IAmJacksUserName
Bluelighter
Before I start, I'd like to say that I'm a skeptic when it comes to the Bible. I was raised Quaker, so I've always been taught to find the truth for myself. I'm anything but a Bible-thumping prick. In fact, I'm hesitant to even call myself a Christian.
That being said, could it be possible that Jesus really was perhaps God's voice (Or "son," as Christians say) on Earth? I don't discount this, and I'll tell you why.
First of all, Jesus was crucified around 33 A.D., according to the best guesses of historians. The gospels were written around 70-80 A.D. That's just a few decades down the road- it would be like writing about Truman now. Generally, for the truth to be distorted into a myth, it takes much longer than that- usually several hundred years. The fact that so little time elapsed suggests to me that the Gospels are a historic record, albeit one shrouded in rumor and urban legends (Especially when you take into account flawed translations and the constant retellings of these stories). I'm not saying that Jesus turned water into wine, but I do feel that his teaching and crucifiction were, for the most part, documented with a fair degree of accuracy.
My second reason may seem a little more far-fetched, as it does even to me, but it's too important to discount. After Jesus's death, something had to have happened. Something big. Afterall, why would Jesus's disciples, all of who were just common shmucks, feel so compelled to return after his supposed resurrection to spread the word of the Gospels? The fact they did so is undeniable- that's how Christianity spread. It must have been something that was powerful to them that compelled them to do it. Is it possible that, just maybe it was a supernatural occurence (i.e. a resurrection) that made them do so?
My third reason is as follows. Jesus pretty much threw much of the Old Testament out the window. He advocated love and forgiveness, tolerance, and preached against eye-for-an-eye, even while the people of his time seemed to be at odds with these teachings. Nevertheless, people of Jesus's day listened to him in a time that contradicted his values, and they went on to worship him even after most of them reverted back to intolerance and eye-for-an-eye. (Crusades anyone?) I can't help but wonder if Jesus had a divine force about him that make people feel compelled to "follow him", even if they don't really follow his teachings, as I still see today in much of the contemporary Christian right.
Once again, I'm not saying this as an advocate for Christianity. All I am is one guy looking for truth, and right now, I'm finding myself wondering about these things. I don't consider myself a believer in the Bible- frankly it scares me. What I definitely believe, however, is that Jesus was a brilliant moral philosopher, who taught us important lessons, that are still important to follow today, on how to treat our fellow human beings. Whether or not there even is a god doesn't change this for me.
That being said, could it be possible that Jesus really was perhaps God's voice (Or "son," as Christians say) on Earth? I don't discount this, and I'll tell you why.
First of all, Jesus was crucified around 33 A.D., according to the best guesses of historians. The gospels were written around 70-80 A.D. That's just a few decades down the road- it would be like writing about Truman now. Generally, for the truth to be distorted into a myth, it takes much longer than that- usually several hundred years. The fact that so little time elapsed suggests to me that the Gospels are a historic record, albeit one shrouded in rumor and urban legends (Especially when you take into account flawed translations and the constant retellings of these stories). I'm not saying that Jesus turned water into wine, but I do feel that his teaching and crucifiction were, for the most part, documented with a fair degree of accuracy.
My second reason may seem a little more far-fetched, as it does even to me, but it's too important to discount. After Jesus's death, something had to have happened. Something big. Afterall, why would Jesus's disciples, all of who were just common shmucks, feel so compelled to return after his supposed resurrection to spread the word of the Gospels? The fact they did so is undeniable- that's how Christianity spread. It must have been something that was powerful to them that compelled them to do it. Is it possible that, just maybe it was a supernatural occurence (i.e. a resurrection) that made them do so?
My third reason is as follows. Jesus pretty much threw much of the Old Testament out the window. He advocated love and forgiveness, tolerance, and preached against eye-for-an-eye, even while the people of his time seemed to be at odds with these teachings. Nevertheless, people of Jesus's day listened to him in a time that contradicted his values, and they went on to worship him even after most of them reverted back to intolerance and eye-for-an-eye. (Crusades anyone?) I can't help but wonder if Jesus had a divine force about him that make people feel compelled to "follow him", even if they don't really follow his teachings, as I still see today in much of the contemporary Christian right.
Once again, I'm not saying this as an advocate for Christianity. All I am is one guy looking for truth, and right now, I'm finding myself wondering about these things. I don't consider myself a believer in the Bible- frankly it scares me. What I definitely believe, however, is that Jesus was a brilliant moral philosopher, who taught us important lessons, that are still important to follow today, on how to treat our fellow human beings. Whether or not there even is a god doesn't change this for me.
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