Why is Jesus getting a Bad Rep?

Originally posted by SatansQue
Everybody knows that I knew Jesus personally.

Wrong movie, my friend. Costume is pretty cool, though.

All this business about Jesus and Mary Magdalene is just a load of crap. Jesus was raised an Essene, and if you are familiar with this sect, you'll know what Jesus daily life was like, before he began his mission.

If you knew Jesus then you'd know Mary, too. But Mary don't know you.

The path is truly narrow for those who seek God in spirit. And you won't find either Jesus, or your God, between the covers of a book.

Nor a red-tinted horny bald Satan, either. Satan is horny and bald but not RED. All over, that is.

You've got your blues and reds mixed up. But I think I like you, anyway. Move to New Jersey and you might nab the understudy role....

Originally posted by queenannie38
Jesus gets a 'bad rap' because hardly anyone follows his example but every tom dick and harry christian use his name to cover their own.

Luke 6:46
"Why do you call Me 'Lord, Lord,' and not do what I tell you?

LOVE your neighbor as YOURSELF
JUDGE NOT
TURN the OTHER CHEEK
Keep your conversation with God PRIVATE
Do not LIE AGAINST one another
Seek NOT wealth but RIGHTEOUSNESS and justice
FEED the POOR

The #1 cause of atheism/lack of faith in God is CHRISTIANITY.

Imagine that.

Hey Queenannie!

Ive missed talking to you..i havent had any time to get on the computer like in the old days..but its nice to see your still doing your thing.

Keep spreading the word.

As far as Jesus (or any other biblical figure) never existing, here are my two cents.

When looking at a work like the Bible, the question is not whether or not the people in it existed, but how they existed. Let us assume for arguments sake that the entire Bible is a work of fiction and that all of its characters, including Jesus, are fictitious. This does not mean that everything about Jesus (or any other character) is completely imaginary. In order for the story and the characters to be believable and compelling, the writers had to incorporate elements of truth. Thus, they had to take characteristics of real people and incorporate them into the the fictitious characters. So if Jesus did not exist, there were nonetheless real people like him who preached a similar message than the Jesus of the bible preached.

Jesus doesn't get a bad rap... its his followers and what they have done to his teachings and memory. I have a great deal of respect for Jesus and do my best to follow his teachings, its his followers i have a problem with... not all mind you but the ilk represented by the likes of Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson.

[edit on 23-5-2007 by grover]

i'd like to point out that even richard dawkins doesn't give jesus a bad rep. he even wrote an article entitled "atheist for jesus"

Look, whether one believes in a God or not, to me, it would be kind of foolish to degrade the teachings of Christ. Degrade what?

Is being good to ones neighbor is degrade able?Is loving your fellow man is degrade able? Is having faith degrade able? Is being charitable degrade able? Is helping the poor degrade able? I think not.

Of course, you mark my words, someone will try to list something that Jesus said that can be strewed several different ways and claim that it was meant to be violent. It was not!! Much of what Jesus said was stated directly to the apostles, not to those who worship today.

whats so bad about a man that dedicates himself to the point of death for the love of others????

Originally posted by junglelord
whats so bad about a man that dedicates himself to the point of death for the love of others????

Absolutely nothing. Its you so called Christians that bother me.

well I am glad to say I am not one of whatever you think a christian is.

everyone loves me because I show unconditional love
I love my neighbour as myself.
howdy neighbour.
God Bless

Originally posted by junglelord
whats so bad about a man that dedicates himself to the point of death for the love of others????

My point exactly. To be honest, I haven't heard anyone degrade Jesus himself. They may be out there, but I certainly haven't encountered them.

speaker, there is only one thing i have a problem with: thoughtcrime. jesus preached it. that whole "if you look at a woman with lust in your eyes you have already comitted adultery" thing. everything else is golden. the only issue i have is that he didn't provide philosophical backing to his ideas.

