I'd give him a solid 70% because he preached about impartial love. Love thy enemy, love the prostitutes, money isn't the measure of a man. But since it all tied back to God, who I don't believe is real, he misses out on the full marks. There's also that bit about how slaves should be treated, when slavery isn't good at all. What do you think?
2007-08-23 06:34:38 · 28 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
The Christian answers make me want to barf. I was hoping for so much more, so I guess that's my own fault.
2007-08-23 06:44:26 · update #1
100%
2007-08-23 06:37:41 · answer #1 · answered by Cookyduster 4 · 3⤊ 5⤋
Well first off I'm pretty much thinking Jesus got 100% of it right. There's two options in what you believe about Jesus: a) that Jesus was 100% true in what He said and was what He preached or b) that Jesus was a lunatic.
Jesus professed to be a lot of things i.e. the Son of God, the Messiah, and so forth and so on. He's either being truthful or He's a liar.
As far as the slave thing...I don't have the immediate Scripture or the state of mind to really defend this. Now I'm not saying I'm defending slavery but the Bible is usually read out of context. Not only that but Jesus was relevant to His day and time. For instance, he went and called fisherman to be his disciples because at the time fisherman were as low as it got. Jesus wanted to make a statement in choosing them. He did it with purpose. Whereas today if Jesus were to walk the earth He might choose a trashman or something (not to say trashman or low or anything...just trying to make an anology).
2007-08-23 13:43:25 · answer #2 · answered by Sarah 2 · 1⤊ 3⤋
Indeed, 19th century slavery in America wasn't good.
But it wasn't always called "slavery."
Being a servant, or "house help" was an honorable position.
Even indentured servanthood was a contract by which people often paid off their debts. In Exodus, God acknowledges this practice, and sets guidelines for it.
Interesting, if we had such a practice now, personal debt would be vitually eliminated, and the poor would have jobs.
I think Jesus got it right 100% of the time, because now, much of America is in slavery to the credit card companies.
2007-08-23 13:48:09 · answer #3 · answered by Bobby Jim 7 · 1⤊ 2⤋
I say, take what inspiration you can from Jesus the teacher.
If you have problems with His divinity, I can understand your frustration with people who use the circular logic that since Jesus is (the son of) God all that has been reported in the Bible about what He said (much of it written over a generation after the events described) is 100% true.
People misunderstand what He said a lot of the time, or ignore the things they don't feel comfortable with. They use quotes out of context to justify their petty hatreds and greed, and to oppress people they don't understand.
That's what happens when a religion gets mainstreamed. People in power will try to use it to control people. Just as that televangelist's trade is about getting you to send your dollars in.
About the slavery thing- it was a fact of life back then, and people were not enslaved just because of their race. There have been all kinds and degrees of slavery- from serfs and peasants to indentured servants and tenant farmers. It bears thinking about what would be the result of telling slaves to leave their masters, and whether it would lead to the kind of violence that Jesus hated. Seriously- what would you have done in Jesus' place?
I don't want to argue my way into supporting slavery of any kind in today's world- I don't- but society has come a long way since then, and a lot of it is in response to Jesus' message of love and dignity for every human being.
Don't think that Christianity is a monolith- far from it. But I think you are nearer the mark than some who would impose a Taliban-like control on those whose doctrine is not as "pure" as theirs.
2007-08-23 13:39:38 · answer #4 · answered by Hal H 5 · 2⤊ 2⤋
Jesus? Of the gospels? 100% correct.
Now, the rest of the bible is a different matter altogether...
Lev 19:19 ?check the label, for goodness' sake!
Lev 21:20 ?need glasses?
Lev 15:19-24 ?haha
Lev. 25:44 ?uh oh...
Lev 11:10 ?hungry?
Exodus 21:7 ?What would Dr. Spock say?
Exodus 35:2 ?Working overtime?
Leviticus 18:22 ?Death is the last great adventure!
Be well.
2007-08-23 13:50:49 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
First off, Jesus told how slaves were to be treated not to say that He believed in slavery, but to instruct people on how to treat people that were in that situation already. Slavery in those times, at least for the Jews, were people who'd gotten in over their heads and owed money. It wasn't a lifelong situation, it was until the debt was paid. Of course the Romans had a lot of slaves, which had nothing to do with debt and there was no pay-off. Regardless, His statement regarding slavery in no way condoned it, just instructed people to treat everyone with kindness. So I'd say He had it 100%.
2007-08-23 13:40:48 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 3⤋
I'm afraid my first response to this question is a good, hearty giggle. You are an ambitious li'l tyke, aintcha...presuming to grade God on His performance!
On closer examination...could you show me ANYWHERE where Jesus tells says anything about slavery??
Unless you are talking about Paul's instructions...of course, Paul isn't Jesus, but he did give everyone good advice on how to get along with each other. If you don't like his terminology "masters and slaves", simply read "Company Owner" and "employee"...roughly the same thing.....
2007-08-23 13:49:09 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 2⤋
put it this way:
do you agree with what he was saying? ignore the fact that it is religious claptrap, but do you agree with his message? i am non denominational as in i think religion is bullpattys.
however:
i think jesus was 100% right in his messages...Douglas Adams said it very succinctly: "about 2000 years after a man had been nailed to a tree for saying HOW NICE IT WOULD BE TO BE NICE TO PEOPLE FOR A CHANGE...."basically that's what happened and that's all he was trying to spread around...love! and that's really his premise...be nice...treat people how you want to be treated. etc etc...
live by his words and forget that it's tied into religion...i think the world would be much happier if people lived by those words and chucked religion out the window.
but that's just my humble opinion...
2007-08-23 13:44:35 · answer #8 · answered by Fission Chips 6 · 2⤊ 1⤋
I believe Jesus to be the Son of the living God. So I think he was 100% right in anything He said. But I respect your opinion and I appreciate the discussion.
.
2007-08-23 13:42:13 · answer #9 · answered by McClintock 4 · 1⤊ 3⤋
Actually, there's an awfully large amount of blather relative to the occasional gem.
And he somehow gets credit for having invented the Golden Rule, which he most definitely didn't.
Seems to me Christians have cherry-picked considerably here, as in much of the rest of scripture, to find the good bits and ignore the junk and actual wrong. That's PR for ya.
CD
2007-08-23 13:40:09 · answer #10 · answered by Super Atheist 7 · 4⤊ 2⤋
To be honest, I'd say the real question is "how much of Jesus do we have right?" Most of the evidence says that christians that follow the bible have him all wrong.
2007-08-23 13:39:13 · answer #11 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 1⤋