Unintentionaly I had an interesting talk with my sister-in-law today. She's in a mainstream Christian church, but her pastor is kinda avante guard (and occasionally gets some flackfrom the more conservative members). He often presents them with various theological theories, kind of a "try them on and see how they feel." He cited a couple theological scholars who suggested that Jesus did not think he was devine, that he didn't consider himself god or the son of God. There was a lot more to it, but that's the main thing I recall. Anyone find of interesting or blashphemy? If Jesus really was a man, would he have thought of himself as a diety?
I'll have to double check this but.... Did Jesus actually SAY he was a deity? He called God his father, but God is refered to as "father" throughout the Old Testament. I'm thinking that it was the disciples and followers who gave him the status he had. Also, Cyrus, king of Persia who conquered Babylon when the Hebrews were in exile there was called a "messiah" even though he wasn't Hebrew and didn't believe in their God. Something else that's interesting (I've posted this before) but most scholars say that "son of God" before the time of Jesus didn't mean literally son of God. You could say that son of God mean angels. It's scattered throughout the Bible, but the place I'm thinking of is in Genesis... something along the lines of "the sons of God took the daughters of man." Course, ya can't really listen to me cuz according to most people, I'm gonna burn for eternity...what do I know
I just found something interesting... http://www.everystudent.com/wires/whodoyousay.html Now, instead of looking at it from a Christian viewpoint, look at it from a Hindu/Buddhist/pantheistic view. In other words, if all is one, we are all god and god is all. Maybe Jesus was just an early Buddha. (I'm really gonna burn for that one )
Re: Re: Okay... asking for religious views No he didn't actually. The FBI would have us believe he was a raving lunatic in order to help justify their awful handling of the Waco situation. Janet Reno's biggest blunder, IMHO.
With all of this "burning" you are supposed to be doing i think I'll comeover to your house with a fresh bag of marshmellows
This should move me to the top of the burn-in-hell list kept by some: The carpenter from Nazereth was an out-of-work miscreant ("He who is not with Me is against Me." Matthew 12:30. "No one can serve two masters" Matthew 6:24), who was the head of a cult that promised riches for the masses ("The meek shall inherit the earth", Matthew 5:5) and problems for the rich ("Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God." Matthew 4:4) The then-powers-that-be decided this was not a good thing for them. They did what they did to anyone else who posed a threat to them: killed him. Nothing personal, strictly business. From this grew a world-wide movement struggling to dominate and control. Bitter in-fighting amongst themselves (Catholics v Protestants, Roman Catholic v Greek/Russian Orthodox, What Would Jesus Do? Who was Jesus? The Virgin Mary, etc.) keeps them from obtaining this goal. Discuss, flame, attack at you leisure.
Diety of Jesus You may want to read John 8, especially John 8:58. You can read any commentary and refer back to some old testament writings to clearly see that "I Am" is God. In the verse that follows you can see that the Jews surrounding Him at that time understood it and thought it blasphemy. Also in John 20:28, the disciple Thomas addresses the risen Jesus as "my Lord and my God". Matthew 23:24, "I send unto you prophets, and wise men and scribes". Only God sent prophets. Jesus claimed the power to forgive sin. He claimed equal status with the Father and the Holy Spirit. He claimed all authority in heaven ( and on earth). My two cents.
You're more than welcome, but you'd better bring enough marshmallows for the kids or you're liable to get lynched Course, I'd be trying to discuss "stuff" with you while I burned. Some people might take that as some sort of sign....kinda like Moses and that bush (not to be confused with that Bush, no matter how many times he claims he's sent from God)