I think he meant that evil thoughts can beget evil deeds and that a pure mind is a clean mind.
I come from a town where many high ranking officials who claimed to be christian ran a child molestation ring.
so wolves in sheeps clothing abound.
but at the same time a good sheep should try to focus on pure thoughts

Madness, I know you asked this for Speaker but, We are told to have the mind of Christ.
Look I think this will help, hopfully.
Sometimes when someone goes on a killing spree, it has been in planning for a long time. All that time this person could have been listening to What Jesus was saying but, instead He chose to hear only evil thoughts.
The Bible says to hold every thought captive and conform it to righteuos thoughts, so if you think about it there is that possibillity that you will act on your thoughts. I hope that was clear

God Bless

Originally posted by madnessinmysoul
speaker, there is only one thing i have a problem with: thoughtcrime. jesus preached it. that whole "if you look at a woman with lust in your eyes you have already comitted adultery" thing.

You know,madness, I have never quite figured that one out either. Unless you want to assume that "thoughts are really things" then the whole idea is rather perplexing.

Originally posted by followerofchrist
Madness, I know you asked this for Speaker but, We are told to have the mind of Christ.

i'm not talking about CHRIST, i'm talking about JESUS. the either purely historical or purely literary character. no religious attachments.

Look I think this will help, hopfully.
Sometimes when someone goes on a killing spree, it has been in planning for a long time.

alright, i'm following you

All that time this person could have been listening to What Jesus was saying but, instead He chose to hear only evil thoughts.

....uh huh...

The Bible says to hold every thought captive and conform it to righteuos thoughts,

where?

so if you think about it there is that possibillity that you will act on your thoughts. I hope that was clear

but jesus is saying that you HAVE sinned, not you WILL sin.

and speaker, you could be right from the perspective of thoughts being actions... however, it still wouldn't make sense to equate it to actually DOING something.

Truth of it is... No matter how hardcore of a Christian Bible wielding maniac (meant respectfully) you may be... the facts are that A: none of us were around 2000 yrs ago and B: Christian Bibles are composed of writings of MEN... not Christ.. MEN... For example.. Christ never preached Jack diddley about pre marital sex being wrong.. that was St. Augustine.. a Prude... so why should anyone follow what some prude added to a book that wasnt written by Christ in the first place?

Truth of it is people, that thats why they call it FAITH.. its a belief... not a fact...You have FAITH in something that... to be quite frank.. you have no idea exists or happened...

Truth of it is... In My opinion... I think if "God" could tell us what he thought about christianity, catholicism and all those other christ based religions.. we'd find out that hes pretty pissed off.

SRY wasnt done yet...

Another thing... what the hell kind of "God" creates an entire race just to worship him? thats pretty effin selfish if you ask me..

Secondly.. think about this now... bear with me..

Think about all the contradictions in Christian religions..
Example:
Jesus loves you but if you're gay then thats different because you cant make kids to fill the rows at church thus making the church go bankrupt.
Kinda makes sense doesnt it? Why do you think the church frowns upon birth control and any other forms of contraceptive so much? Because if everyone used some form of it or was gay.. we wouldnt have population booms like we do and the church would go bankrupt.


Love your enemies.. People.. are we forgetting about the crusades here? youre talking about an A$$load of people being killed over a religion.. Hypocrisy.

I mean seriously.. people are quoting the bible on this post.. think about it.. the bible isnt actual fact.. its an ancient game of telephone... he said she said... and not to mention the room for error of interpretation.

Hell.. for all we know everyone back then could have been smoking some kind of super weed and thats why they saw him rise from the dead.. Ive been stoned quite a few times in my day and believe me.. given the right kind of bud and the right amount of THC anything is possible...

my point is that nobody actually knows what went down... he could have been some insane dude saying "im the son of god!!" we dont know so please stop mistaking your beliefs for fact.. as far as you know.. he never existed.. though i do believe he did.. thats all it is.. a belief...