A book mentions a man 2000 years ago who supported what was essentially democratic principles of Justice for all, treating everyone fairly and everyone being equal at a time when democracy didn't exist as a concept, way of life or form of government or practice? Pretty good going for someone who didn't exist.
2007-05-25 00:43:30 · 23 answers · asked by purplepeace59 5 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
It doesn't.
The Bible supports tyrannical justice for all, i.e. follow God or burn in Hell. There is some wisdom in the Bible, but it is outweighed by all the injustice, violence, and religious nonsense.
2007-05-25 00:47:13 · answer #1 · answered by nondescript 7 · 7⤊ 3⤋
Actually Jesus says nothing about equality or justice for all. The new testament actually supports slavery. Next thing is that you should look carefully at the time lines of the writings.
Religious writers often claim Josephus as a non bible support for their belief but the passages they refer to have been shown conclusively to be a later addition, apparently by Pope St. Eusebius.
The concept of democracy was there for at least a thousand years before this supposed Jesus. It was a traditional form of Ancient Greek government at Athens.
2007-05-25 08:11:18 · answer #2 · answered by U-98 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Yea I can explain how one might think he did not exist: He just didn't. Word your question a bit better next time. Jesus apparently did exist but I am not saying he is a prophet or anything, historical facts proved that a man named Jesus lived in Palestine 2000 years ago. Jesus did not preach democracy, he preached values and other religious things. He did not directly preach justice, he preached good things. You should really think about the question a bit more, especially the last sentence 'Pretty good for someone who didn't exist' there are books about people who are as good as Jesus but they are just imaginary, so you cant live off the basis that Jesus is real because he did good things you should live off the basis of Historical Proof.
2007-05-25 07:52:43 · answer #3 · answered by Josh 2 · 3⤊ 0⤋
One:
Jesus did not advocate for a democratic system. He told us to obey and honor the kings and rulers we had.
Jesus merely advocated things we as a society have come to value, that I will give you.
Two: Democracy had existed for hundreds of years before Jesus was born. It was in Greece, a country who's influence was immensely felt in the region Jesus was said to be from. Google "Greek Democracy" You'll see what I mean. Most of the Biblical texts were written in Greek, another indicator that the region was heavily influenced by Greek values.
Three:
None of this essentially matters in the debate about Jesus. Whether he did or did not exist makes no difference to the non-believer in Christianity. A non-believer can say that he did exist, but deny that Christ was a devine incarnation of God. Or he can say Jesus did not exist, it makes no difference to the validity of his/her points. Jesus, to the non-believer, could be a fairy tale or a real man, it doesn't change that he did have some good ideas, and advocated for some worthy causes.
He was not wholly orriginal like you claim though.
2007-05-25 07:52:25 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 4⤊ 0⤋
You need to work on your history. Greek democracy predates Jesus.
In addition, you're cherry-picking your evidence if you think that Jesus' teachings amount to "democratic principles of Justice for all, treating everyone fairly and everyone being equal".
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Now, you just had an idea that you thought would be a good proof of Jesus' godhood, didn't you? Good enough that you wrote it up and posted it, right? So now you realize that you were simply wrong. Are you mature enough to consider what that means about your beliefs? You gave it your best shot, and fell flat on your face. Maybe you should reconsider this, huh?
2007-05-25 07:51:27 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 6⤊ 0⤋
Whether Jesus existed I don't debate,but you are incorrect about democracy not being a concept. The Greeks introduced democracy several centuries before the time of Jesus
2007-05-25 07:50:18 · answer #6 · answered by nobodinoze 5 · 4⤊ 0⤋
Actually the ideas for democracy were born from the Delian League during the beginnings of the Greek Empire starting in the 5th century B.C....LONG before any Jesus walked the earth.
2007-05-25 07:52:04 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋
The concept of democracy is at least 500 years older than Jesus. Indeed the very name comes form ancient Greek philosophers.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_democracy
By the way - I accept that Jesus lived - just that he was not any Deity or that any Deity exists
2007-05-25 08:06:51 · answer #8 · answered by Freethinking Liberal 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Jesus was not democratic. The Pharisees are considered to be eclectic and democratic compared to the Sadducees.
Democracy is based on the myth of the social contract. It means that you give up some of your freedoms in exchange for protection of your rights. In Christ there is freedom that cannot be found through mythology, which gives people roles to play, but as for political protection of your rights, it's not really there. You have to argue for them according to the law of love. This is what Paul spent his life doing.
2007-05-25 07:57:15 · answer #9 · answered by MiD 4 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Not that good - what you have mentioned there had bee displayed by the Greeks quite a while before Jesus. Anyway it's not his existence which is disputed, it's this claim that he was the "only begotten son of God". His existence (or not) is irrelevant.
2007-05-25 07:49:51 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 4⤊ 0⤋
I believe that Jesus was a man here on earth. But so were Jim Jones and David Koresh.
2007-05-25 07:53:38 · answer #11 · answered by Renny 3 · 4⤊ 0⤋