Welcome to City-Data.com Forum!
U.S. CitiesCity-Data Forum Index
Go Back   City-Data Forum > General Forums > Religion and Spirituality > Atheism and Agnosticism
 [Register]
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
View detailed profile (Advanced) or search
site with Google Custom Search

Search Forums  (Advanced)
Closed Thread Start New Thread
 
Old 09-01-2012, 08:53 AM
 
Location: New York metropolitan area
1,316 posts, read 1,580,361 times
Reputation: 341

Advertisements

I understand that atheists/nonbelievers do not believe in Christianity or any other religion, but if you read the holy Bible (New Testament), read quotes by Jesus Christ and saw how loving, friendly and great he was; Do you at least acknowledge him as a hero or great leader/person?

The reason why I brought up this topic was due to having an atheist friend who dislike religion, but had an image of Jesus Christ in his room because he loved his quotes and consider him an awesome hero and said everybody should be like Christ.
I also watched a clip online when a Muslim Imam said that even him had an image of Christ, along with some other famous people.

Yes, there are enough historical evidence that a person named Jesus Christ existed. Now, we cannot proof that he was Son of God just like we cannot proof that God exists 100% (Even though we believe in Him) and nobody could proof that God does not exists either.

 
Old 09-01-2012, 09:02 AM
 
14,249 posts, read 17,867,883 times
Reputation: 13807
To be honest and until this post, I have never given the subject a moment's thought.

And now, having thought about it for a couple of minutes, I really cannot get interested enough to offer a point of view.
 
Old 09-01-2012, 10:12 AM
 
Location: SC Foothills
8,831 posts, read 11,587,805 times
Reputation: 58253
^^^^LOL^^^^ to the above.

Actually, Jesus was a huge stumbling block for me as far as letting go of religion/Christianity. I really liked the idea of him because he seemed reasonable/rational compared to the OT God. It was easy to believe in him and I cried when I saw "The Passion of the Christ" and what they supposedly did to him.

But I knew if that I didn't believe the rest of the Bible, how could I just pick out one character as credible if the rest of it isn't? Maybe he did exist, but most likely he was just a good, rational leader who was merely human and claiming to be "god" is what really got him into trouble. Of course now someone like that would be thrown into the loony bin and not given another thought, but in biblical times it was punishable by death. But then again, so was everything else.

Yes we can appreciate the fable that is Jesus, but that's all it is....a fable.
 
Old 09-01-2012, 10:58 AM
 
Location: Sitting beside Walden Pond
4,612 posts, read 4,876,656 times
Reputation: 1408
No, Jesus was not a hero or a great leader, but he said a lot of good things, especially in his Sermon on the Mount.

I think he is a good role model to build a religion around, much better than Moses, Muhammed, or Joseph Smith.
 
Old 09-01-2012, 11:20 AM
 
Location: S. Wales.
50,081 posts, read 20,537,613 times
Reputation: 5927
Quote:
Originally Posted by Nunnor View Post
I understand that atheists/nonbelievers do not believe in Christianity or any other religion, but if you read the holy Bible (New Testament), read quotes by Jesus Christ and saw how loving, friendly and great he was; Do you at least acknowledge him as a hero or great leader/person?

The reason why I brought up this topic was due to having an atheist friend who dislike religion, but had an image of Jesus Christ in his room because he loved his quotes and consider him an awesome hero and said everybody should be like Christ.
I also watched a clip online when a Muslim Imam said that even him had an image of Christ, along with some other famous people.

Yes, there are enough historical evidence that a person named Jesus Christ existed. Now, we cannot proof that he was Son of God just like we cannot proof that God exists 100% (Even though we believe in Him) and nobody could proof that God does not exists either.
First a caveat. Yes, I think Jesus was something of a hero. Misguided perhaps, but heroic nevertheless.

But that is nothing to do with Jesus Christ. While every effort is made to depict him as compassionate, wise, stern but just and in the end awesome, I can only recall what I said to my colleague who challenged me to Really read the Bible.

