Was Jesus Christ just a man? Aetheists vs. Christians, Battle Royale

reply to post by CrypticSouthpaw


I have no doubt we are moving into a new era and I guess you could call that an end of these times, but it’s not like life will end on this planet. We are heading into troubled times though. Our current system cannot be maintained and it seems some level of a crash will be required to begin a new system. It’s happened many times in histories past.

Most people would consider greed to be a form of evil, and evil always contains the seed of its own destruction. In the scope of human history, a system based in greed will only last a short time. It will crash and it will be terrible for many people, but we, as a species, will emerge and begin anew. Let’s hope we learn from our mistakes this time.

I can tell by your response that you base your concept of who/what Jesus is on the Christian belief system, and that is fine. Just know that the Jesus mentioned in the Urantia Book is quite different. Intellectually he was vastly superior to his associates and had a very difficult time teaching them. Remember, we are talking about first century humans with very little education by today's standards.

Jesus taught in a day when common people were little more than slaves. Kings and those appointed by them governed with little to no input from the people. Religious authority was nearly absolute in it reach, especially among the Jews. So what Jesus taught was that you could think on your own. That you didn't have to be bound by these religious traditions and ceremonies.

He discovered that over time the crystallization of ceremonies causes those practicing to lose sight of the intended purpose. To fully appreciate what Jesus was trying to do you need to understand history. Great men of the past had to "dumb down" religious concepts because so few were educated to comprehend the deeper meanings. Those ceremonies enabled the truth of God to slowly move along with the growing minds of man.

Then another great teacher would arise and carry man, morally and religiously, a little further. Jesus showed the way to a higher level. He never wanted to be a leader, but was compelled to help his fellow man. In the spiritual sense he is our elder brother. It was his early followers who shifted the attention away from God to Jesus. Instead of the religion of Jesus it became the religion about Jesus. Humans have a tendency to worship great men. That has happened throughout history.

Being that Jesus was a Son of God he was able to revel new ideas about God never before heard of. He also realized that religion must grow and develop with the times. That is why he never wrote his teachings down. What could be good in his day may not work at all in other times. So he spoke in parables and generalizations so it would fit future generations.

The highest truths Jesus taught were, love God as your Father and Man as your Brother. There is no higher moral code than that and the most highly advanced civilizations operate on this simple foundation. When Jesus said things like: “Come to me all you who labor, and I will give you rest — spiritual strength.” he did not mean that he would do the thinking for them, but rather help them figure it out in their own way.

Another great revelation of Jesus was his discussions on Heaven. The concept was hazy at best in the minds of first century humans. Except for the rich, not many had any hopes of an afterlife. He greatly expanded what was known. He had been with God before this world was. He knows the glories of Heaven, but it is so vastly different from what we know that very little could actually be described.

Jesus was an extraordinary Man as well as a Son of God. He refused to use his gifts for the betterment of himself. He showed what the future of humanity could be. Imagine a world where great men refuse to use their powers/talents solely for personal gain, but to focus them for the betterment of all. That is the destiny that Jesus showed is possible for mankind.

We have been left to our own devices though and it will take time and effort to reach those goals. We are still evolving as a species. One day all the races of Earth will be blended, one race. We will probably have a common language and a more unified religion. We will be Earthlings, not American or Chinese or some other nationality. But that is down the road. Evolution is slow, but it is sure to continue to move forward.

reply to post by UB2120


Brilliant post. I'm really glad you've been participating lately, and I hope you stick around. We need more voices like yours.
I hope you get applause for that post, friend. I starred you - way to go!!!! (I friended you, too!)

reply to post by wildtimes


Thanks. I don't participate as much as I would like in discussions, but I find it fun when I do. I hope you have a wonderful day.