is liberalism, the in undemanding words licensed voices are atheists, and the in undemanding words fabric is their propaganda that's dehumanizing and detrimental. Atheistic theories shouldnt study as actuality. There should be a philosophy classification the position the theist and atheist receives to make their case. human beings know a thanks to make up their personal minds. the present problem is unacceptable.

Answer 7

Jesus DID exist!!! It doesn't matter what I think...our minds are nothing compared to God's infiniteness and supreme power. If there was anything about Jesus that was changed, nothing would fit and He wouldn't be who He actually was and what the Bible says He was. He was 100% man, and 100% God. It's unexplainable, but true. If it isn't true, then nothing else in the Bible can be trusted. And He's not just a hero...He died for everything bad YOU'VE done, and He rose again to life! If you believe that, and you repent of your sins, He will forgive you and you will spend an eternity in heaven with Him!

Answer 8

There is little doubt he existed. Along with that he taught accountability and a doctrine of love and forgiveness. As a philosopher and teacher he had much to offer. It took courage too to make a stand, no doubt he went into Jerusalem last as he spent most of his ministry in the backwater of then Judea, specifically because he knew of the danger to his life if he went there and clashed with the Temple High Priests. He was apparently human, with fears (agony of the garden likely truly happened). I believe the accuracy of the gospels where he has superhuman powers was doubtful but where he taught likely. With that in mine he was the most influential philosopher of all time and without question brave and heroic facing down death for his ideology.

Answer 9

Well, first of all it is true. The man did exsist, he was hung to die on a cross and thought to have died that day and that is what I beleive. But say he did live longer have His wife and kids... No matter, it is 2000 years later and He is still talk of the town. Sure Man has been screing up His story since day one, that is why it is important to get to know Him on apersonal level and What he is and what He means to YOU. Listen to His teachings. He forsake no man for no reason. Gay, straight, sinner or saint. Man has ruined His Good Name, Orginized religion has also. You think Jesus is with these millionaire Tv evangelists.. You think he is with the Catholic Church and all it's money that could be spent feeding Millions.... Nope, Jesus is out to Help His Children and He wants us to help eachother. Live by our needs and tend to the needs of others. No pointing fingers or calling others sinners. We are all sinners and shall throw no stones.. We need to get more personal with Our God. He is called by many names but He is One and only one. He wages only war aginist evil, not aginist His Children... Everyone is missing the boat here.. I fall short every day. I can only beg His forgivness and Do better tomorrow.

Answer 10

You are right in what you say and that is how I feel.

Jesus, Mohommed, Buddha, etc are all great teachers and leaders. They never insist on being worshiped AS god, but being remembered after their death.

The true god himself does not insist worship, because he does not need anything from us-he is god, not human. We have needs, he does not.

The religions lessen the one true god who we all conceive as the highest power or spirit. They try to make him into us when we should be trying to make ourselves a part of GOD.