'I don't really find Jesus a likeable person, you know. He is obscure, moody, contradictory, vengeful and often spiteful.' Not someone I could follow, admire or regard as a hero.

The quotes, well, as an example, the Golden rule which is perhaps the basis for a non - god morality appears in Greek, Judaic, Indian and Chinese tradition.

But in the gospels, it is perverted from a message of tolerance into a green light to go and pester everyone with your own opinions. No. I do not admire the quotes very much either.
 
Old 09-01-2012, 11:31 AM
 
16,294 posts, read 28,447,403 times
Reputation: 8383
Quote:
Originally Posted by Nunnor View Post
I understand that atheists/nonbelievers do not believe in Christianity or any other religion, but if you read the holy Bible (New Testament), read quotes by Jesus Christ and saw how loving, friendly and great he was; Do you at least acknowledge him as a hero or great leader/person?

The reason why I brought up this topic was due to having an atheist friend who dislike religion, but had an image of Jesus Christ in his room because he loved his quotes and consider him an awesome hero and said everybody should be like Christ.
I also watched a clip online when a Muslim Imam said that even him had an image of Christ, along with some other famous people.

Yes, there are enough historical evidence that a person named Jesus Christ existed. Now, we cannot proof that he was Son of God just like we cannot proof that God exists 100% (Even though we believe in Him) and nobody could proof that God does not exists either.
and if he did, he didn't walk on water, he didn't heal, he didn't turn water into wine, etc., etc., etc.,.,.,.,

Oh yea, he was also conceived just like the rest of us
 
Old 09-01-2012, 12:13 PM
 
2,319 posts, read 4,786,434 times
Reputation: 2109
Nope. Actually, I think he was delusional, if he did, in fact, say all those things. He was an apocalyptic Jew who taught that he was the son of god. He told people that unless they hated their parents and their spouses they couldn't go to heaven. He told men to abandon their families and follow him. He declared all foods clean to eat. These things are diametrically opposed to Jewish law. He reinterpreted the laws when he saw fit.

No, I don't think he's a hero, and I have no desire to be like him. The best statement Jesus made was a variation of the golden rule, which was around centuries before he came onto the scene. In fact, that version isn't the one I live by. I prefer Confucius' "Never impose on others what you would not choose for yourself." Sometimes people to do me what they like done to them, and it makes me uncomfortable (i.e. witnessing).
 
Old 09-01-2012, 12:50 PM
 
Location: Richland, Washington
4,903 posts, read 6,000,965 times
Reputation: 3533
I wouldn't say he was awesome or heroic. The bible doesn't depict Jesus as a figure of love and compassion, even though that's what many people believe it says. For example, in the Parable of 10 pounds(Luke 19: 11-27), he says that "anyone who does not believe in me, bring them here and kill them before me." While this is a parable, there isn't much in the way of interpreting it to mean something compassionate or loving. Another example is in Mathew 5:17-20 where he says that "I did not come to destroy the law of the prophets. I came not to destroy but to fulfill. Not one jot or tittle of the law shall in no wise way pass until heaven and earth disappear." What this means is that Jesus advocated the laws of the Old Testament such as stoning disobedient children etc. While not everything he advocated were acts of barbarism, he taught plenty of things which would make me not see him as a hero.
 
Old 09-01-2012, 01:15 PM
 
3,598 posts, read 4,935,275 times
Reputation: 3169
My fellow atheists: you are all falling for the classic trap in believing that there even WAS a man named Jesus. Contrary to the original poster, there is NOT a lot of historical evidence that a man named Jesus Christ walked the earth at all. The shroud of turin is total BS. Not even the Catholic Church itself has endorsed its authenticity and it was only "discovered" in 1898! It's strictly kept from scientific study and even when it once was allowed to be carbon dated, it was proven to be from the 13th century, NOT the year 0.

More importantly, this "hero myth" has really got to stop. For an atheist to even consider Jesus a hero is like saying they consider Harry Potter a personal hero. It's retarded... and yes, that word is very appropriate here. JESUS CHRIST NEVER EXISTED!!!!!!!

Look at the facts: mythological stories of people dying and coming back to life after 3 days was around long before the year 0. Don't take my word for it, look it up. Read books on anthropology. Same with being born to a virgin mother... in a manger... on the 25th of December... being visited 3 wise men... and many more "facts" solely attributed to Jesus. Oral story-telling is a well-known practice that has been a part of human history since we developed language. It was the only way illiterate people could share stories and histories. Have you ever played a game of "telephone" in a large group? Imagine that game of telephone went on for literally thousands of years and you can see how the myth gets bigger and more embellished through generations.

Here's the most damning evidence to show how ridiculous it is to think that Jesus ever existed: the bible that has somehow told of some remarkable miracles and details surrounding him was written HUNDREDS of years after he supposedly walked the earth! Does that remotely make sense to any of you with logical capacity? How can such amazing feats (and other less important details/quotes) be completely ignored from the written word until centuries after his "death(s)"? And once they are written, why are they EXACTLY like the myths that existed before the year 0?

Methinks ALL of you have been fooled... believers and non-believers alike.

So yeah, he's a hero... and that poster on the wall must be sitting right next to a poster of Superman... for the exact same reasons.

Last edited by logline; 09-01-2012 at 01:23 PM..
 
Old 09-01-2012, 01:20 PM
 
14,249 posts, read 17,867,883 times
Reputation: 13807
Quote:
Originally Posted by logline View Post
My fellow atheists: you are all falling for the classic trap in believing that there even WAS a man named Jesus. Contrary to the original poster, there is NOT a lot of historical evidence that a man named Jesus Christ walked the earth at all. The shroud of turin is total BS. Not even the Catholic Church itself has endorsed its authenticity and it was only "discovered" in 1898! It's strictly kept from scientific study and even when it once was allowed to be carbon dated, it was proven to be from the 13th century, NOT the year 0.

More importantly, this "hero myth" has really got to stop. For an atheist to even consider Jesus a hero is like saying they consider Harry Potter a personal hero. It's retarded... and yes, that word is very appropriate here. JESUS CHRIST NEVER EXISTED!!!!!!!

Look at the facts: mythological stories of people dying and coming back to life after 3 days was around long before the year 0. Don't take my word for it, look it up. Read books on anthropology. Same with being born to a virgin mother... in a manger... on the 25th of December... being visited 3 wise men... and many more "facts" solely attributed to Jesus. Oral history is a well-known practice that has been a part of human history since we developed language. It was the only way illiterate people could share stories and histories. Have you ever played a game of "telephone" in a large group? Imagine that game of telephone went on for literally thousands of years and you can see how the myth gets bigger and more embellished through generations.

Here's the most damning evidence to show how ridiculous it is to think that Jesus ever existed: the bible that has somehow told of some remarkable miracles and details surrounding him was written HUNDREDS of years after he supposedly walked the earth! Does that remotely make sense to any of you with logical capacity? How can such amazing feats (and other less important details/quotes) be completely ignored from the written word until centuries after his "death(s)"? And once they are written, why are they EXACTLY like the myths that existed before the year 0?

Methinks ALL of you have been fooled... believers and non-believers alike.

So yeah, he's a hero... and that poster on the wall must be sitting right next to a poster of Superman... for the exact same reasons.
Does it matter and do we care?
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.

Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.


Closed Thread


Over $104,000 in prizes was already given out to active posters on our forum and additional giveaways are planned!

Go Back   City-Data Forum > General Forums > Religion and Spirituality > Atheism and Agnosticism
Similar Threads

All times are GMT -6.

© 2005-2024, Advameg, Inc. · Please obey Forum Rules · Terms of Use and Privacy Policy · Bug Bounty

City-Data.com - Contact Us - Archive 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37 - Top